Student interest in a specific topic holds immense power. When a student connects with a subject, engagement becomes deeper. Therefore, it is highly important for facilitators and parents to transform contextual learning into real-world experiences.
Evoking interest in the subject can be a challenging task. Several variables can influence the engagement process. Some of the reasons for lack of interest include learning disabilities, family tensions, difficulty in concentration, emotional stress, or plain boredom. Here are some ways to capture your child’s attention and interest.
Develop Love for Reading
Research canvases children, who develop a love for reading, develop a passion for learning as well. Reading not only enhances vocabulary but also accelerates the processing and interpretation of concepts.
Allocate a specific time for reading for at least 20 minutes a day. Fill your home with reading material to create an atmosphere of reading and to demonstrate its importance.
Encourage Different Styles of Learning
There are fundamentally seven learning styles: auditory, visual, verbal, physical, logical, social, and solitary. This means visual learners grasp concepts best when you practically illustrate how things work. Conversely, children who are auditory learners imbibe best through verbal explanations.
Understand your child’s preferred style of learning. Remember there isn’t any right or wrong learning methodology. Exploring and employing varied learning styles can help improve your child’s rate and quality of learning.
Find Relevance
Endeavour to relate the topic to their daily lives. Finding relevance to the subject in real life circumstances can undoubtedly generate broader interest in what you are explaining. For instance, if it’s a character in literature, demonstrate what can be adopted from the character’s behaviour in their lives.
Make it Enjoyable
Sometimes monotony sets in, and learning becomes boring. How about making learning a more enjoyable experience? Brainstorm ideas that make children have fun yet reinforce concepts. Explore options for using songs or videos that can help them learn. Come up with enjoyable games or competitions that increase active participation. The human voice can get boring at times. Using diverse resource material can augment interest.
Associate to Future Prospects
Most students associate education with readiness towards a career. It’s all about getting good jobs in the future. Utilise this notion to your advantage. Show children how a specific subject can be applied and can prove handy in a work environment.
Detach Assessment from Learning
Any conversation dealing with assessment and testing results in anxiety and fear. Leave the exams for a later point. Also, experiment with more innovative and engaging modes of assessment such as inquiry learning.
Alter the Environment
Children are powerhouses of energy. Sitting in the classroom for the entire day is indeed not their vision of an ideal day. Attempt to encourage learning in a different environment. Take kids out for a nature walk or go to museums. You will be surprised to see how positively it impacts the learning process.
Make it Seem Achievable
Refrain from using any vocabulary that makes the subject seem complicated. While some children may accept it as a challenge, most overreact to the pressure. Ensure that your child finds herself capable of comprehending the topic.
Gauge Their Interests
Focus on your child’s interest. When learning pertains to areas and subjects of interest, it encourages children to explore. If your child is intrigued by planets, invest in exciting books and stories related to the topic. Understand your child’s aptitude and inclination, and steer her learning options prudently.
Make Learning an Everyday Process
Whenever possible motivate your child to explore things around him. Ask related questions and help him make connections. Help your child critically analyse and think about whatever he sees and experiences. Transforming every day into a learning day will help generate internal motivation within your child, a spirit that he will carry where ever he goes.
Conclusion
Interest is a potent motivational process that energises learning trajectories critical to academic success. Promoting interest in learning can lead to more engaged and motivated students. With the right motivation, every child can become a good learner.
