Imparting a Love for Learning
By Maranatha Chapman
There are many ways to group people, and most of the time that can be
a dangerous venture, but I believe that when it comes to being a good
learner, you either are or you're not. Some folks thrive on understanding
how things work, some absolutely love learning the next thing, some
thoroughly enjoy “the quest,” and some read and read ever excited to
turn the next page. It may look different but the common thread of each
one is that they love learning. Now, on the other side we have those
who dread books, study, or teaching. Most are not very inquisitive.
They like things handed to them and they resist learning anything new.
Their laziness to learn causes them to love having others do the work
for them, and they are usually given to boredom and dullness.
Now,
let me ask you… Do you want to be in the first or second group? Which
group do you want your kids to be in? Let's say you are one that loves
learning but you don't see that same spark in your children's eyes.
How do you give it away? What are the keys to unlock this gateway? Obviously,
you have to have a love for learning in order to give it away and children
have to witness your own eagerness and desire for learning. But demonstration
alone does not always awaken the desire in them.
The
biggest thing that I see to help impart this love for learning does
not have as much to do with practical and observable steps but is more
of an intangible quality that takes time to develop. It cannot be measured
or graded, but when you see it, you know you found it. The key is to
capture—truly capture their hearts and minds.
You have to get inside their heads by whatever means you can, understand
how they are “wired,” and bring out that interest. You have to give
them enough to intrigue them. You have to fascinate them and drive them
to want to know more. God put in every single person a seeker's heart
with a longing to understand and grow. I believe it is a lie that personality
bents are the determining factor which causes you to be in one group
or the other. He created all of us with the ability to learn and the
desire to learn as well.
So
then why are there two different groups—those who are good learners
and those who are not? Many people have never had their minds and hearts
ignited. They weren't captivated. Others simply got left behind while
the rest never “jumped on board.” I know for myself that when it came
to anything academic, I was immensely uninterested. I grew up going
to private Christian schools and none of the things my teachers taught
me seemed to have any connection or application to real life, and so
much of it was either confusing or boring. I was not at all intrigued,
nor did I care why, how, or especially when. But I'll never forget my
first day of Algebra. My teacher began talking about “unknowns” and
that we could learn how to find them. I was hooked (i.e., captured)!
It was like continually finding the missing pieces of a puzzle, or learning
how to figure out what was needed and then how to get it. I mastered
that class and from then on found that I had a growing interest in learning.
Another
thing that helped me was how my dad not only demonstrated his love for
Jesus but how he also drew my heart out in a way that captured my interest
for the things of the Lord from a young age. He was always excited about
new truths in God and constantly scribbled page after page of the insights
and revelations he got from His seeking the Lord and studying of the
scriptures. But the biggest thing he did was that he actively brought
me along with him in his journey. He would ask me questions that would
make me wonder about whatever the subject was, and that wonderment would
spark a deep seeking of Jesus' truth and life. For as far back as I
can remember, he would intrigue me with questions like, “Maranatha,
do you really believe He has freed you from fear?” or “What is life
abundant?” I knew he had found some incredible keys to knowing the Lord
and understanding His ways, and I wanted to discover them as well. We
would talk for hours, he would show me these truths from the scriptures,
and he was always so excited about it all. Needless to say, because
of his deposit in me that came largely by him intriguing me to seek
and go deeper, I have always found the things of God very enjoyable
and interesting as well.
If
we equip our children with the tools to learn along with the desire
for learning, the possibilities are endless for what they can achieve.
Whether it is learning about the deeper things of God or how to can
vegetables, paint a fence, do math, organize a shelf, write in cursive,
show hospitality, etc., etc., there is no limit to what can be gained
and accomplished. Instead of looking at school as a way of pouring a
bunch of facts into our children's heads, our endeavor should be to
teach them how to learn and to truly enjoy
it. There is so much information and knowledge out there, and as parents
we can't even begin to know what all they will ultimately need to know
throughout their lives. But when we have poured into them a love for
learning, we have found the secret and are giving them the one thing
that will, for sure, help them the rest of their lives.
So
if capturing them is “what” we want to do, let's look now at some “how.”
1.
Let them struggle. Let them fall. Let them fail. Have you
ever noticed when your baby is on the brink of talking or about to crawl
or walk? They feel frustrated, don't they? That frustration of, say,
not being able to communicate what they need or want, drives them to
push through to finally make the noises needed to make the words to
let you know what they're thinking. Parents who do the work for them
by franticly guessing or trying to appease only prolong the process.
When learning, we have to work, doing whatever
it takes to acquire a skill or understand something new.
When
I see my children making an error, I let them see for themselves that
their method or way of thinking didn't work. The process of them having
to figure it out will cause them to gain so much more than just the
actual specifics of that moment's lesson. Let them read instructions,
decipher through difficult wording, and learn to check their own work
because they want the right answer. Don't get me wrong, I
give my kids loads of help, but I gently add the structure and encouragement
and set them loose to learn.
I
remember many times sitting with my oldest son, Benjamin, helping him
figure out what the directions for doing something meant. Some were
worded so weird and some had examples that didn't seem to fit. I know
I could have just put them into my own words and been done with it,
but instead I would struggle with him to understand, asking questions
like, “Do they mean this or this?” or “Remember yesterday what you learned.
Do you think this applies?” In the end he would fully understand and
be putting them into his own words. The biggest difficulty for we Mamas
is backing up enough and allowing them the time and room to do this
very important step in growing.
You
only retain or appreciate what you yourself have labored for. Assist,
encourage, nurture, help, and instruct, but don't take out the vital
step of allowing them to struggle in learning. Let them be puzzled.
It will make them curious for the answer. Let them stretch. It will
drive them to discovery.
2.
Encourage creativity. If you have given your children a task
to do, encourage them to find another way to do it or to add a new twist
to how they accomplish it. Sometimes they will invent an efficient new
tool and other times they have just found a quirky way of doing a routine
job. Either way, what you did was make learning enjoyable and rewarding
for them.
3.
Give opportunities for investigation. The other day I noticed
that one of my deep, sturdy baskets had tiny little holes in it that
hadn't been there before. Upon further looking I saw the culprit—a little
bug of some kind. I put the basket back and the next morning I brought
it out and showed it to my younger children (nine years old and down)
and asked them to solve my mystery. They spent probably three hours
with a magnifying glass, a flashlight, books, and other gadgets (though
I'm not quite sure of their purpose), examining and researching and
studying to find the answer. I would steer them slightly along the way,
but they began testing various theories until finally they had solved
it. They learned so much through their investigation and had a blast
doing it. Life is full of opportunities like this—take advantage of
them when they come.
4.
Create the need for research. Pose dilemmas for your children
or ask them to find answers to various questions that someone in the
family might have. For instance, ask your child to find out the sugar
content in various foods for you. Get them to research how to stop voles
and moles from tearing up your garden, and what are the differences
between the two. Remember the journey is just as important as actually
finding the answer. Teach your children how to research and give them
the tools to do it, and then let them look up all kinds of things. I'm
sure if you took just 10 minutes to brainstorm, you would have a pretty
good list of things for them to delve into.
5.
Let them explore. Even if you don't have the money for trips
around the world, you can certainly encourage incredible exploration
through books, the back yard, various projects, and experimentation.
Search, survey, investigate, and discover, in order to help your children
see what is beyond whatever is right in front of them. The anticipation
of what is next is so much fun and, through that excitement, learning
becomes fun.
6.
Throw out pacifiers. Weed out toys, gadgets, and activities
that lend toward lazy thinking. A lot of times parents are simply trying
to satisfy their children and they give them needless fluff to keep
them occupied. Instead, we need to promote activities that keep our
children inquisitive and learning. I love for my children to have anything
that they can construct with or create with. Just because a child is
mesmerized with something doesn't mean it is good for them.
7.
Be enthusiastic! Think about a boring teacher or politician—do
you want to sit and listen to them? Do they grab your attention? Do
you sort of quit following them after a while? Of course! None of us
like dull and boring. Now think about someone who captures your attention
and notice that what they say sticks with you. You can be that for your
children. It doesn't matter how old they are, let them witness your
passions, pursuits, and what matters to you. Share your interests with
your children. Let them see you excited. Bring life into every moment
and let your children “feed” off of it. Make learning fun and interesting
through your lit-up eyes and your energetic voice. It takes effort,
but do everything you can to “get into it.”
8.
Don't squash. We really need to watch being impatient with
our kids. Nothing can hinder learning more than an irritated Mama or
a teacher who zooms through something too quickly. Some of our kids
will be down right slow and you have to go over things 100 times before
they get it. You also have to be okay with mistakes. You have to create
a safe environment for learning.
9.
Encourage questions. Some children are naturally more inquisitive
than others, but all kids go through a “why” phase. (I'm not talking
about your children being allowed to question your authority and leadership
though.) Make a place for your children to ask all that is on their
little minds. We have no idea what our kids understand or comprehend
unless we hear and answer their questions. You have to know what is
going on in their heads to know where to go next in teaching them, and
their questions will let you know.
10.
Be teachable. It's really simple. If you don't demonstrate
being teachable, they will not demonstrate it either. If you moan and
groan when you're learning something new or complain when you don't
get something right off, then be assured you will have impatient and
poor learners in your children as well.
11.
Keep it slow! Mosey, don't rush. Allow time for learning.
You have to “stop and smell the roses” and know that you cannot develop
a love for learning if you don't. It's like a plant. It's starts as
a seed and takes hours upon hours to finally germinate and then hours
upon hours to grow roots. Enormous amounts of time will pass before
you see any flower or fruit, and it takes much nourishment and nurturing
to produce such fruit. If you rush it, then it will die. Just enjoy
the process.
12.
Don't Sabotage. If you load your children up with sugar or
gobs of processed food, don't expect many productive, teachable moments.
If your kids don't get adequate rest they will only be able to give
about half of their attention and focus. Television, video/computer
games, and typical, modern entertainment will only produce tired little
stagnant minds. Really consider the needs of your children and cooperate
with how God made their bodies. To really learn well, they need to be
as sharp as possible.
Kindling Publications
6303 CR 233
Tyler, Texas 75707-3147
USA
www.KindlingPublications.com