Loving to Learn instead of Working for a GPA

I remember being an avid reader when I was a kid.  My favorite books were Little House on the Prairie series, Nancy Drew Series, Tracy Belden series, and probably more, but I remember those titles the best.  Oh, I almost forgot V.C. Andrews books, but I do not recommend them.  They were intriguing, but creepy.

In seventh grade I remember my home room teacher giving a talk about how this was the time to buckle down and work hard if we were going to make anything of our lives.  Somehow he managed to scare me into working very hard in school from that day forward..... so hard that I didn't read books for fun anymore.  I only had time for school work and sports.

Fast forward to my mid-twenties when the power of reading to grow, learn, be entertained by great classics, etc.....  was re-awakened by a group of leaders who emphasized reading very much.  I also was inspired by Carol, obviously.  She is huge on reading.  In fact, kindergarten, in her eyes, is reading amazing books to your children.  Whet their appetite for great writing so they won't settle for "candy" books all the time.  Think about it.  We limit our children's sweets intake into their bodies, but do we limit their sweets intake into their brains?  I was reading a couple of short stories to Rose today while we waited at a coffee shop until it was time to pick up Hope from her co-op classes (more on that later).  The stories were so cute, but the actual writing was so lacking in any creative adverbs, adjectives, metaphors, imagery, etc..... that I almost had to stop.  I am not saying all books are like that or that only home school kids read good books.  Anyone can provide great literature for their children to read, no matter where they go to school.  I just don't think I would be nearly as aware of what my children are reading if we didn't home school.

Oliver DeMille and his Thomas Jefferson Education model has been another inspiration.  Thomas Jefferson Education website    Both he and Carol advocate so highly the importance of loving to learn so a person will make it a passion and a life-long pursuit.  I know for a fact many students I outperformed in college outperformed me in their careers.  Obviously, I left my engineering career to be a stay at  home mom and business owner, but I would still contend it took me a long time to have any idea what I was doing at work. ;-)  I also no longer believe the ladder of a corporate job would have made me happy.  (That relates to another reason I am thankful we home school, but I will save that for another post.)

Add to all of this the huge importance of reading to understand people and our freedoms.  Turn the Page by Chris Brady  is an awesome book on how to read like a champion.  Mr. Brady, CEO and Creative Director of Life Leadership www.lifeleadership.com, and his mentor, Orrin Woodward are two of the most avid readers on the planet - and their success in all areas of their lives speak for themselves.  Inc Magazine Top Leadership

More next time on our freedoms and lack thereof....and how thankful I am we home school so I can brainwash my kids.  ;-)


P.S. On 12/15/14 ...I had to add this article by Oliver that is relevant to this post.  Click Here.