One of the things I feared as a homeschooling mum was dealing with kids of different ages at once. I need not have feared that much because along the way I became acquainted with the protege effect. The protege effect is essentially learning by teaching others. In this post I will share 5 benefits of the protege effect that I have experienced as my children teach and learn from each other.
This concept applies to both children and adults. If you want to test your understanding of a topic, try explaining it to someone else. Many concepts I learned growing up only made sense when I taught them, first as a university lecturer and later as a homeschooling mum. As I was starting this blog, I discovered the tag-line ‘in teaching we learn’, and it resonated well with my own experiences.
Just as a side note I would like to differentiate protege from an almost similar sounding term, prodigy, which refers to a highly talented child or youth. Protege refers to a student; someone trained by a person with more experience.
1. Teach once, and information will cascade down
One of the biggest benefits of the protege effect is witnessed in the home in our everyday life. We always refer to first-born children as deputy parents, and they do indeed fit the bill. First-borns naturally take up this role, in part because they want to act grown up to their siblings, and also in part because we expect them to. You teach something once to the eldest and the information will be passed down to others.
Our daughter enjoys this so much, and it makes life easier for me; I don’t have to chase after everyone all the time because the deputy parent is there. Yes, there are times when she lords it over her poor brothers but that is life, some skills they will learn this way😁! Numbers and the alphabet have been learnt this way too in our home.
2. Inspiration from a peer
My son has taken up a lament that is at once a sulk and admiration for his sister: how do you know that? He doesn’t like it one bit when she knows something he doesn’t; never mind that she is older😁! That could be one reason why he learnt to ride his bike without trainers in record time- to be at par with her. Even his first drawings were based off of hers before he developed his individual flair.
If we, as adults, tell him a fact we don’t impress him much: he believes we SHOULD know that by virtue of our age. But if it’s coming from the sibling it challenges him to want to learn too. Yes, some children are more competitive than others, but that is one benefit of the protege effect; an individual can be challenged to become better or faster.
3. Age factor
There are some things that will not make much sense to a child no matter how much you explain. Our middle child, who’s 5, always wanted someone to push him on the swing. I tried to explain the mechanics of doing it himself without much success, until the sister, who’s 8, stepped in. Because they are almost the same age and size, it was easier for big sister to explain in a way he understood.
Because I learned to pump a swing decades ago, from my peers as well, I may take some steps for granted. His sister filled in that gap. They speak the same language and understand each other’s struggles, making it easier for her to teach him.
4. Easy assessment of ‘teacher’
Assessing a child’s understanding of a concept becomes clear when they teach others. This highlights the benefits of the protege effect and age integration in learning. Once assessed, it’s easier to fill knowledge gaps or correct misconceptions. This feedback loop between “teacher and student” is invaluable to their learning journey.
5. Boosts confidence
Sometimes, head knowledge isn’t enough. When we teach others, we often realize how much we actually know, which boosts our confidence. I have learned from my own experience that when students research a topic and share it with their peers, they become the most knowledgeable on that subject. If anyone in class has a question, they refer to the presenters for assistance; cementing the knowledge even better.
As a teacher, either in an institution or the home school, you can use the protege effect to your advantage; it means less talking for you 😜. It’s easier to assess students that way. Kids tend to remember information they researched themselves better, and sharing it with others only makes it stick the more and boosts their confidence. Students are also challenged when a peer has more information than them.
