A problem with learning at school is sometimes children do not see the link with the world around them or with their goals and dreams.

Learning because you are told to can be hard especially if you don’t see the importance of it.

Help children to see where learning fits into their goals and how it can help them in their world.

Talk about inventors and discoveries and the learning around them.

Link learning to your child’s hobbies, what learning is going on there? What did they have to learn to do their hobby?

Children can often associate the word learning only with school and don’t realise all the fun learning they are doing continually at home and with friends.

Help your child to understand where learning fits into their world.

At home point out when you and your child are learning something new.

If you go for a walk, talk with your child, point out the changing colour of the leaves, the leaves falling on the ground, say what you see then take it one more step…..’I wonder why that happens?’

Explore ideas together. You may have to look up the answer when you can, but talk about possible reasons why.

Be curious with your child, a curious mind is a learning mind.

Having fun learning with a parent makes learning fun! It can establish a curious mind setting the foundations for achievement and enjoying learning at school.

Let your children see you learning something new, show them how to learn, make mistakes and relearn. Be a learning role model.

Talk to your child if you are finding something difficult to understand and what you do …. reread, break instructions down to one step at a time, and ask for help.

Parent question answered by Suzanne Pearson, Psychologist and Director of Sharing Parenting.