| All parents with school-going children will face the | | | | thus learning will not be a struggle to him anymore. |
| same concern of how their child performs in school. | | | | When he is able to learn easily, naturally his grades will |
| Such concerns will give the parents headaches if they | | | | improve tremendously. |
| are told by the teacher that their child has the potential | | | | 3. Displaying only positive parental influence |
| to achieve better grades at school but is apparently | | | | Yes, parents can be role models for their children. One |
| too lazy to put in sufficient effort. It is important that the | | | | way in which this can be displayed is to read with their |
| parents should start to analyze the situation carefully | | | | children. It is not necessary to read the same materials |
| and consider how to really help the lazy kids to | | | | as them every time but it will help if parents are seen |
| improve their grades. This article will offer tips on how | | | | to be also reading some form of reading materials |
| to motivate your child to become interested in learning | | | | such as newspapers, magazines or books instead of |
| and thereby making a marked improvement in his | | | | watching the television programmes when their |
| grades. | | | | children are doing their schoolwork or reading. Beside |
| For many parents, the moment they see that their child | | | | cutting down on distractions for the children, it will also |
| has attained poor grades, the emergency signal will go | | | | show them that their parents view reading to be a |
| off in their heads and they will start a frantic search | | | | good habit too. |
| for expensive tutors. This may result in every minute | | | | Another way in which parents can show a positive |
| of the child's time being fully utilized into attending extra | | | | role model to their children is by showing persistence in |
| tuition classes, even to the point of exhaustion and | | | | carrying out their own tasks. There are times when |
| much frustration. A sad consequence would be that | | | | we, as parents, give up when we face an obstacle |
| the child did not make any improvement in grades, but | | | | while doing something, for example, solving a jigsaw |
| worse, it may even lead to a breakdown in the | | | | puzzle or baking a cake. The parents might not be |
| parent-child relationship. This can be prevented if | | | | aware but when they give up, their children will learn |
| parents take up the following tips: | | | | that it is perfectly fine for them not to carry a task |
| 1. Building up child's confidence / self-esteem | | | | through should they face difficulty. |
| Many a time, parents are unaware that children, | | | | 4. Goal setting |
| especially young ones, need encouragement rather | | | | Parents can set achievable target with their child for |
| than reprimands. This could be due to their prior | | | | each examination. This target should not be so high |
| experiences of setbacks, thus instead of scolding the | | | | that it is impossible for the child to achieve as it will only |
| child and calling him 'stupid', we should help them to | | | | further demoralize him. However, it must be higher than |
| overcome their fear of failing. Parents and teachers | | | | what he had been getting. After each exam, the |
| could help build up child's confidence by helping him to | | | | parents should sit down with their child and review the |
| see what he is good at and give him bite-sized | | | | target. If there is a need to lower the target because it |
| assessments where he can experience success. This | | | | has been set too high, revise it! On the other hand, if |
| will help him to build up his confidence and he will not | | | | the goal has been attained, set a higher target so that |
| give up trying the next time he faces a difficult | | | | the child can work towards achieving his desired |
| question. | | | | grade. It is important to note that the reviewing session |
| By condemning the child and calling him names like | | | | is just as essential as the goal setting session because |
| 'stupid' or 'dumb', it will only cause him to lose moral and | | | | it helps the child to enjoy the sweet taste of success |
| to give up easily. The child's subconscious mind will | | | | while at the same time making it challenging enough. |
| absorb what he has been termed as and he will end | | | | 5. Rewards |
| up thinking that he is really stupid! This is very unfair to | | | | Is a reward important? Definitely! Even adults look |
| the child as every child is capable of learning. As the | | | | forward to bonuses and pay increment, don't we? |
| great child educationist has ever mentioned, a child's | | | | Therefore, parents can plan out the rewards system |
| inability to learn could be due to the school's lessons | | | | with their child so they have a sense of |
| being boring or that the teaching method is not pitched | | | | accomplishment. Parents could set the budget for |
| at his learning style. | | | | each category of prize for instance, a small reward, a |
| 2. Understanding your child's learning style and act on it | | | | medium sized reward and a large reward. It is |
| Not all children learn the same way. Some children are | | | | important to have different categories so that children |
| visual learners whereby they need to see the words | | | | do not find the rewards to be too difficult to achieve. |
| or objects in order to understand the concept or | | | | Parents could work out a set of rules and the |
| vocabulary. Such children might face some problems in | | | | equivalent prizes with their child, such as a awarding a |
| following verbal instructions. There are also children | | | | small prize if the child has accumulated five stars for |
| who are auditory learners. These children learn best by | | | | doing well in practices, tests or examinations. Having an |
| listening to sounds so they need to hear the words | | | | incentive system in place will motivate children and stir |
| said to them or they might even talk to themselves in | | | | up their desire to learn and to work harder. |
| order to understand the concepts. Yet others are | | | | As you can probably tell after reading this whole |
| kinesthetic learners. This group of children learns best | | | | article, it is definitely not impossible for the lazy kids to |
| by touching the objects. As such, their best method of | | | | improve their grades if their parents and teachers |
| learning is when they are allowed to carry out | | | | work at it with the child. Parents will be able to see |
| experiments or in touching the teaching aids. Most of | | | | tremendous improvement in their children's grades if |
| the children will learn well with a combination of | | | | they combine the tips above with lots of patience, love, |
| methods. By tuning in to the child's learning style, it will | | | | encouragement and support for their child. |
| help him to understand the concepts more easily and | | | | |