Until your child actively enjoys learning, it can be difficult to keep them interested in school. Over time, that lack of interest might result in slipping grades, trouble with teachers, and a general distaste for all academics. If you want your child to truly excel in their studies, then you need to come up with a comprehensive plan that will change the way they think about school.
Have Them Teach You
Studies continue to show us that parent involvement plays a major role in a child’s academic success. In addition to asking them about their grades and scheduling conferences with their teachers, you might also want to try sitting down with them a few nights a week and learning alongside them. Showing interest in the subjects that they are learning about could change the way they think about their classes.
Learn Outside of a Classroom Setting
One of the reasons why so many children dread school is because they feel as if the information they are learning won’t be needed out in the real world. Field trips with their classes can help alleviate those feelings in some cases, but you might want to take that a step further. Heading to a museum or zoo on the weekends will give your child a chance to see science, math, and history outside of the classroom. Anything that makes the subjects more tangible could help them in the long run.
Keep Your Tone Positive
Some parents don’t realize just how much information their children absorb during casual conversations. If you speak negatively about their school or teacher, then they will begin to think that way as well. Parents must be extremely careful about what they say in front of their children at all times. Speaking positively about learning and academics will teach them that school is a useful and important aspect of their life.
Establish Short-Term and Long-Term Rewards
Positive reinforcement can be extremely effective when done correctly, and that is why you might want to come up with a reward system for their achievements. After they pass a particularly hard test or finish a grueling report, you can take them out for ice cream or to the movies. For larger achievements like getting straight A’s for an entire semester, you should think about more substantial rewards such as a Disney vacation via Mickey Travels or another resource. Many children are very responsive to tiered reward systems.
No matter what grade your child is in, you must constantly be looking for new ways to keep them interested in their studies. Nurturing a sense of curiosity will help them excel no matter what career or academic path they choose later on in life.
