Tips for Motivating Children

Motivation in children’s learning is incredibly important, not just when at school but also at home. Creating an environment where children are excited to learn and master the materials that they are provided with ensures that they will have a lifelong love of learning. We here at Fulford academy adopt an approach that is motivated towards helping our learners to understand and use the knowledge they have acquired in exciting ways, inspiring them to achieve their goals. Motivation and children’s learning are two concepts that we believe walk hand in hand, and our teaching philosophy centers around not having one without the other. The following are a few tips for inspiring motivation in children’s learning.

Motivating a Child by Showing Interest

Teachers’ and parents’ motivation and involvement in children’s education is important and taking an interest in what the child is doing can make all the difference in inspiring them to do their very best. When an interest is shown and attention is given to a child’s education and their learning achievements, this spurs them on and helps them reach more goals, as they are now motivated to learn and engage more with you. Showing interest in particular learning topics will enforce a child’s recognition that the things that they are learning about are important, ensuring a vested interest in learning more about it! Whether a child is at home or at school, motivation in children’s learning involves showing an interest and asking questions to better understand their perspective and concerns.

Set Goals That Will Benefit Your Children

When it comes to motivation in children’s learning, setting goals and helping a child to achieve them ensures that they have a vested interest in learning about and understanding the material that they are given. Through setting achievable goals, children can gain confidence in their abilities, improving both their self-esteem and desire to do well. Motivation in children’s learning also involves recognising when a child has reached a goal that they have set for themselves. This can be incredibly rewarding and can help to inspire them to continue setting and achieving their next goal. It is important to note that the goals that you set should be achievable and geared towards helping a child improve rather than making them disinterested. Setting unachievable goals will lead to them becoming disheartened and disinterested in the process, so be sure to set their goals carefully and with the individual child in mind. 

Use Language That Motivates Your Child

The language that is used, both at home and at school, can play a big role in whether or not a child is motivated to learn and enjoy school. Motivation in children’s learning involves changing the way you speak and the topics you discuss as this can impact what a child associates with it and how they understand the role that learning has in their lives. Using positive reinforcement as a way to help motivate a child will ensure that they associate learning as something good, while negative reinforcement will often lead to children becoming disinterested and unmotivated. Using language that encourages improvement will increase a child’s self-esteem and ensure that they are confident in their capabilities. The language that is used when it comes to motivation in children’s learning are two aspects of education that walk hand in hand, and it is imperative that the language that children hear and use, both at home and at school, is directed towards motivating them and encouraging them to achieve their goals, both in and out of the classroom. 

Strengthen Your Child’s Self-Esteem

A child’s self-esteem is an important thing to consider when looking at motivation in children’s learning. Self-esteem and confidence give children the opportunity to ask questions and become involved in learning discussions. No matter what age a child is, if they have high self-esteem, they are more likely to respond well to education and learning as they have the confidence and the ability to focus and take risks, something that a child with low self-esteem may not be able to do. Children with low self-esteem often lose interest and become bored at school as they feel as though they cannot get involved in discussions and ask questions about the topics that are discussed. It is important that both parents and teachers work hard to build up confidence and self-esteem, both in the classroom and at home as this is a big part of the motivation in children’s learning. 

Why is it Important to Motivate a Child?

Motivation in children’s development is incredibly important and it is one of the first building blocks of ensuring a lifelong love and interest in learning! Motivating a child through showing interest, setting goals, using motivational language and strengthening their self-esteem are all ways to ensure motivation in children’s learning. Motivation is such an important aspect of learning as it installs a sense of appreciation and love of knowledge! It is important that children be continuously motivated throughout their school career, which is why it is something that we take very seriously here at Fulford academy. 

Through the different initiatives we take and the lessons we instill in our learners, we are guiding them towards understanding how important learning and education is. We use several motivational and goal-orientated tactics that ensure that each and every one of the children who pass through the Fulford academy doors are equipped with not just the knowledge they need to be successful, but also the confidence to achieve greatness in everything that they do!