As humans, we are perpetual learners, whether we are in an educational setting or outside of it. From the moment we come into the world until we breathe our last, we are always involved in a process of seeing, adapting, and assessing information and our surroundings. However, sometimes, once children start school, they can grow disillusioned with the concept of learning, particularly when they link learning with school. The educational system can sometimes offer children experiences that are far from thrilling, particularly for those who find it challenging to keep up with their peers academically or to socialize.
As children get to middle school, some of them start to lose interest. These students might move from one grade level to another, but they struggle and lose enthusiasm for their studies. Once they reach their first year of high school, they’re suddenly under pressure to earn credits for graduation. It’s no shock that many students just stop turning up halfway through high school, never getting the chance to proudly walk at graduation.
Parents may find themselves wondering how to stop their child from going down a similar road as they get older and school becomes less about fun and more about work. Luckily, there are many ways to get your kid motivated and happier at school. Let’s discuss the ways to encourage your children to love learning and to make their educational journey more enjoyable.
Cultivating a Passion for School and Learning
While there’s no single method to make your child adore school, there are measures parents can implement to make it as pleasant an experience as possible. Above all, parents should aim to make children feel loved and backed, during both good times and tough ones. To accomplish this, consider these suggestions:
Show interest: Have daily conversations with kids about school
Children are naturally curious and full of questions. But as grown-ups, it’s easy for us to lose that spark of curiosity as we get caught up in our own work and duties. So, take a leaf out of your kid’s book and get curious about their day at school. Chat about it on the way home from school, or around the dinner table. Don’t just ask if it was “good” or “bad”! Instead, skip the yes or no questions to get your child to open up more about their day.
For example, consider asking: “What fun things did you do at school today?” Or perhaps: “What was tough today?” You might be astonished by what your child has to share! Questions of this kind encourage children to reflect on their experiences, rather than just provide a simple yes or no answer. As a parent, you might notice that this approach helps you spot any potential problems, while also highlighting the successes to celebrate. Keep an active interest and understanding in your children’s education, keeping track of every school day.
Recognize the Learning Style
You may already know that each individual has their own unique style of learning. Some people benefit from getting visual information, while others thrive with practical learning. In reality, there are at least four distinct learning styles, which include:
- Visual learners, who gain more from visual representation of ideas
- Auditory learners, who obtain the most out of listening or hearing information
- Reading/writing learners, who rely on written content for learning
- Kinesthetic learners, who require tactile hands-on learning to absorb information.
Each child has a unique mix of learning styles, so to promote their young learner’s independent success at school, parents should identify which ones are most and least effective. Once you’ve figured out which learning style from the list above best describes your young student, use it during their homework or study periods. Teach children how to use their learning style to comprehend new ideas and how to apply it to enhance their school performance when it is possible.
For instance, if your child is a visual learner, they will find it more interesting and beneficial to learn new things with the help of visual materials like these easy worksheets for kindergarten which provide tasks in a visually engaging form that helps learners understand complex concepts more easily. If your child is a reading/writing learner struggling with spelling tests, motivate them to use flashcards for studying. Auditory learners can benefit from listening to rhymes or songs to memorize things.
Foster special interests
At school, children often get a big mix of information, but they might not have the chance to really dig into specific topics before they have to move onto something new.
While this might seem a bit frustrating for them, you can show them that school is a great place to kick-start exploring their interests even more at home. Encourage kids to go to school with a clear goal: find out the stuff they are really into and want to know more about. They can then take that interest home and start side projects or hobbies. When children understand that school is just the starting line for learning, they can see it in a more fun light, getting excited to learn even when they are not in school!
Encourage children to view learning as a journey, not as studying for a test
Across our country, kids start taking standardized tests pretty early on. In many states, they begin as soon as third grade! To pile on the complexity, many schools switch from a standards-based grading system used in the early years to a letter grade system (A-F) around the second or third grade. This tends to change a student’s view of learning from being about exploration to a hunt for points, letter grades, and passing scores.
This shift can sometimes knock the joy out of the learning journey because students become more focused on the end result – like an essay, project, or test – rather than the path they took to study for it or put it together. At this stage, a lot of kids just lose the love for school due to the pressure or the lack of learning through discovery. To prevent this, guide kids to understand that learning is a journey they’re on, and help them to not stress too much over their grades and test scores.
Normalize failure – and teach kids how to grow from it
Failure is never pleasant, whether you’re a kid or an adult! There are times when we stumble, no matter how much we really want to do well, or how many hours we spend trying to get better at something. But, failure is a totally normal, and necessary part of winning, because we learn from our slip-ups! Help your child have a good day at school, even if they’re struggling with something; remind them that failure isn’t something to fear but is actually another step towards learning. Help them to face their challenges so they can tackle them quickly!
Sparking a Lifelong Passion for Learning Begins at Home
Believe it or not, many of the best ways to keep the school vibes positive begin at home. Parents show their own feelings about learning and school when they interact with their kids and other family at home. You can see these beliefs when parents help kids with homework, or even chat with family members about their thoughts on the school, homework, and teachers. Give these tips a try to help your child stay upbeat about school and learning:
Set a good example – read and display your own passion for learning!
It’s totally reasonable that busy parents might not always have the time to sit down and dive into a good book, or look into something that catches their interest. But, this also shows kids that these activities aren’t a top priority or important. That’s why it’s crucial to be the type of learner you want your child to become. Don’t shy away from letting your kid see you engrossed in a book. In fact, set a time, maybe before bed, to read, just like you used to do when they were smaller. Take turns reading to each other, or simply lay next to your child reading your book while they read theirs. Do this regularly to show kids that reading and learning are important and fun; after all, actions speak louder than words.
Set up a steady, reliable routine for homework
Kids do well with a structured routine where they can predict their day or evening. Plus, when parents set a fixed homework time, it sends a message that lets kids know that it’s important and needs focus. While most students may not enjoy doing their homework, having a regular time to get it done can cut down on the stress or chaos they might feel if they head back to school not ready the next day. Ease the stress with a solid routine to make the next morning go smoothly and start off on a good note!
Don’t stop doing fun learning activities and experiments at home!
As we’ve said before, school is just the first step in learning! Keep feeding your child’s curiosity and excitement for the subjects/topics they love most by keeping the learning going at home with DIY science experiments, or trips to museums or landmarks. Encourage a vibe of ongoing learning with your actions and activities at home! Help your kids to enjoy school and build a deep, lifelong love for learning using the tips we’ve talked about, and don’t forget to show your own love of learning, too!