Tips For Helping Your Child Develop a Love For Learning
One of the most wonderful things about being a human is being able to constantly learn. There is so much about life and the world around us that we can learn from, which makes life truly exciting. As kids, people have a strong curiosity for the way things work, leading us to constantly want to learn new things. And while many adults love learning as well, that curiosity can slowly fade as we get older.
Helping your child develop a love for learning can help them stay curious throughout their entire lives, constantly looking for new things to learn. If you want to raise your child to have a desire to always learn, there are some things you can do!
At Growing Kids Learning Centers, we offer a variety of child care programs that help your child begin to learn at an early age. We make learning fun, engaging, and rewarding, helping your child develop a desire to learn more! Be sure to check out our child care programs and get in touch to learn more about our centers. For now, continue reading this blog for tips on helping your child develop a love for learning.
Let Them Explore Their Interests
It is natural that people want to learn more about what interests them and get excited when they discover new things about their passions. Allowing your child to explore their interests can help them develop a love for learning, no matter what their interests may be. As your kiddo grows, their interests will likely change. If your child goes through a space phase, bring them to a planetarium. If they go through a dinosaur phase, bring them to a museum to look at fossils and learn about the dinosaurs that once roamed the places you called home.
When you give your child a chance to explore what interests them, you are showing them that learning can be fun and exciting. This gives them a chance to learn something that excites them rather than just the typical subjects they learn in school. While the information they learn in school is important, it may not excite them like learning about sharks does. Allowing them to explore their interests gives them an opportunity to be excited about learning.
Surround Them With Books
Books are a beautiful thing that can transport us to another world, inspire imagination and curiosity, and help us learn. When you surround your kiddos with books, not only will they be more motivated to read, but they will begin to realize how much they can learn from books. Take trips to the library and let them pick out some books that interest them. Read them together, talk about what you learn. This is a great way to not only help your child develop a love for learning, but reading as well! Books are a wonderful source of learning and knowledge, and with so many to pick from, your child is sure to find something that they enjoy and can learn from.
Provide Hands-On Experience
Hands-on experiences are not only a fun way to learn but they can help your child actually absorb what they are learning better. There are many ways to create hands-on experiences while learning. If your little one is learning to count, you can use any type of object, like buttons or blocks, and have them use those to help them count. If your child wants to learn something about science, try finding a fun science craft project online to do with them.
Providing your child with hands-on experiences can help them grasp the concept better and allow them to feel more confident in their learning. Get creative with hands-on experiences. If your kiddo is in the dinosaur phase, buy some toy dinosaurs or fake dinosaur bones and bury them in your sandbox, get them the tools to uncover the hidden fossils and help them learn about what it is like to be a paleontologist. Even something as simple as crafts is a great way to give your child hands-on experiences and help them learn!
Understand Their Learning Style
There are a variety of different learning styles and understanding your child’s will not only help you teach them but can make learning more enjoyable for them. While there are quizzes online that can help you determine your child’s learning style, you may be able to figure it out just by observing them.
The learning styles include:
Visual Learning: Your child will be able to process information best when it is present in writing or images. Your child likely is very observant, has a good memory, and enjoys art if they are a visual learner.
Auditory Learning: If your child is an auditory learner, it is likely that they like to hear information, are a good listener, follows directions well, have verbal strengths, and may have an aptitude for music.
Kinesthetic Learning: These types of learners absorb information best through movement and touch. They likely count on their fingers, use hand gestures, like to do it themselves, and may excel in sports, dance, and other physical activities.
While it is likely that your child uses all of these methods to learn, there is one that is probably stronger than the others. By understanding the type of learner your child is, you can help make absorbing the information easier for them and make learning more fun.
Ask Questions
Asking your child questions is a great way to help them learn and get excited about what they are learning. If your child is reading a book about the ocean, ask them what the most interesting thing is that they learned, what sea creature is the most fascinating, or what type of creatures they think live at the bottom of the ocean. By asking the right questions, you can boost their interest, make them more excited to learn and discuss with you, and show them you are interested in what they are learning as well.
When you ask your child about school, try to avoid the basic “how was school today?” or “what did you learn” questions. These don’t inspire them to think or excite them. Instead, try something like “I heard you were learning about animals around the world. Which did you like learning about the best?” This type of question engages them, makes them think about what they learned, and allows them to discuss why they liked one thing more than others.
Have Discussions
Along with asking your kiddo questions about what they are learning, have discussions with them about different things. If you are driving with your child and see something that sparks your own curious thoughts, mention it to them and ask them what they think about it. Discuss the world, the way things work, and have intellectual conversations with your kiddo (ones that they can understand and contribute to). Having these types of discussions with your child can help to stimulate their mind and help them feel as though they have something important to say.
You can also have discussions with them about what they are learning in school. Let’s go back to the example of asking them what animal they like learning about the best. When they answer, start a discussion. Ask them what other animals they learned about, why the specific one caught their attention, share any information that you know about that animal, and have discussions about whatever they are learning. This is a fun way to engage with them and allow them to think and learn more.
Learn With Them
It is true that we learn something new every day, whether we realize it or not. And if you don’t think you learn anything new, children are a great resource for you! Not only can kids teach you fun things that they learned in school, but they also have curious minds. They may look at a duck swimming in a puddle in the middle of winter and wonder how they don’t get cold, while you may just look at a duck and not think twice about it. When your kiddo asks how the duck doesn’t get cold, don’t just shrug it off and say you don’t know. This is an opportunity to learn!
Instead, say “I am not sure, but let’s find out!” and then go home and do research with your kiddo. This will teach your child that even adults don’t know everything, you are constantly learning, and when you show an interest in learning new things, they will be more likely to develop a love for learning as well. This can be a fun way to bond with your child, learn new things, and keep their curious mind at its full potential as they age.
Show Your Own Love For Learning
While learning with your child is a great way to show them that you love learning, you can also demonstrate this by learning on your own. Pick up books that teach you about whatever interests you. Watch documentaries while you prepare dinner. Share interesting facts with your child that you just learned. By setting an example and showing them just how fantastic it is that we can constantly learn new things, you can help them develop a love for learning that will last a lifetime.
Helping your child develop a love for learning is not difficult, just be enthusiastic about learning yourself. And be sure to give them the best start to education possible by enrolling them at Growing Kids Learning Centers! We have locations throughout Indiana, allowing you to find a location close to home. Contact us today to learn more and start following these tips!
