Children are born with a natural curiosity and love of learning, so technically, we can't instill a love of learning in our children. A child starts to learn from the moment it is born. Those early years are a time of non-stop curiosity and discovery. What we can, and need to do, around those times would be to encourage and foster that natural inherent love of learning - to keep it up throughout the years.
It may be widely believed that reading aloud may be the single most important activity that parents could do with their children.
Perhaps because a child is more likely to enjoy reading and will want to learn to read when read to. Once a child develops a passion for reading, he or she will begin to enjoy a lifetime of learning.
Studies have shown that reading aloud can stimulate the brain. It also serves as the foundation for literacy development.
Needless to say, practice makes perfect – the more one reads, the better they become at it. This will help students achieve more success, academically.
Below are some tips on how to
Learning by doing
When we think about activities such as walking, we don’t have to tell a child what to do. The child watches how those around him/her do it, then tries. They may totter and fall, adjust their balance, and make another attempt until they get it right. Our job is to encourage them throughout this process. This way, they develop the ability to accept failure, but also begin to understand that it takes persistence to achieve. This is a virtue that can be applied to most aspects of life. If a child is given the opportunity to do something themself, they can engage the use of all their senses and instinctively find the method that will work best for them.
Think about your child’s Interests
Always try to take your child’s interests into account. Think about books, games, and other learning mediums that are relevant which will help your child to engage. As these activities are based on your child’s interests, they won’t feel forced because they’d actually be enjoying themselves.
Use a Positive approach when correcting your child
As children start to learn to do and say things, they will make mistakes along the way. This is normal and should be encouraged and nurtured, as this is part of the learning process. We make mistakes and learn from them. This also shows willingness and interest in the learner’s part. If your child does make a mistake in pronouncing a word or doing something, don’t start your correction on a negative note. This could deflate your child’s confidence and make him/her (depending on their age) reluctant to be more forthcoming. A better way would be to praise their efforts in the first instance, then suggest ways to correct that mistake. This way the process is more positive and will yield a more productive outcome in the long run.
Set up the right learning environment
Understanding how your child learns is half the journey on this quest to nurturing your child’s love for learning. Understanding how your child learns will enable you create an environment that will help facilitate a love of learning in your child. This will motivate your child to engage in learning activities on a more regular basis.
This could be incorporated in a number of ways:
With technology interwoven into all aspects of our lives, it goes without saying that our children will also have to interact with it. This could also work to your child’s advantage if used in the right way. The internet is awash with a lot of information and the best way for this to be effective for your child would be to create some structure around the way your child engages in this activity. For example, steer your child towards more educational content that also has the fun factor. This way, you’d be killing two birds with one stone.
Depending on your child’s personality, he/she will interact and learn differently. This is something to be mindful of as your child’s personality develops, in order for you to be able to cater to their learning ability. Find out where their interest lies and what motivates them. This could be reading or expressing creativity in a quiet space, or perhaps engaging in something more high-energy. No matter their personalities, children can achieve the same learning goals, in different ways.
Children are naturally curious and need answers in order to learn. In an effort to encourage their love for learning, being available to answer your child’s questions, and actively being part of the process, will greatly help in nurturing your child’s growing love of learning.
Conclusion
There are so many ways to encourage your child’s love of learning. In as much as not all will apply to your situation with your child, hopefully, you will find motivation in the tips above, which will help you kickstart a love of learning in your child.
At Leaders are Readers, we aim to develop in children, curiosity, and courage to find/discover information for themselves, instead of 'spoon-feeding'. This promotes independent learners who can go on to be leaders.
For more information, visit the links below:
https://www.leadersarereaders.co.uk/about
