Children are naturally curious when it comes to different aspects of life. In most cases, children learn through experience, so many parents should let their children play and have fun. Since children are also fast learners, it’s important that they also learn academically.
There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that parents are looking forward to the day when their child will start school. Not only will this help accelerate the learning process, but children will also learn different life skills in their interactions with others. After all, nothing is as satisfying as seeing your child come home with achievements in hand.
However, some children aren’t motivated to learn and are more focused on having fun and playing. Although there’s nothing wrong with playing and learning from it, this can also distract children from their studies.
So how do you motivated a child in learning? Here are some ways that you can make a child learn in this situation.
Learning Styles
But right before we can discuss some important ways of motivating children to learn more are, we must first know what the different types of learning are. Since each of us is unique in our own ways, some people will excel in different learning styles. Neil Fleming invented these styles of learning and are categorized through the following:
- Visual and spatial learning
- Linguistical learning
- Auditory and aural learning
- Kinesthetic learning
- Mathematical learning
- Intrapersonal learning
- Interpersonal learning
Some children are more willing to learn in certain styles since they’re already familiar with this learning process or related to a certain type of hobby they already know. How does this work? For example, letting a child count while they’re playing to the rhythm of the music will make them remember the lesson faster.
On the other hand, interpersonal children will learn lessons faster while they’re with their friends, while intrapersonal children prefer to learn by themselves. Whatever the case may be, it’s important to observe and know what your child’s preferences are. This is the first step towards finding what can motivate your child to learn.
But other than knowing what your child’s learning styles are, what are some important steps that can help motivate them?
Their Environment Will Matter
First and most importantly, one of the most important ways of motivating your child to learn is to be in an environment that won’t distract them from learning. If you’re helping them learn at home, you might want to consider giving them a dedicated area for learning and studying without any distractions.
Still, it’s essential to keep in mind that honing your child’s attention span and keeping them motivated for learning should start during the first few years of preschool. Fortunately, efficient childcare programs are staffed with highly trained teachers and educators who can help children.
Study Hard, Play Harder
Next, one of the most crucial influencers on why children aren’t motivated to study or learn is that they perceive it as a trivial chore that can take away their playtime. Although you can show them the rewards of studying hard, you can also show them that the things that they’ve learned can be used to make playtime even better.
For instance, if your child is kinesthetic learning, you can show them some applications to studying physics in sports. If your child wants to learn how to cook but is having a hard time in mathematics, you can show them how measuring ingredients can make food taste better.
Still, it’s important to ensure that your child is getting the appropriate daily nourishment that they need. Children are naturally energetic, and they’ll need all the energy to study and hone their skills in their hobbies.
When you teach children the value of studying and playing, this can create a balance when they are already professionals. Not only does this help them show the value of both sectors, but this can also motivate them to study harder.
Give Them The Support They Need
Lastly, it’s important to keep in mind that your child is just a person and won’t necessarily have all the energy in the world to study and learn. In certain situations, children will get stressed and pressured if their parents remind them about studying since most don’t want to disappoint their parents.
If this is the case, you can always find a mentor or an older sibling that your child can confide their stress and feelings with. Once your child has become more comfortable, it’s easier to motivate them without stepping into the picture.
As you can see, there are a variety of ways to motivate a child in learning. Although it might seem like it’s a daunting task knowing what they want, it’s still important to keep things fun for your child. Learning should be less of a chore and something fun. Remember, setting up a fun reward system can motivate them to work and still have fun. At the end of the day, it’s all about giving them a good balance of life.
