| All parents with school-going children will face the | | | | understand the concepts more easily and thus |
| same concern of how their child performs in | | | | learning will not be a struggle to him anymore. |
| school. Such concerns will give the parents | | | | When he is able to learn easily, naturally his grades |
| headaches if they are told by the teacher that | | | | will improve tremendously. |
| their child has the potential to achieve better | | | | 3. Displaying only positive parental influence |
| grades at school but is apparently too lazy to put | | | | Yes, parents can be role models for their children. |
| in sufficient effort. It is important that the parents | | | | One way in which this can be displayed is to read |
| should start to analyze the situation carefully and | | | | with their children. It is not necessary to read the |
| consider how to really help the lazy kids to | | | | same materials as them every time but it will help |
| improve their grades. This article will offer tips on | | | | if parents are seen to be also reading some form |
| how to motivate your child to become interested | | | | of reading materials such as newspapers, |
| in learning and thereby making a marked | | | | magazines or books instead of watching the |
| improvement in his grades. | | | | television programmes when their children are |
| | | | | doing their schoolwork or reading. Beside cutting |
| For many parents, the moment they see that | | | | down on distractions for the children, it will also |
| their child has attained poor grades, the | | | | show them that their parents view reading to be |
| emergency signal will go off in their heads and | | | | a good habit too. |
| they will start a frantic search for expensive | | | | |
| tutors. This may result in every minute of the | | | | Another way in which parents can show a |
| child’s time being fully utilized into attending | | | | positive role model to their children is by showing |
| extra tuition classes, even to the point of | | | | persistence in carrying out their own tasks. There |
| exhaustion and much frustration. A sad | | | | are times when we, as parents, give up when we |
| consequence would be that the child did not make | | | | face an obstacle while doing something, for |
| any improvement in grades, but worse, it may | | | | example, solving a jigsaw puzzle or baking a cake. |
| even lead to a breakdown in the parent-child | | | | The parents might not be aware but when they |
| relationship. This can be prevented if parents take | | | | give up, their children will learn that it is perfectly |
| up the following tips: | | | | fine for them not to carry a task through should |
| | | | | they face difficulty. |
| 1. Building up child’s confidence / self-esteem | | | | |
| Many a time, parents are unaware that children, | | | | 4. Goal setting |
| especially young ones, need encouragement | | | | Parents can set achievable target with their child |
| rather than reprimands. This could be due to their | | | | for each examination. This target should not be so |
| prior experiences of setbacks, thus instead of | | | | high that it is impossible for the child to achieve as |
| scolding the child and calling him ‘stupid’, | | | | it will only further demoralize him. However, it |
| we should help them to overcome their fear of | | | | must be higher than what he had been getting. |
| failing. Parents and teachers could help build up | | | | After each exam, the parents should sit down |
| child’s confidence by helping him to see what | | | | with their child and review the target. If there is a |
| he is good at and give him bite-sized assessments | | | | need to lower the target because it has been set |
| where he can experience success. This will help | | | | too high, revise it! On the other hand, if the goal |
| him to build up his confidence and he will not give | | | | has been attained, set a higher target so that the |
| up trying the next time he faces a difficult | | | | child can work towards achieving his desired |
| question. | | | | grade. It is important to note that the reviewing |
| | | | | session is just as essential as the goal setting |
| By condemning the child and calling him names like | | | | session because it helps the child to enjoy the |
| ‘stupid’ or ‘dumb’, it will only | | | | sweet taste of success while at the same time |
| cause him to lose moral and to give up easily. The | | | | making it challenging enough. |
| child’s subconscious mind will absorb what he | | | | |
| has been termed as and he will end up thinking | | | | 5. Rewards |
| that he is really stupid! This is very unfair to the | | | | Is a reward important? Definitely! Even adults look |
| child as every child is capable of learning. As the | | | | forward to bonuses and pay increment, don’t |
| great child educationist has ever mentioned, a | | | | we? Therefore, parents can plan out the rewards |
| child’s inability to learn could be due to the | | | | system with their child so they have a sense of |
| school’s lessons being boring or that the | | | | accomplishment. Parents could set the budget for |
| teaching method is not pitched at his learning | | | | each category of prize for instance, a small |
| style. | | | | reward, a medium sized reward and a large |
| | | | | reward. It is important to have different |
| 2. Understanding your child’s learning style | | | | categories so that children do not find the |
| and act on it | | | | rewards to be too difficult to achieve. Parents |
| Not all children learn the same way. Some children | | | | could work out a set of rules and the equivalent |
| are visual learners whereby they need to see the | | | | prizes with their child, such as a awarding a small |
| words or objects in order to understand the | | | | prize if the child has accumulated five stars for |
| concept or vocabulary. Such children might face | | | | doing well in practices, tests or examinations. |
| some problems in following verbal instructions. | | | | Having an incentive system in place will motivate |
| There are also children who are auditory learners. | | | | children and stir up their desire to learn and to |
| These children learn best by listening to sounds so | | | | work harder. |
| they need to hear the words said to them or | | | | |
| they might even talk to themselves in order to | | | | As you can probably tell after reading this whole |
| understand the concepts. Yet others are | | | | article, it is definitely not impossible for the lazy |
| kinesthetic learners. This group of children learns | | | | kids to improve their grades if their parents and |
| best by touching the objects. As such, their best | | | | teachers work at it with the child. Parents will be |
| method of learning is when they are allowed to | | | | able to see tremendous improvement in their |
| carry out experiments or in touching the teaching | | | | children’s grades if they combine the tips |
| aids. Most of the children will learn well with a | | | | above with lots of patience, love, encouragement |
| combination of methods. By tuning in to the | | | | and support for their child. |
| child’s learning style, it will help him to | | | | |