How to Motivate Kids With Learning Disorders
Motivating kids with learning disorders can be a tough job - as if it wasn't hard enough to motivate your kids to study for school and their exams! It can be hard to inspire kids who have learning difficulties - I know because my daughter has dyslexia and my son has severe reading difficulties.
Sometimes I get so frustrated I feel like I'm ready to burst! And then again it can be sad, because it hurts seeing my childrens self esteem sink because they're comparing themselves to others.
Luckily, there are a lot of ways you can motivate kids with learning disorders to continue learning - and keep yourself in check.
Here I have summarized 4 key points that have helped me, and my kids, to put the fun back into it.
1.
Don't stigmatize Your kid probably already feels bad enough falling behind in school - they don't need you to make them feel even worse.
Instead, take the opposite approach: be understanding, emphasise, and make your children feel good about the milestones they do achieve.
Once they start associating positive feelings to the learning experience despite their learning disorder, they will be much more likely to continue.
2.
Make learning fun Kids like doing things that are fun, and will avoid things that they think aren't fun.
Your role is to link what they think is fun with what you want them to do: reading, writing, counting, etc.
Whether you practice counting or multiplying while playing soccer, or whether Barbie is reading a book, there are many easy ways to link what your kids need to learn with what they do for fun.
3.
Provide resources It's not surprising that many kids have reading difficulties when their parents have only a few books at home.
Children crave variety, so offer them as many resources as you can.
Take them to local library events, buy some interesting books at the flee market or book fair, or be creative and make up your own stories - together with your kids.
The key is to provide resources and interesting options so your kids don't get bored of learning.
4.
Determine what kind of learner your kid is In essence, there are several different types of learners: visual, auditory and kinaesthetic.
Each learning type has different preferences and strengths.
While some people prefer to see things, others prefer to hear things, and others again prefer to physical practice them.
Knowing what kind of learner your kid is can dramatically increase their progress, by simply adapting their learning strategies.
Considering these points when helping your children with their school work and supporting their educational difference, will make a valuable difference in their learning progress.
Sometimes I get so frustrated I feel like I'm ready to burst! And then again it can be sad, because it hurts seeing my childrens self esteem sink because they're comparing themselves to others.
Luckily, there are a lot of ways you can motivate kids with learning disorders to continue learning - and keep yourself in check.
Here I have summarized 4 key points that have helped me, and my kids, to put the fun back into it.
1.
Don't stigmatize Your kid probably already feels bad enough falling behind in school - they don't need you to make them feel even worse.
Instead, take the opposite approach: be understanding, emphasise, and make your children feel good about the milestones they do achieve.
Once they start associating positive feelings to the learning experience despite their learning disorder, they will be much more likely to continue.
2.
Make learning fun Kids like doing things that are fun, and will avoid things that they think aren't fun.
Your role is to link what they think is fun with what you want them to do: reading, writing, counting, etc.
Whether you practice counting or multiplying while playing soccer, or whether Barbie is reading a book, there are many easy ways to link what your kids need to learn with what they do for fun.
3.
Provide resources It's not surprising that many kids have reading difficulties when their parents have only a few books at home.
Children crave variety, so offer them as many resources as you can.
Take them to local library events, buy some interesting books at the flee market or book fair, or be creative and make up your own stories - together with your kids.
The key is to provide resources and interesting options so your kids don't get bored of learning.
4.
Determine what kind of learner your kid is In essence, there are several different types of learners: visual, auditory and kinaesthetic.
Each learning type has different preferences and strengths.
While some people prefer to see things, others prefer to hear things, and others again prefer to physical practice them.
Knowing what kind of learner your kid is can dramatically increase their progress, by simply adapting their learning strategies.
Considering these points when helping your children with their school work and supporting their educational difference, will make a valuable difference in their learning progress.