by Rachel Stockton

Created on: July 12, 2008   Last Updated: October 15, 2008

In a recent study, it was determined that the government has done all it can do to ensure that every child receives a good education, specifically through "No Child Left Behind." One conclusion of this study is that there are several "x" factors that the government cannot control; most of these variables have to do with a child's family life. In a nutshell, the value the family places on education greatly influences how well a child does in school.

Many years ago, I thought about home schooling in place of a public education, but for various reasons, decided that doing so was not a good thing for our family. That doesn't mean I didn't home school. Public education and home schooling are not mutually exclusive. "Home schooling", whether done in place of public school, or in addition to, is something our children deserve. And, it's something we as parents owe them.

There is a tremendous difference between "having" to learn, and loving to learn. In school, we "have" to learn, at least that's the inference we get as children. The goal is to learn the "facts", regurgitate them, pass the test, pass the semester, pass the grade. And, in doing all of that, the school passes standardized test expectations.

But while it's not especially difficult to teach a child what he needs to pass his grade level, teaching him to LOVE the learning process is an altogether different challenge. Honestly, I believe that to an extent, "teaching" them to love learning isn't necessary. Our children are born inquisitive. Ask any mother what her child asks, over and over, and she'll say, "WHY?" Our job as parents, is to make sure that drive, that fire to "know", isn't squelched, but supported and developed; that it turns into an intense curiosity that simply makes him/her WANT to know the answers to certain questions, and to desire to know how things (whether we're talking about the economy, cold fusion, or military strategy) work.

How can this natural curiosity be developed in children? Certainly, we cannot depend on the school system to handle the entire job. Teachers, no matter how effective, have their hands tied to an extent because of the teacher to student ratio, the pressure to "teach to the [standardized] test", and the socio-economic issues that can stand in the way of a child's learning process.

So, as with anything else, the love of learning baton must be passed on in the home.

I am not an educator, by any means, but I am a person who loves to learn. Period. I'm also a parent, and

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