Ways to Instill A Love of Learning in Children

As babies, children have an innate curiosity. They’re eager to explore the world around them, soaking up new information and skills like sponges.

But somewhere along the way, this natural love of learning is often lost. Many children grow to dislike and even dread school and learning new things.

Fortunately, the love of learning can be developed and cultivated using a few simple strategies.

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1. Help Children Discover Interests and Passions

Naturally, one way to spark a love of learning is to help children discover and explore topics that interest them.

Studies show that learning is enhanced when children are allowed to select topics of interest to pursue. This is one reason it’s so effective for teachers to build choice into the classroom.

Sally Reis, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Connecticut, explains that the key to unlocking a child’s potential is finding that child’s interests and helping the child develop them.

2. Provide Hands-On Experiences

Again and again, research has shown that hands-on learning is the most effective for kids. When students move, touch, and experience, they learn better.

For instance, studies show that students who act out a mathematical word problem are more likely to answer correctly than students who don’t.

Not only does hands-on learning help children process information, but it’s also a more enjoyable way to learn.

Most children simply don’t enjoy reading from a textbook, copying notes, or “learning” through rote memorization. Experiences and hands-on activities, however, will spark a child’s interest and imagination.

3. Make Learning Fun

Even seemingly dry subjects can become more fun through songs, academic games, scavenger hunts, or creative activities.

For instance, if kids are learning about the thirteen colonies (in the classroom or at home), you can provide clues and ask children to guess the correct colony. You can easily create academic BINGO, crossword puzzles, or word searches. Websites like Kahoot make it easy to gamify learning digitally as well.

You can also incorporate art projects, music, or creative writing into just about any academic subject. Create a song about the water cycle, or write a story from the perspective of a tadpole as he transforms into a frog. Build a model of the solar system using materials you find around the house or classroom.

4. Demonstrate Your Own Passion

Be a great role model for your child by enthusiastically exploring your own interests and passions. Show that YOU are passionate about learning.

If you have the time and resources, you can even take a course (online or in-person) in something you’re interested in: cooking, photography, literature, etc.

Talk to your child about what you’re learning: the challenges, the excitement, how you’re applyingwhat you’ve learned to your own life, and so on.

5. Find Your Child’s Learning Style

Children have their own unique learning style, or a type of learning that is most effective for them. Educators and psychologists have identified three main learning styles: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.

There are many quizzes available online to help you determine a child’s learning style, but you can also make a solid guess based on the child’s interests and the type of activities he seems to enjoy.