This blog series is made possible by a grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc.
“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.”
-Albert Einstein
The world is an ever-changing place. New discoveries, new perspectives, and new reflections are constantly emerging. Sometimes this flow of new information is overwhelming, but that is what makes life fascinating. This is especially true for little ones. As they grow, we see their curiosity blossom into developing skills. Curiosity motivates everyone to learn about the evolving world around them. This is why it is important to guide children into lifelong learners.
Lifelong learning is the process of continually building skills and learning new things throughout life. One of the biggest benefits of being a lifelong learner is the ability to adapt and change. This adaptability is an essential skill for a world that is constantly evolving. Other benefits include building self-esteem, opportunities for friendships, enriching lives, and gaining knowledge. [1] These benefits are valuable at every stage of life.
School is not the only place where a child can become a lifelong learner. Learning can take place in many sites, such as formal, informal, and non-formal settings. Formal learning is structured learning led by a teacher or school. Informal learning is spontaneous, unstructured learning that occurs outside of the classroom, such as through mentors and self-directed activities. Non-formal learning is structured, often community-led, short-term lessons like swimming lessons. [2] Lifelong learning does not begin and end in a classroom; lifelong learning exists everywhere!
Raising lifelong learners begins with encouraging curiosity, autonomy, and reflection. Sparking curiosity builds motivation to learn. Encouraging children to explore and ask questions promotes autonomy. Reflection helps children make sense of their experiences and understand the process of learning. Different forms of learning can work together to enrich a child’s curiosity.
Like learning itself, raising a lifelong learner becomes a cyclical process. Curiosity leads to motivation. Autonomy leads to practice. Practice leads to reflection. Reflection then sparks curiosity once again. Supporting the process of building a lifelong learner helps build curious, responsible adults.
[1] Laal, Marjan & Salamati, Payman. (2012). Lifelong learning; Why do we need it?. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences 31 (2012) 399 – 403. 10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.12.073.
[2] Ng, Betsy (2023) “Conceptualizing Lifelong Learning for K-12 Education,” Journal of Research Initiatives: Vol. 7: Iss. 2, Article 9.
