Finding enjoyment in learning can make life more interesting and open up more opportunities. Not everyone loves learning about everything, but many people have a passion for learning about certain things. Some people might like learning about everything there is to learn, while others might enjoy learning certain types of skills or specific areas of study. If you can encourage your child to love learning, they can grow up with a curious and open approach to the world around them. But how can you foster a love of learning in children so they want to keep learning outside of school?
Help Them Learn About Things They Love
School can offer interesting things to learn about, but not everything in school is going to be engaging to every child. In fact, for many, school can discourage an enjoyment of learning. Helping your child to explore topics that excite them and make them want to learn more can encourage them to keep learning even if school isn’t very exciting. Pay attention to your child’s interests, whether it’s something they’ve learnt at school or something they’ve picked up from elsewhere. You can help them learn more by finding them resources, classes, and activities that allow them to expand their skills and knowledge.
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Take an Interest in Their Passions
Taking an interest in the things your child likes to learn about can encourage them to keep learning. Encourage them to tell you about their passions and what they’ve learnt recently. You might even join in and learn some things that you can tell them or do some activities with them so you can learn together. Of course, it might not always be the right time to hear about your child’s interests. Sometimes it’s necessary to make a promise to listen to them later (and follow through with your promise) because you need to concentrate on something else.
Create Hands-On Experiences
Getting hands-on can be a great way to learn. Just sitting in a classroom and listening to their teacher speak often isn’t very fun and might not be a great way for all children to learn. There are different hands-on activities that you could explore, depending on what it is your child is learning. You could look for different outings to go to, from a trip to the zoo or park to going to the cinema or visiting a museum. There are also plenty of things you can do at home to learn about different topics, including cooking and baking, arts and crafts, different games, and much more.
Set a Good Example
If you want your child to love learning, you can set a good example for them. Showing that you enjoy learning too and that you have your own passions is a good way to get kids to keep learning about things that they enjoy. Learning is a lifelong thing, and no one ever really stops learning new skills and picking up new knowledge. You can be a good role model by showing that you’re passionate about your own things, as well as by discussing the ups and downs of learning. Acknowledge that sometimes it can be tricky to understand something new and demonstrate how the things you’ve learnt have benefited you.
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Make Learning Fun
Some people can take a long time to realise that learning can be fun. When you do most of your learning in the classroom, it can seem like it’s never an exciting thing to do. But there are plenty of ways to make learning fun so your child will want to keep doing it. You can find fun ways to teach reading and other fundamental skills that will serve your child well in their life. Even if they hate learning maths or history at school, you can make it more fun to learn about at home or out in the real world.
Find Their Learning Style
Everyone has a different learning style. Some people have a learning style that’s suited to traditional classrooms, while others may not. Helping your child to find their own learning style can show them that learning can be fun if they approach it in a way that works for them. There are different learning styles that might be useful for you to explore with your child. Three of the main learning styles are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning. You can also explore more specific learning styles that could help you to find the right one for your child, which you can then apply to different activities.
Encourage Their Input
Sometimes learning can feel a bit like a lecture. It can be hard for a lot of children to concentrate or care if they’re just expected to listen to an adult telling them about something without engaging them. Encouraging children to give their own input gets them more involved in their own learning. Try to have discussions about the things they’re learning, rather than just talking at them. You can ask them questions about what they’re learning, which also encourages them to have more of a dialogue too, rather than just talking and expecting you to listen without being part of the conversation.
Teach How to Approach Challenges
Learning something new isn’t always smooth sailing, and it can be frustrating for a child when they don’t understand something or get something wrong. Some children can be put off learning by the challenges they face, preferring to give up rather than face the challenge. But teaching children how to problem-solve and how to find their way around a challenge can show them that although learning isn’t always easy, they can still get something positive from it in the end. You can encourage them to explore what methods they can use to solve a problem and how they could approach challenges in different ways to reach their goals.
Encouraging your children to love learning can set them up for a successful and happy life. They can find their passions and continue to learn about the things that interest them.
