Strategies to motivate your child to study

Is your child easily distracted by computer games, television shows, dramas, or social media? I believe that you have tried several ways and means to motivate your child to study. But the methods you have tried previously does not work well on your child. Consider the 5 motivation strategies, to support and encourage your child to study for their tests and exams.

1) Establish good relationship with your child

To influence and motivate your child to study, you must first build good relationship. Instead of criticising them for not meeting your expectations, there should be more encouragement and motivate them to work hard. If your child put in effort to study, you should express your appreciation by using descriptive words to praise them for their effort, even if they did not achieve the desired results you have set for them.

2) Recognise your child’s effort and reward accordingly

Reward is effective in training your child to take ownership of their own learning. You could give tangible reward to reward them for their hard work. With a goal in mind, children are more likely to be self-motivated and determine to study. It could be as simple as a giving them a gift that they have always wanted or as lavish as a family vacation during the school holidays. However, you should avoid getting into the habit of giving them rewards without putting in effort. They would lose motivation to study and take the rewards for granted.

3) Create interest

Students often lose interest in their studies when there are topics that they have difficulty understanding or when they feel overwhelmed by the workload. If it happens to your child, encourage him or her to form a study group. Having a study group would motivate your child to study, as learning becomes fun when they teach and learn from one another.

On the other hand, you could get a private tutor for your child. For private tuition, the lessons are conducted based on your child’s needs and learning style. This helps them understand the subject matter better, and they would feel engaged and motivated to learn.

4) Make a study plan

Create a study plan with your child before the exam period. To avoid last minute preparation, plan the schedule with your child at least two months in advance. With sufficient revision time, it will ensure that your child is ready and prepared for their exams. While you are coming up with the study plan with your child, do not forget to include short study breaks. If your child has spent hours at their desk revising for their exams, they deserve to have a short rest.

5) Make learning fun and engaging

Besides the usual textbooks, notes and exam papers, you should incorporate educational games to reinforce their learning. The most effective way to get your child interested in their studies is to let them learn while they play. Games provides entertainment to children and the more they are engaged, the more they would feel motivated to learn. Replace your child’s video games with fun and meaningful educational games. In the process of learning, they developed critical thinking and problem solving skills as well.

Related to: For Parents  Study Tips