When they are very young, children are innately curious. Sometimes annoyingly so. Whether they’re testing if something inedible tastes good or testing their parents’ patience by repeatedly asking “why?”, they want to learn about the world they’re in.
However, the curiosity of most children fades after a few years. For many, this coincides with the time that learning becomes structured and assessed, namely when they go to school. Their parents know that a love of learning could give their child a great advantage in life, but they cannot force their child to enjoy something, and they can’t reason with them either.
So, what can parents do to reignite the flame of curiosity and make their children eager to learn? Fortunately, there are many answers. Most of them are simple, and you will see from the ones included in this list that not much is needed to cultivate a lifelong love of learning.
Help them discover their interests
A good place to start instilling a love of learning is by letting children learn about what they love. To help them discover their passion, expose your child to different experiences and subjects, and talk to them about the things they have been reading, watching, or making.
Give them time to pursue their interests
It is easy to think that this might lead them to spend time on things they like instead of the stuff they actually need to learn for school. But while they are learning about topics they enjoy, they are also discovering what methods of learning are most effective for them.
Figuring these out will make it easier for them to learn the things they need later on and can even turn subjects they hate into ones they enjoy. Often, children dislike subjects not because of the content but because they do not know how to learn the material. They rely on the method used by the teacher but this does not work for them. Children who have discovered and practiced their own methods of learning can apply those instead.
And remember that you are playing a longer game here. While they might spend time learning about a topic that is not relevant to the schoolwork they have right now, they are building a base of knowledge which they can connect to the things they will learn in the future.
Get hands-on
The effectiveness of reading and listening to information varies from child to child, whereas moving around, interacting with things and touching them are more universally effective ways to learn and can make learning fun for your child at home as well as in school.
If they are learning to count, give them some tactile objects like marbles or crayons to count with. If they are artistic, set up some pencils or paints for them to use on a children’s table and chair set. There is no one-size-fits-all approach.
Be a role model
Demonstrating your enthusiasm about your own interests can encourage your children to learn about theirs. They need to see that you are passionate about learning too. You probably remember that in school the teachers who were really passionate about their subjects were usually the best ones. The reason they were good might not be that they were amazing teachers, but because they inspired you to put in the work.
Learning more about your own interests is the easy part, although for this to have an effect you may need to do so in a way that is visible to your child. That could be watching a video about it on the TV, reading a book, or taking an online course. You could also talk about what you’re learning with them. What are you finding difficult? What are you excited to learn about next?
Be supportive
Receiving a bad grade and giving a wrong answer in front of their peers can make children anxious, and this is why their interest in learning often wanes during their school years. People are less embarrassed about things they fail if they are not really trying to succeed, and children are no different. Not trying becomes a defence mechanism.
Your role as a supporter of your child’s education should be to ensure that they are making the effort. You should reward their persistence and not focus unduly on outcomes such as grades. When they fail at something, help them learn from their mistakes and strategize about how to fix them. However, reinforce the message that learning is a process for gaining knowledge that will benefit them. It is not purely a means to achieving good grades.
Children are more likely to love learning when they are encouraged to learn about things they enjoy, when they can experiment, and when they see others enjoying learning. Although indirect, this strategy is more effective than forced study sessions, and it ingrains good habits that will help your child when they have gone off to a great university and you can no longer be with them.
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