MN Learning

Keeping the Enthusiasm Going

Yesterday we were talking about how some of our younger students are so excited to come to us for classes.  They can’t wait to get started and they don’t want to leave.  Of course we really like this and the tutors find it fun to work with kids who so enjoy learning.  But we also noticed that this kind of enthusiasm seems to be age related and we were puzzled as to why.

A lot of the students that show great enthusiasm are younger, using in 3rd grade or lower.  The higher you go, the less excited kids seem to become towards learning.  It is not that these kids fall behind or lose interest in learning all together but there is a noticeable shift that does take place.  For some kids, school becomes a job, that is taken serious, the pressures of exams and final grades in high school can often take the fun out of learning.  Or students may find themselves in a school that is not teaching them in a way they really grasp the information or feel engaged with their learning materials.  As parents, this is where you can do the most for your kids to help them achieve remain excited.

Talk to your kids about how they feel about school and what they learn, notice they get excited or just say “yeah, it’s ok.”  That’s a sign your child may not be engaging in their learning process.  Many schools have stopped PE classes or any kind of hands on learning and for some students, sitting at a desk for 6 hours a day listening to lectures, is not their idea of learning.  At parent teacher conferences, ask the teachers about their teaching style, there are many types of teaching styles.  Knowing their teaching style and the learning style of your student, may help you identify were issues may be.

But just knowing styles isn’t enough, engaging kids will help keep them interested.  Every kid is different, engagement helps, which is what we do at WHIZard Academy.