Love of Learning Phase

Once your child has a foundation for learning and service in the Core Phase, he will move into the Love of Learning Phase. This is one of my favorite times with my kids because there are so many possibilities in learning. Your child should be given opportunities to get to know "what's out there". A child successfully completing the Core Phase will be excited about "what's out there", interested in everything and believing they will be able to succeed at whatever they choose to do.

Personal decisions and accountability should be stressed and respected. Hopefully, your child will see what his mission from God is during this phase. Encourage direction in your children as they seek to find out where God is leading them.

Students should become competent in the skills of learning (reading, writing, math skills, experimentation, library research, oral persuasion, etc) throughout the Love of Learning Phase. These skills are not mastered in one year, but taught and encouraged over multiple years. How many years? That depends on your child. Each child is different. Since you are the expert on your children, you will know when they are ready to transition to the Scholar Phase.

Remember the concept: Structure the Time, Not the Content! Daily schedule time for your Love of Learning child to study. This does not mean you pull out workbooks and expect learning to occur. Content will vary from day to day so pay attention to your child and see what interests him. Make this a regular time of your day so your child will know it is time to study. If the first scheduled time you plan doesn't work, be flexible and choose another time of day. My guess is mornings are best for most families.

Activities during Love of Learning Phase include reading together as a family and the child reading alone, discussing with parents what is read. Use the personal reading journal to make very simple reading journal entries. A few words or a few sentences are fine. Paragraphs will come in time, after writing techniques have been taught. Other writing activities should include correspondence with family & friends, creative writing, and simple imitation writing activities.

Offer a wide-range of reading selections. If your child is interested in history, start with history, but also encourage math stories, science stories and so on. Remember: wide-range!

Use your child's interests to develop projects for your child to complete. This integrates multiple skills, including research, material prep, price comparisons for materials, making a finished project, presenting the project and so on. My son loves projects so I plan to start the school year with a project. Last year he wanted to make a "volcano" the first week of school. I'm sure he still remembers taking his finished project to his friends' home and exploding volcanoes on the lawn.

I'll stop for now. Next post will be continuation of Love of Learning

taken from A Thomas Jefferson Education in our Home

Kerry

more info in the Love of Learning Lecture Notes and Love of Learning CD