Whether you’re a parent or a teacher who wants their kids or students to actively participate in the learning process, you are always looking for ways to do so. As you know the attention span of children is quite less as compared to adults. Children lose interest faster if the topic doesn’t appeal to them. There are various strategies you can follow to give an improved learning experience to the kids. Keeping them engaged gets really challenging even If you provide them with excellent quality content. In order to grab their attention, some serious work is needed.
Mostly creative approach is needed from kindergarten kids till children reach 8th Grade. As after that, they understand how to do their lessons very well and study on their own. Below are some of the ways in which you can spark interest in children and engage them in learning process.
In What Ways You Can Actively Engage Children In Learning Process?
It is important to provide positive environment during learning for students, as it can have a huge impact on them. Assure them that their doubts will be acknowledged and their active participation will be rewarded. If you wish to have a quality time teaching young kids then you must encourage healthy competition and avoid setting them up for a task which is far beyond their abilities, which will only upset them. Use games and problem solving activities and make the learning session interactive and interesting.
Below are some tips which help in actively engaging kids from kindergarten to Grade 8 in learning:
7 Ways to Actively Engage K8 Kids in Learning
Provide Them With Opportunity
One way to engage children is to expose them to opportunities that allow them to engage with what is going around them. When they discover new things on their own, they find interest in learning. Self exploration leads them to show active participation in any activity. It could be as simple as building some art and craft or creating something from the scratch.
Give Clear Instructions
Children often get nervous and anxious when asked to do a task about which they have little or no idea. So it’s up to you to explain to them the step by step process and give clear instructions on the task you’re asking them to do. This helps in clearing confusion about the way they’re supposed to perform the task. Also be sure to check and give them proper feedback on their work.
Respect Their Abilities
If you want the children to gain confidence in their abilities, then you must also respect their abilities when they learn new things. Whenever they try something new do not push them too hard or threaten them saying that they’re a loser if they can’t achieve certain results. As this will have a negative impact on the child’s brain and will stop him from performing the work ever again.
Instead let them explore what works best for them and encourage them while respecting the amount of work they can manage to do. While you’re testing them, do not deliberately set tasks which you know they won’t be able to perform or will fail. This will disengage them and they will feel demotivated. Promote healthy competition and let children thrive in their own talent and explore different strategies until they find which works best in their favour.
Encourage Them
When you encourage young children, it boosts their learning skills as they feel a sense of achievement and strive to do better. It is important that you encourage children to complete their tasks independently. As when they perform their work without assistance they get raised as independent learners.
If they have the opportunity to experiment and explore on their own, it gives them a sense of ownership in their work and this leads them to feel like they can make positive decisions for themselves. So provide them with proper feedback and encourage them, without getting too involved in the process. Uplift them to do their work on their own.
Try Brainstorming
When you try brainstorming with the kids on a topic or problem during learning, their intellectual power increases. This simple activity makes it interesting for them as it gives them a sense of control over what’s happening. This makes them feel like they have ownership over their education and are able to understand concepts better. They feel accomplished which leads to development of confidence in them. While you brainstorm it allows multiple perspectives to exist and this helps the children by ensuring them all possibilities are covered and they don’t feel left behind.
Turn It Into A Game
The best way to engage the attention of children is by playing a game. Now playing a game doesn’t necessarily mean getting out in the ground and running in circles. It means engaging them by saying something as simple as “Let’s see how quick we can do this!” Or a simply playful sentence such as “Let’s see who can do it first!” This will grants children’s full attention as they are always ready to participate in a friendly competition. This also gives them a chance to show their skills and how better they can perform. So in order to bring out the best in them, just try a little challenge and they will accept it with enthusiasm.
Colour Their Imagination
Children tend to have a very colourful and active imagination and therefore, anything that is colourful seems to catch their attention sooner than anything else! Visuals which are colourful help children to engage in their activity. For example young children will find storybooks with plenty of pictures and colours more attractive than plain boring textbooks. You can use posters, flash cards and drawings to engage them and keep their attention in the learning process.
References:
orchidsinternationalschool.com/blog/child-learning/engage-children-in-learning
wehavekids.com/parenting/how-to-engage-children
edsys.in/tips-keep-students-engaged-classroom
