Stories to Grow By 

How To Raise Lifelong Learners

One of the best things a parent or teacher (or ideally a combination of the two) can do for a child is to raise them to be lifelong learners. The more curious they are and the more they are happy to find out about things, the more successful they will be in life - they’ll be able to grow more, both professionally and personally. Read on to find out some of the ways you can raise your children to be lifelong learners so they can make the most of the opportunities they are given in life.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

Encourage A Growth Mindset

If you want to make sure your children are lifelong learners, it’s vital to encourage a growth mindset. This means that the children will learn to believe that they can better themselves through hard work and dedication, and that gives them a foundation to build on.

If a child doesn’t see the importance of learning and what it can do for them, they might not want to continue doing so after their formal education has finished, and this can leave them stuck in one place in life. Or it might even make them not enjoy learning at all, in which case they certainly won’t want to be lifelong learners, and they’ll miss out on their full potential.

Create A Learning-Friendly Environment

Schools will already generally be designed to be learning-friendly environments, so why not make your home into one as well? Fill your home with books, educational toys, and plenty of creative materials, and ensure your children know that they can use these things as much as they want whenever they want.

You can also establish a regular routine that includes time for reading, for example, or that makes time for having conversations about things where the child can ask a question and you help them find the answer. Knowing how to find an answer to something is a crucial element of being a lifelong learner, so giving them the tools they need rather than just telling them the answer is a great idea. This even means using the internet, and teaching children how to do this safety is a good lesson in itself.

Choose A Good Daycare

Learning begins at home, and it’s certainly never too early to start reading to or talking with your children. Take little ones out on day trips and nature walks and learn right alongside them. As they get older, you can look into sending them to daycare. This is, of course, ideal for parents to work, and particularly those who work outside of the home, but that’s not the only reason to choose daycare; it’s great for everyone as it gives children a headstart on education, even if they don’t realise it.

When you are choosing a good daycare, make sure you visit the site and get a feel for who is there and how it is run. Ask as many questions as you need to think about what that particular place can offer your child. Picking well means your little one can start their journey of lifelong learning in exactly the right place.