The Love of Learning Phase is the second of the two Foundational Phases, and it sets the stage for the child’s later scholarly pursuits. This is when a child begins to play in new ways, and this sometimes begins to look like study, but it’s not; it’s still play. If a child at this stage (or earlier) is forced into academics, what results is usually a “Hate of Learning.” This is one of the earmarks of a conveyor belt education, and why most of us schooled that way can’t fathom the idea that young adults will eventually choose to study 8-10 hours a day, if this phase is successfully nurtured.
This is a time when the student-in-embryo is encouraged to study anything that interests her. If she chooses it, she’ll be excited about it, and so her play will include things that sometimes do and sometimes don’t look like work: reading, writing, discussing, drawing, sculpting, building, cooking, and cleaning. The parent’s job during this phase is to keep the home stocked with “educational products,” and model to the child that learning is one of the funnest things she can possibly do.
Sometimes an example can do a better job of illustrating what Love of Learning looks like in the real world. The following quote was taken from the Discussion Forums on this site. However, keep in mind that this is how it works for one child, but it will likely look different in your own home.
Your 11-year-old sounds like a typical Love of Learner. Children in this phase study whatever they are interested in—and most of the time, it does NOT LOOK like “study!”
Only as an example, since my family is not the same as yours, here’s what my 11-year-old son has “studied” the last 6 months:
- Read alone in his room about 2 hours per day on average—some days no time was spent reading, other days the time was much longer. Books read: “Fablehaven” series, “Edge Chronicles” series, “Here There Be Dragons” series, “Eragon” series.
- Caught spiders, crickets, lizards, etc.
- Raised 30 tadpoles to frogs. (Now what do we do with them all?!)
- Practiced sword-fighting with his 13-year-old brother.
- Took his turn cooking all meals in a day a couple of times a week. (He’s really developing a talent in the kitchen!)
- Practiced pestering all his siblings, pretty much 24/7.
- Attended 11-year-old scout meetings and camp-outs.
- Drew lots of pictures (another talent of his).
- Watched movies and looked at random books from the library.
- Played strategy computer games for 1/2 hour on Saturdays only (unless he lost the privilege that week).
He is not “required” to do anything but his chores, to attend family scripture and prayer time, and go to church and scouts. He says he loves to learn. So far, so good!
Following a successful Core Phase, a child will naturally transition to what we call “Love of Learning.” During this period, a child will commonly play at projects and skills which builds his repertoire of understanding and prowess. During Love of learning, which typically runs more or less between the ages of 8-12 (often earlier for girls than for boys), the time in the day devoted to learning will gradually increase over time to a number of hours a day by the time a student transitions to Scholar Phase. …The TJEd home will facilitate a successful Love of Learning Phase as parents and older siblings model the behaviors of study, self-discipline, passion for learning, a sense of personal mission and a habit of service in and out of the home.