Practical Tips from a Former Teacher Turned Homeschool Mom
I wanted to share my love of literature with the next generation. That is why I went into teaching.
I soon began to recognize students’ resentful attitude toward education. Many of them viewed education as a necessary evil to endure on their journey towards real life.
Parents will always be their children's primary teachers.
Now that I homeschool, I want to cultivate my kid’s love of learning, and I believe all parents can do the same. Parents will always be their children's primary teachers. They can model a love of education and cultivate a love of learning in their kids in a few simple and easy to implement ways.
Show Your Kids that Education is Fascinating
If we can help our kids to view the world as a fascinating place, we can help them understand themselves and their place in the world.
People are intriguing. History is full of mesmerizing stories, and literature is teeming with meaningful stories. Science is invigorating, and math is practically useful in our lives. If we can help our kids to view the world as a fascinating place, we can help them understand themselves and their place in the world.
Help Them Understand Their World
There are more fascinating things to learn about than one could fit into a lifetime. So why should kids think learning is boring? Kids want to learn about themselves and the world around them.
Children are naturally curious about the world around them. They want to understand the world they live in, and to thrive in it.
Build on Their Sense of Wonder
Education should cultivate a child’s natural love of learning, not shut it down. Unfortunately, too many traditional educational systems shut down a child’s sense of wonder about the world by trying to fit learning into the confines of worksheets and desks.
Learning can and should be so much more than that. When kids start thinking that education is something to be endured, their vivacity is killed and their natural drive to grow and understand is shut down.
Practical Ways to Cultivate a Love of Learning
Enroll them in Interest Driven Courses
You don’t have to be a homeschooling parent to enroll your kids in classes that cater to their interests. Even if your kids are in school during the day, they will still be interested in learning more at home if it is on a topic of particular interest to them.
You might find community classes at the local museum or after school groups that teach certain skills or concepts.
You can utilize online resources to keep learning fun and interesting, such as Monster Education live video classes. If your child loves jokes, consider enrolling them in a Public Speaking Through Stand Up Comedy course where they’ll learn in a small group of 4-6 kids.
If you have a kid who loves hip hop, use it as an opportunity to teach them reading through poetry, rhythm, and rhyme with Monster Education’s “Read with a Beat” class.
You know your child better than anyone, so you can look for classes or activities that will help your child continue to love learning.
Answer Their Questions
If there’s anything parents know about kids, it’s that they can ask about a thousand questions a day. You can take these questions as an opportunity to engage in student-led education.
I love to end our days by letting each of my kids ask a question- any question. Usually, my son asks me something along the lines of how electricity works or why water comes out of the faucet when we turn it on. My daughter tends to ask questions about different types of animals, where they live, and what they eat. These mini-research lessons teach them about credible sources and satisfy their curiosity by answering their genuine questions.
Do Hands-on Activities
If there’s a concept you want to teach your kids, there’s probably a way to teach them kinesthetically. Conduct some science experiments using household items or build a model. Doing hands-on activities can grab your kids’ attention and show them a meaningful way to apply their knowledge.
Never Stop Learning
There are many ways to cultivate a love of learning in your kids. We can be a part of helping our kids understand that their education is not something to “get through” but a fascinating process of finding out about themselves, the world, and their place in it.
Allisa Corfman is a homeschooling mom of four children and a former English and History teacher in public and private high schools. Allisa was homeschooled from Kindergarten through 8th grade. She graduated from The University of Dubuque with a degree in Secondary Education. Now a freelance writer, she’s active in the homeschool community in Dubuque, IA.
