Getting kids to learn isn’t always easy. They don’t want to follow along in a textbook that they feel is drawn out and boring. You need to come up with creative ideas for helping them learn that children can truly enjoy. It makes learning fun and seem like they’re playing rather than being educated.
#1: Set a Family Education Movie Night
Many families pick one night a week as movie night, often on the weekends when everyone is home and free from work and school schedules. You don’t always have to pick the latest release or popular movie of the week. Set a family education movie night instead so you can get your kids to enjoy learning without them even realizing that’s what they’re doing. Most providers offer the opportunity to select specific channel groupings based on interests which contain numerous educational programs that can be fun for everyone to watch. Pick a few and see which ones your family enjoys.
#2: Have an Education Game Night
Game night works well for families. It allows all of you to come together and enjoy a game while getting to chat about your day. Make it an educational game so your kids can have fun learning. Word games are ideal because they get the brain working. Skip Monopoly or card games and opt for Scrabble or Scattergories instead.
#3: Visit Fun Webpages Together
Rather than let your kids explore the Internet on their own, visit some fun web pages together. You can help answer questions and finish puzzles they might otherwise not be able to complete on their own. Help them find some creative websites that allow them to explore safely. Sites like Animoto and Tynker are a couple of good options. You can even use WordPress to build a blog together. Create a family site that all of you can use and post your ideas and thoughts.
#4: Let Learning Be the Reward
Never reward learning with a prize. For example, don’t tell your kids they can have ice cream if they finish their reading minutes or that you’ll take them out to somewhere special. Instead, let learning be the reward. Remind them that the book they’re reading has to do with their favorite thing. Perhaps you’ll get them a book on a similar topic if they finish their reading minutes like they’re supposed to and enjoy the information they find inside. It sends a better message.
#5: Allow Them to Ask Questions
Some kids struggle to understand the material they’re working on at the time. If they come to you asking for help, don’t tell them you don’t know the answer or don’t have time. Allow them to ask the questions they need so they not only feel comfortable coming to you but also want to continue to learn the material at hand. If you truly don’t know the answer, ask them what they think the answer might be and look up the correct information together online. Google can be extremely helpful in these situations, and you both might learn something new.
Kids have a lot of learning to do, but getting the information from a typical textbook doesn’t always cut it. Help your kids enjoy what they’re learning by not only being a part of the experience, but coming up with fun ways to give them the information they need. Movies and game nights that involve educational materials is a start. Do your best to incorporate education into their everyday lives when they’re at home with you, and you will have a strong learner in no time.
