For the Love of Learning

Children are born to learn. Even before they take their first gulp of air on this planet they are listening, learning, moving, and growing in the dark safety of the womb. It has been said that we humans learn and grow more in the first year of life than at any other time in of our life. My 10 month old is a wonder. His eyes are wide open drinking it all in. His finger is always out and pointing, curious. His hands are constantly grabbing. Like a scientist he tests everything for strengths and weaknesses and even taste. (Hmmm, look at this flower. Wonder what would happen if I touch it soft....interesting...now what would happen if I grab it and pull on it...I see...now what does it taste like...gross..."

At what point does this thirst, this love, for learning begin to wane? Why does it become a chore? Does it really become a chore or is it merely the way we appoach "education"? Kids seem to start resisting education when they are fixed in a desk and given endless "assignments" that are intended mainly to make them score high on some standardized test, with little emphasis on the way a child naturally learns. Don't get me wrong. There is certainly value in learning the art of sitting quietly and working diligently. Yet we must ask ourselves. What is going to make a child remember how many planets are in the solar system: Doing a worksheet about it? Or what if he "goes" to each planet. Learning all the fascinating beautiful and strange things about each planet. What if he made a model of the solar system? What if he could look at Jupiter or Venus through a telescope or see images taken from the rovers that are on Mars?

Nearly all good passionate teachers would love to teach this way. Unfortunately with all the pressure to have high test scores and keep all kids learning at the exact same level, all the fun stuff can sometimes get shoved to the side. That is why whether your child is home schooled or public schooled, the only way for your child to continue loving to learn, is to get in there with him. Take him to the museum, peer through telescopes or microscopes together. Go to the library and let your child show you what moves him. Read together. If you show a love and passion for learning, your child will catch on. It's contagious.