ACTIVE listening, reading, writing. As simple as this sounds, it is a constant refrain from teachers : children don’t read. or write or listen critically to what is being done at a particular moment.
So how can you help your child do these things better. How do we get them to turn a laser-like focus on the present moment.
Ask them many questions about what they learned and try to understand and learn it yourself. Make it a dialogue by genuinely being interested in what they learned. This encourages them to explain their learning – which if you are doing this frequently, will encourage them to pay more attention in class.- Reading for pleasure. This builds connections between ideas, critical expression and comprehension.
- encourage writing through calligraphy (as a hobby) or keeping a journal or documenting some project that is useful for you. It is shocking how many students cannot write decently. And before we jump to the argument that “we type everything anyway on computers”, consider the evidence. The act of writing is personal, the feel, touch and connection between hand and thought. Research has demonstrated this link that reinforces learning.
Start today. Active interest (not control or demands or threats) by parents in their children’s life does make a huge difference to their growth.