kids who love learning

[kathkath]

I've read a lot of threads about kids who have lost their spark, for whom schoolwork is drudgery. For those of you whose children love learning, how do you do it? How do you avoid the doldrums??

[just Jenny]

I think that variety is good, when you can manage it.

 

I try to make connections for my kids between different subjects, and follow up on our curiosities. Usually there is something, related to most subjects, that we like to do or want to learn about.

 

I also don't worry about having my kids do some work that they do not want to do-because life is like that for all of us, so then the lesson is learning to do things that we don't want to do with a good attitude.

[NancyNellen]

You know, I have been really thinking about this a lot lately. The TED talks that someone, (please forgive me for I forget who it was), posted recently, have impacted me significantly. Especially THIS one. I have a son who lives, breathes, eats, history and writing. His desire is to become a history professor and writer/researcher. He LOVES it. He does not love math and science. I have come to believe that it is a great disservice to him to insist that he excel in math and science. He must perform at grade level, but I do not insist that he excel. It is not his passion. I have chosen to give him lots of time to read history texts, watch documentaries, and to write on what he loves.

 

Not all children will excel at everything. It is our duty as teacher/parents to allow them the opportunity to really invest their time and effort in what they are passionate about.

 

My husband is a computer programmer/manager. He does well, but absolutely does not love what he does every day. He's is a musician (composer/pianist) and he LOVES that. He is trying to make a go of a music career now on the side. But it is hard. His parents insisted that he excel in math and science, which he does well at, but does not love.

 

His sister has a PhD in advanced statistical analysis and works for the government, but she has no love or passion for what she does. She wakes up early every day to write, because she's always wanted to be an author of children's books.

 

All this to say, I think it is important to give our children the time and opportunity to saturate themselves in what they love to do, whatever it is. Think about it...wouldn't our human experience improve if everyone we interact with on a daily basis loved what they did?