How to Model a Love for Learning

Contrary to popular belief, when it comes to fostering a love for learning in your kids, it’s not just about them. There are some important things that shouldn’t be overlooked and it’s those things that hold the key to raising lifelong learners.

In this post, we’re going to look at what those things are and discuss practical ways you can model a love of learning for your kids.

What is a love for learning?

You’ve probably heard it said many times, especially in the homeschooling circle. But oftentimes, parents walk away (or click away) without truly understanding what it means for them and their children. While the process may not be a one-size-fits-all, the foundational definition is the same –

Love for learning is a desire to seek out new experiences and novel opportunities for learning.

Simply put, a love of learning can rescue a child from feelings of boredom and repetition all while making learning an enjoyable matter. From this perspective, new information is met with natural curiosity versus resistance. New things are sought to be learned in everyday life and different ways of learning are embraced.

So how do parents model a love of learning? Here are a few practical ways to help you get started.

4 Practical Ways to Model a
Love for Learning with Your Kids 

#1: Allow your kids to see you doing things you enjoy.

We don’t always see things we do as important to our kids, but they are. For example, I didn’t always love reading, but I eventually took to it. My children saw me reading and didn’t have to question whether I enjoyed it or not.

What do you think they eventually did? You guessed it!

They took an interest in reading as well. It was something we could all enjoy together and became a big part of our homeschool schedule.

What are some things you enjoy doing? Do you like journaling? Reading? Crocheting? Whatever it is, let your kids see you doing it.

One of the best ways our family encouraged a love of learning is read aloud books, not only did reading aloud encourage learning, it simplified our homeschool.

#2: Gather interesting ideas of things to learn from your kids.

If you don’t see yourself as the type that loves learning, don’t beat yourself up or throw the whole idea out the window just yet.

One of the best sources you have is your children. And the good thing is, they are full of ideas (right?). Including their input is one of the best ways to show them that their ideas matter and are worth looking into.

Make a list of the things they come up with, then consider working them into your homeschool schedule and lesson plans. The next steps would be going on the learning journey with your children versus leaving them to learn independently.

#3: Learn new skills together.

One of the first things we as parents often do is think that our learning years are over. But they shouldn’t be. Think of a few hobbies or extracurricular activities that you and your children can do together. These don’t have to be academically rooted, per se, but will always have some form of learning involved.

Learning how to sew, crochet, cook a certain meal, or even surf can be seen as a way to foster a love of learning. Check with local businesses such as Hobby Lobby or the art studio to see if they have family-friendly classes you can sign up for. Not only will you be enhancing your own learning journey, but you’ll also enhance theirs as well.

#4: Provide an environment that encourages a love for learning.

I’m not saying you need a full library in your home along with every school supply you can think of, but giving your children access to some resources is better than nothing at all. Start with a small bookshelf, a few science kits, and a bucket of art supplies. Incorporate visits to your public library to keep a rotation of books going.

There are many ways to set up your home in a way that shows learning is important. If you have young people in the home, don’t forget that play is also a part of learning. Most of the time, play is the best form of learning.

Put it into practice

I’ve said this many times before, but whatever you are doing in your home is preparing your kids for their future. Whether you realize it or not, they will follow your example.

It’s the primary reason why we do the things we do as adults. We can look back and say, “My mom did it that way.” So we ended up naturally adopting a specific way of doing something.

The same can be said about learning. Helping your children become lovers of learning will set them up for becoming lifetime learners and the leaders they are destined to be.

Students that enjoy learning often have character strengths that put them one step ahead of their peers. While it’s not a competition, having advantages has never hurt anyone. If you haven’t given much thought to what modeling a love for learning looks like for your kids, let alone how to do it, use the tips and advice above to get started in a low-maintenance, stress-free way.

To help you get organized, I have a 3-part video course, called How to Simplify Your Homeschool. Although I could charge for this course, I’m giving it to you completely free. Just enter your name & email below.

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