Motivating Children to Learn: What Parent Can Do

							    Increasing
   Your Child’s
Motivation to Learn
             Learning Process
  Prior
Knowledge

                 Involvement
 Abilities            In               Learning
                   Learning

Motivation          Paying attention
                    Starting work on time
                    Following directions
                    Keeping attention focused over time
                    Completing work on time
                    Keeping track of work
                    Working on own
                    Participating in class discussions
                    Asking questions
                    Seeking help when needed
      Where We are Going
• Understanding Motivation
• Ideas to Increase Motivation to Learn
   Definition of Motivation
• “to move”
• What moves people to act
Understanding Motivation
          Can I do
          this task
        successfully?
         Prior
      Knowledge

       Do I want to     Involvement
      Abilities task
       do this               In       Learning
        and why?          Learning

     Motivation
         What do I
         have to do
       to succeed on
          this task?
                Motivation Factors
 Caregiver
beliefs and
 behavior
                     • Beliefs about skills and abilities
                     • Beliefs about results
 Previous
experiences
 of success
and failure
                       Student beliefs
                         Can I do it?            Motivation
 Student’s
 skills and
  abilities


 Type and
difficulty of
     task
           Anxiety
• Negative thoughts about:
  – Task
  – Likelihood they will do poorly
• Worse when evaluated
• Worry can interfere with:
  – Thinking
  – Attention
                 Motivation Factors
Internal Reasons
 • Feelings of competence
 • Enjoyment of specific movements
 • Being absorbed in the activity    Student beliefs
 • Feelings of self-fulfillment        Can I do it?


External Reasons
 • Promotion of important goals        Task Value
 • Pleasing others                   Do I want to do it   Motivation
 • Being with others                     and why?
 • Rewards


Cost Reasons
 • Anxiety
 • Too much effort required
 • Lost opportunities
                Motivation Factors

                                 Student’s beliefs
                                    Can I do it?
• Set appropriate goals
• Keep attention focused           Task Value
    ― Control outside distractions I want to do it?
                                 Do                   Motivation
    ― Control immediate impulses
•   Keep organized
                            Self-Regulation
•   Study skills            What do I have to
•   Control emotions         do to succeed?
•   Help seeking
•   Evaluate how they are doing
•   React to how they are doing
      Where We are Going
• Understanding Motivation
• Ideas to Increase Motivation to Learn
        You Can Do It!
 Building Confidence to Learn
Strategies to Increase Your Child’s
 Sense of Ability and Effectiveness
Provide various activities and
experiences in the home
•   Individual and group sports
•   Singing
•   Dancing
•   Playing a musical instrument
•   Building a collection
•   Doing a hobby
•   Fixing things
•   Building things
•   Joining a club
•   Games and puzzles
•   Reading a variety of things
Make a connection between skill,
effort, and performance
• “You can do it. If you use your study
  skills and don’t give up, you will get
  it!”
• “If you check your math work, you will
  get more problems correct.”
Help your child focus on their own
progress rather than how they are
doing compared to others


                   • Effort
 • Grades          • Study habits and skills
                   • Individual progress
Monitor your child’s school and
homework and provide immediate
feedback

• Success  Abilities
• Failures  Methods or effort
Provide specific strategies to
improve performance
• Training
  –   Planning
  –   Goal setting
  –   Organization
  –   Study skills
• Tasks appropriate for skill level
• Tutoring
  Here is Why!
Strategies to Increase
 Value and Interest
Provide Emotional Support
• Be supportive and encouraging
• Minimize conflict
Communicate high expectations
and beliefs about your child
• I expect you to do the work
• I expect you to do as well as you can
• I know you can do it if you try and
  you use good study skills
• I expect you to stick with it, even if it
  gets difficult
Communicate high expectations
and beliefs about your child
• “I know that assignment is tough,
  hang in there. I know you can do it!”
• “When it is time to study, work hard!”
• “Great job, you worked really hard on
  that paper!”
• “How many days before the test are
  you going to study?”
Help your child see the value of
what is being learned
• Discuss why knowledge is important
  to learn
• Relate how current learning can be
  helpful in real-life
• Relate learning with some goal
Help your child set goals
• Short term
  – “Completing math work in class today”
• Specific
  – Complete at least 80% of your math
    problems”
• Somewhat challenging
Help your child set goals
• Long-term goals:
  – Help your child think about a career
  – Help your child plan for college
• In-Between Goals
  – Grades
  – Increased class participation
  – Staying more organized
Encourage
healthy peer
relationships

• Keep an eye on who your child is hanging out
  with
• Help your child become involved in groups
  that share your values
• Encourage your child to do learning tasks
  with others
Use rewards when internal
motivation is low
• Reward achievement of short-term
  goals
• Rewards can be used by teachers and
  parents
• Behavior Chart
• Do not use rewards when your child is
  already motivated to do a learning
  activity
    Here is What You Do!
Strategies to Help Students Reach Their
              Learning Goals
Increase skill level
• Individual tutoring
• Remedial instruction at school
Teach specific learning
strategies
• Specific study methods
  –   Reading textbooks
  –   Studying for tests
  –   Staying organized
  –   Managing time
• You should
  –   Teach them
  –   Closely supervise and encourage use
  –   Practice
  –   May take most of the school year
Keep track of progress
                                  Spelling Progress
                     20
                     18
# of Correct Words




                     16
                     14
                     12
                     10
                      8
                      6
                      4
                      2
                      0
                          1   2    3     4      5     6   7   8
                                        Test Number
Teach your child how to seek
help when tasks get difficult
•   Try to solve the problem without help
•   Figure out whom to ask
•   Develop a good question
•   Students who are timid will need lots
    of encouragement to seek help
     Increasing Your Child’s
       Motivation to Learn
• Understanding Motivation
• Ideas to Increase Motivation to Learn




           Center for Effective Parenting is a collaborative project of:
           The Jones Center for Families
           Department of Pediatrics/University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
           Arkansas Children’s Hospital