Just getting the attention of a high spirited child can be a challenge of a life time but being able to keep that child’s attention is the true trick to helping them spark their imagination in a sense that learning will be a fun and rewarding experience. Learning should never be confined strictly between the four walls of a learning facility. It should be engrained in a child’s every day activities but far too often the mundane tasks of educating a child are left solely up to the assigned teacher. It’s vital that learning be a partnership between a child, their teacher, their social network and their parents. If a child has this partnership they will surely be set up to succeed in a world that demands more out of them at a younger and younger age! Once this bond is formed you’ll see your child learn in exponential ways that you likely thought wasn’t possible.
Now, let’s get back to the task at hand. You want to be a partner in your child’s learning but you have a hard enough time getting their attention long enough to eat dinner or to take a bath! How on earth are you going to get them focused enough to learn? Here is the fun part! Structured learning events with parents should be at a minimum as this is the primary function of the teacher. A child must learn how to function in a highly structured environment in order to function properly in socially when they are in their adult years. Again, this should not be your primary focus when engaging in learning exercises.
Because of this, you can utilize several techniques to keep (or not keep) your child’s attention. Many people have found great success in role-playing with their children. A lot can be learned by playing pirates! As your child is busy searching for lost treasure it you’re responsibility to fill their heads with the occasional fact or history lesson as you wander around the island with them searching for that lost gold! Don’t forget to get lost in time with them. This will not only help you with building educational bonds with your child, it will also help foster an emotional bond with your child that will last through your entire lives. Utilizing visual stimuli is a great way to use playtime as a learning tool. Playmobil Toys for example has a large product line of toys that can be used to spark the imagination and turn playtime into learning time for your child. Getting down on the floor and holding discussions with your child as you play will encourage the thought process, question asking and will have an end result of a stimulated child.
Helene Goldnadel is of the view no matter what method you choose to interact with your child it’s important that you participate in the educational process to ensure your values are being instilled into your child and that they feel you have a vested interest in their development. Who knows you just might learn from them along the way!
