Mission-Minded, Part 4

Lover of Learning

As I look over all three goals for my family (1-being lovers of God, 2-lovers of others and 3-lovers of learning) it is hard to separate where one stops and the others start.  Really, #2 and #3 are just natural outpourings of #1.

If we truly love God, the natural result is going to be one of loving other people and joyfully exploring His creation. How can we hate someone who is created in the image of God and who is loved by God?  How can we not help but marvel at His beautiful creation or the intricate ways that things work together?

I believe God placed in each of us a desire to know about the world around us! Just look at any young child and you will usually see an eagerness to learn. Our job as parents is to preserve, protect and grow that love of learning.

I think back to my childhood. Learning occurred in a natural, holistic way in our home. Questions were encouraged and resources made available to discover answers. Time was always made to follow down bunny trails. Because of this, we not only received a good education growing up, but we gained something far more valuable – the desire and know-how to continue this journey of learning. It wasn’t about the books or the grades. It was about the thrill of discovery and the excitement of sharing. We didn’t just read about cool things, we DID them! Even when we would watch a movie, we would usually be motivated afterwards to discuss it, research the authenticity of a story and learn more. We never just mind-numbingly watched movies. It was always with the natural motivation to discuss, discern and expand on what we had heard.  Learning was an everyday, all the time occurance!

I would like to extend this love of learning to my boys. My goal is to cultivate their natural curiosity and let that fuel their desire to learn.

During these early years a child’s brain is actually wired differently than an adult’s brain. We think in a linear fashion. Our brains work to find the quickest, most efficient way to solve a problem. Our brains are stream-lined. A child’s brain isn’t wired like that – yet. In these early years they are taking in stimuli from all around. Instead of being product (goal) oriented, they are more process oriented. They need time to enjoy the process of learning, so they can maximize the connections in the brain. The more they are able to do this, the better off they will be in the long-run.

So I work to provide an interesting environment. We read voraciously, talk, run and play. The primary way young children learn is through play. They need concentrated time playing with me, but they also need time to explore and apply what they have learned on their own. Playing pretend really helps them to internalize what they are learning. Two ways that I help make room for this: severely limiting TV/movies and being careful to not “over schedule” them by planning activities (even good one’s) and orchestrating/guiding every moment of their lives.

In my Cultivating Learning page up top, I’ve listed out some of my favorite articles and resources on this dearly beloved topic!

Mission-Minded: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3