Motivating children through their learning preferences

Breakthrough Education

By HENRY S. TENEDERO

October 6, 2011, 4:20am

MANILA, Philippines — Learning is critically influenced by learner motivation. All teachers want to have motivated learners in their classroom.

Psychologists have identified two types of motivation: extrinsic and intrinsic.

Extrinsic motivation results from using positive rewards to achieve a target behavior.

Teachers can influence the students' determination to succeed through their behavior and statements.

Intrinsic motivation is when parents and teachers use encouraging statements that reflect an honest evaluation of learner performance. This is done by:

• Recognizing children’s accomplishment.
• Attributing their achievement to internal rather than external factors.
• Providing feedback to them about strategies they use and instructions on how to improve them.
• Helping them set realistic goals.
• Refraining from grouping them according to their ability.

LEARNING CAN’T BE RUSHED

Learning is a complex mind activity that cannot be rushed. People must practice a great deal for them to become experts in a particular area.

The reading and writing skills of adolescents relate to the number of hours they have spent reading and writing. Children from disadvantaged environments who have fewer opportunities to learn and who miss school because of work or illness cannot be expected to do as well at school as children who have more time to practice and acquire information.

Children need to be exposed to learning situations, preferably at an early age. Here are some recommendations.

• Increase the amount of time children spend on learning in the classroom.
• Give them learning tasks consistent with what they already know.
• Give them time to understand new information.
• Help them engage in deliberate practice that includes active thinking and monitoring of their own learning.
• Give them access to books so that they can practice reading at home.
• Be in touch with their parents so that they, too, will learn how to provide richer educational experiences for their children.

The following are recommendations for creating the best learning environment for children, while recognizing differences and preferences:

• Learn to assess each child's knowledge, strategies and modes of learning.
• Introduce them to a wide range of materials, activities, and learning tasks.
• Guide and challenge their thinking and learning.
• Urge them to test hypothesis in a variety of ways.
• With them, create connections to the real world by introducing problems drawn from every day situations.
• Show them how they can use their unique intelligence profiles to solve real world problems.
• Create situations for them to interact with the community, particularly the adults, who are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about things which interest students.

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