S/O of Janie's post-How do you encourage your children to seek/love knowledge?

[Quiver0f10]

I feel like we are just getting our work done each day so we can check it off the to do list. I'd love it if my kids loved learning and seeking knowledge, how do you teach that or create that love in your children?

[Camy-7 boybarians 1 lady]

Jean, I wouldn't recommend this method to everyone, but we often stray from our original battle plans in order to research and study other things. I am a researcher by nature, which does help. We read voraciously and enjoy watching educational videos. My children are so part of my daily life, that we discuss everything from current events to strange headlines we find on news websites. I always involve them in everything and encourage them to take interest in what their siblings are doing/creating. It seems to me that if a parent is desirous of studying and learning, the children will likely inherit this tendency. Blessings, Jean.

[ma23peas]

I do several things....

 

* We read amazing books aloud about amazing people (The Hiding Place...Corrie Ten Boom) We have many discussions about what made these people stand out...many times it comes back to our faith and how their lives were used...many of their character traits that we admire we make remarks on so that we'll pull from them when we're leaning towards being ungrateful or uninspired. For instance, everytime one of us starts to complain, we remember Corrie's sister and her unending mercy for others...

 

* We talk a lot about what a wonderful country we live in and that it is our duty to work diligently in our studies because many men/women gave their lives to ensure we have this freedom...to do otherwise would be unconscionable (making up the spelling for that word).

 

* I admit my shortcomings...we'll ask each other things that we can improve upon and ask for each other's opinions on things we're doing well and what each other can improve upon....praise is important in this family but a gentle reminder that we're not being good stewards of our time or our hands/minds are choosing more idle endeavors...

 

Ultimately I rely on God's word to help guide each of us...I don't have all the answers but I know my first mission each day is to honor God...everything I've said up above can be found in scripture..one of my favorite is Philippians 4:8 and Romans 12:10

 

Tara

[WTMindy]

So far my kids seem to be curious interested learners. That doesn't mean that they get excited about doing all their work, but they love it when I read history to them or watching documentaries. I also want to continue to foster that as they get older. I still read to them a lot, and so does dh. We don't watch much TV at all and I think it helps because they think it is fun to watch a nature show or something.

 

At the beginning of the year I had a talk with my dd (who is a good student and about as easy as they come to raise) and told her that one of my goals for her for this year was to take ownership in her learning and to really own it as something she desires and not just because I've asked her to do it. The talk worked for her. However, I don't think that the same strategy will work with my 10yob, but we'll see. :-)

[Colleen in NS]

I feel like we are just getting our work done each day so we can check it off the to do list. I'd love it if my kids loved learning and seeking knowledge, how do you teach that or create that love in your children?

 

I've changed the way I think about this. I used to think of us as homeschoolers who were going to read aloud all day long, work on all sorts of great projects, visit all sorts of museums, etc. etc.. I had read tons of homeschooling books when my oldest was little and this was the picture presented most of the time. Then I read WTM and found a long-term project/vision in that. I decided to focus on teaching skills, and using some of the wonderful library books we were already using to practice the skills on. Well, at this point, I can't say my kids LOVE learning math, grammar, writing, and Latin. BUT, they still love to read.

 

So, I differentiate in my mind. They are learning the skills because that's what I've decided is necessary for their lives - they don't love that. They are learning all sorts of history, science, literature, hobbies, art appr., music appr., etc. because I make provision for that - I taught them to read, and I have them read every day and give them lots of freedom to choose from within the books I find at the library that go with whatever content we are studying. They do love this.

 

So, they don't love learning skills, but they do love learning content. I keep telling myself that someday they will thank me for making them learn skills so that learning content is even more satisfying when they get older.

 

As an example, I did do drawing lessons with both kids from Drawing With Children (I know drawing isn't a common skill talked about here on the board - it's usually writing/math/grammar/Latin - this is just something that has recently encouraged me in general about teaching skills and reaping the benefits). Ds didn't always like doing it, but I encouraged him each time, until he sort of liked focusing on his drawing for 15 min. or so. Lately, he has been asking to use my Sharpie coloured markers instead of coloured pencils to do his science sketch (which he gets to choose within the topic) each week. His sketches have been AMAZING. He actually said he enjoys doing them now because of using those markers, and I think he also enjoys having a few drawing skills from those previous lessons. I think he's pretty proud of his drawings, too. So that has been encouraging to see.

 

It'll be interesting to hear from others! Good questions, Jean!

[mom2abcd]

Kids are all different. This comes more natually to one of our four. She reads, researches, askss questions, etc. One of ours would do almost nothing if left to her own interests.

 

Some of the things that I think help:

-Provide lots of time to read... The ones who had little to no screen time turned to reading, which can open a whole world of knowledge and interest.

-Take bunny trails. If a child is interested in a topic, make time that day to find answers to his/her questions or steer him/her in the right direction to find answers.

-Affirm their questions and interest in life.

-The Uncle John Bathroom readers and other books of interesting facts often spark questions or research.

-Strew... leave interesting books around the house, especially in the bathroom:o)

 

Just some ideas.

 

HTH.

[Peela]

There is a certain amount of what we do they the kids are never going to love, and I am ok with that. But every year I change what we do, tweak this and that, change curriculum, try to find something that makes us happier. This year it has been a more Charlotte Mason approach- and literally cutting back of school hours to leave more time for free time.

I keep changing and growing in my approach- evolving- and I dont have a rigid program planned for the next few years, although we have plenty of structure.

For us, reading is important, which is why Ambleside for parts of what we do is working for us. My writing reluctant, dyslexic son who struggled in school with terrible self esteem, reads at an adult level and reads voraciously. So I assign him a lot of reading.

My dd loves to write, so she gets extra writing. She loves to draw and paint, so I read aloud each day and she draws and paints- if I don't read aloud, for her, her day is much duller. The hour or so I read aloud and she can do her art is the part that gets her through the rest. She is 14.

Both have heaps of free time and have just come home from the day in a Scouts sailing competition and are exhausted and happy (they came 2nd by 1 point). Although they are not especially passionate about their schoolwork, and my son does complain a lot, they have amazing lives and lots of freedom and joy, so for us the academic part of the whole homeschooling lifestyle is not everything. The life experiences they have, the social experiences, the free time, the books, the interaction with adults- all contribute to a total experience that is rich. Meanwhile they gather academic skills and worldy knowledge that gives them many options later in life, and also gives them a broad and deep persepctive on life- probably much more than the majority of their schooled peers, just from the sheer amount of reading they do. They also have a "slowed down" life compared to most people, let alone kids, and I feel that is a valuable thing in today's rushed and stressed out world. They also have strong and healthy relationships with their parents, and many conversations and time for just hanging out.

So for me, the academic joy is either there or it isn't- they do love history and we enjoy discussing it. My son was excitedly telling me today about a medieval computer game he was playing where he was becoming a knights templar, which his dad is in a medieval re-enactment thing he is involved in. Somehow life intertwines, things meet up, homeschooling is a bit more integrated in the rest of life but still, they dont love to sit and do their maths every day, but thats ok. I dont love to cook dinner every night or clean the house.

When I try too hard to make things fun, I burn out, so there is a balance.

[KJB]

about something....

 

People might not "love to learn" about everything, but most everybody loves to learn about things that intrigue them or skills they find helpful to them in their lives. I am frequently befuddled about this notion that we must teach/inspire/ignite flames/excite children about learning. Humans want to learn. We just don't all want to learn about the same things.

 

I don't think we need to worry about encouraging a love of learning. I think being interested in the world is intrinsic to human nature. I think, as home schoolers, we need to focus on teaching our children how to solve the problems or answer the questions that they come up with during their lives. It's not that people don't love to find the answers but rather they are too lazy or ill-equipped to pursue them.

 

And, in this teaching of people to find answers to their questions, we must instill work-ethic, perseverance, and knowledge about methods to find answers. Teaching methods to solve problems (research, scientific method, organizing information, etc....) doesn't have to delight the student in order for the student to learn to love to problem solve. The delight comes from finding the solution.

 

Thomas Edison said it best, "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." The inspiration is the posing of a question and the perspiration is the work required in finding the answer. Anyone/everyone can be inspired with the question, it's the perspiration part where people fall down.

 

You're not failing at teaching love of learning just because your child doesn't want to learn their times tables or whatever mundane topic you choose. IMHO, you're failing if you don't insist that your child work hard in spite of the perspiration. All people "love to learn" the answers, but not all people love/are willing/able to do the work required in finding them.

 

Just my 2.5 cents.

Edited November 9, 2008 by KJB

[chiguirre]

So, they don't love learning skills, but they do love learning content. I keep telling myself that someday they will thank me for making them learn skills so that learning content is even more satisfying when they get older.

 

:iagree:

 

Drilling your math facts and learning your spelling list aren't fun, but they're the key to being able to follow your interests later.

 

As for getting my kids excited about learning, I've noticed that if I'm excited about something they tend to be very interested. Of course, they're still young so they don't absorb everything but they do pick up an extraordinary amount of random facts and, more importantly, they think that learning about science, history and geography are exciting.

[Quiver0f10]

Thanks everyone! I am doing a lot of the things you all mentioned already, it's just hard to see the big picture when it's in front of you in the day to day. Thank you for the encouragement!

[Greta Lea]

Both of my boys have areas in which they struggle. One is in math and the other is reading and writing (dyslexia). I have found that if a child struggles in an area, it is best to keep them working with materials where they are successfully daily. My 14yo son has a math LD, but he *enjoys* math and says he does enjoy learning new concepts. I think this is because I never push him on to the next level. If he is successful in 6th grade math, then that's where he'll be. Same thing with my younger son's reading.

 

What I'm finding recently with my boys is that although I don't push them to use harder materials in their area of weakness, when they are using these skills outside of school, they seem to graviate towards things that are harder in that area. Right now, my dyslexic son is reading a book in his free time which he chose that is 1 to 1 1/2 grade levels higher (according to the AC list) than what I'm requiring him to read for school. My older son used to shy away from any type of game (PC, video, card or board game) that required even simple math skills, but lately I've noticed that he's more than willing to play these type of games.

 

Also, I've found that if I keep my kids bound all day with too many different subjects, we spend the day hopping from book to book and program to program, which is just exhausting. At the end of the day like that, they NEVER feel like reading anything just for enjoyment or writing something for fun or drawing or anything that requires thinking. Keeping things simple really does help in this area.

[MIch elle]

about something....

 

People might not "love to learn" about everything, but most everybody loves to learn about things that intrigue them or skills they find helpful to them in their lives. I am frequently befuddled about this notion that we must teach/inspire/ignite flames/excite children about learning. Humans want to learn. We just don't all want to learn about the same things.

 

I don't think we need to worry about encouraging a love of learning. I think being interested in the world is intrinsic to human nature. I think, as home schoolers, we need to focus on teaching our children how to solve the problems or answer the questions that they come up with during their lives. It's not that people don't love to find the answers but rather they are too lazy or ill-equipped to pursue them.

 

And, in this teaching of people to find answers to their questions, we must instill work-ethic, perseverance, and knowledge about methods to find answers. Teaching methods to solve problems (research, scientific method, organizing information, etc....) doesn't have to delight the student in order for the student to learn to love to problem solve. The delight comes from finding the solution.

 

Thomas Edison said it best, "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." The inspiration is the posing of a question and the perspiration is the work required in finding the answer. Anyone/everyone can be inspired with the question, it's the perspiration part where people fall down.

 

You're not failing at teaching love of learning just because your child doesn't want to learn their times tables or whatever mundane topic you choose. IMHO, you're failing if you don't insist that your child work hard in spite of the perspiration. All people "love to learn" the answers, but not all people love/are willing/able to do the work required in finding them.

 

Just my 2.5 cents.

 

:iagree: