Learning is not an overnight process. Children have a long way to go to discover their fullest potentials. And, if you’re wondering if there are some ways you can help your child to learn faster, then luckily, you are in for something new and significant steps to achieve that or visit Newtonshow kids camp in Singapore. In this article, we are going to delve deeper into some of the ways your children can study smart and ace straight As! You may never know if you have a little Einstein in your kid!
Introduce Music Lessons to Your Kids
Signing your kids up for music lessons is an integral way of developing their cognitive and socio-emotional development. One of the best ways to do this is to teach them how to navigate and learn any musical instruments. In this way, you are improving your child’s ability to concentrate, develop their muscle memory, and strengthen their short-term memories as well. All of these factors add up to an increase in the academic performance of a child.
According to a five-year study by neuroscientists at the University of Southern California, music instruction accelerates brain development in children at a faster rate. The areas of the brain that process sound, language development, speech, perception, and reading skills have been amplified through music instruction. Now that could be the right time to invest in teaching musical instruments to your kids!
Sign Your Kids Up to Play Sports
There is this notion that when parents sign their kids up to play sports, they are in turn signing them up to a course of distraction in their academic performance. Intuitively, most parents have this mindset that sports can be a hindrance in keeping their kids focused on their academic endeavors. But, research studies have the opposite say about that.
In fact, sports increase the child’s ability to be active, sleep better, and even keep them mentally sharp and adept. When there is an increased level of physical activity practiced on children, it is directly related to their academic performance especially in the areas of math, reading, and memory retention. And, we can’t exclude the fact that sports foster teamwork and cooperation in kids at a very young age.
Give Them Enough Good Sleep and Rest
Burning that midnight candle can have various repercussions on the mental health, emotional well-being, and wellness of kids in general. All that A+ grades and high academic standing in school are in vain if your kids are not getting the appropriate amount of sleep that they need to function well. Thus, it is essential that you create a strict sleep schedule wherein your kids can get an 8-hour of sleep every day.
Studies have backed it up that reducing sleep among kids may disrupt their ability to concentrate for longer periods of time. And, sometimes, kids can even forget what have they learned in class. According to some studies, children who lack sleep are more likely to find it difficult in articulating their thoughts, problems solving in Math, and inhibit their social behavior. If you want your kids to maximize their fullest potentials, give them a strict bedtime every night.
Create a Fun Learning Environment
One of the things that kids love is games! Any game that will catch their attention and hook them up to a class discussion will surely get them excited to learn and discover something new and fun. For example, if you are teaching them how to add and subtract numbers, you can think of a creative situation where they can apply simple addition and subtraction.
One way to do this is by role-playing. You can be the shopkeeper while your kid can be the cashier. Your kid will surely work it out in giving the correct change. Integrating games into the child’s learning process is crucial in keeping them interested in the topic. When kids are having fun while learning, information is retained in the long term.
Develop Memory Strategies
It is an outright fact that some kids are pressured while taking an exam which in turn, they kept forgetting what they have learned or memorized about the topic. Essentially, this kind of scenario can be remedied by teaching kids some simple hacks in learning and memorizing. One of these hacks is by using mnemonics. Just let your kids learn that every first letter of a word stands for a concept.
Another simple memory strategy is by integrating rhythm into their memorization. Kids would love it if you try to integrate musical rhymes of tunes that they can associate with a concept or idea. In this way, you are developing their abilities to retain long-term information. Just don’t stress this out. Make studying and learning fun with kids!
Integrate Learning Concepts and Frameworks
To further allow your kids to learn and study smart, it is effective to integrate learning concepts and frameworks. It’s like you are testing a theory in real life. One of the most effective frameworks in child psychology and educational psychology is Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development. So, how does this framework helps your kids?
ZPD is a theory wherein there is scaffolding to a child’s learning process. The person in charge of scaffolding could be a teacher in a school or a parent at home. Essentially, a person who can teach and guide a child’s learning journey. Over time, the scaffold is gradually removed from the process and the child is left to independently work things out. As such, learning independence is fostered among kids.
Make Sure That Your Kids Are with the Right Social Niche
If your kids hang out with the right social niche or group of friends, then it can directly impact their academic performance. For kids, developing friendships is a key factor in growing up and establishing deep connections. There is this study from Dartmouth that shows how poor-performing students improve their academic performance when they’ve started hanging out with high-achieving students. Those poor-performing students are inspired to also hustle and learn more to achieve their academic best.
Allow Your Kids to Make Mistakes
Most kids avoid doing something new in class because they are afraid of failing and eventually, they are afraid of risking and trying new things out. Essentially, this fear of failure is a hindrance that blocks the kid’s ability to progress and improve. As such, if kids are imbued with the value that mistakes are learning opportunities, they’ll likely participate and actively try new things out. Once they make a mistake, calmly correct and give them feedback as this learning experience will leave an imprint in their minds.
Build Self-Confidence First
Most of the smart kids are confident enough to know that they are indeed smart and talented! It’s that simple: when you are building your kid’s confidence first, you instill the value of a growth mindset. Self-confidence is manifested in how kids perform in school and join any activity that they are interested to try. When kids are secure about their capabilities and skills, they’ll likely portray this inner confidence by performing excellently.
Give Positive Reinforcement Through Rewards
It is undeniable that kids love treats and rewards! It’s just how they perceive these rewards as signs that they are doing something good and great. If your child manages to achieve that A+ grade in Math, they’ll likely expect a treat or a reward by allowing them to eat their favorite junk food. And, there’s ample research that shows how rewards directly affect a child’s academic performance.
B.F. Skinner proposes the concept of positive reinforcement. Simply, an individual functions base on some consequences. Now, if your child knows that you’ll give them a reward if they did something great in school, then it is likely that they will perform well in class. And, compliment them for their great job!
Final Thoughts
All of these strategies and ways to help your kids learn faster are not a one-size-fits-all method. Some parents may choose a different route while some would love to give these strategies a try. Before doing one of these steps in helping your kids be smarter and active in class, make sure that you two talk things out first. Remember, learning is not an overnight process. Each step is essential to build a kid’s fun learning journey.
This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or the management of EconoTimes