Motivation.
The lack thereof can hit either the student or the teacher. What do you do? School needs to be done.
I’ve written before about teacher burnout {lack of motivation}. Today I’ll offer some ideas to tackle lack of motivation in children. I am assuming you are already doing the obvious of praying for guidance.
Alternate Teaching Methods – I’ve found when one of my children is reluctant to do school or a certain subject it is usually because they don’t understand a concept. Having an alternate method to teach the same concept can really help. Knowing about their learning styles is also helpful. Sometimes what worked for one child just doesn’t work as well for another. I’ve written about different learning styles. Each post has teaching suggestions to gear your teaching to the way your child learns best.
Learning Styles: The Basics
Learning Styles: Multiple Intelligences
Linguistic, Read, Write Learners
Kinesthetic/Tactile Learners
Spatial Learners
Naturalistic Learners
Musical Learners
Change things up! Sometimes just readjusting your schedule or even the location you do school can help a great deal. Is it a nice day outside? Then go out and have school picnic style! Create a tent in your living room. Pretend to ride the bus {complete with sound effects} making wrong turns here and there, describing what you see out the window. This one is always fun and has everyone laughing and ready to tackle their school work by the time we finally “arrive” at school.
Go back to the basics. It’s okay to just do “easy” school some days. These posts have suggestions for reviewing the basics in fun ways.
Quick Math Games
Easy Writing Activities
Creative Writing Activities
READ!! If all else fails just read with your child. Don’t do anything else but read aloud. Choose books that are diverse. I recommend using the Sonlight read aloud lists {click on each read aloud list in the upper right blue box} or those at Ambleside Online. There is also a good list of books to supplement history.
You’ll find if you just read and sometimes ask questions their curiosity will be peaked and they’ll want to learn more. Ask them to show you in what country the story takes place. Does it take place at a certain time in history? What else was going on the world at that time? One question will lead to another and before you know it they are learning something new. Was it what you wanted them to learn originally? No. But that is okay! The point is they are learning.
Just keep going. Sometimes there is nothing you can do but just keep going. Eventually they need to learn that they have to stick to what is being taught, the way it is being taught. I usually reserve this ultimatum until my children are older {above 12 years old}. By this age they understand that there will be times {college} that they will just have to do it. And they can and be better for it.
What are some ways you have dealt with a lack of motivation in your children? Any tips you have to share? Please comment and discuss!
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Sometimes I think kids are motivated by observing each other. Last year I taught my oldest to read and my 3 year old was sitting and watching/listening the whole time. The 3 year old observed her sister’s tantrums and tears over not wanting to read, but she didn’t have to get involved or in trouble for throwing a fit. She just quietly picked up on what I was teaching. So, now she’s 4 and reads better than her sister who is nearly done with Kindergarten! She enjoys reading much more and feels “smart.” It was interesting to watch all that unfold.
Somedays we just take a field trip. Virtual, or real life, we just take a break and “go” somewhere. After we “get back” my boys are ready to tackle school again.
If something is just not happening, sometimes taking the time to explain how it pertains to life really puts it into perspective and we all appreciate the time it takes a bit more.
In the extreme cases we have even switched our whole course of study. When our math program was not working, we stopped halfway through and went with a whole different one.
Love your list Montse.
I think one thing home school moms should know is that public school kids lose interest and lack motivation possibly more often than home schooled kids. When things have gotten tough this year, I have the public school days to remind me that they were just as tough, but now we only have to get through a few hours and we have the option to “change things up”.
This past week, we were changing things around furniture wise and internet and phone wise, and that ate into school time. But what I did, I think worked well. I had one kid take all of the computer and sound stuff apart and then put it back together again (system administrator training and a break from math, reading, and writing). I had another kid do reading lessons with a younger child (teacher training, and a break from math and history).
I like the “just keep going” statement. I want my kids to learn that they sometimes just have to work harder and longer when it is tough, and so do I.
Love this post! This is a great time of year to do it too because we are getting Spring (but feels like summer) fever big time!!!