The desire to learn new things is inherent in us by nature. Curiosity encourages people to gain experience and make progress. But do you know how to preserve this natural desire and interest in a child? How to develop the motivation to blossom out in a baby?
There is good news: children love to learn new things. To say more, a small child learns something new every minute, no matter what it does. Also, scientists have proven that the human brain is capable of changing throughout life, so learning is its natural state at any age. But growing up, children often lose the impulse to the development of knowledge. Therefore, a parent’s task is to provide conditions that will motivate a child to learn and develop.
Encourage and develop the habit of thinking
Start small as soon as the child begins to speak in sentences. Talk to it about everything. When reading a book, ask its opinion about the characters and the motives of its actions. Let the child sum up a situation. At the same time, draw its attention to different sides of the situation, its ambiguity. Besides, discuss not only facts but also abstract concepts: “What do you suppose friendship is?” Moreover, talk about cause and effect relationships, help your child to make arguments, and draw conclusions based on them. For example, if you are somewhere outside with your baby, ask it about what is going on around. Take the child out together with your man. This is one of the best winter date ideas!
Do not blame your child for lack of interest in learning
The only way to motivate a child to learn new things is to make the process of cognition interesting, encouraging initiative and creativity in your baby. What we usually call laziness is, actually, a fading of interest. Most often, interest disappears due to systematic setbacks and pressure, as well as fear of making mistakes and being “bad” or “stupid.” If such emotions occur frequently, the child takes an avoiding behavior – it is easier for it not to do anything at all, just to not experience a sense of failure again.
Arouse curiosity
Use the “5 why” technique. At three or four years old, a child constantly asks questions about everything in the world. But, growing up, a baby stops asking. You should revive this “tradition.” For example, a second-grader reads a paragraph about the world around. “The telescope was invented to observe the stars.” Try to get involved in the process and ask what your child thinks – why was the telescope named so?
There may be about five similar questions concerning one topic of the lesson. Suggest your child looking for answers on the Internet or in the encyclopedia. Note how much the child has learned in addition to the information in the textbook. Accustom your child to the fact that not knowing anything is normal and not ashamed. Do not tell your baby, “You do not know,” it is better to say, “You do not know yet.”
Encourage the learning itself
Do not oppose the learning process to the hobbies of the child. You should use other arguments. Because otherwise, the child will think that learning is a routine, and other activities are a reward.
Make the computer a friend of your child. After all, it helps in learning new things (for example, a child can discover conceptual maps for remembering a historical event, make projects and presentations, check information on the Internet, construct graphs, explore educational resources, and so on). This is one of the most important tips on how to motivate a child to learn.
Let the child feel that asking questions is not scary
It is important to make it clear that a child can learn everything. Encourage its considerations and always demonstrate that stupid questions do not exist. Teach your child what to do if it does not know anything yet, for example:
a) Search in reliable sources;
b) Ask parents, teachers, or friends.
Moreover, you should create an atmosphere in which the child will not be afraid to ask questions and go unheard. Constant discussion in conversational mode and speaking on equal terms (without “adult-child” discrimination) affect the dynamics of learning. If parents follow this rule, their child can perceive new information more willingly and confidently.
Give coherent feedback
Give coherent feedback when a child comes to you with a project idea, a drawing, or an essay. It helps your beloved kid to maintain motivation and creativity. First of all, you should note what you like in its work, then say what your child can do to make it even better, and after that – what result the child will get after the improvement. But do it exactly in that order. Try not to dole out empty praise (e.g., well done, good boy, etc.) and not to blame your child for mistakes.
