Kungani Kufanele Ufundele Abantwana Bakho Ngokuzwakalayo?

“Weza kimi, wahlala phezu kwami ehudula incwadi enamakhasi agobekile ayegcwele . . . ibhotela lamantongomane, wayesethi . . . , ‘Baba, ngisize ngiyifunde; ngisize ngiyifunde.’”—UDkt. Clifford Schimmels, uprofesa wezemfundo.

ABANTWANA—bafunda ngokushesha. Ucwaningo lubonisa ukuthi ukukhula okusheshayo kobuchopho kwenzeka kubantwana abaneminyaka engaphansi kwemithathu ubudala. Izinto ezenziwa abazali nsuku zonke njengokufunda, ukucula nokubonisa uthando zingafeza indima ebalulekile ekukhuleni komntwana okunempilo. Nokho, olunye ucwaningo lubonisa ukuthi cishe yisigamu kuphela sabo bonke abazali abanabantwana abaneminyaka emibili kuya kwengu-8 abafundela abantwana babo nsuku zonke. Ungase uzibuze, ‘Ingabe ukufundela umntanami kuyawenza ngempela umahluko?’

Ukuhlakulela Uthando Lokufunda

Ochwepheshe babonisa ukuthi impendulo inguyebo. Umbiko othi Becoming a Nation of Readers uthi: “Into eyodwa ebaluleke kakhulu ekwakheni ulwazi oludingekayo ukuze umuntu aphumelele ekufundeni iwukufundela abantwana ngokuzwakalayo. Lokhu kuyiqiniso ikakhulukazi lapho bengakangeni esikoleni.”

Lapho belalele izindaba ezifundwa encwadini, abantwana bafunda besebancane ukuthi izinhlamvu ezisekhasini lencwadi zivumelana nenkulumo ekhulunywayo. Futhi bajwayela nolimi olusetshenziswa ezincwadini. Incwajana ekhuluma ngokufunda ngokuzwakalayo ithi: “Njalo lapho sifundela umntwana, sithumela isigijimi ‘senjabulo’ engqondweni yomntwana. Ungaze ukubize ngesikhangiso, ukuqeqesha umntwana ukuba ajabule lapho ebona incwadi namagama alotshiwe.” Abazali abathuthukisa lolu thando lwezincwadi bayohlakulela ezinganeni zabo isifiso sokufunda sokuphila konke.

Ukubasiza Baqonde Izwe Elibazungezile

Abazali abafundela abantwana babo ngokuzwakalayo bangabapha isipho esiyigugu—ulwazi ngabantu, izindawo nezinto. Ngaphandle kokukhokha imali eshisiwe, “bangavakashela” umhlaba wonke ngokufunda izincwadi. Cabangela isibonelo sika-Anthony oneminyaka emibili ubudala, unina abemfundela kusukela azalwa. Unina uthi: “Uhambo lwakhe lokuqala lokuya e-zoo lwaluwukuvuselela ulwazi ayenalo.” Ukuvuselela ulwazi? Yebo, nakuba u-Anthony ayeqala ngqá ukuwabona ngokoqobo amadube, amabhubesi, izindlulamithi nezinye izilwane, wayesezazi kakade lezi zilwane.

Unina uyaqhubeka echaza: “U-Anthony uye wajabulela ukuhlangana nabantu abaningi, izilwane, izinto nemiqondo, konke ngokufunda izincwadi, phakathi neminyaka emibili yokuqala yokuphila kwakhe.” Yebo, ukufundela abantwana ngokuzwakalayo besebancane kunganezela lukhulu ekuqondeni izwe abaphila kulo.

Ukwakha Ubuhlobo Obuseduze

Phakathi neminyaka yokuqala yokuphila, izingane zihlakulela izimo zengqondo eziyothonya izenzo zazo iminyaka eminingi. Ngakho abazali kudingeka babeke isisekelo sobuhlobo obuseduze obakhiwa ukuzethemba, ukuhloniphana nokuqonda. Ukufunda kungaba usizo kule nqubo.

Uma abazali bezinika isikhathi sokugona abantwana babo bese bebafundela, umyalezo abawudluliselayo usobala: “Ngiyakuthanda.” Ekhuluma ngokufundela indodana yakhe, manje eneminyaka engu-8 ubudala, uPhoebe waseCanada wathi: “Mina nomyeni wami sinomuzwa wokuthi lokhu kuye kwasiza kakhulu ekwenzeni ukuba uNathan asondelane nathi. Usithululela isifuba sakhe asitshele indlela azizwa ngayo. Kuye kwakha isibopho esikhethekile.”

UCindy uye wakwenza umkhuba ukufundela indodakazi yakhe ngokuzwakalayo kusukela lapho isenonyaka nje kuphela ubudala futhi isikwazi ukuhlala ilalele imizuzwana. Ingabe bekuwufanele lowo mzamo nesikhathi? UCindy uthi: “Ngokuvamile isimo esinobungane nokuthula lapho nifunda ndawonye yisona esidingekayo ukushukumisela u-Abigail ukuba asitshele okwenzeke esikoleni noma inkinga anayo nomngane. Yimuphi umzali obengeke akujabulele lokho?” Ngokuqinisekile, ukufunda ngokuzwakalayo kungakha isibopho esiseduze phakathi komzali nomntwana.

Ukugxilisa Amakhono Okuphila Abalulekile

“Abantwana bethu namuhla badla udoti omningi ngokwengqondo, kuthelevishini nakweminye imithombo, kangangokuba kunanini ngaphambili, badinga ukondliwa ngokwengqondo, ukuhluzeka okuthile, ukuhlakanipha, ukugxila ngokwengqondo okuyobasiza ukuba baphile ngokwezindinganiso zabo futhi babe nombono ofanele ngokuphila kwabo,” kusho incwadi ethi 3 Steps to a Strong Family. Abazali basesimweni esihle kakhulu sokudlulisela ithonya elihle nelakhayo.

Ukuzwa imisho emagatshagatsha neyakhiwe ngobuciko etholakala ezincwadini kungaba yindlela ewusizo yokufundisa umntwana ukuveza imizwa yakhe ngamazwi nangokubhala. UDorothy Butler, umlobi wencwadi ethi Babies Need Books, uthi: “Izinga lokucabanga komuntu liyoxhomeka ezingeni lolimi alukhulumayo. Empeleni, ulimi luwumgogodla wokufunda nokuhlakanipha.” Ikhono lokukhulumisana kahle liwumgogodla wobuhlobo obuhle.

Ukufunda izincwadi ezifanele kungagxilisa nokuziphatha nezindinganiso ezinhle. Abazali abafunda futhi babonisane nabantwana babo bangabasiza ukuba bahlakulele amakhono okuxazulula izinkinga. Njengoba uCindy ayefunda nomntanakhe u-Abigail, wayephawula ngokucophelela ukusabela kuka-Abigail ezimweni ezichazwe endabeni. “Njengabazali, singafunda okwengeziwe ngezici ezicashile zobuntu bakhe futhi mhlawumbe simsize ayeke ukucabanga okungafanele esemncane.” Ngempela, ukufunda nezingane ngokuzwakalayo kungafundisa kokubili ingqondo nenhliziyo.

Yenza Ukufunda Kujabulise

Funda “ngokubonelela,” ugcine isimo sikhululekile futhi sijabulisa. Abazali abakhaliphile bayazi uma sekufanele bayeke ukufunda. ULena uthi: “Ngezinye izikhathi u-Andrew, oneminyaka emibili ubudala, usuke ekhathele futhi eyaluza. Sifushanisa isikhathi sokufunda ukuze sivumelane nesimo sakhe. Asifuni ukuba u-Andrew akuzonde ukufunda, ngakho asimcindezeli ukuba sifunde size seqe isikhathi esimfanele.”

Ukufunda ngokuzwakalayo kuhilela okungaphezu nje kokuphimisela okubhalwe phansi. Yazi ukuthi uliphenya nini ikhasi lencwadi yezithombe ukuze umntwana abe nelukuluku. Funda ngokushelela. Ukushintshashintsha kwezwi nokugcizelela umqondo nakho kungafaka impilo endabeni. Imfudumalo yephimbo lakho ingagxilisa umuzwa wokulondela kumntanakho.

Izinzuzo zinkulu uma umntanakho ehlanganyela ngentshiseko. Hlaba ikhefu ngezikhathi ezithile, ubuze imibuzo efuna umbono. Vulela umntanakho amathuba ezimpendulo ezengeziwe ngokuveza ezinye izimo ezihlukile.

Zikhethe Ngokuhlakanipha Izincwadi Zakho

Nokho, cishe isici esibaluleke kunazo zonke ukukhetha izincwadi ezinhle. Ukwenza kanjalo kudinga umzamo othile. Hlaziya izincwadi ngokucophelela, futhi unamathele kulezo ezinomyalezo owakhayo noma ofundisayo futhi ezinesifundo esihle. Bhekisisa isembozo, izithombe nendlela yokubhalwa kwayo yonke incwadi. Khetha izincwadi ezithakazelisa kokubili umzali nomntwana. Abantwana baye bacele ukuba uphinde ubafundele indaba efanayo.

Abazali emhlabeni wonke baye bayijabulela kakhulu incwadi ethi INcwadi Yami Yezindaba ZeBhayibheli.a Yaklanyelwa ukuba abazali bayifunde nabantwana babo, futhi ayibasizi abantwana ukuba bafunde kahle nje kuphela kodwa ivusa nesithakazelo sabo eBhayibhelini.

Abazali abafundela abantwana babo ngokuzwakalayo bangagxilisa kubona imikhuba emihle yokufunda, engase ilethe imiphumela eyinzuzo kukho konke ukuphila. UJoAnne waphawula ngendodakazi yakhe: “UJennifer akazange nje afunde ukuzifundela nokubhala ngaphambi kokuba aye esikoleni, wakuthanda nokufunda, kodwa okubaluleke nakakhulu, uye wahlakulela uthando ngoMdali wethu Omkhulu, uJehova. UJennifer uye wafunda ukuthembela eZwini laKhe elilotshiwe, iBhayibheli, ukuba limqondise kuzo zonke izinqumo zakhe.” Ngempela, lokho osiza umntanakho ukuba akuthande kungaba okubaluleke ngaphezu kwalokho omsiza ukuba akufunde.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 14]

Lapho Ufundela Umntanakho

• Qala lapho esewusana.

• Nikeza umntanakho ithuba lokuzinza ukuze afunde.

• Funda izindaba enizithanda nobabili.

• Funda kaningi ngangokunokwenzeka futhi ukwenze ngomdlandla.

• Hilela umntanakho ngokubuza imibuzo.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 13]

Photograph taken at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo