Give your child a taste for learning

Give Your Child a Taste for Learning

Article

Moms and dads are their kids’ first and most important role models: a child will always seek to imitate their parents. That’s a big responsibility, but one that parents can use to raise kids with a passion for learning—a crucial part of academic success.

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Table of Contents
Make School a Priority
Show iInterest in Your Child’s Studies
Maintain a Positive Attitude
Set a Good Example
Make Time for Play
Help Them Spread Their Wings

Many people may influence your child’s development, but as their parent and main role model, you are the person with the greatest impact. Here are a few tips on helping your child develop a love of learning:

Make School a Priority

Staying up to date on what your child does at school establishes an important line of communication. Maintaining open dialogue helps encourage the discipline required for academic success. Here are some questions you can ask to encourage your child to talk about their day:

“What book are you reading in French class?”
“Who did you hang out with at lunchtime?”
“Did anything funny happen at school today?”

Show iInterest in Your Child’s Studies

Talk to your child about what they learn in class. You can also encourage them to dig deeper by looking up more information together. By treating learning as a collaborative exercise, you’ll show your child that it’s an active process as well as a way to communicate. Plus, if you show that you’re intellectually curious, your child will likely be as well.

Maintain a Positive Attitude

Having a positive attitude will help your child stay motivated at school. Your encouragement will also benefit their self-esteem.

Set a Good Example

Being a role model for your child doesn’t mean being the perfect parent. The idea is to be aware of your actions. Take advantage of your child’s inclination to imitate you by setting the best possible example.

Make Time for Play

Play contributes to your child’s development in several ways. Encouraging your child to play will help them acquire fundamental skills for the future. Depending on the form of play, they’ll make strides in different areas:

Sense of curiosity
Problem solving
Communication
Motor skills
Social interaction
Teamwork
Reasoning
Concentration
Self-esteem
Learning while having fun

Playing with your child is an essential bonding activity, but don’t forget that free play is equally important for developing your child’s autonomy.

Here are three examples of games that promote an interest in learning:

Act out a story you and your child have read together. This will improve your child’s language skills and stimulate their creativity.
Create a treasure hunt where your child has to answer questions to advance. Make sure to encourage them and praise them when they get the right answer.
Spark your child’s imagination by playing store, restaurant, and other make-believe games. Your child will exercise their reasoning skills as they think about their roles.

Help Them Spread Their Wings

A child’s interest in learning is directly related to their self-esteem. The more they’re aware of their strengths, the more motivated they’ll be to learn and work hard at school. You can nurture your child’s self-esteem in a number of ways:

Set reasonable, personal goals
Avoid making comparisons with other kids
Maintain a positive attitude
Praise their efforts
Give them the tools they need to succeed
Etc.

Collaborators

Writing: Viviane Asselin
Scientific review: Nathalie Paquet-Bélanger, orthopédagogue

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Rewriting: The Alloprof Parents’ team