A word I've found myself using is "inspire." DD is inspired when she reads some classic poets and it drives her to write at a higher level than when she sees the typical little poetic examples of first and second grade. In other subjects, she doesn't know what she doesn't know but she does frequently know what's being taught. Someone inspiring her by opening the door to the next level of understanding in science etc is all she really needs. She'll soak up the knowledge immediately then.

Of course I use this word as I bemoan the lack of her being inspired the majority of the time, in class.