It is 8pm, post dinner and time for homework. Mindy rolls up her sleeves and in an excited voice, commands, “Let’s do some Maths!”. The next few minutes are spent playing catch with young Luke. Mindy finally manages to plop him down at the dining table, feet dangling, hands twiddling his new Spider Man pencil case. Less than 5 minutes into the complicated Maths sum that Mindy started explaining, he goes, “I need to go toilet… I am thirsty…”. 

Sounds familiar?

A recurring concern I often hear from parents is that their child shows little interest in learning. Especially when it comes to tabletop activities such as reading, writing or doing their homework. Although it may not be a primary concern during the toddler stage, this behaviour often carries on to when your child starts to attend school and conform to situations that require them to sit for longer periods of time doing activities that are of least preference. This transition is especially challenging for children with learning difficulties. 

The problem 

Whether you are a parent or an educator, the fault always seems to fall on the child with the pertinent need to correct their behaviour. We often overlook a crucial aspect of this didactic relationship. How we present ourselves to our child while we teach. Could we be overwhelming our child, resulting in fight-or-flight behaviour? We tend to unconsciously make our child adapt to our learning methods overriding their own preferred way of learning, consequently having them lose interest in learning. Change begins with us! Read on to find out more on what you can do to create a positive learning environment for your child.

What’s your style?

“Learning modalities” – the way we assimilate information in our environment and build our knowledge bank, have four main characteristics of learning styles.

As much as it’s important to know your child’s learning style, it is equally advantageous to know what your own learning style is. Find out how you and your child learn! Having an insight on how we learn, gives us an analytical perspective into how our children learn. This arms us with the ability to be flexible in our own teaching methods. 

Innovation + Imagination

To reap greater success in all aspects of learning for your child, it is imperative to integrate all four styles of learning by creating opportunities that will exercise their areas of strength to overcome their areas of weakness thereby creating a well-balanced learning experience.

“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; Show me the glint of light on broken glass.” 

   – Anton Chekhov

Use everyday items and scenarios to bring concepts to life. For instance, at the grocery store, get your three-year-old to count the number of oranges needed to buy and drop them into the bag. For older children, give them physical money to purchase the groceries so they experience the concept of shopping and money. We should remember that concepts taught in school will only make sense when applied in real situations. Below are some ideas that you may like to try out.

• Everyday Math 
• Reading at home

Positive Learning

Be prepared, as even the most thoughtfully prepared activities may not always guarantee cooperation. Intrinsic motivation is key and without it, your child is less likely to stay engaged. Children with learning difficulties are prone to exhibit poor attention skills. They need to focus and concentrate on the task at hand, be cognizant of the expectation and respond appropriately. However, their inherent challenge in these executive functions requires considerable effort on their part to embrace the positive learning experience that we would like to provide them with. So, what can we do then?

Positive reinforcement rewards the child for having accomplished a task or action no matter how small it may be. For a child who may be severely delayed in speech, attempting to make a sound, for example “bah” for Bye is a huge step. Positive reinforcement is when we acknowledge the attempt by praising them “Good try!” and giving a high five. The more we acknowledge good behaviours, the more that they will occur. 

Out of habit, we sometimes tend to be critical on every inappropriate behaviour or mistake and forget to praise all the good things your child is capable of. When we shift our attention to what they are good at, we start to build their confidence and help them overcome their apprehension in trying out new things or even tasks that may be challenging. Thus, the language (not necessarily words) you use with your child is momentous to steering change. 

Inspired by The Five Love Languages By Children of Gary Chapman and Rose Campbell

Consistency 

The need for consistency is often undermined when we start implementing a system for change. We must ensure it is being followed religiously and is adhered to by everyone who is involved with your child. Most often setback occurs when both parents compromise on certain rules, especially when it comes to rewarding the child. Furthermore, it can be jeopardised by well-intentioned grandparents who easily give in to your child’s sweet natured demands. Thus, ensuring rules are followed by everyone in the household is crucial to help your child follow the system and guide them to understand its mechanism.

“Change the way you see things and the things you see will change” – Dr Wayne Dyer

If you have resolved to bring about a change in your child, remember to begin with you. Changing the way you approach your child with respect to learning will boost your child’s confidence and perseverance thereby making their learning journey a positive learning experience!

Written by:
Usharani
RETA Fellow