Greendigo’s Little Learners Club

As a parent, you might wonder, “where did my little one’s love of learning go?”

The transition from infancy to early childhood brings about many changes, one of which is a diminishing appetite for learning.

This isn’t a blanket statement, though; your child could still have a healthy curiosity and thirst for knowledge.

If that’s the case, great!

However, it’s natural for that innate joy and passion to discover the world to take a backseat.

With homework, assessments and regimental school rules, it gets hard to see the magic.

And your little one could go from soaking up facts like a sponge to having selective memory and tunnel like vision.

So, what do you do?

How do you transform the connotation of learning from ‘boring’ and ‘stressful’ to ‘fun-fun-fun’?

Greendigo believes that this love can be rekindled with a few simple yet tactful strategies.

Understand your child’s unique learning curve

Learning is done best when it’s aligned to one’s style and pace. This does not mean you discourage your child from finishing their homework on time. It simply means you make the effort to understand what their needs and requirements are. Every child is different. While some are receptive to words, others learn best with visuals.

Let them learn by ‘doing’

Rather than explaining a concept to them, why not show them, and have them take a crack at it? Wherever hands-on learning is relevant, try and apply it. For instance, science can be made an interactive affair through experiments. Environmental studies can be made exciting by simply taking a simple walk around the block!

Make learning a lifelong concept

It’s important to try and change the mindset at home from “learning is done in school” to “learning happens everywhere”. Make learning a natural, necessary practice. Use everyday instances to create a moment of learning for your little one. For instance, explaining the concept of condensation using a foggy bathroom mirror.

Help them discover their passions and interests

What better way to inculcate a fascination for learning than by mapping it to your child’s dreams and aspirations? Start of with a simple question like, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Once you’ve got the answer, source content on that topic. It could be in the form books, movies, podcasts, and more.

Gamify the learning experience

From classic and engaging board games, to state-of-the-art virtual reality simulations, there are so many ways to make learning fun. Think of how they do it at a theme park for kids. Only, you can mimic this on a much smaller and cost-effective scale. Puzzles are a good place to begin.

Create a reward system

Have you heard of the concept of positive reinforcement? When kids are rewarded after exhibiting favourable behaviour, they are more likely to repeat those actions. You can create a point system like they do so in game shows. Points can be redeemed for certain privileges like movie time.

Make sure to allow your child the opportunity to ask questions.

What’s more, be supportive and encouraging.

Let them make mistakes, it’s a vital part of the process.

And lead by example, they’ll look up to you for cues.