The truth is, your children will only be as passionate about learning as you are. Research states that a child's cognitive development is inspired by parental behaviors. Fail to address the importance of learning, and your children will follow suit.
Some parents sadly pass the educational baton on to teachers. Part of your parental responsibility, though, is teaching them valuable lessons that school will only reinforce. It is possible to raise studious and driven children. Below are five strategies you can use.
Prioritize reading skills.
Even if they've already learned how to read, your duty isn't over. Further nurture your child's love for reading by visiting libraries, bookstores, always encouraging them to pick something they like.
In case they're still learning, actively participate in their reading journey. Even if kids have trouble sounding out words, try taking turns when reading stories and teaching them how to spell.
You should also read plenty on your own. Children are constantly observing their parents. If you read a lot, chances are they'll develop the same habit.
Inspire them to ask questions.
Your child will start showing preferences early. Your constant encouragement will help your children understand they're headed in the right direction. After all, if mom and dad are happy, they know they're doing something right. If your children love animals, offer them animal-themed books to read. If they seem interested in a certain topic, ask them to learn different things about it, and tell you fun facts at the end of the day.
As you know, questions will pop up. A lot of them. If you don't have all the answers, that's fine. Just make sure to look and sound interested. Your children appreciate it.
Don't frown upon mistakes.
Maybe your kid didn't ace that quiz. Maybe they got several bad grades in a row. When that happens, what's your inclination?
Before taking away their tablets or limiting TV time, sit with your child to find the root of the issue so you can work together to fix it. In addition, don't make their achievements seem invalid. Celebrate their hard work and even the smallest of victories.
This will prevent your kids from thinking that bad performance equals punishment.
Consider hiring a tutor.
Homework can take an awfully long time. Also, get used to the idea that your children will grow up and need homework help beyond the basics. Elementary math will eventually become geometry which will turn into algebra, then calculus, and so on. Unless you're a math teacher, you can't help them do their best. That's when a math help tutor should come in.
You don't need to have in-person tutors commute to your home like in the old days. Your kids can use a computer or mobile device to study with expert online math tutors in a convenient way. From math problem-solving to test prep, each tutoring session will take them one step further.
Find your child's learning style.
Most of us still don't know our learning styles to this day. Is this our parents' mistake? Maybe. Are your children visual learners? Auditory learners? Kinesthetic learners? Or do they prefer researching topics on their own?
Let's say you're getting them started on bible studies and you find out they learn faster with an illustrated children's bible. They might be visual learners. Observe your children. Figuring out their learning style early will help for when they're ready to study alone in the future.
By the way, if you're just introducing your kids to the bible, Cokesbury church supplies can help. Their online store has the New International Version (NIV), English Standard Version (ESV), storybooks, and additional formats, all fitting for children.
As a final piece of advice, you don't want to constantly nag your children to study and read. This will only make them refrain from learning due to bad associations. On the contrary, you want to be their first favorite teacher.
