Children have bright and malleable minds. They’re figuring out the world and deciding who they’re going to be later in life, even though this process can take decades. The best thing you can do for a child is motivate that child to learn. If the desire and motivation is there, children will go on to become successful and driven in whatever it is they choose to pursue.
1. Remove Distractions
The environment that child is learning in will largely affect his or her ability to learn. If the environment is cluttered and distracting, the child will inevitably be distracted. It’s time to throw out broken toys or donate things that the child no longer uses. If you need a place to keep sentimental things safe, you can use a community sharing site like Spacer to find one. The end goal is for all of the toys to be put away and kept out of view when the child is trying to focus on a single learning task.
2. Let Them Entertain Exploratory Goals
Some children have outlandish goals, mostly because they don’t realize what it takes to accomplish those goals. So many children want to be astronauts, lion tamers, or magicians. Instead of passively allowing the child to dream, encourage the child to research and learn as much about those subjects as they can. They’re already interested, so you won’t need to force them to open the books or watch the documentaries that are going to enlighten them about the things they love. These are easy learning opportunities.
3. Reward Learning Like a Behavior
If you have a chore or responsibility system, particularly one that ends in a reward like a monetary allowance or a special treat, add learning to the list of things you expect that child to do. You can establish what has been learned and how thoroughly the material received through a simple conversation. You’ll be creating an association that learning is winning, and children will begin to realize that their hard intellectual work pays off.
4. Allow Them to Use Their Own Learning Language
Some children are resistant to learning because it’s being presented to them in a way that they don’t understand. There are auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners. Giving the child material in a way that they’ll be able to easily digest it is perhaps the greatest motivator. It removes any perceived limitations they may feel while preventing them from being discouraged. Try a variety of learning styles with the child and allow the child to explore the style that feels most natural.
It’s important to remember that every child will learn at a different pace, and putting pressure on a child to learn at a speed that’s uncomfortable might affect his or her self esteem. Be patient with young learners because someday, they’ll be the ones teaching others.