Getting Your Child Motivated for This School Year: Tips From Teachers in the Trenches Tips for Parents Know your child. Get to know what motivates your child. Pay attention to what he wants. Encourage him to communicate and share what he likes. And remember to ask hi what the reasoning is behind his desires. Start small. Start with small rewards. Increase the incentives as your child’s effort increases. When a child sees the results of her effort build little by little, she learns the power of working toward a goal. Be flexible. Put some thought into your chosen rewards. Some ideas might work better than others. But recognize it can take a little trial and error to determine the best motivators for your child. Ask for input. Discuss options with your child and let him have input. But remember, you can help pick what you deem appropriate. For example, if there is a problem with something your child suggests as a reward, like a gooey toy that will end up sticking to the back seat of the car, see if you can find an alternative, like a squishy ball that still has tactile rewards without the mess. Mix it up. The novelty of a reward can wear off. Be creative and mix it up. Celebrate their success. Talk with your child about how hard she is working and celebrate her success. Make sure she fully understands the reasoning behind a reward. Reinforce the “I did it!” feeling. Praise her for her efforts. And help her notice the intrinsic rewards achieved in the process. Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic Motivation. As parents, it is good to understand that there are two main types of motivation, intrinsic and extrinsic. When a student is intrinsically motivated, he participates in an activity for the pure joy of learning or interest in the topic. When a student is extrinsically motivated, he is doing an activity in order to get a tangible reward, avoid a punishment, or to receive a high grade. Source: ncld.org/ld-insights/blogs/tips-school-motivation-teachers?utm_source=standalone_september_14_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=weekendblog
Posted on: Sun, 15 Sep 2013 23:35:35 +0000
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