We were just witness to another one of the benefits of homeschooling. My wife was drilling our 10 year-old and 7 year-old on reciting the US Presidents in order. Both kids had a little trouble remembering who came after Andrew Jackson. Right away, our 3 year-old daughter walked up and said, "Martin Van BUREN!" Everyone laughed in surprise. We decided to quiz her by giving the first names and having her complete them. This is no small feat considering the number of Jameses in the early years. She made it all the way to Abraham Lincoln, missing only 3 up to that point, giving her 13 out of 16. For a 3 year-old, I think that's terriffic!
This is a great example of what my conservative mind likes to call "Trickle-Down Homeschooling." It's something one-room schoolhouses also experienced. Young minds are exposed to the harder work older students do and as a result of these repeated exposures, they pick up on the lessons taught earlier and faster than the older students. It doesn't happen all the time, but it does happen with a lot of families that do collective or out loud exercises.
Kids naturally pick up on learning. It's just what they do. As a homeschooling parent, I'm going to look for more opportunities for my 3 year-old to hang around and pick up what she can. It's so easy and she's such a bright girl that I'm sure she'll have more "Van Buren" moments.
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