Nurturing a Love of Learning in Children

Not all children are gifted intellectually, but all seem to be blessed with the gift of natural curiosity. Unfortunately, the desire to experiment and learn decreases in many children after they get into school, or even earlier if they are raised in a harsh environment that discourages learning.

It's worth encouraging a love of learning in kids since the desire to learn new things is a positive attribute, even as adults.

Here are a few ways to keep your children excited about learning.

Don't Be in a Hurry

Learning often takes time, and parents who rush their kids all the time miss out on many teachable moments with their children. For instance, bedtime stories can be a quick ritual that parents rush through, or they can be an informal, but rich teaching opportunity. When reading bedtime stories to youngsters, allow time for questions and discussions about the story.

When taking walks, go slow enough so that if kids want to stop and pick up interesting things along the way,they have time to do so. When my son was young, we often came home with a whole armful of leaves, branches and rocks after even a short walk. While gathering such things was not valuable in and of itself, allowing him time to pick up treasures along the way encouraged him to observe everything as we walked. Observation is an excellent way to learn, but is hard to nurture if you rush through everything.

Encourage Questions

It seems we don't have to teach our children to ask questions. They very naturally ask questions,but as parents, it is easy to become impatient with all the questions children ask. If you express displeasure or impatience with the questions your children ask, they may be less likely to ask them. This would be a tragedy because asking questions is a key to learning.

When my children were in elementary school, in addition to the questions that came up naturally throughout the day, I gave them a formal opportunity to ask me a question every day. I had until the next day to give them the answer, since some questions required research. In addition to resulting in some interesting conversations, my ability to come up with an answer to all of their questions taught them that you can find the answers to questions through research.

Another way to encourage questions is to ask questions yourself. I liked asking my kids questions to get them to think about things on a deeper level and to show that it is always appropriate to think beyond the obvious.

Take Advantage of Local Learning Opportunities

If you live in an area with museums, botanical gardens, zoos and aquariums, consider buying memberships. I've found that when we have memberships to such places, we tend to go to them regularly. Many museums change out their exhibits regularly, so there is always something new to see.

If museum memberships don't fit into your budget, check to see if there are any free days. In many cities, zoos and museums have a free day once a month. Local libraries also often have free learning opportunities that are fun for children of all ages.

Explore Nature

Most children are fascinated by nature, and rightfully so. When you take the time to really look at plants and animals, you'll be amazed by the intricacy.

Zoos and aquariums are great places to explore nature, but even a walk up the street can provide you with opportunities to enjoy nature, even if you live in a city.

When you go out for a walk, consider taking sketch pads and pencils, or if your children don't car to draw, bring a camera along. Photography and drawing both encourage observation skills and attention to detail. Binoculars are also a great way to get a closer look at nature such as birds, so pick up a cheap pair if you don't already have them.

Break Out the Art Supplies

Art is a great way to encourage creative thinking. Although art kits are fine, some of them stifle creativity since they are to be done in a specific way. If you really want to spark creative thinking, gather up a huge stash of supplies that can be pulled out at a moments notice, when the mood to be creative strikes.

I like to keep a large plastic container full of supplies. Here are some great things to have on hand for those creative moments:

Construction paper
Scissors
Glue
Pipe cleaners
Crayons and markers
Old magazines
Glitter
Beads and sequins
Dried beans and pasta

Once you're on the lookout for learning opportunities for your children, you'll find them everywhere. Learning doesn't have to be tedious or complicated. Parents who raise children with a love of learning enjoy the fruit of kids who know how to learn on their own and who come up with creative solutions to life's problems as adults.