The period of study of a child in school is very difficult for parents. Teachers do not particularly care that children are interested in learning, and parents are sure that the school should motivate them. In this vicious circle, a child often with great reluctance makes lessons (if he does them at all) and does not remember most of the material passed. Everything is simple - he is not interested in him, and therefore information is stored only in short-term memory. Today we will discuss ways of motivation for studying at school and the main mistakes of parents.
Motivation is ...
The term is derived from the Latin movere, which means "movement". That is, a stimulating mechanism that makes a person with enviable tenacity to get his way. The motivation for learning is programmed in us by nature, therefore, mankind with amazing tenacity explores the world around and invents something new. After all, mastering new skills causes a surge in the hormone of happiness.
Motivation arises in us from infancy. You probably noticed that at the first successful attempt to put the blocks correctly, the child is delighted, but the next time he reacts less joyfully. It is the parents who lay in their children the motivation to study at school (the advice of psychologists helps a lot), which later manifests itself in school performance. However, they often make blunders. What kind?
Motivation for studying at school: basic mistakes
Many parents send their kids to school too early, believing that they already know enough for their age. However, knowledge and psychological readiness are two different things. The latter is manifested in the baby's ability to follow the rules, and not his own desires. This is the task of parents - to instill in the child the ability to control their behavior before school. A visit to the kindergarten, where the kid learns to live in a team and obey the general rules, helps a lot with this.
Dysfunctional families in which there is a high emotional intensity and scandals are not uncommon, certainly do not contribute to the desire to learn. The child simply does not have enough energy to respond to grades at school.
It is noted that children who attend various developmental circles before school are more motivated to study. This is due to the clear organization of the child's life (classes, homework, eating), which parents often neglect before school.
Excessive demands and constant criticism of the child by parents, grandparents also do not contribute to the desire to learn. Often used outdated methods of "motivation". For example, bullying a kid or prophesying about a janitor's career. If the parents say that nothing will come of the child, they program it for failure. The child’s self-esteem is reduced - and as a result, he is not interested in studying at all, as he is sure that in his case this is pointless. At the slightest failure, the baby quits what was started.
Some still "motivate" their children with a belt or rolling pin. In this case, no trusting relationship can be built between them and the child.
Psychologists also categorically do not recommend criticism and comparison with other practitioners - they discourage the child from any desire to learn, cause him to protest.
Extrinsic motivation and intrinsic
It is important to distinguish between its two varieties - and both to put into practice. Moreover, we rarely think about internal motivation , preferring to explain it with one simple word "I want to." But external motivation is very beloved by parents who actively promise their children something for good grades. It can be gifts, visits to entertainment places and even money. However, psychologist Alfie Cohn in his book Award Punishment warns parents of this approach. It just doesn't work. Why?
The thing is that when parents say, “Do it like this - and you will get it”, the child at first perceives the offer with enthusiasm, but later on, the instinct of self-preservation triggers. He begins to look not the most honest way to "earn", but the shortest and fastest. For example, instead of solving a complex problem, it is easier to find an answer on the Internet or in a notebook of an excellent student. It turns out that there is a substitution of goals: not study for the sake of knowledge, but study for the sake of receiving an award.
More noble are teachers who reward children with various diplomas and titles for good grades at school. However, often only one child gets them, while everyone else just feels like losers.
No, extrinsic motivation works, but only in combination with intrinsic. Moreover, receiving material rewards for studying more and more reduces the child's interest in her. He begins to hate what he does.
The main factors of motivation
Most often, the following motives guide the child:
- cognitive;
- communicative;
- emotional;
- desire for self-development (an inborn love for learning is found, but infrequently).
In addition, they share the motivation of the child to study at school on the sustainable and unstable. However, most often, due to children's emotionality, it is unstable, therefore, it needs constant support. This task lies entirely on the shoulders of the parents.
Adequate capacity assessment
Not all children learn easily even with a great desire. Therefore, it is important for parents to evaluate the mental abilities of the child and not demand more. For example, a child who went to school too early, a priori, will not have time to master the school curriculum at the level of his older classmates. It is important for parents to understand this. Therefore, you should not humiliate and scold the child if he can not cope with the homework at the proper level. It is important to praise him for the small successes he makes.
It is also important to determine how exactly the child perceives information. Some children perceive information better through vision, others through hearing, and others through images. The effectiveness of children's education largely depends on the type of perception.
Trust relationship with a child
If you play the role of a guard, it is unlikely that this will motivate the child to succeed. Establish a trusting relationship with the baby - he should perceive his parents as friends, senior mentors.
The thing is that these relationships are important to establish in childhood. When a child seeks to tell something or ask something, it is important not to ignore or push him away, but to express utter interest. By showing your baby that his inner world is important to you, you can easily establish a trusting relationship with him.
At an older age, it is more difficult to do. In this case, for such a contact it is important to demonstrate your interest in the views of the children on a particular issue. Also, children under the age of 10 are very fond of stories from the category "When you were a little ...".
Self-control is everything
It is extremely important to develop a certain regime for the child, because he must not only learn homework, but also have time to relax. Self-control in this case is necessary. He is also needed so that the child does not forget to check himself after the task. It is important that he learns to do this from childhood, because by negligence we always make mistakes, which later makes us insecure.
Interest in learning
Interest is the main aspect of motivation for studying at school. The recommendations of psychologists and teachers are numerous, but they all agree that it is the interest in learning that contributes to success.
Firstly, it is necessary to maintain curiosity in the child: attend various circles (but only those that really cause interest in the child), look at interesting developmental programs, and come up with intellectual quests. All this will support the child’s interest in acquiring new knowledge. By the way, gadgets can help. They help expand the horizons of the child, so it is not always worth protecting him from them.
Many lessons seem boring to children, so it’s important to let them know that each lesson is important in its own way. In this case, parents need to learn to convey information to the child in the simplest possible language and constantly come up with various games during which the child will learn new material. For example, you can act as a teacher or even a student. Let your child tell you something in the field of literature or mathematics.
Interest in learning is developed during an active discussion of a topic. Rewriting and "independent work" do not contribute to this at all. Therefore, it is extremely important for parents to learn to speak with a child as an adult. This is a great motivation for studying at school for both the 6th grade and the 9th.
Motivation and environment
Remember that the environment has a huge impact on the motivation to study at school (the ways to interest a child are described above). You can create it yourself by registering your child in a circle. It can be martial arts, chess, drawing. There are many options. However, it is important not to choose the direction yourself, but to ask the opinion of the child. It is very important to be interested in his opinion, since it significantly increases his confidence in his parents. This applies to young and middle-aged children, but what should be the motivation for high school students to study at school? The recommendations of psychologists are very important. And this will be discussed further.
Teenager motivation for studying at school.
With older children, language is hard to find. However, you can, if you follow these tips:
- Discuss with the child his plans for the future. You may need to help him figure out himself, as often teenagers at this age are at a crossroads.
- Do not manipulate the high school student’s guilt with the words “You can't help it, we spent too much money on tutors ...” etc. This can cause a surge in hard work, but not for long.
- Explain that success is not luck, but the result of work that will allow you to live at a decent financial level in the future. And for this it is important to find out what goals your child has set for himself.
May motivate you to study at school Douglas Everett quote:
Not problems should push us in the back, but dreams carry forward.
Conclusion
These simple tips will help return your student to their interest in learning. And remember that the future of your children, their views on the world and character depend mainly on their parents. They are the first to lay the foundation in the building of the personality, which will be formed in the future. It is extremely important not to miss this moment, because later it will be much more difficult to correct the situation. Love your children, do not scold too much for grades at school, try to talk as often as possible. Trust between children and parents is the main aspect of understanding and mutual love.