10 Ways to Make Studying Fun for Your Child

One of the most obvious tips is to mix work and play. One way to do this is by making the most of your child’s screen time by encouraging them to play games, watch videos, and do exercises on the Alloprof website instead of scrolling TikTok. You could also play an educational board game with them, or change the rules of another game you have at home to incorporate concepts they are studying in school. Alloprof also has several printable tools you can use to make studying more fun, such as the Mission Spelling game. 

You probably spend a lot of time in the car, waiting in line at the grocery store, or walking from place to place. Why not kill two birds with one stone and use these pockets of down time to help your child brush up on concepts? For example, practise the multiplication table of 8 while waiting for the bus or spell out vocabulary words while waiting for pasta water to boil. 

In addition, some everyday activities lend themselves particularly well to learning. For instance, you could help your child practise their fractions while you cook or hone their mental math skills while shopping.  

There are many different ways to memorize information. Making up stories that incorporate the material your child needs to learn is a great way for them to retain concepts by contextualizing and bringing to life information they would otherwise struggle with. For example, if they have to memorize historical events, they could integrate them into one big story where every event is associated with a place, a word, a costume, etc. 

In the same vein, you could help your child make up a song to a well-known tune to help them memorize a variety of concepts. 

Use your child’s imagination to turn study sessions into exciting adventures. Your child could, for instance, play the role of a teacher teaching a lesson to their dolls or stuffed animals, an explorer explaining a scientific concept, or any other character sharing what they learned at school with someone else. You can get involved by playing different characters to ask questions and interact with the character your child has created. In addition to making studying more enjoyable, this approach can also develop your child’s oral expression and self-confidence.

The goal here is to give your child small challenges to overcome in order to add a touch of competition to study sessions and keep them motivated. Setting achievable, regular goals can help your child stay motivated and feel a sense of accomplishment. For a bigger challenge, try doing time trials where your child has to answer questions or solve problems within a time limit. You could also create a reward system where every correct answer earns them a minute playing their favourite game, for example. Using the Motivational Timer is also a great option, since it has built-in rewards. 

Assessments can be stressful, so a good way to defuse anxiety is to practise at home in a no-pressure environment. Use multiple-choice questions, flashcards, and quizzes, or make mini-exams. The goal is to make these mock assessments as pleasant and low-stress as possible for your child so they can build up their confidence.

Giving your child a degree of control over their study sessions can boost their engagement and motivation. Let them choose which subjects they want to review first, which tools they want to use (videos, pencil crayons, Alloprof games/exercises, etc.) or where they want to study (indoors, in the park, etc.). By giving them a certain amount of autonomy, you also help them build a sense of responsibility and control, making study sessions more enjoyable and less restrictive.

Incorporate your child’s interests into study sessions to make learning more relevant and engaging for them. Use their passions, whether sports, music, or technology, to illustrate concepts and make content more relevant and engaging. For instance, if they are really into  LEGOs right now, you could use LEGO bricks to visualize math problems. If your child loves horses, use this interest to review grammar lessons. 

Although group study sessions can be more complicated for parents to arrange, they also make learning more social and interactive, as well as providing a different perspective on the subjects being studied. Collaboration allows students to share ideas, ask questions, and hear different explanations that can help clarify more complex concepts. Group study sessions can also be a great opportunity to do practice quizzes or have guided discussions on different topics. 

Connecting what your child needs to learn with their own life, context, and experiences can make lessons more memorable and help your child see the value and worth of what they are learning. For example, show your child how they can use math to manage their pocket money, or explain the importance of science in understanding our environment.