If you want your child to learn then learning is not just limited to the classrooms. Yes formal education is important because that helps in the development of the intellectual and social growth of the child. Know that formal education will bring you living, but personal education gives you life.
Good students aren’t born good learners, but a child adapts the most for the environment they stay in. every child possess the basic aptitude. If they receive motivation in the correct way, they all can become good learners.
One of the biggest mistakes made by parents and teachers are that they limit the education just to four walls of the classroom.
The following are some tips you can use to motivate your child to learn more.
- Fill your child’s world with reading: Forcing your child into reading will do no good, because to enjoy reading the child needs to love reading. Introduce with graphic novels which include a lot of pictures and catchy dialogues, this attracts young kids. Let your children select their own book but do encourage them to read it. As a parent; you should read stories to your children with expressions and voices, this will motivate children to read more. Children who develop love for reading, will surely develop love to learn more, making them inquisitive about new things. Reading will not only develop a child’s vocabulary but also develops his/her brain to process concepts and formal communication.
- Encourage them to express their opinion: This habit should be a must in every family because this not only develops expression skills but the child also opens up to you. Take their opinions in small family discussions and value them, create an atmosphere where your child can express his/her likes, dislikes concerns etc. good learners have a clear opinion and a point of view about everything, all you need to do is assure them that their thought process isn’t judged.
- Don’t focus just on your child’s weaknesses, strengths need your equal attention and encouragement: there might be few areas where your child is weak and yes you work with them, they’re not got with math you do mental math exercises with them but what about their strengths ? you need to focus on their strengths; point them out, they might not even know they are good at something. When you encourage your child’s strength you give them strength to develop healthy emotional and academic progress.
- Every day you learn something new, point that out: Encourage them if they see something new then question it, dig answers to their curiosity. If your child develops this habit then learning never stops, the child is motivated to learn in the classroom to home to wherever he/she may be. Remember it’s not only math but there are various concepts in science like the periodic table, types of soil, Flora and Faunaetc, point them out in everyday life because with real life experiences they learn and retain more.
- Focus on learning, not on grades: isn’t what you learn stays with you rather than what you earn as grades. A student might get good score by cramming, but is your child through with the concept? Will performance is important but you need to give that a back seat and focus on learning because this will tell you child that (1) learning is more important than scores. (2) Results don’t matter as much as understanding (3) You value their understanding than their performance. As they grow up their learning is going to get tough. The concepts of Trigonometry, algebra, geometry etc are going to be hard on your child be there for them, help them understand and make their concepts clear.
- Help your child live organized (disciplined) living: by organized living, we say that your child needs to understand the meaning of organized living, such as organizing their school papers and assignments, organizing their school bags according to timetable. These activities will teach them the strength of control and systemized living. Develop some habits and see they follow them religiously also give them some responsibilities and see who they get through them like, make them electricity in charge of the house and see how they pursue.
- TV and internet are friends, show them how: Television is an inseparable part of modern culture but it can benefit your kids too, how is that? TV enables young minds to know about various cultures, TV induces important values and life lessons in kids, educational programs develops young children’s socialization and learning skills, documentaries develops critical thinking about society and the world etc. The perception that children will learn rubbish out of internet is completely incorrect, there is no evidence for that. Here we’ll tell you how you can use it as a boon. Same way they can watch the oldest documentaries online, look up everything they are curious about on the internet.
- Celebrate even the smallest achievements: no matter how small they may be, it’s very important for your child that you recognize their achievements. This induces positive reinforcement in your child. If they score good in match or their teacher appreciated them; take them out and treat them with a little ice-cream or chocolate or something. Tell them you are proud of them.
Remember if you want your child to learn you need to encourage them first. To encourage them you need to make sure that your child falls in love with learning and for that you need to support, help and guide them in best way you can.
About the author:
With the degree in engineering, Keya Agarwal is a content writer by profession. She is a passionate blogger and has a deep inclination in reading with part time teaching. She is presently exploring about content writing and digital marketing with Byju’s- the Learning App.