I’ve found over the years that the single most motivating force in my children’s education is my education.
Their drive to know is directly proportional to my drive to know. Their drive to understand is directly proportional to my drive to understand.
The more they see me working to learn and make sense of things, the more they want to do it themselves.
All the textbooks and supplements in the world cannot compensate for the good example of a parent who educates him or herself and makes evident his or her pleasure in doing so. There is no school book that can match the effect of a child watching and listening to a parent struggling to understand a difficult concept until the point of enlightenment is reached.
This is the way to lead a child to water and find that he is thirsty and drinks eagerly.
The next time you find yourself struggling with a child who resists your education efforts, consider taking a break and spending the time letting your child simply see you delight in – and struggle with -- a similar pursuit. Let him hear you discuss your new discoveries with another adult. Let him see that learning is a joy, even when it’s sometimes hard – even that much of the satisfaction comes from the struggle to understand.
Not only will this approach produce a better educated child, it will produce a more mature and discerning child – and that proverbial “lifelong learner.”
Tammy Drennan has homeschooled and helped others start homeschooling for 23 years. Her web sites and blogs include: www.homeschoolstarter.com and www.educationconversation.wordpress.com
TOS Current Issue
Jul. 10, 2008
