There is no need to instill a love of learning in a child. Children come into the world naturally curious. They already have a desire to learn. The first moments and years of a child’s life are spent exploring curiosities and finding discoveries. You must nurture your child’s natural love of learning. This nurturing should continue through the years to come. It is easier to do this than it might seem. Let’s discuss some effective ways to foster your child’s love of learning.
Learning Through Participation
When you were a child, you learned by doing. You learned to walk and ride a bike not by being told, but by actual hands-on experience. This is the best way for children to learn. Encouragement is required along the way, but in time, the child grasps whatever is needed to improve. Children instinctively use learning methods that they have found to work best for them.
Mixed Age Groups
Children prefer the praise and admiration of their friends. When young children interact with different age groups, they can learn a new skill from the older children, and older children can learn patience by teaching younger children. Whether through play or planned activity, both benefit by gaining skills to be successful in the situation.
Providing a Safe Environment
Physical safety is important, however, some situations cause children to feel unsafe or uneasy. If they think that they have angered or disappointed the person who is in charge, they may feel afraid or have lowered self-esteem. A person who is in charge of a child’s learning should never laugh at their mistakes, consistently tell them they are wrong, and should never cause them to feel emotionally attacked. These types of experiences cause children to be intimidated in other learning environments.
Children’s most often asked questions are “how?” and “why?” The next time you hear these questions, provide your child with a brief answer, not a lecture. If you do not know the answer, admit that. Not all adults are comfortable admitting that they don’t know something, but it is important. Children need to hear those words sometimes, but be sure to follow up by letting them know that you’ll find out together. This will empower your child to look for answers to sate their own curiosity.