By Gavin Mackintosh-
Parents should use kids interest to motivate them to read during this lockdown period. Many children are at home spending all their time watching television or engaging with technological gadgets. Lots of children will just want to eat and play during this lockdown. They often do not know any better.
Parents must not forget that they are key players in the development of their child’s character, confidence, and academic development. All children look up to them for guidance, even if subconsciously. Parents need to spend more time reading with their children and investing in them during this period. The importance of parents who read regularly to their children and seize every opportunity to improve their learning is very crucial.
Using a child’s interest to motivate them is one way this can be effective, according to education experts. Duncan Quirk, a researcher and education consultant for Best Schools Uk, who advises on the best private schools for children of fee paying parents, has some advice for all parents during the pandemic period. He told The Eye Of Media.Com that keying into the interests of children is and using this as a way to inspire them to read is a helpful way to motivate children.
He said:
” if your know your child likes robots or films, get him or her a book about robots and films, and ask them to read it and give you some feedback. You can read with them so that they feel you are apart of what they are interested in. They are more likely to learn more if they read something they enjoy and reminded of the benefits” . Whilst many parents are allowing their children to stay idle at home, private schools and good schools are conducting online lessons for their pupils. Getting school students to read at home is not always easy, depending on the child , but parents mus tplay their role.
The problem is that many parents themselves do not appreciate the benefits of reading and never have. It becomes too much of a challenge for such parents to now spend time reading to their children. Parents who appreciate the importance of stimulating their children through reading and participatory reading are not that many . Many parents in the western world are so preoccupied with their careers and relationships that they tend to forget or dismiss the importance of stimulating children through regular inspiration.
Research shows that children with parents who read to them from a young age usually enjoy faster mental development than parents who leave it to schools to develop an interest in reading.. Uninspired children lag behind children whose parents read to their children and explain new words to help build their vocabulary.
Too many parents simply lack the drive and ideas to make the highest contribution they can to their children’s lives. The education level of parents themselves often influence their motivation and direction to constantly influence their children. Educated parents are also in many cases ignorant of the importance of inspiring their children especially where the parents are constantly busy and struggle to prioritise.
Some parents are lucky to have their children in schools where they are taught and motivated very well, but those schools cannot always be trusted to bring the best out of every child. The investment of parents in their children is absolutely priceless and needs to begin from an early age. Parents need to catch their children as early as six years old or even younger. It would usually have been left late by the time they are ten years of age.