How Children Learn – Love lies at the heart of all true learning

"Love lies at the heart of all true learning."

I recently reread How Children Learn by John Holt, an early advocate of education reform and learning at home.

The last paragraph, in the last chapter, continues to echo through my mind. It states:

“Gears, twigs, leaves, little children love the world. That is why they are so good at learning about it. For it is love, not tricks and techniques of thought, that lies at the heart of all true learning.”

That bears repeating and digesting: “It is love that lies at the heart of all true learning.” Not tricks, as John Holt pointed out. Not techniques. But love.

"Curiosity grows by what it feeds on."

Earlier in this book, Mr. Holt states:

“People have often said to me, nervously or angrily, that if we let children learn what they want to know, they will become narrow specialists, nutty experts in baseball batting averages and such trivia. Not so.”

He goes on to explain that healthy children, still curious and unafraid, are not boxed in by their learning.

Rather, their learning:

“… leads them out into life in many directions. Each new thing they learn makes them aware of other new things to be learned. Their curiosity grows by what it feeds on. Our task is to keep their curiosity well supplied with food.”

"Keep their curiosity well supplied with good food."

I believe that all of us who have homeschooled our children know exactly what John Holt means. We have seen it with our own eyes, in our own children, in our own homes.

“Keeping their curiosity well supplied with food doesn’t mean feeding them, or telling them what they have to feed themselves. It means putting within their reach the widest possible variety and quantity of good food,” explains Mr. Holt.

When we provide encouragement and guidance, plus an interesting environment filled with a wide variety of topics and ideas to explore – along with the time and flexibility to follow those interests – there’s no stopping a child or the learning that will result. Because “their curiosity grows by what it feeds on. Our task is to keep their curiosity well supplied with good food.”

Happy homeschooling from EverythingHomeschooling.com!

Everything Homeschooling, Homeschool Help, & Love of Learning

I came across the 1st Edition of my Everything Homeschooling Book a while back. Someone had highlighted various passages with a yellow marker.

It was interesting to read the parts that "clicked" or made an impression on that reader. Here's just a few of the passages that she (or he) highlighted in my book:

* "Children are natural learners, and parents are natural teachers."

* "Homeschooling, however, is not 'school at home.' Rather, it is a lifestyle, a learning style, that is a natural part of each day."

* "Every child benefits from learning in a safe, caring, stimulating environment surrounded by those who truly love and value him. Never doubt that you are the best teacher your child could have."

* "Children are natural learners. Learning is an integral part of their lives, woven throughout the hours that make up each day. As they go about their normal lives, they encounter, gather, process, and grow from the information they naturally absorb. This is learning."

* A statement by former Secretary of Education, Richard Riley, was highlighted. He said: "I believe that all parents, indeed any adult, regardless of his or her station in life, or even their level of education, has the capacity and obligation to teach their children a love of learning."

These are just a few passages from the 1st Edition. The new 2nd Edition of my Everything Homeschooling Book was released in February this year. New chapters were added to the 2nd Edition: "Fun Learning Activities" and "Frugal Homeschooling Hints." Plus, updated homeschool resources and information are included in the new edition.

The new Everything Homeschooling Book also includes homeschool help, activities, and ideas for:

* Veteran homeschoolers
* New homeschoolers
* Single parents
* Two-career families
* Only children or multiple children
* Special-needs children
* Early-years learning at home
* Elementary-years homeschool
* Middle-years homeschool
* High-school homeschool and graduation
* College and career preparations
* Typical homeschool days, curriculum choices, record-keeping tips, and much more!

Visit our online homeschool site at EverythingHomeschooling.com for more information or to purchase the new 2nd Edition of my Everything Homeschooling Book.

Happy homeschooling!