Parents send their children to school in high hopes of getting them good education. Families and governments all over the world spend a great portion of their budget on providing for the education of children. The trouble with children nowadays is that they tend to quickly lose interest in things that do not appear fun and are too tedious for them. As most experts would say, attention span is a major factor in helping children remember and learn. And motivation is a crucial element in maintaining children’s drive in studying.
How to motivate a child to study: 5 Techniques that work
1. Share Stories and Songs
Stories whether read to children or read independently build their vocabulary and widen their exposure to language. Young children who are not yet able to read by themselves benefit from stories by learning high frequency words and CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words which will later be useful in helping children to spell.
Making use of songs also enhances children’s vocabulary, listening skills and appreciation for music. Children who are auditory learners remember their words better and are able to sound out faster through the help of music.
Sharing stories and songs motivate children to study because these ways enhance memory retention without the pressure because they all seem like fun.
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2. Incorporate a variety of media
Studying doesn’t have to be through books and pen and paper activities. Nowadays, there are plenty of educational games on the internet as well as iPad and other mobile applications. Websites on teacher and parent resources are also available for printables, videos and more
Even the television has kiddie shows that help children learn. Disney Junior’s Word World for instance, is a great program that is geared towards helping children to spell.
How to motivate children to study by incorporating a variety of media means making use of what is available at the home—newspapers, magazines, radio and music, television and the internet. Just an important note though, young children should always be exposed to these in moderation and with a certain time limit.
3. Let them play
Despite the many studies on play as a way of helping children learn, there are still some apprehensions on how this actually works. Well, here is one concrete example on how play is a way of helping kids learn to write.
Writing is a fine motor skill and it really takes a while to develop because it goes through stages. Experts would suggest exposing children to a wide array of activities making use of their hands and fingers– which are mostly play ideas like making use of clay, playing with sand, threading and beading, puzzles, etc.
4. A little praise goes a long way
This is pretty simple, give a small praise or reward when your child learns something new. Young children are fond of getting praises because they are at a stage in their lives wherein recognition of their efforts are such big deals to them. For young children being praised means they are liked and they are good. Thus, the likelihood of a repeat in your desired behavior or skill is much higher with praise.
5. Show enthusiasm as a learner yourself
Children look up to their parents and the adults around them. So if you or their other family members are enthusiastic about learning new things (not necessarily about school), your children will tend to have a positive outlook on learning and studying too.
How to motivate a child to study is not really a herculean task but it takes effort, patience and consistency. Once children find that studying isn’t really a drag and they get to enjoy it, the benefits are boundless and you can count on these children to always have the thirst for knowledge.
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