Let’s be honest, sometimes it’s downright difficult to get kids to do their homework, or to even get them interested in a new topic. This can be frustrating, but there are ways around it, and by giving them a bit of encouragement you can be sure to give them the support they need.
Reward Them
Bribes work very well with kids. If you are able to offer them a reward if they finish a problem, then this will really encourage them to push through. If you aren’t sure what kind of rewards you need to offer, then think about the interests that your child has right now. For example, are they into their video games? If so give them half an hour a day extra for a week or two. If they study for history class, promise to take them out to a historical site at the weekend. Little things like this can go a long way.
Read Every Single Day
Reading is one of the most important ways for you to get your child excited about learning. Books really are full of learning adventures and even fictional books can help them to learn. For example, if they are reading about daring fights and swordsmen, you can easily translate this into history, and you can also help them to develop their personal interests. If you struggle to get your child to read, then one way for you to get around this would be for you to read to them at night. Reading is crucial to learning, and a good reader is always more willing to learn!
Distractions
Kids don’t tend to have a huge attention span. Their minds often wander so if you want to stop this then you need to avoid distractions as much as possible. Television is a big one, and it will seriously impact your child’s learning ability. If you want to help them here, then try and give them a room where they can study, or even have quiet time at one point of the day.
Interesting Subjects
Every single person out there is different. You may have your own likes and dislikes and this is completely normal. If your child is learning about something that piques their interest then there is a high chance that they are going to be way more excited about learning about it in the future. For example, if you know that your child has a keen interest in dinosaurs, why not look into buying some megalodon teeth? Or even take them to a museum. This will help them to learn facts and it will also spark their interest in history.
Music or Games
Educational songs are a great way for you to teach your child. There are tons of sites out there that have educational games and most of the time, your child won’t even feel as though they are even studying.
Set Goals
It’s so important to set goals when your child is studying. It doesn’t matter whether the goals are long-term or whether they are just focused on the short-term because if you give them something to work towards then this will give them a huge sense of accomplishment. It will also encourage them to learn as well, which will really benefit them in the long term.
Extracurricular
The more you can get your kids involved in extracurricular activities, the better. Sign them up for guitar, or even piano lessons. You might also want to see if there are any science or adventure clubs on in your local area too. When you do, you will be able to give them a break from the traditional school environment. You can also help them to gain brand new interests and meet new friends, and sometimes this is all you need to kick-start their education as well as helping them to stay focused on what’s ahead.
Show Relevance
A lot of kids believe that anything they learn in school cannot be applied in real life. If you want to help your kids, then you need to show them that what they are learning right now is relevant. Show them how this is the case and also remind them how important their education is to their future. When you are able to do this, you will soon find that you help them with their education and that you also encourage them to push themselves harder.
Of course, getting your kids interested in learning can be difficult, but that doesn’t mean that it is by any means impossible.
