Raising a Lifelong Learner

Lifelong learning is an educational catch phrase that can be found in many schools’ mission statements, but creating a true lifelong learner starts long before a child sets foot in the school yard. It begins with the first lullabies, the first books, and even that crazy mobile that you hang in their crib. Lifelong learning is all about curiosity.

What can you do as a parent to instill this lifelong learning in your child? You can begin by thinking about how you responds to those 1,000 questions of “Why?”, “Who?”,” When?” and then adding a few questions of your own. Lifelong learning is not an attempt to know all there is to know, but a journey to learn and then learn some more. There is no destination, but instead an appreciation for the path that you take. Children are born with a natural curiosity and so igniting this flame into a fire that will fuel them for their entire life is not difficult. One of the easiest ways to inflame the ember is to model the action. Visit museums. Look at shells on the beach. Try a new skill. Travel to a new place. Taste new foods. If you exude a passion for learning, your children will naturally pick it up. They may or may not enjoy the same passion as you, but they will learn that it is not only acceptable but necessary to continue to learn at every age. Think, in your own life, how a friend’s passion ignited your interest. Did a friend’s knitted scarf encourage you to pick up your needles or his talk of the wonderful golf courses cause you to grab a club?

Part of being a lifelong learner is in fact not settling, not being comfortable, not just floating down the river, but fighting against the tide. It is always trying new things, exploring new places, meeting new people. It is delving into the daily norm and being willing to cause a little chaos: taking apart the clock that daily wakes you up; deciding to find out where pepper comes from that you put on your food; willingly and purposefully saying “hello” to the person next to you in the grocery store. This means, as a parent, allowing your child the freedom to do such things. Perhaps you don’t want him to destroy your new bedroom clock, but wouldn’t it be cool to give him an old one to take apart. Maybe you could travel to a farmers’ market in your area and make arrangements to go to a farm. If you are not comfortable with him saying “hi” to strangers, you could invite interesting new guests to dinner.

Another part of lifelong learning is having time to explore your pursuits. In today’s overly scheduled world sometimes it is hard to allow freedom to explore ourselves and our passions. This is a must if you wish to feed the fire in your child and denying him or her this time is probably the quickest way to douse the embers that are already there. Let children play. If he is playing for hours with Legos, let him play. He is learning about geometry, engineering, creative thinking and problem solving. If he is finger-painting until the dyes bleed into his fingers, let him paint. He is learning about relationships, colors, and imagery. If everything relates to dinosaurs or trains or spaceships, it’s ok. Let it be. Let him delve and devour all he can.

Lifelong learning has to come from within, not from without. You do not learn because you are required, but because you are interested. You decide what to learn and how much you want to know about the subject. Even if you are forced for outside reasons to learn something that you do not find quite as interesting, when this fire has been fully lit, you do not mind. Such an exploration may lead to some new and interesting fact or study.

Lifelong learning may be a new catch phrase, but truthfully it has been the way of some of the greatest minds in existence. Look at Einstein, Jefferson, and Edison. Maybe the pursuits of your little one will uncover the mind of a Da Vinci or Mozart. Wouldn’t it have been a shame if these men were too busy and too focused to unlock their passions and delve into their interests?

Some Simple Ways to Develop a Life Long Learner Locally
-Hike local trails with some classification books. Bring a journal to sit down and draw examples of what you see.
-Pick up a brush a local art museum.
-Take a cooking class
-Attend a performance by the Symphony or catch a show
-Plan to attend some of the wonderful events at a local festival.

Take Your Best Shot by Austin Gutwein - Book Review

I was so excited yesterday. My book to review, Take Your Best Shot by Austin Gutwein, came in the mail. I have been like a kid on Christmas morning ever since I ordered it and read the first chapter online. Finally, I had the book in my hands. I finished it last night. It was a quick read as its target reader, like the author, is a teenager, but frankly the message is universal.

The book tells how and why Austin founded Hoops for Hope, an organization that has now built a school and is working on building a clinic in Zambia. But the book is more than just an story of what someone else accomplished, it is a guidebook for the reader to find his or her passion and do something equally as marvelous. Austin explains that while Hoops for Hope is a secular organization, he himself is a Christian. he is fearfully and wonderfully made to serve God through his actions and he encourages the reader to do the same.

Austin uses concrete imagery that will help teenagers understand better the Biblical foundations of his mission and his writing touches on many "teenage issues": being dismissed by adults, not feeling good about yourself, fitting in. His story would be an inspiration to anyone but particularly to teenagers. t would be a wonderful tool in youth groups, Sunday schools, Confirmation Classes. If the readers follow Austin's guidance and welcome the Spirit to work through them, then truly the world may be changed one person at a time.

Note: Although Thomas Nelson sends the book to be reviewed for free, I am not otherwise compensated for my review and I am under no obligation to give a "good" review.

The Simple Woman's Daybook Entry 9-28-09

FOR TODAY, I have decided to join with a daybook blog. If you are interested in reading other's entries or adding your own, check out The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Outside my window... the leaves of the white birch shiver.

I am thinking...about what needs to get done today. Can I paint the bathroom baseboard too?

I am thankful for...all the people that supported our local library (see the picture below).

From the learning rooms...DS is doing his creative writing based on famous paintings.

From the kitchen... a turkey with cranberry stuffing is baking in the oven.

I am wearing...jeans and a jersey shirt.

I am creating... (need I say more).

I am going...make more dresses for Africa with the sheets that my husband put a hole in last night.

I am reading... Anna Karenina, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society, et al.

I am hoping...that I can figure out how to balance work and family.

I am hearing...Monsterquest, as a reward for DS who finished all his school work without complaint.

Around the house...there are things to be done.

One of my favorite things... flavored coffee

A few plans for the rest of the week: choir, dog's flea & tic medicine, homework, writing, book reviewing

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

This is DD at the auction for our local library. She worked her butt off. How did she get so old and so capable?

Recipe - Tartar Sauce

Sometimes the simplest things bring the most delight. For dinner last night I made Kielbasa and cabbage sandwiches, but DS hates Kielbasa so as usual he made something else. He made fish sticks. What good are fish sticks without tartar sauce? But who uses that much tartar sauce and what else do you really use it for? So here is an easy recipe to make your own (Note: some of you may be laughing and saying, "Of course, I know how to make that. Who doesn't?" Well, the answer was me before my husband told me, so I thought there might be some other me's out there who might want to know).

Making your own tartar sauce is as easy as mixing mayonnaise and relish. I prefer Miracle Whip & sweet relish, but you can try out whatever you have. It is about a 1:1 ratio, but you can alter accordingly. Extra can be stored in the refrigerator.

I always love simple ideas that save me from buying more and use things that I always have on hand. I hope that this helps you too.

Wine Tasting - a great way to spend the afternoon

DH suprised me today with the idea of checking out some local vineyards. Unfortunately due to DD's schedule, we were only able to do one, but if you are ever looking for a way to spend the afternoon, local vineyards are a great idea.

Today we checked out Hardwick Vineyard and Winery.

The tasting was actually free, but of course I couldn't walk out empty handed and so I picked up a glass from the vineyard for our collection, a bottle of wine, and my first Christmas gift purchase of the year. My favorite wine of theirs was Yankee Boy White. DH's was Massetts Cranberry. We also picked up a brochure about the entire Massachusetts' Wine and Cheese Trail so that we can finish our Winery Tour another day.

I encourage you all to find wineries in your area and plan a visit. Please let us all know about your favorites.

Reading Resource for Older Children

I cannot keep a secret. I have found a wonderful book for older students. Actually, DD found it, but I concur with her find. DD is trying to buzz through her language arts work and so we have devised a plan that incorporates much of what she must do with her passion for reading. For one portion, she needed to read an essay so when we were at Barnes & Noble, she perused the Essay section looking for a good read and just like any frugal woman, when she found the title that appealed to her, she jotted it down so that she could take it out from the library (after having read most of this book myself now, I wish we would have bought it and I still may because the writing and topics are excellent).



The book is filled with 17 essays by some of the most well known authors / thinkers of all time including Martin Luther King Jr., Carl Sagan, Amy Tan, and George Orwell. The essay are short, as essays are; but they are chalk full of conversation and controversy. They are excellent conversation starters. This is not just a great book for your older student, or any English student for that fact, but a great book for the whole family. Dinner conversation will never be the same.

On a funnier note, DD also had to choose an autobiography to read: Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time By Howard Schultz and Dori Jones Yang. I am not ready to endorse or complain about this book: DD picked it as her interest and she personally loved it, but I have not read it yet, but based on her suggestion, I have put it on my reading list. Clearly she got a lot out of the book, because now anytime we go near a Starbucks, I learn something new about its inception. Yesterday, when we stopped at a rest stop in Maine, I not only got my Venti Vanila Chai Hot with Skim milk, but I was also treated to a dissertation on the Starbucks logo. I think the baristas actually thought it was rather comical and were pretty impressed with her knowledge. I guess you have to be wary about what you encourage your children to read ; )

She has also devoured Beowulf. She enjoyed the copy she had which showed both the Old English and Modern English side by side, but she could not believe that the poem was 213 pages long. She felt that a poem by definition should not ever be that long. One Caveat for parents on this one: We did watch the movie after she finished reading the book. This movie is NOT for small children. It may be animated but it is graphic and has very strong sexual undertones and nudity. It was not what I expected at all.

So it looks like I have finally been able to encourage her to step out of her Clique reading and move into some meatier content. I even noticed that on the last visit to the library she pulled out Pride & Prejudice. And she is the process of planning a reading group for tweens. If you have any suggestions for a reading series for children 9-13, we appreciate any ideas.

Join My Village

Today I had a few minutes to peruse magazines at the library. It is a rare treat that I enjoy because you are introduced to ideas, places, and concepts you may not already know. Today, I was introduced to Join My Village, a program run by General Mills which is educating people about the plight of this third world country while also making a difference through donations.

You are encouraged to learn about the Malawian villages and then choose one to join. Through participation in quizes and inviting friends, you can grow General Mills donation to "your" village. Also, if you choose to donate, Generals Mills will match your donation up to $50 per person (see their website for a full explination and limitations). This is certainly a wonderful way to change the world and, for those of you that homeschool like we do, this is a great way to learn about a different part of the world.