We begin, this year, with strategies to help motivate your child to learn. I am grateful to Becton Loveless for an excellent article published in Education Corner, from which the advice here is adapted.
Most good students aren’t born good learners, but most children who are good learners, at some point had to become good learners. Although a great deal of formal learning takes place in school, one of the biggest mistakes we can make when it comes to developing children who are good learners, is to restrict learning to the classroom. If you really want to enhance a child’s ability to learn, you must look outside of school as well.
The following are proven tips and strategies that will motivate your child to learn. Apply them consistently and you will see your child discover the joy of learning.
1) Develop an atmosphere of reading at home.
2) Put your child in the driver’s seat as much as possible.
3) Encourage open and sincere communication.
4) Focus on your child’s interests.
5) Introduce and encourage different types of learning styles.
6) Share your enthusiasm for learning.
7) Make learning fun through game-based learning.
8) Focus on what they’re learning, not on their performance.
9) Help your child stay organised.
10) Recognise and celebrate achievements.
11) Focus on strengths.
12) Make every day a learning day.
Over next two months we will be looking at some of these strategies in more depth and detailing how they help your child on their learning journey. Let’s look at the first and most important tip –
Developing a reading atmosphere at home. Many people would argue that the ability to read is the key to success in life. Children who develop a love of reading, develop a love of learning. Children who struggle with reading, struggle with learning. Reading is the gateway to all the other subjects. Not only does reading help children develop a much richer vocabulary, but it also helps their brain learn how to process concepts and formal communication. Help your child develop reading skills by filling their world with it. Read to your child frequently, have them read aloud. Create a family reading time where everyone focuses on reading for 20 minutes a day. All this will demonstrate to your child just how important reading is. The Key to developing good readers is to make it fun, not frustrating, or boring. Let them choose their own books to read, help them read and most importantly of all be a reading role model. Until next month – Keep reading!
(Praying Mantis & African Harrier Hawk)