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As an educator, I wish that I could say that I never had a problem getting children to take an interest in learning. I must admit that through the years, I have had this challenge with children I have taught and my own children. Do you remember having classmates that said they were going to grow up and be a certain thing and that's exactly what happened?? They were like a laser beam …… very focused! I know a few people like that. I don't believe that most children typically have that level of self-assurance and focus. They probably don't look at the intricacies of their daily schoolwork and line it up with what they want to be when they grow up. This is hard for them to see because they are still children thinking mostly about having fun and being carefree. Of course, we adults know what they are in for as they face the future. We would be batting a thousand if only we could transfer our concern about their learning into productivity.
Sometimes children will work harder if they better understand why they need to. Mom and Dad pay the bills, purchase food, and take care of business, "What do I have to worry about?" they think. Children have to be made to see the connection between their learning, real life application, and how knowledge and skills learned will help them later. Children also tend to aim to please. Both of these factors can be used to get them moving in the right direction.
Parents can do some practical things to help their children between their studies now and their future. For example, lets say your child wants to be an architect, carpenter, engineer, builder, or doctor and does not put forth a serious effort to learn math. Quite frankly, I don't know anyone who could seriously consider these career options and not be somewhat skillful in mathematics. So, have your child work on a project that promotes their use of mathematical skills!
Here's something you might want to do with him/her. Using paper, cardboard, scissors, glue, etc. have him/her do a fun project like building a miniature scale model of a city block to include several skyscrapers. Have him/her to do some practical math problems based upon building these structures. I have had students to build small city models as part of their geometry unit. Each time I have done this, they made an incredible effort to do them. They seemed captivated and worked hard to do a quality job. They then took a real interest in answering mathematical questions related to its design and measurements.
Careful planning of such a project can demonstrate to the child the need for developing mathematical skills. Doing any cooking project that requires measuring the ingredients and cooking times also demonstrates the need for learning math. The same is true for other areas of study.
Think of ways to demonstrate to your son/daughter, the importance of developing these disciplines, even at an early age. By pursuing learning this way, you can probably get a lot more out of your son/daughter than simply trying to tell them why they should do better. They don't have the life experience to understand the significance of your explanation.
Through this process, their interest is peaked in a way that other teaching models cannot accomplish. Learning experiences such as these allow them to vicariously experience what they will be facing. A project like the miniature city block acts as small-scale visual object lesson for them. You know the old saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words!!"
Last but not least, your praise and encouraging words mean everything! Children generally respond to positive and uplifting comments. They will believe what you tell them. Hugs, kisses, and big smiles go a long way in bringing the best out in your young learner!! Remember parent that you are your child's first teacher. What you do and say will have wonderful long term impact on your child's learning and make the job of teachers easier to accomplish!
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