12/08/2022
💡7 tips, how children learn better
Reading a dry German book, understanding different forms of grammar, and then learning how to communicate properly in the foreign language - sometimes school can be exhausting and no fun. Yet it can be child's play to learn better. We have a few simple tips on how to motivate your child to learn:
1. A learning corner that makes you want to learn
Our thoughts need space, we need to feel inspired and motivated to learn better. The desk should therefore be designed so that children feel comfortable:
- Bright, quiet, with nice colors and plenty of space.
- Books and reference books should be within easy reach
- For a positive learning feeling and the small child's back, a comfortable desk chair is very important
2. Design learning materials significantly
Keep it colorful! Post-Its, highlighters and the like can do this. Help you learn better. Our eyes perceive content quite differently. They literally get stuck if you choose short concise headlines and make them a bit larger and more substantial. Always highlight certain content, such as root words, in the same color. Matching small, thematic drawings have a lively effect and are better remembered than long passages of text.
3. Incorporate favorite rituals that bring in calmness
To help your child get in the mood for learning, students can do a few small stretches, listen to a feel-good song, or simply drink a glass of juice each time before they sit down at their desk. This should be repeated regularly. Agree on fixed learning times with your child, bearing in mind that your child should have a say in this - he or she knows best when he or she can learn well.
4. Learning with media inspires and helps children learn better
Media, especially computers and tablets, motivate children to learn and make the learning process more varied. An educational game on the Internet or a short film is fun for children per se. That's where the "aha" effects are guaranteed to occur.
5. Simplify learning through creative learning methods
Always learning from the book is monotonous and does not bring much success in the long term, because children usually only learn by heart. Understanding the school material is a completely different matter.
Learning success thanks to the ABC method: The ABC method is an excellent way for schoolchildren to learn about a subject. For each letter, a keyword is then written down for the subject matter. This is quite tricky. Your child has to think through the topic properly and is guaranteed to understand it much better in the end.
Ask three W questions to help process texts better: If your youngster has the task of reading a nonfiction text or story, it helps to ask yourself three questions before beginning: How do I imagine the text? What questions do you think the text will answer? What do I already know about the topic? Only then can you start reading. By having an expectation that your child checks as he or she reads, he or she engages more intensively with the text. The information associated with the text is directly learned better.
Memorize facts step by step: The loci method is about associating facts with objects. To do this, your child takes his or her documents and goes for a walk around the house. To each prominent object along the way, he or she associates a specific learning content (e.g., a vocabulary word, a math step, or a fact). When your child walks the route again, these objects help him better remember the associated content. Even during a test, your child can visualize this route and thus remember what he or she has learned more easily.
6. Extra tip from tutor Vanessa Gervasio:
Get out and play! "What does that have to do with learning better?" you may be asking yourself. Quite a lot! Because when children play, they understand the world and clear their heads at the same time. This creates free space for new content. If you now go into the forest and look at photosynthesis using real plants, learning material suddenly becomes tangible. Learning is really fun! That's how it should be.
7. Take breaks and reward yourself
Tormenting yourself for hours with the learning material makes no sense and is no fun. It is better to be well organized and to reward yourself after the work is done, for example with a visit to the cinema. As parents, make sure that your child has enough compensation, pursues his hobbies and meets with friends. Praise your child from time to time to motivate him or her to keep at it. Seek help from an expert if your child has learning difficulties.
12/08/2022