Studies have shown that children absorb more knowledge when they don’t realize they are learning. The more fun activity is, the less of a chore it is. As children get older, many lose the desire to go to school and learn, and it becomes harder to encourage them to take on extra learning outside of classes to help them enrich their lives and develop useful skills for their future.
So how can you encourage your teen to support their learning?
Show an Interest
The level of interest can depend on the child in question, but use this time to ask questions about school, what they are learning, or homework they have. You know your child best, and doing this in a way that will help them to open up and not have the opposite effect can be a gentle encouragement to help them get the most from their learning. Especially if they know you are there to help and are curious about what they are currently learning.
Find Alternative Study Material
All children learn differently, and as such, not all children or teens respond well to the typical learning materials sent home from school. Instead, they may need additional materials or alternative ways to learn to help them get through the curriculum in a way that helps them the most.
Listen to their concerns about how and where they are struggling to learn and find answers to their issues. There is a wealth of resources online to help them find out the required information via different formats that can support traditional learning techniques.
Support Hobbies and Interests
Encouraging hobbies and interests that fall outside of school can help support the learning process when in school. For example, while coding isn’t universally supported in education, teens interested in this topic can teach themselves topics such as what is JSON at home. While they may not be learning the required curriculum, they will be learning different skills and knowledge. The learning process they develop while teaching themselves new skills or exploring more of their hobbies can be easily transferred to the classroom.
Avoid Added Pressure
How well do you perform under pressure? Chances are, not everyone will perform the same way as you do when under pressure. We all have different pressure points and environmental factors that help or harm how well we can learn something. Pay attention to your teen’s preferred learning state and how well they cope with different external factors.
This can help you to change your behavior in response to helping support them when they need it. Avoid yelling or punishing them for not meeting expectations and supporting them to do as well as they can with what they have.
Remember, your teen needs your support to help them navigate learning via at home or in school and achieve the best possible education to build their confidence and skills to take with them through the rest of their lives. Be there to help and support when they need it but know when to take a step back and allow them to forge their own way of learning and retaining the knowledge they need.
Leave a Reply