Toddlers or younger children are a bouncing ball of energy and the maximum amount they can hold their attention is for maximum 3-4 minutes. This is the reason, why it is essential that as a parent/mother – you have to devise a strategy that will make your child look forward to the study time.
One of the major mistakes’ parents make when making their toddler study and developing children’s interest is to limit learning to one room in the house. What we have to understand is that intellectual, social and academic growth should spread beyond the walls of your house – if you really want to improve a child’s study and aptitude to learn.
Tips to make your toddler/child study better –
1) Make it interesting –
Gone are the days when you would order your child to sit down so that he would learn and study. These days your children need you to be involved. What is important to understand is that when you show enthusiasm for the task ahead, your child also gets excited. You cannot expect your child to learn and enjoy if you plan to work or look through your mobile. Choose to change your location as per your convenience. Get all chatty and happy about how wonderful you feel about learning something new today. Show them the bigger picture – what do you plan to achieve and how will they benefit out of it.
2) Focus on what they like –
Every child has a unique way of learning. Some love to read, some like numbers, and some like nature. See and observe what your child likes most and try and involve that while you make them study. Like for e.g. – if you are doing math and learning counting – try to color in a 1, rather than just writing it plain 1.
3) Make learning fun –
Don’t just stick to paper and a pencil. Check DIY and make it fun. Counting can also be done on stairs, or by counting leaves or flowers in a park, it can be done on the street when you see the number of cars parked. Get them fun activity books that are their age appropriate so that they will enjoy doing activities and learn also. Check this amazing link to know more about how to make learning fun –
https://www.lifehack.org/353517/11-creative-ways-to-make-learning-fun-for-your-kids
4) Celebrate achievements –
Children love attention and they want that encouragement when they accomplish something new. No matter how small it is – make the achievement big and announce whole heartily. Give them something like a sense of achievement – like may be a smiley sticker!
5) Practice makes a man perfect –
Remember, children forget easily and they get distracted also pretty fast, which means – every day is a day of learning. Make a schedule with your child and follow it through. Repeat the activities, but also bring variety in them, so that the child won’t get bored and will look forward to it.
6) Use different textures –
Kids love playing with different textures and sensory play is always a hit with them. use doughs, water, sand, colors to make learning/reading and writing interesting for them.
7) Don’t force –
Try not to force studies as these habits start young and you do not want your child to lose focus in the starting itself. When learning is not forced and is fun, a child would enjoy it. But on the other hand, if you scold them and pressurise them, they might resent studies and the learning process. Talk to them in a relaxed and calm manner.
These were a few tips from my experience. How do you make your child study better? Do share the tips with us in the comment section below.
Also, read stress free homework tips
March 6, 2019 at 3:00 pm
Another helpful post by you, Deepa. Getting children to study can be taxing for the parent, these tips should help make the process easier.