Mrs Florence Wong is one of our senior teachers, and is also a doting grandmother of 2 preschool-aged children. Read on as she shares some tips and advice on how to keep fuelling your child’s passion for learning.
Does your child dread going to school? Is he or she refusing to do his or her homework? Whether it is teacher-related, subject-related or fatigue, finding out the underlying reasons behind his or her negative emotions will give you a better idea of how you can alleviate these issues.
It is, after all, about helping your child feel excited to learn again!
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Parents, this is normal. After a full day of school (and CCA on some days), completing school work can feel like a torture for your child who just wants to rest. Instead of asking, “Any homework today?”, try this, “Share with me 3 new things you learnt today” and offer some fun in the process of doing homework.
Take time to show interest and be genuinely curious in what your child is learning in school. When your child shares a new concept that he or she has just learnt in class, it helps him or her reinforce the information learnt. You may also add in your own experience and thoughts! If your child has done well in certain areas of his school work, be sure to offer praises. “You’re getting there”, “It’s almost done” or “Great handwriting!” – these verbal encouragements go a long way in boosting their confidence.
Keep in touch with your child’s teacher. His or her teacher is going to be your best partner in education. It is useful to be aware of what your child is learning in school so you can support him or her at home. You don’t have to use only books to do this – feel free to try out other platforms such as YouTube, infographics, or even telling anecdotal stories to draw your child into school work.
Humans are creatures of habit – your child is no exception. Establish a routine when it comes to completing school work or enrichment work so your child knows what is expected of him or her on a daily or weekly basis.
Most children view tuition as additional lessons that come with an extra load of homework – they dread going for these classes. Your influence can be paramount in your child’s opinion of his or her classes or tuition lessons. Let your child know it’s a privilege to have enrichment or tuition lessons.
This positive reinforcement will motivate your child to look forward to lessons and help him or her realise the benefits of the time spent furthering his or her knowledge in that subject. A strong partnership between parent and child at home will help with academic goal setting and align your child’s attitude towards achieving those goals.
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Parents, remember that you are your child’s life coach. Help your child realise that school work is a stepping stone to realise his or her innate talents, passion and intelligence.
Having spent more than 15 years as an English teacher at The Learning Lab, I have witnessed many of my students’ magical learning moments. And it all began with the right attitude and the right environment. The love of learning is evident when my students burst into class with enthusiasm, raise their hands in eagerness to find out more about Mars, or even engaging passionately in a debate on who should be the next president of America.
Learning lasts a lifetime. At the end of the day, it’s the love that your child has for the pursuit of knowledge that sets him or her apart from their peers.
Understanding your child’s needs, character and learning habits is pertinent in constructing a conducive learning environment that nurtures the love for learning.
From specially crafted teaching materials to the design of each classroom, at The Learning Lab, we pay great attention to all details to ensure the learning environment is not only the right one for your child, but one that would inspire and spark a genuine curiosity towards learning.
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