Children Who Desire to Learn

[This post was originally a response to a question on practical ways to raise children who desire education, in response to my defense of a rigorous education not being difficult for children who have had an appreciation for it kindled in them. It goes without saying that the ultimate use of any education is to serve and enjoy the Lord.]

In no particular order, thoughts on creating lifelong learners and/or children who love to learn:

1. Fill your home with books. Good books that your children are allowed to sleep with, play with, wear out, etc. (get them cheap if this will make your wallet hurt.) Oh, and *good* art supplies that they are allowed to use whenever. And good music.

2. Show your children that you value education by how you spend your own free time. Research shows a high correlation between boys' fathers' reading and their own, for example. They need to see that you don't just make them learn, you have a passion for it, too. Get rid of your TV, read classic books, spend your free time learning....

3. Spend family time learning. Play games, visit museums, discuss things. Show them by example how delightful learning can be. Plan vacations around historical landmarks and learn enough about them ahead to be an interesting guide to them.

4. Show them through your money and time that you value their interests. If they are interested in something, buy them what they need, take them where they need to go, listen when they talk about it. If they don't have an interest/passion, throw some at them until one sticks, and then guide them through it until they learn to do it on their own.

5. (Controversial one, LOL...) Start "school" with them really young. A few minutes a day for the first few years, gradually building up (my goal is an hour in K) so that they never have the shock of, "Okay, now you are 5 1/2 and you have to sit and do this." Make it a treat/reward to sit at the table with the big kids, if they are a little sibling.

6. Seek out others who love topics and let your children see them in action. Praise these people in front of your children, showing them that this is a trait to be admired.

7. Give them the tools and uninterrupted hours needed. To get in hours of uninterrupted free study time and a rigorous school schedule, you might have to cut out other things. Do it.

8. Even when they are older, still treat "school time" as a privilege to be desired. Explain it as you taking your valuable time to teach them something you, in your more advanced years, are pretty sure they will need in life.

9. Don't make them do dumb stuff for school time. They can smell twaddle, busy work, whatever you call it. (Charlotte Mason is great on this topic.) Focus on things that are important and tell them frequently why they are important.

[I have trouble seeing a list of 9 things, so I have to add a 10th now that I am posting it here.]

10. Success in something breeds a desire to do it. Give them the basic skills they need to learn, so that they may feel successful. Use a good, solid phonics/reading program and math program, so that they have the building blocks to even be able to pursue topics that interest them later. Spend the early years on this and character formation instead of trying to cover every little topic under the sun.