Ways Your Child Learns Outside the Classroom -Learning Strategies for Your Reluctant Child

If your child has lost interest in learning, you’ll be concerned to find ways around this issue. While teachers may be trying different tactics with accommodations, they will have many other children to see to as well, besides which, your child may not respond to their teacher at all. Rest assured that you are not alone in your predicament, alienation from schooling being a common problem, but fortunately, there are many ways to sustain basic learning while the problem lasts. Here are five great ways to keep your child on the learning curve and help turn their attitude around:

1. Ways your child learns with Lightly educational games

Play games with your child involving words, numbers, logical thinking or other key skills. Encourage them to play these games with their friends and siblings, too, for further development. While keeping the games fun and relaxed, you can support their learning without actually teaching them. Where score-keeping is required, put them in charge, with a helping hand if needed. With word games, such as “Scrabble” or “Banana Game”, be generous with hints and encouragement, and resist correcting their spelling too much, ensuring they win the contest sometimes and experience that can-do feeling.

2.  Internet exploration

If your child enjoys using computers, make the most of their hi-tech interests to boost their learning. Introduce them to child-friendly sites with content that will engage their interest and stretch their knowledge, such as interactive maps and charts, wildlife blogs, language-teaching games, and dramatic historical events. They’ll stay hooked all the longer if you can spare the time to look over their shoulder now and again to show an interest in their discoveries. But remember to keep a back seat and let them lead the way.

3.  Informative videos

There’s nothing like a short, pacey video for holding a child’s attention. If the topic and pitch are right for them, and there’s plenty of action to enjoy, they will listen up without any encouragement, absorbing facts and ideas as they watch. Check out what’s available on YouTube and other channels, and select one or two each day for your child’s entertainment. Ask them about the film afterwards to consolidate their learning, ideally opening a casual discussion on the topic. This will help them clarify their thoughts and put them into words, developing their communication skills.

4.  Projects

If your child is skipping school, keep them busy with interesting projects. One day you might ask them to cook the dinner, with help as needed, or at least to set the table ready, with an attractive table center and place name labels. On another day, you might ask your child to catalogue your books or CDs, using their own methods, or suggest they make a collage to brighten a wall.

Time permitting, take your child for nature walks or explore the local town together. Help them look up points of interest afterwards, for more information.  If these activities don’t appeal, present a super-exciting one like listening out for owls and other nocturnal creatures after their normal bedtime, or even camping outside on a fine night, with all the planning and list-making that would involve. Try to involve a little reading or writing with each project, to keep up their literacy skills, but if they resist, don’t push it.

5.  Subtle teaching

If your child refuses to read, don’t insist, or they’ll probably dig their heels in even deeper. But you might ask for their help in checking the ingredients on a food product or the instructions for an appliance. They’d probably be happy to check the weather forecast, too, and the TV schedule and many other bits and pieces. This way, they’ll develop their reading skills without even noticing.

As for longer texts, such as stories and novels, you could play recordings of them for background listening while your child plays, then discuss the content casually at snack time. You may be surprised how much of it they’ve taken in.  Do similar subtle teaching with math, science and other subjects, feeding their receptive brain without any formal teaching.

With quality activities and slick interventions like these, you can nurture your child’s natural appetite for information, keeping their learning on track while they play. As their interest in the world blossoms and their skills firm up, they’ll feel ready for school lessons again.  Meanwhile, there’s nothing like parent power to keep a child on board.