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How to make a child learn


12 Strategies to Motivate Your Child to Learn

by Becton Loveless

Most good students aren't born good learners. Yes, individual personality plays a big part in a child's willingness to learn and their overall disposition when it comes to schooling and education, but most children who are good learners at some point had to become good learners. More importantly, any student, who possesses the basic aptitude and receives the right motivation, can become a good learner.

One of the biggest mistakes teachers and parents can make when it comes to developing students and children who are good learners is to limit learning to the classroom. While the classroom will likely be the primary source of instruction, intellectual, social and academic growth should extend outside the walls of the classroom – if you want to really enhance a child's desire and ability to learn.

The following are proven tips and strategies that will motivate your child to learn. Apply them correctly, and you'll see your child or student discover the joy of learning.

1. Develop an atmosphere of reading

Some people would argue that reading it the key to success in life. We would most certainly argue that at minimum reading is a key to success in learning. Children who develop a love of reading, develop a love for learning. Children who struggle with reading, struggle with learning.

Reading not only helps children develop a much richer vocabulary, it helps their brain learn how to process concepts and formal communication. And the skills gained from reading extend far beyond increased performance in language art classes. Students who read well experience an enhanced ability to learn in all subjects – including technical subjects such as math and science.

Help your child develop reading skills and a love for reading by filling his world with reading. Read to your child frequently. Have your child read aloud. Create a family reading time where everyone focuses on reading for 20 minutes a day. Through your own example of reading and by filling your classroom and/or home with reading materials (novels, posters, newspapers, magazines, etc.) you'll create an atmosphere of reading that will demonstrate to your child (or students) just how important reading is.

A key to developing good readers is to make reading fun – not frustrating. If a child decides that reading is boring or frustrating, they won't want to read and their ability to learn will be diminished. Let children pick their own books to read, help them read, and create activities for them that make reading fun.

2. Put your child in the driver's seat as much as possible

When it comes to education, all some kids experience is control, control, control. When a child feels controlled, or out of control when it comes to their education, they often withdraw from learning. It's important to guide children through the learning process, but it's just as important to allow children to have control of their own learning experience. Whether at home, or in the classroom, provide children the ability to have direct input into their learning choices. A good way to do this is to provide children options. For example, when assigning a writing project, allow children to choose their topic to write about.

We also recommend allowing children to choose their own extracurricular activities. The more control and input you're able to provide a child, with respect to their learning environment, activities, and style, the more engaged and motivated a child will become to learn.

3. Encourage open and sincere communication

Encourage your child or student to express his opinion about what's going on with his education. Create an open atmosphere where he feels comfortable expressing his likes, dislikes or concerns. When he shares his opinion, make sure to validate his feelings – even if you disagree. When children feel like their opinion doesn't matter, or they're stuck, they're likely to disengage from the learning process. Good learners know their opinion matters and feel reassured that they can be open about their educational experience without being judged, put down, discouraged or ignored.

4. Focus on your child's interests

When learning engages children in areas and subjects of interest, learning becomes fun and children engage in learning. If you really want to help your child to become a good learner, encourage him to explore topics and subjects that fascinate him. If he likes dinosaurs, help him find engaging and interesting books and stories about dinosaurs. Then challenge him to identify his five favorite dinosaurs and explain why he chose each one.

5. Introduce and encourage different types of learning styles

Every child has learning preferences and styles that are best suited to their way of learning. Some children have a dominant learning style, while others prefer to learn using a mix of learning styles. There isn't necessarily one right or wrong learning style, or mix of learning styles. However, by helping your child discover his preferred learning styles, you can use techniques that will improve his rate and quality learning.

There are seven fundamental learning styles: Visual, Auditory, Verbal, Physical, Logical (mathematical), Social and Solitary. For example, children who are visual learners learn best by seeing how things work. Conversely, children who are auditory learners learn best by listening to things being explained. For young children, it's beneficial to explore and employ different types of learning styles.

6. Share your enthusiasm for learning

Enthusiasm rubs off, especially when it comes to learning new things. If your child or student sees that you're sincerely enthusiastic about learning, they're likely to become enthusiastic about learning. Whether it's history, science, reading, writing or even math, help him see that learning is a journey of exciting new discoveries. Take every opportunity – without being overwhelming or overbearing – to discover new information with him. As your child sees the joy and excitement learning brings to your life, he'll begin to share your enthusiasm for learning new things as well.

7. Make learning fun through game-based learning

Game-based learning is not a new concept. It's been around for a long time. Game-based learning can be very advantageous for many reasons. Using games as an education tool not only provides opportunities for deeper learning and development of non-cognitive skills, it helps motivate children to want to learn. When a child is actively engaged with a game, their mind experiences the pleasure of learning a new system. This is true regardless of whether the game is considered "entertainment" (e.g., video game) or "serious" (e.g., military simulator). Games that are entertaining provide the added benefit of motivating children to want to engage in the learning process and want to learn more.

Game-based learning is also an effective motivation for team-based learning – which can be particularly beneficial for children in a classroom setting. Students typically try harder at games than they do in courses. Games are more engaging. There is also the competitive aspect to playing games. Students are trying to compete or win, on behalf of themselves or their team. They may strive to perform at a higher level in an effort to earn more points for their team or because they want the opportunity to play.

Game-based learning is a great way for parents and teachers to introduce new ideas, grammar, concepts, and knowledge in a way that motivates children to learn.

8. Focus on what he's learning, not his performance

Instead of asking your child how he did on his math test as soon as he gets home from school, have him teach you what he learned in math today. Focus on what your child is learning, as opposed to how he is performing. While performance is important, focusing on his learning experience will (1) communicate to your child that actual learning is more important than test grades, (2) results are not the most important thing, (3) you're more concerned about him than you are about his performance and (4) by focusing on his learning experience that day you'll provide him the opportunity to put into his own words his lesson and solidify what he's learned.

9. Help your child stay organized

Helping your child organize his papers, books and assignments will go a long way to helping him feel motivated to learn. Disorganization is typical among young school age children, but it can also lead to a feeling of being overwhelmed. Overwhelmed children spend more time and effort being frustrated and worried than they do learning. Be patient, but consistent, in helping your child organize his school supplies and assignments. This will help him feel in control, less overwhelmed and more motivated to learn.

10. Recognize and celebrate achievements

No matter how small they may be, it's important to recognize and celebrate your child's achievements. This is especially important for elementary age school children who require constant positive reinforcement to keep them motivated to learn and challenge themselves to do better. We're not suggesting that you praise mediocrity, but that you offer recognition and celebrate your child's achievements. Finishing a difficult project deserves a special treat; doing well on a math test could call for a trip to get ice cream. Always use positive reinforcement as your tool to motivate learning with your child.

11. Focus on strengths

Focusing on strengths can be difficult when there is so much your child struggles academically. Notwithstanding, focusing on your child's strengths is vital to healthy emotional and academic development and progress. Focusing on your child's strengths is another form of positive reinforcement that will motivate him to keep learning. Conversely, focusing on your child's weaknesses does nothing but cause discouragement, distress and a lack of desire to learn. Did Johnny fail his math test? Well then, in addition to getting him a little extra help with his math, make sure to congratulate him for how well he's doing in science class.

12. Make every day a learning day

Turning every day into a learning day may sound like a bit much, but it really isn't, if you go about it the right way. Whenever possible, encourage your child to explore the world around him, ask questions and make connections. Help him categorize, classify and think critically of what he sees and experiences. Turning every day into a learning day will help your child develop the internal motivation to learn in the classroom, at home or wherever he may be.

Read Also:
- 16 Study Motivation Tips, Tricks, and Hacks

10 Ways to Motivate Your Child to Learn

If you want your child to be a stellar student, don't limit learning to the walls of his classroom. Although the skills he's learning there are crucial to his intellectual and social growth, your child needs your help to open up the world of ideas. His renewed joy in discovery will transfer to his schoolwork, so you'll boost his academic achievement too!

  1. Fill your child's world with reading. Take turns reading with your older child, or establish a family reading time when everyone reads her own book. Demonstrate how important reading is to you by filling your home with printed materials: novels, newspapers, even posters and placemats with words on them.
  2. Encourage him to express his opinion, talk about his feelings, and make choices. He can pick out a side dish to go with dinner and select his own extracurricular activities. Ask for his input on family decisions, and show that you value it.
  3. Show enthusiasm for your child's interests and encourage her to explore subjects that fascinate her. If she's a horse nut, offer her stories about riding or challenge her to find five facts about horses in the encyclopedia.
  4. Provide him with play opportunities that support different kinds of learning styles — from listening and visual learning to sorting and sequencing. Supplies that encourage open-ended play, such as blocks, will develop your child’s creative expression and problem-solving skills as he builds. He'll need lots of unstructured play time to explore them.  
  5. Point out the new things you learn with enthusiasm. Discuss the different ways you find new information, whether you're looking for gardening tips on the Internet or taking a night class in American literature.
  6. Ask about what he's learning in school, not about his grades or test scores. Have him teach you what he learned in school today — putting the lesson into his own words will help him retain what he learned.
  7. Help your child organize her school papers and assignments so she feels in control of her work. If her task seems too daunting, she'll spend more time worrying than learning. Check in with her regularly to make sure she's not feeling overloaded.
  8. Celebrate achievements, no matter how small. Completing a book report calls for a special treat; finishing a book allows your child an hour of video games. You'll offer positive reinforcement that will inspire him to keep learning and challenging himself.
  9. Focus on strengths, encouraging developing talents. Even if she didn't ace her math test, she may have written a good poem in English class. In addition to a workbook for math practice, give her a writing journal.
  10. Turn everyday events into learning opportunities. Encourage him to explore the world around him, asking questions and making connections.

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How to make a child learn and do homework? Psychologist's advice

The school year begins, and the Internet explodes with parental requests: “the child does not want to study”, “how to make the child do homework?”, “what to do if the child is tired of studying?”. Every parent wants to see in their son or daughter an exemplary student who happily runs to school and diligently performs homework. But what if the child suddenly lost the desire to learn? Should I force it or are there other ways? You will find answers in this article.

Stop overprotecting the child and give reasonable freedom to the emerging personality. At the same time, do not worry about the child, always know where he is, what route he follows, and what is happening around him using the Find My Kids application from the AppStore and GooglePlay.

Contents:
  • Finding out the cause
  • Correct parental position
  • How to help a child?
    • Psychologist's advice
    • 8 effective ways to motivate you to study well
  • Is it worth doing homework with a child?

Finding out the reason

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To figure out why the child suddenly lost all desire to acquire new knowledge at school, you need to find the reason for this behavior. It can be:

1. Lack of motivation

The child does not understand the importance and necessity of the learning process. He is bored in the lessons, he does not listen to the teacher, he prefers to do his own thing or chat with classmates.

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Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com[/caption] Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com[/caption]

Why don't children want to do homework? The answer is the simplest. They are not interested.

Unfortunately, the school has little practical experience for life and success, and a lot of gadgets and "distractions". Therefore, students often do not understand - why? Why do they need it? And how is it useful in life? It is important to talk with children, to answer these questions. Show, tell on the example of famous "youth" people. Try to use this knowledge together in life. Praise the student's actions.

For example, you can gather a child's friends and arrange a quest "Why do we need math?" The team that finds more practical examples gets a pizza,

2. Problems in the teacher-student relationship

A case from practice. Dasha has always been a diligent student, she liked going to school, getting good grades, making her parents happy. But suddenly the girl's behavior changed. She became withdrawn, irritable, stopped doing homework. And one day she told her parents that she would no longer go to school. Alarmed mom and dad could not get from their daughter what happened to her. I had to seek help from a psychologist. It turned out that shortly before this, the teacher showed Dasha a notebook to the whole class with the words that the girl does the tasks well, but she writes like a chicken paw. All the children laughed. After this incident, Dasha changed her attitude towards both the school and the teacher.

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Even one careless word of a teacher can offend a child and affect his attitude to learning, not to mention obvious conflicts. This is especially true for anxious and vulnerable children.

3. Conflicts with classmates, ridicule, bullying

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Case study. Vanya's parents moved to a new area and the boy had to go to a new school. At first he liked everything, both teachers and classmates, but soon his parents noticed that his son began to skip classes. Attempts to find out why he does this have not been successful. The boy continued to lie to his parents that he went to school, while he himself walked around the city at that time. Soon the director called the parents and announced that their son could be expelled from school for systematic absenteeism. On the same day, the mother of Vanya's classmate called. She said that Vanya became a victim of bullying - harassment. The boys bullied him for not smoking like all the other boys in the class and for wearing unfashionable clothes. Her daughter felt sorry for Vanya, and she told her mother everything, hoping that she could help. Vanya's parents were shocked. It turned out that the son simply did not want to devote them to his problems and preferred to endure bullying and ridicule from new classmates.

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It is important for parents to pay attention to all changes in the behavior of their son or daughter and to be able to help the child in time if he has become a victim of bullying.

4. Unfavorable family environment

When parents constantly quarrel and sort things out, it is difficult for a child to concentrate on learning activities. Well, how can you solve a physics problem when dad screams that he will leave the family, and mom echoes that she spent her life on a worthless person?

5. Parental super control

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There are parents (mostly mothers) who need to control everything that happens in the family. Including the school life of the child. Down to the covers of notebooks and a gift to a classmate for her birthday. What kind of motivation can we talk about in a child, if mom knows better, mom will decide everything?

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6. Low self-esteem, self-doubt

It is difficult for such children to express themselves in school life. Raising your hand to answer a teacher's question, calling a classmate and finding out their homework is a whole problem for them. If, at the same time, parents also make excessive demands on the child and criticize him for the slightest fault, then the son or daughter closes in on himself and follows the path of least resistance. The child starts skipping classes, stops doing homework, brings bad grades. Why try if your efforts will still not be appreciated?

7. Excessive workload of the child after school

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Monday and Wednesday - swimming pool, Wednesday and Thursday - dancing, the rest of the days - art school. Familiar? Many parents seek to organize a super-saturated leisure for their child. As a result, the psyche includes protective mechanisms, protecting the brain from overwork. The child begins to be lazy and put off doing homework until late in the evening.

8. Physiological causes

Hyperactivity, weak volitional regulation of behavior, somatic diseases - this is an incomplete list of what can also affect a child's lack of desire to sit at a desk and do homework.

Combination of causes

The next story is just about that.

Case from practice. Styopa was overweight since childhood and was very worried about it. Physical education lessons turned into torture for him. Styopa could not run a long distance, climb a rope, or push himself off the floor. The teacher constantly scolded him, classmates laughed. In other lessons, the boy also had a hard time. He had no friends, no one wanted to sit at the same desk with him. Stepin's parents were going to divorce, and they were not up to the experiences of their son. A closed and insecure teenager found himself only in computer games. But one day his fate changed dramatically. Through an online game, he met a group of guys who deceived the elderly and took money from them. Soon, the scammers decided to “take into action” Styopa as well. At first it was scary, but gradually he "got a taste" and began to continue the work of his "friends". Finally, Styopa was engaged in a business in which he was successful, and no one laughed at him or humiliated him.

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As you can see, there may be enough reasons for a child not to want to learn. And most often, this is not one specific problem, but a whole set in which parents have to figure it out.

The right attitude of parents

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Dear moms and dads! If you force your child to learn , then it is unlikely that something good will come of it . Everything that is done under duress or under fear of punishment will not bring any benefit. Therefore, let's still not force children to learn, but encourage them to do so. And this will help you a competent position of the parent.

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Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com[/caption] Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com[/caption]

Of course, you can force your child to learn. But this will have to be done for 9-11 years.

When we force children, we take their responsibility upon ourselves. But we want our children to be independent and do their homework. Therefore, if possible, set the rules for teaching in the first grade. No need to do homework with a first grader - the function of a parent is to help not be distracted from activities. If the student is older, solve the problem with motivation and encouragement,

Adequate perception of the situation

What do most parents do if their child does not want to study? That's right, take the belt. Surely, your parents did the same, and you also often sin with this.

Shouts, swearing and punishments are left outside the door. They won't help. "Horror stories" about the profession of a janitor - too.

Parents need to understand that a child's unwillingness to learn always has a specific reason.

For information on how to properly respond to disobedience, read the article 10 ways to punish a child without screaming, belting and humiliation.

Support

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In order for a child to become more independent and learn to cope with their problems, it is important for them to hear from their parents:

  • “I believe in you”;
  • "Everything will work out";
  • "We will solve this problem together";
  • "There are no hopeless situations."

Help

Parents can:

  • explain incomprehensible material themselves;
  • hire a tutor;
  • talk to the teacher;
  • adjust parent position;
  • go with the child to an appointment with a neurologist;
  • find a joint solution to the school difficulties of a son or daughter.

Find out if your child is being bullied at school and if the teachers treat him well in order to help and solve the problem in time. Listen to the surroundings and track your child's location in real time with the Find My Kids app from the AppStore and GooglePlay.

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock. com

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com[/caption] Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com[/caption]

Enter into an agreement with the child, expressly written, real. Clearly state what is due for “voluntary” completion of lessons and what “punishment” is for failure to complete assignments. Incentive events work great with older students, for example, the child did his homework all week, on the weekend the whole family goes where the student wanted. Stickers spelling out the word "well done" work great with younger students,

How to help a child?

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Psychologist's advice

We have a dislike for learning from generation to generation. Even in kindergarten, they start to frighten children: “When you go to school, the teacher will not look at your whims, she will immediately slap a deuce”, “if you behave badly, you will go to the director’s office.” The child is prepared in advance for the fact that learning will be difficult, uninteresting, painful.

  • Try to talk about the school and teachers in a positive way. School is the basis, base, foundation of the whole future life of the child.

When a child's feelings are denied, he quickly loses interest in any business, including studies. The child says: “This is a very difficult task. I will never solve it” and receives in response: “You are just very lazy, everything is difficult for you.”

  • Let the children share their fears and concerns with you, even if they seem unfounded.
  • A child can find everything he needs in a family. Listen more and judge less, then the children themselves will want to share their problems with you.

The desire to raise a child to be a genius with excellent marks in all subjects leads to nervous breakdowns and low self-esteem, because a son or daughter cannot always reach the bar set by their parents. The same applies to unfulfilled parental expectations, when my mother so dreamed of becoming a ballerina and decided that her daughter must make her dream come true.

The scourge of all parents is the comparison of the child with other children. “And Mashenka gets only fives, and you only bring twos and threes,” “and Svetochka has been doing her homework for a long time, and you keep asking your mother to help.” And the child begins to quietly hate Masha and Svetochka, considering himself a complete loser.

  • If you compare a child, then only with yourself: “You see, that year it was difficult for you to remember the multiplication table, but this year you crack it like nuts!”

8 effective ways to motivate you to study well

  1. Praise your progress more often, even the smallest ones.
  2. Explain why it is so important to study at school and what it will give the child in the future.
  3. Do not scold for bad grades, the child is already upset by this fact. Try to find out the reason first.
  4. Don't "buy" good grades with gadgets and fashion items.
  5. Talk to the student more often about his dreams and plans for the future.
  6. It is important to teach the child the correct distribution of time after school, so that he has enough time for rest and homework.
  7. The position “not grades are important, but knowledge” is useful for both parents and children.
  8. Do homework with your child only if he asks you for help.

Is it worth doing homework with a child?

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

Now let's touch on a question that worries many parents. Should I help my child do homework? If you don’t help, he will make a lot of mistakes in his notebook, forget to learn the poem and won’t even remember the leaf craft.

In 2018, the Mail.ru Children portal conducted a survey among Russian parents on the topic of completing homework assignments. It turned out that the majority of parents (70%), together with their children, sit down to do homework every evening, and only 30% of moms and dads have children do their homework on their own.

And here is what today's mothers and fathers remember about their childhood:

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As we can see, parents' attempts to control the process of completing lessons do not always benefit the child.

What experts recommend:

  • In the first grade, parents really need to do homework with their child, but only in order to organize the process itself. Teach your son or daughter simple tricks: first, written assignments are done, then oral ones; a difficult task is first solved on a draft; you need to prepare for the test and exam in advance.
  • Make a special time for lessons with your child, for example, from 17:00 to 19:00. Help him organize the workplace and space, make good lighting.
  • Do not refuse if the child asks you for help. But try to do not for him, but with him.
  • Homework is the same work of the child, and only he should be responsible for it. And not mom and dad, who have already learned their lessons a long time ago.

Remember, dear parents! Your task is not to force your son or daughter to study, but to create an atmosphere in the family where the child can share any problems, where he is not evaluated by marks in the diary, and where he will be helped to acquire new knowledge for future adult life.

Children's education:

  • The most important thing about school holidays 2020-2021: dates, dates and possible changes
  • How to stop being nervous and scolding a child during a DD?
  • About school workloads: how to prevent overwork in a child?
  • Best smartphones for kids (younger, middle and older students) in 2020

Getting ready for school next year:

  • At what age can a child go to school alone? Expert opinion
  • Adaptation of the child to school
  • How to quickly and easily learn the alphabet with a child
  • How to quickly learn the multiplication table with a child

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How to get a child to study - how to motivate a teenager to study

Content

  1. Lack of motivation
  2. Teacher-student relationship problems
  3. Conflicts with classmates, ridicule, bullying
  4. Unfavorable family environment
  5. Super parental control
  6. Low self-esteem, self-doubt
  7. Excessive workload of the child after school
  8. Praise for accomplishments, even the smallest ones
  9. Point out positive changes
  10. Emphasize the child's good qualities
  11. Not demanding much
  12. sharing experiences
  13. Do not compare the child with other children
  14. Do not scold for bad grades
  15. Negotiate
  16. Set an example
  17. Consider the wishes and aspirations of the child
  18. Hire a tutor
  19. Talk about the real benefits of studying
  20. Inculcate good habits

"There is no 'don't want', only 'must'" is a common expression used by parents whose children refuse to do something they don't want to. For example, study. This and a dozen other demotivational expressions are used when a diplomatic approach no longer helps. The good old “whip” is used, but without the carrot. And at first it may seem that the method works and brings results, because from such a strict control, the estimates really get better. But, unfortunately, this does not last long.

As a result, the child only learns to deceive and cunning, while at the same time beginning to hate everything connected with education. To prevent this from happening, you should rephrase the expression, replacing the word “need” with “want”.

The search engine gives more than two million results for the query "how to get a child to study". We talked about some of the reasons in more detail in this video:

Obviously, a huge number of parents face this problem. There are many reasons why children refuse to study. The first thing you should pay attention to is how well the child has developed mental processes: memory, attention, logic. After all, thanks to them, children better understand and remember what they read, easily focus on tasks and begin to study on their own.

In addition, the modern education system is built in such a way as to give children the maximum amount of knowledge and, as a result, receive trained specialists. But few people think about how to properly present this knowledge. Children do not have any algorithms and technologies for self-learning, so that the child performs each action easily, meaningfully and understanding why and what result he will receive.

For example, the online course "Learn to Learn" offers methods for mastering knowledge, helps to improve the efficiency of learning, develop logic, memory and analytical skills. The course helps students understand that studying can be easy and fun, and the acquired skills will help them become responsible, self-sufficient and educated.

Now let's look at other, more obvious reasons for poor academic performance.

Lack of motivation

Sometimes even an adult finds it difficult to force himself to go to work in the morning, despite the fact that he understands why he needs it. Now imagine a child who does not understand why he should go to classes every day, if they don’t even get paid for it. The fact is that children, especially in the lower grades, do not understand the importance and necessity of the learning process. Because of this, it becomes boring and uninteresting for them to listen to the teacher, and even more so to spend time on homework. It is important not to force the child to study “through I don’t want to”, but to calmly explain why he needs education. Show, tell on the example of famous influencers, use school knowledge in life and be sure to praise the child for all the actions. Positive reinforcement is an important component in building motivation.

Negative motivation (fear, pain, duty, shame) injures the child, fetters his intellectual activity and destroys trust in parents. There are many positive tools. For example, the reward system. Did your child do their homework for a week on their own? This is an excuse to go to your favorite ice cream parlor or order pizza.

At the free marathon "Motivation and Education of Children" we will tell you how to motivate your child to study at school so that he starts learning on his own, stops suffering from homework and torturing you.

Problems in the teacher-student relationship

It may happen that the teacher does not agree with the position of the student on some issue, and this negatively affects the grades in the subject. It may be that the student himself provoked the conflict with his behavior, to which the teacher reacted with a deuce in the diary. Or the problem arose because of careless criticism of the student. Situations are different, but they can discourage the student from learning. In this case, you should talk to the child, find out what is bothering him. After that, also talk with the teacher in order to understand what is the cause of the conflict and try to eliminate it.

Conflicts with classmates, ridicule, bullying

Bullying is a constant deliberate negative action directed at a child by another child or a group of children. Almost all students face bullying: someone is directly involved in it, someone becomes a victim, and someone is watching what is happening. Bullying becomes the reason that the child begins to play truant, does not want to study and closes in himself. This is a very serious problem that can negatively affect the personality of the child. If you notice that your child's behavior has changed, invite him to talk. The sooner you know about the problem, the easier it will be to deal with it.

Unfavorable family environment

If parents in a family constantly quarrel, sort things out, doing this in front of the child, it becomes difficult for him to focus on his studies. How can you think about solving a math problem when there is screaming and noise all around?

Parental oversight

Sometimes it is very important for parents to control everything that happens to relatives in the family and outside it. This also includes the school life of the child. It's not just about grades, but even designing workbooks, a diary, or preparing a birthday present for a classmate. There can be no talk of any motivation, because mom or dad will decide everything.

As a result, parents have to force their child to study. But it's absolutely not worth it. Why? We talk in this video:

You can get a comprehensive solution to the problem of a child's education in our free online lesson "How to motivate a child to learn independently."

Low self-esteem, self-doubt

It is difficult for insecure children to express themselves in school life. Asking a teacher a question, calling a classmate and finding out homework is a whole problem. If, at the same time, at home, relatives make excessive demands on the child, severely criticize for the slightest fault, call him lazy, then sooner or later he will close in himself and take the path of least resistance: he will start skipping classes, stop doing homework and will bring bad grades . Why try if your efforts are not appreciated.

Excessive workload of the child after school

Many parents strive to organize super-saturated leisure time for their child. For example, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday - English and the pool, on Tuesdays - basketball, and on Thursday - art school. But as a result, the psyche includes protective mechanisms, protecting the brain from overwork. The student becomes lazy and starts postponing the lessons. Pursuing even the most noble goals, parents forget that the child is not a robot and he needs rest just like an adult.

13 tips for parents on how to motivate their child to study

Praise success, even the smallest

You don't have to expect 100% success from a child to praise him. It is important to notice any progress. And the age of the student does not matter. Teenagers, like elementary school students, also need support and praise.

Point out positive changes

If something is difficult for a child, still support him every time. You can say: “Wow! Look how much better you have become! If you continue in the same vein, you will do just fine!” But never say something like, "Try a little more, and then it will be fine." With such phrases you devalue small achievements.

Emphasize the child's good qualities

It is important to understand that a child's life does not revolve around school. Parents should always notice the good qualities of their child, even if these are characteristics far from learning. For example, if a child knows how to help others, has charisma, a great sense of humor, charm, or is excellent at negotiating, point out these qualities to him. Such an emphasis will help in building adequate self-esteem, which, in turn, will create self-confidence.

Not demanding much

No one is protected from overwork and burnout, not even a schoolboy. Just imagine the stress of a child who studies at school, then goes to a few circles, and then comes home and sits down for homework. Don't expect your child to be perfect. It is normal that some subjects are more difficult for him and the student needs more time to understand them.

share experiences

If a child tells you that he doesn't like an object, don't scold him, but share the experience with him. For example, you can say: “Yes, I understand that you don’t like physics so much, but it needs to be studied. You can always share your thoughts with me so that we can discuss how you feel.”

Do not compare the child with other children

Comparisons always only provoke resentment and practically do not affect motivation. The successes of the “son of my mother’s friend” will not help the child to correct grades and start learning on their own, but will only cause a reluctance to study on the principle “I won’t succeed anyway”.

To help a child do what is necessary and important, one should “gather” universal motivation. In our free lessons of the course on motivating children, we will talk about the causes of demotivation and what to do about it, why it is impossible to force a child to study well, as well as how to change the child's behavior and restore trust and openness in parent-child relationships.

And in this video we talk about how children's behavior will change if you stop forcing them to learn:

Do not scold for bad grades

Motivation for progress and achievement must be positive. A bad score only shows that you need to try harder to improve the result. If you punish a student for a bad grade with all sorts of restrictions, his motivation will be negative. And it forms either fear or nihilism.

Negotiate

A contract is one of the most reliable and effective tools for working with children's motivation. It should be noted right away that the contract should be beneficial not only to you, but also to the child. You can not demand fives from a schoolboy without offering anything in return. For example, you might say, "If you do your homework for a week, we'll go to the movies this weekend. " Or: “If you write a good test, you can invite your friends and play with them on the console at the weekend.”

Motivation is an art. In order for a child to want to study independently, it is necessary to find the right approach. In a practical online course for parents, we will tell you how to set up parental authority and properly negotiate with your child so that he does not let you down and does not break agreements.

Set an example

It is pointless to try to teach your child to do homework while you are scrolling through TikTok or watching a series, for example. Children love to copy their parents. So if the goal is to instill in your child a love of reading, put down your smartphone and read an interesting book.

Consider the wishes and aspirations of the child

To motivate children, their interests must be taken into account. Ask your child what they like to do. If he is interested in cinema, it is worth figuring out how to connect screenwriting with a desire to learn. You can come up with interesting tasks: for example, offer to start writing a fascinating script about the school so that studies start to seem more interesting.

Hire a tutor

If one of the subjects is especially difficult for a child, then a good solution would be to hire a tutor. Read our article on how to choose the right specialist.

Talk about the real benefits of studying

Children do not understand why parents get up early every morning and go to work, why they improve their qualifications, strive to improve. That is why you should not start a conversation about the fact that fives mean a comfortable future. It is better to talk about the real benefits of studying, for example, that it will make him more free, give him the opportunity to try himself in different areas, understand what he really likes, and choose the right profession.

Instill good habits

Curiosity is fueled by the habit of learning something new. And this is one of the best qualities that motivates a person to develop intelligence throughout life.

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