Have you seen your kids slouching at the study table or stealing glances at the clock every few minutes to see when their study time ends? While such activities may irritate some parents, they are more common than you expect. Kids often dislike sitting on their chairs for studying long hours because they don’t enjoy the learning process.
Many parents don’t know that kids’ brains are wired to learn and retain through engagement, not forced learning. Hence, if you want your kids to stick and make the most from their study routines, you must transform their dull study sessions into fun experiences. After talking to various teachers at our school, we at Delhi Public School Sushant Lok, recognized as the best school in Gurgaon, have handpicked tips that can be implemented straight away for tangible results. So, let’s explore the tips shared below.
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Build a Learning Command Center
If your kids cannot sit on their usual study table and chair, revamp their study place and assign it a fancy name, like a learning command center or personal learning headquarters. Giving fancy names like these allows kids to view the same place with renewed enthusiasm.
You can ask your kids to use the space as their ‘personal office’ where they’re the boss of their learning journey. When kids receive ownership in similar ways, they feel more motivated to pursue their academic journey in a structured and goal-oriented way. You can ask your kids to pick a corner of their choice to build this space. Include them in the designing and shopping process, so they feel more excited to sit in the personalized space and study with keen interest and focus. Even if you have a small house or a limited budget, you can still create a dedicated study space that aligns with your child’s interests and desired functionality.
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Use the ‘Teach Me Something’ Technique
Whenever you notice your kids losing interest in studying, change the script by making them the teacher tasked with teaching you something new or exciting. This tip can help spark curiosity in kids and make them grasp fundamental concepts more easily. To practice this tip, organize a mandatory 10-minute mini-teaching session at the end of their study routine, where they briefly teach you what they’ve learned.
When your kids explain concepts to you by remembering what they learned, they strengthen their information retention abilities. Encourage them to use props, mini-presentations, whiteboards, etc., to explain topics in a simple way.
Going through this process compels kids to gain a clearer understanding of the subject matter because they can only teach what they know and understand. We at Delhi Public School Sushant Lok highly recommend this tip because it also builds confidence in kids, while making the entire process a fun-filled experience for both the learners as well as the instructor.
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Gamify their Learning Experience
If your kids always find excuses not to study at home, transform aspects of their repetitive study tasks into personal challenges. One of the easiest ways to implement this tip is using the ‘beat your time’ method. When using this method, you don’t simply ask your kids to practice spelling words or finish a few math problems. Instead, you convert it into fun challenges by saying, ‘Let’s see how many words you can spell correctly within five minutes or how many math problems you can solve within ten minutes.’
We at Delhi Public School Sushant Lok believe this tip works with every student because it triggers their competitiveness and willingness to beat their previous records. You can maintain a record book and add small rewards for accomplishing big milestones/records to keep them motivated. Sometimes, the excitement of beating one’s own record can make a child study more dedicatedly than before, so use it wisely.
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Leverage the Sensory Learning Approach
Not all kids learn using text-based learning materials. Hence, we recommend incorporating various elements in their study sessions to facilitate studying through a sensory learning approach. This approach transforms abstract concepts into tangible experiences, making it easier for them to understand varying concepts.
For example, if your kids cannot understand basic mathematical concepts clearly, encourage them to use building blocks, candies, etc., to practice the principles of addition, subtraction, and more. It will enable them to grasp different concepts easily.
The key to success lies in clearly identifying which sensory combination works for your child and incorporating it into their daily study routines. Offering alternative learning mediums removes resistance from studying, making learning more enjoyable for them.
Conclusion
Studying shouldn’t look like a punishment to kids. If it does, they will always find excuses and ways to resist studying at home and even at school. This is where we at Delhi Public School Sushant Lok, regarded as the best school in Gurgaon, firmly believe that the easiest way to make studying fun and desirable is by turning it into an adventure. While it doesn’t happen overnight, continued efforts are guaranteed to bring results. You can begin by implementing one or more tips from the list discussed above, but remember to stick to one tip for at least a month before switching to another.