5 ways to get your child excited about learning

Whether you're wanting to foster your preschooler's insatiable curiosity or trying to engage a distracted tween, here's how to encourage enthusiasm for learning amongst children of all ages.

1. Follow their lead

When it comes to teaching children new things, it can be tempting to assume it's all about parents sharing valuable information with their kids, but Derek McCormack, director of the Raising Children Network, says the real magic often comes from listening.

"Parents know their children so well ¨C often better than anyone else ¨C so they're in a great position to understand what interests the child," he explains.

"Listening and being able to connect with your child about what they think is interesting at the moment [is so valuable]."

Even if their interest is waning in history or algebra, by taking time to invest in their particular interests outside of school, you might help bolster their general curiosity to learn.

"You might know that a movie or video game or other experience has fascinated them and [you can] try to make a connection between that and something they are doing at school that they may not have noticed," McCormack points out.

"Children will also take cues when they see you interested or fascinated by something so if their interest is waning, you might simply say, 'I think that's fascinating' [to] stoke their curiosity."

2. Ask clever questions

Most parents will recall asking "how was school today?" only to be met with a monosyllabic "fine." in response.

If your child is less-than-forthcoming about their day or even seems blas¨¦ or ambivalent around school, then McCormack calls for some more targeted, open-ended questions that are more likely to offer some clues about what's piquing their interest.

"You want to talk with your child in a gentle way so you're not interrogating them, but asking what was interesting or a good part of the day. Then you'll start to see what your child is hooking onto and you can bring that information back when you talk again," he says.

"You might ask them one day, 'which lesson did you like best today?' or, 'who did you hang out with at recess?' Or you could even get them to go through the day's periods or lessons and quickly rank them or give a reflection of what was best and what was least interesting so that they have more to say than simply 'good' or 'bad'."

3.?Let tech help

From Reading Eggs to Prodigy, there are thousands of fantastic apps for bringing some fun interactivity into learning for tech-hungry kids. And with portable devices ¨C such as the?Samsung Tab S7?FE, complete with?12.4"?screen and?the S Pen included?¨C they're so simple to access.

"Screens and technology are great tools for education," McCormack says.

"They offer many opportunities and positive [experiences], as well as some potential negatives. Parents need to focus on what's happening in the use of the technology ¨C it might be the child is socialising, or creating or learning."

Using screens for entertainment and some frivolous fun is fine too, provided it's in balance.

"Of course you want to balance screen time with non-screen time because of the benefits of having different kinds of activities throughout the day," McCormack adds.

4. Let the real world be your guide

Sometimes school lessons can seem abstract or even pointless to children struggling to see how learning their times tables or science theories are relevant to the real world.

But McCormack says parents can help their kids engage with school lessons by looking for opportunities to use those learnings in everyday life situations.

"Whether it's a foreign holiday or a trip to the local store, there are learning opportunities moment-to-moment," he says.

"You might be using the catalogue from the store or the receipt to talk about what you're buying and what it's costing, or you might be on holiday talking about how the food is different and [sparking] curiosity around why food is different in different places."

5. Give high fives

Whether you notice your child counting their blocks or sitting down with an educational app, try to make a point of commending them when they take a positive learning step.

"Rather than bribing, such as 'I'll give you this if you do this' [try] encouraging the behaviours that you would like your child to be doing, by praising them when they do it," McCormack says.

"If you notice they're doing their homework, then you might say, 'Well done, you've done some homework so now we can have some TV time', which is [providing] a positive consequence after something good happens."

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