A Guide to Increasing Children’s Interest in School
When September rolls around, many children are eager to head back to school and show off their new backpacks and catch up with friends. However, by the time Halloween rears it costumed head, many students are dragging their feet and are eagerly anticipating the Christmas vacation. You might not be able to turn your children into school fanatics, but you can at least attempt to increase their interest.
Be Active Questioners
How many times have you asked your child “What did you learn in school today?” only to receive an answer of “Nothing”? Instead of allowing the conversation to end there, keep asking questions until you get somewhere. Perhaps you know that the class is studying Native American customs, so you could ask specific questions about that subject. Maybe you know that a field trip is planned soon, so you could ask if the class has been discussing preparations for the outing.
Participate
Little ones often love when their parents come to the school. Seeing Mom or Dad appear makes children feel more at home and proud that their parents have chosen to participate. Sign up to join the bake sale or to be a chaperone on a school field trip or at a school sponsored sporting event. Another option when children are very young is to volunteer to read a story to the class. For older children, you can help them out with difficult aspects of a science fair or history project. Of course, you absolutely do not want to do the project for them. You can, however, offer suggestions and take them to the store to buy important equipment that they need in order to conduct their experiment or research. Helping children out in any way can make the project seem less overwhelming.
Find Children’s Interests
Not every child is going to be interested in science, just as not every child is going to be interested in English. Try to find out what subjects your child enjoys the most, whether it is art, music, Spanish, math, etc. After you have discovered your child’s niche, try to make a hobby out of that subject. For example, take history buffs to a local history museum or enroll budding artists in a local sculpture class in town. By engaging your children in additional activities, you are allowing them to see the class as an interest and not just a lecture. They will also be able to report some of their findings back to their classmates. When students are older, you can encourage them to take Advanced Placement or college level courses in the subject to really deepen their understanding and appreciation of the lessons.
Talk to Teachers
Teachers are the ones who know what your child is doing in the classroom. Talk to them to find out at which particular points in class your child seems to be expressing strong disinterest. Perhaps, then, you can work on these areas at home. You might find that there is something else going on with your child. Your child might have Attention Deficit Disorder or another disorder which causes him or her to lose focus in the class. Of course, you want to be aware of these issues, so that you can get your child the help that he or she needs to become a fully participant in the classroom.
As was stated earlier, your child might not wake up every morning excitedly talking about how he or she cannot wait to sit in the classroom for the next seven hours or so. However, employing certain tactics can make the experience more pleasant for all involved.
Ashley Tomson writes about parenting, finance & saving money at www.healthinsurancequotes.org.
A Guide To Increasing Children’s Interest In School
