Why do Parents & Kids ❤️ Topics in a Jar?

Topics in a Jar isn’t just an easy-to-use, fun, and simplified sex ed activity - this is by design! The science behind Topics in a Jar activities is modeled after key characteristics of early learning pedagogies.

“Playful learning” has been widely accepted as an effective way to engage with young learners using a combination of free-play and guided-play activities. This is referred to as ‘gamification’ of learning for adults and children - and it’s seen a lot of success.

Please note that there are a wide variety of early learning pedagogies and this is not intended to be the only way to teach sexual health topics. I’m sharing the approach that I have found to work well inside the classroom as well as in my home.

Early learning strategies say to use a range of age-appropriate learning tools in order to support the varying ways early learners master new skills and information. Here are just a few examples from the 11 characteristics of age-appropriate pedagogies:

• Active - using their body and encouraging physical movement

• Collaborative - learner & teacher work together to understand and learn

• Explicit - clear explanations from teacher to support the learning process

• Dialogic - meaningful dialogue between learner and teacher

• Scaffolded - supports new learning in a progressive manner to increase learner’s mastery

Topics in a Jar is modeled off the Anonymous Question Box that I used in the classroom as a sex ed teacher. I would give all students a piece of paper and told them to write down any question they had about sex ed and then put it in the box. (At the end of class, I would answer each question for the whole class.) Every student had to write something - even if it was “I don’t have a question” and then fold it and put it in the box. This helped to ensure anonymity.

This classroom activity was designed within the framework of best practices for early learning and it worked because:

• It gave students the opportunity to ask their questions while feeling safe.

• It allowed me to clarify things that were misunderstood during the lesson.

• It was learner-focused which allowed the students to have a say in what they were learning.

Parents have had A LOT of success with Primary, Puberty, & Teen Topics in a Jar - and that’s not a fluke! It was designed that way! Topics in a Jar incorporates a balanced approach which allows for parents and their child to both lead the education at the same time. Here’s what I mean:

• Active - Topics in a Jar asks your child to physically take a question out of the jar and read it. This is a simple way to actively participate in the learning.

• Collaborative - Parents or their child can initiate the activity as well as read the question or answer.

• Explicit - The questions and answers are age-appropriate, simple, clear and straightforward which is intended to maximize the retention of the material.

• Dialogic - Topics in a Jar allows for spontaneous questions to arise and “ah ha” moments to happen by either parent or child. It also increases the chances of a related question to be asked later on as the topic has already been mentioned.

• Scaffolded - Topics in a Jar is designed using medically-accurate and age-appropriate information that is designed to give the child time to process and think about how that information pertains to them now or in the future.

If you’ve been wanting to get The Talks started but are feeling nervous or anxious, don’t hesitate to grab the Topics in a Jar activity for your child’s age. It’s stress-free because you don’t have to think! Simply read the question and then the answer! That’s it!!

Learn more ⤵️

Is your 9 year-old Beating Around the Baby Bush?

“Beating around the baby bush” is a phrase I coined after hearing from many clients about how their kid has never asked, “what’s sex?” Is your 9-year-old beating around the baby bush? Find out here ⬇️

My Resources & Book Recs Can be Found Here

Thank you for being here and if you’ve got a question or topic that you’d like to see discussed here next week, reply to this email!