Awaken their taste for learning

The child’s attitude to school directly depends on what feelings we ourselves have associated with the school. Maybe we have not got rid of the childhood fear of her, or are we afraid of new requirements that “in our time” did not exist?

“Children feel it with their skin,” says Elena Morozova, a child clinical psychologist. And they understand: if mom is already afraid, then I should be even more afraid. So we involuntarily let the child understand that learning is a very difficult and complex process that does not bring any joy.

It is worth thinking about your own views, says writer and teacher of literature Alexander Zakurenko. For example, how do you answer the question why do you need a school at all? “Modern parents tend to think that school is just a means to enter a university. It turns out that these 11 years are not important in themselves. This is how we kill the meaning of learning. After all, study is much broader than school and is meaningful in itself, regardless of whether it has a goal,” emphasizes the teacher.

At the same time, education should not be a means of self-affirmation of parents, who unconsciously expect their child to succeed where they themselves were not very successful. Or, on the contrary, that he will repeat the achievements of his father and mother. And finally, let us ask ourselves: do we ourselves know the joy of knowledge? Do we love, do we know how to learn, to discover new things?

“The rule is simple: for a child to be interested, it is necessary for parents to be interested, so that their eyes burn,” Alexander Zakurenko is sure.

Lean on what they like

The most important thing is that the child, in principle, discover the joy of knowledge. Not necessarily in connection with school subjects: games, walks, travel, sports, reading, cinema, museums, family conversations can be no less effective. After all, our brain works like a network: we memorize new things and move forward, relying on the information already acquired, tying new information to them. Everything that feeds us intellectually helps us to learn further.

But parents should remember: for the opening to take place, it must be joint. “This means that if we, for example, go to a children’s performance, we do it not because it is useful for the child, but because it is also interesting for us and we really live this time with him,” explains Elena Morozova . – And it is very important to discuss what you see later: what did you like? And why? You can just listen to a small child, talk. An older child would be well encouraged to justify their opinion. So we will help him develop his analysis skills, the ability to defend his position.”

This will be helped by a sincere desire to get acquainted with the inner world of the child, an environment of acceptance, which modern children really lack. No matter how busy you are, no matter how tired, take time every evening to communicate with your child, suggests Alexander Zakurenko: “Try to catch what he is interested in, and even if your interests do not match, switch to his “register”. It takes effort. But otherwise there will be no dialogue.”

It doesn’t have to be about school. Take turns reading aloud, solving puzzles, discussing movies… the list of possibilities is endless. Play billiards, make mock-ups, cook food, go for a bike ride – in between times you can repeat the basics of mathematics, chemistry, natural sciences, physics, geography …

Encourage learning, not just memorization

The school system requires children to master certain knowledge, and academic performance serves as an indicator of this assimilation. Following the school, we too, with our strong concern for the “success” of children and for their future career, focus primarily on external goals embodied in good grades.

“Parents often think for the child, do it for the child and give him a ready-made version. He can only remember and repeat, – Elena Morozova states. – They try to minimize trials, mistakes, overcoming – and deprive the child of independent victories, which in many ways form his interest.! And the ability to take a punch will certainly come in handy for him in adulthood, since we are so worried about his success.

Not every study helps the child to open up, Alexander Zakurenko agrees. “The school requires him to repeat some patterns. And it is good if we manage to take him away from the world of ready-made schemes into the world of free questioning. A person begins to learn only when he begins to ask questions himself. Then he has his own motivation, he is interested in finding the answer. Which will be followed by a new question. I know from experience that you can arouse interest in any subject if you show that it contains riddles. By and large, learning is an adventure of thought. Anyone who has felt it will learn always and everywhere.

Celebrate their successes

In our pedagogy, for a long time it was believed that the main thing is to show the child his mistakes, and then by some miracle he will begin to correct them, says Elena Morozova. “But what kind of pleasure from study can we talk about if he is constantly scolded, dissatisfied with him all the time? He concludes: I am bankrupt! So it is necessary to praise: for every effort, for impulse, for minimal progress.

It is important to understand in what area the child is successful, and to support him in this. “Let’s say he plays football very well. And we, perhaps, are annoyed: it would be better if he excelled in mathematics or literature. But now it is more important to maintain this sense of wealth in him. You can say to him: after all, in football you don’t succeed at everything, but you try and achieve results. So you can do well in your studies.”

But what if we don’t see the positive at all? Elena Morozova suggests keeping a diary for a month, recording what the child has succeeded in, and analyzing these small achievements. Do not forget to rejoice at the same time and praise the child. Of course, no need to go too far. “Gradually, the child will turn on reflection, he will be able to sensibly evaluate himself, not expecting praise and not being afraid to make a mistake,” Alexander Zakurenko reassures parents.

play with words

The role of “guide to the world of words” belongs, first of all, to parents. “We use facilitated speech at the initial stage so that the child can imitate words and learn to speak,” notes Elena Morozova. “But then the parents work proactively to expand and enrich his vocabulary.” Reading aloud, audiotapes, movies can all help.

But best of all, according to Alexander Zakurenko, live speech: “My experience is that you need to talk to a child in the same way as with an adult. Is that to explain the terms that he does not know. When we talk to him, without simplifying our speech, in extended sentences, he begins to think the same way. After all, language structures thinking.

The more varied and vivid the speech that children hear, the better. Play with words, make puns, use every opportunity – books, advertising, the Internet, movies – to enrich their vocabulary, make the language more expressive.

Take care of them

Don’t forget the body. “This is especially important for asthenic, weakened children,” recalls Elena Morozova. “During classes, they are given a 15-minute break every 5 minutes.” It is better to spend it wisely: do exercises or a light massage, drink tea with sugar – glucose stimulates mental activity. The room where the child will do homework needs to be ventilated. Let your child drink regularly: water improves cognitive function. The same applies to fruits, cereals and honey, but not to sweets. Make sure that the child sleeps enough: “With a lack of sleep, the nervous system does not have time to recover, the child becomes lethargic, irritable, and cannot withstand the load.”

Elementary things? Yes, but they are not being watched enough! Do not forget about sports and outdoor games. Before starting the lessons, it is useful to take a few shallow breaths in and out with the stomach, with a hand on the stomach, relax the fingers, neck, do the “rag doll” exercise or color the mandala (coloring books are sold everywhere) – this is both relaxation and concentration at once.

And don’t forget the relationships you have. “Scandals and conflicts over studies will not benefit the child. When both at school and at home everyone only demands something from him, this leads to the exhaustion of the nervous system, school neuroses. Remain a parent for him, not a teacher, urges Elena Morozova. “Help him where it is difficult, show him that you love him.”