In this fast paced world filled with distractions from the important things in life, a child’s education tends to get pushed back on a parent’s to-do list. Keeping your child motivated to excel in school can be a challenge. However, there are several ways to get children excited about school and eager to learn.

In general, the pre-school age child is motivated by a reward system. This may be in the form of either a physical reward or a positive response from the teacher or parent.

 

• Showing interest in your child’s school activities is the most important way to motivate him to do well. When he sees that you are interested in what he is doing in class he will want to please you by excelling at his tasks.
• Small children are easily distracted. During homework time, there should be no distractions such as TV in the vicinity of your child’s workspace. A calm and quiet environment will help with his concentration.
• You can motivate your pre-school student by rewarding his hard work with allowing him to watch his favorite TV show after his homework is complete.
• Pre-school age children have a short attention span so it is recommended that you allow them short breaks from their studies every 15 or 20 minutes. This may involve bathroom breaks or some time to get a drink of water. This will keep him from feeling cranky and overwhelmed by his task at hand.
• Positive reinforcement builds confidence in a child. For a week’s worth of good behavior and exceptional work in his classroom offer him incentives such as a trip to the park or a weekend movie. This will give him something to work for all week.

As children get older motivating them becomes more difficult as they encounter outside influences that may not be consistent with a healthy education. However, there are ways of motivating them to want to do well for themselves.

• Find out what your child is interested in. Whether it is a medical career or an electrician like his father, this will motivate him to do well in school so he can accomplish his goal.
• Set high expectations for him and show your pride in his accomplishments with rewards such as allowing a sleepover with his friends.
• Encourage your child to write as much as possible. This will broaden his mind and open him up to new ideas while strengthening his writing skills.
• Never use put- downs or criticism to motivate him. This will produce the opposite effect. Positive reinforcement is the only way to successfully motivate him.

As the teenage years approach a high school student has more distractions than ever before. Keeping your high school child motivated can be tricky but it is attainable; even at this late stage in his developmental years.

• Always keep the line of communication open with your teenage student. Find out about any problems at school that may be keeping him from wanting to attend.
• Get him involved in school activities. After school sports can be a great motivation for students to want to stay in school.
• Show him the importance of education by getting him information on how much money college graduates earn compared to high school drop outs.
• Encourage him to take classes that are of interest to him.

Getting your child motivated to excel in school is the most important gift that you can give him. It will certainly make an impact on his whole future.