Education can often be a sore topic for many parents. There is a pretty high chance that we do not remember our own education fondly, so we are often loathe to get back into the swing of things when it comes to schooling our own kids. However it is important to be able to inspire our children to maintain a positive attitude when it comes to attending and participating in school activities. Children who actively enjoy school will find it easier to absorb information, will be more eager to learn and will steam ahead of their classmates.
So how can we instil this enthusiasm in our children? Part of maintaining a positive outlook on the school environment is to dedicate at least a little bit of time to it outside of the classroom. This helps to reinforce the idea of school being a very present part of your children’s lives and not that it is just some place they get carted off to for hours every day.
Make school and education something that is encouraged and welcomed in your home. If your children want to talk to you about what happened in school today, it shows that they are expressing an interest and you should too! It is easy to forget that teachers and parents should be working together to help their children, so any ‘lessons’ you teach outside of the classroom should re-consolidate what they have learned at school.
Weekend Field Trips!
Kids love a day out, so why not incorporate learning into your days out? By going to a museum or a local art gallery, kids get into a different environment all while learning about history, art, geography, science and more. What’s more, many museums are free or have a discount for young children, so it makes a fantastic frugal day out!
Creating a Positive Homework Environment
It can be challenging getting your kids to do their homework, but this can often be caused by home distractions. Like when you come home after a long day at work, children often come home thinking they are ‘done for work’ for the day. Homework therefore can be hard for kids to get done, but this can be easily solved by creating a ‘homework environment’.
It doesn’t have to be a permanent feature, just a small desk with colourful posters relevant to teaching subjects including perhaps a few inspirational posters. The purpose of the ‘homework zone’ is to be clear, clean and free from distractions. Mobile phones and computers are not permitted, except for research purposes.
Reinforcement – Celebration of School Achievements
Anything such as a ‘Well Done’ or a sticker or a big green tick can represent a massive milestone for a child. They see that they have exceeded expectations and they feel proud. But it can all come to nought if they go home and show their parent, only to receive a smile and a nod. While getting all their spellings right or sitting still for ten minutes may not be achievements to us, the teacher has seen fit to boost your child’s confidence today. You need to back them up!
I’m not saying throw a big party with cake and sprinkles, but expressing interest and congratulating the child will really help to build their self esteem and inspire them to do even better next time. Positive conditioning is known to work, so in order to consolidate the teacher’s hard work in the classroom, it is important that you congratulate your children on any achievements they receive in school.
Follow up Chats
“What did you do at school today” “Nothing” is something we often see and hear on Television shows, however it is often said by teenage boys and girls who have already lost their love for the school system. By asking your child what they did at school, you are giving them a chance to remember what happened, and communicate what happened, reinforcing those mental capabilities.
However it is important that you are interested in what they have to say. Children are very acute, even when they don’t appear to be, so if you’re not really paying attention, or you’re only half listening, they’ll pick up on it. How do you expect your children to listen to others if you can’t listen to them?
Long story short, whether your children as excited, enthusiastic, nervous or even worried about school, it doesn’t matter so long as you express a positive attitude towards school. If you start treating attending school and education as a chore, or as something that ‘must be done’, then your children may no longer find joy in it. They will see it as their version of a ‘job’, something that gets in the way of having fun.
However if you remain upbeat and positive, asking your children and helping them to use what they have learned in school at home, this can really help children to see the benefits of their education and the change will really start to show. Particularly with young children and primary children, it is very much ‘monkey see, monkey do’ so if you express an interest in their school lessons, they will too!
Article provided by www.bloohouse.co.uk, an innovative independent school for 5-11 year olds specialising in maximising children’s education using modern methods and a unique 8 aptitude learning scheme.