Many school children do not like learning – studying books is a secondary matter to them. I have studied many children who do not perform well in class and their characteristics. As a matter of fact, this happens because the child lacks guidance and motivation. To ensure that your child whom you think he/she s lazy becomes a bookworm, there are certain factors you as a parent need to consider. Let’s consider the following;
Let the child know the reason why he/she needs to study. Let the child know the essence or importance of studying. Tell them that they will get much better grades in school if they learn hard. In a scenario, ask them “how he/she will feel if he/she gets a big red F in a test because he/she did not study?”. When your child says they would be sad about it, ask them what it would feel like to get an A. An older child at the junior high and senior high level can be told that they will have better opportunities for jobs if they pass important exams with good grades.
Buy some educational books relevant to the age of your child. Stock the child’s room with books and encourage him/her to look through or read them every day. Monitoring and supervision should be employed in order to stretch your child when it comes to learning. However, help the child whenever he/she is studying. Make it known to him/her that you will always be available to help whenever he/she is learning.
Surprise your child with some of their favorites. It can be edible products such as biscuits, cake, soft drinks, and many others. Moreover, a child who develops the habit of learning can be given a surprising treat by the parents to serve as a means of motivation. Also, surprising or promising them with nice dresses can also form part of the reward system. In all, parents need not to be too strict.
I would suggest you use television as a reward and motivation. For example, tell him he can watch a 40-minute Television show after reading a book for 40 minutes. Let him/her understand that If he/she does not read, he doesn’t get the TV time. with respect to this, make sure the necessary books are supplied and it should be books that he/she is interested in. You can sometimes go along him/her to the library or book store and let him a book him/herself
