Common Reasons Why A Child May Lose Interest In Learning

Children spend a majority of their days learning, whether is be while attending school, being home schooled, or even while in day care. While children are given many opportunities to learn, some are just not motivated or interested. As a child advances through school, they might be faced with certain barriers, pressures, or disinterest that may cause them to start disliking school and even affect other areas of their life. In order to help your child succeed, it is important to understand why they may have developed a disinterested in learning.

Not Enough Challenge

If a child is not feeling challenged, they may begin to lack motivation. This may sometimes be covered up by misbehavior or not completing work that is given to them. If you know your child can do the work, but they have become disinterested in it, this may be the issue. Schools have developed many programs, such as GIfted and Talented, to give these students more challenges in their academics.Of course, some schools may not have these programs, or your child may have not qualified from the tests given to assess ability. There are many things you can do at home, as well. One idea is to communicate with your child’s teacher to find projects that your child can complete at home or after finishing work in school. Or, you can enroll your child into extracurricular activities in the community, such as a STEM club or Robotics. These ideas may help the student feel more of a challenge in other ways than just in the classroom.

Specific School Subjects

Some students may love one subject, but lack complete motivation in another. This can cause the student to push aside classwork, act out during that class time, or get bad grades. Teachers should keep note of this and combine subjects when possible. For example, if a student loves to read, but hates math, they may show more interest if given word problems or stories to do during math class. Or, if a student loves history, but hate science, they may find interest in learning about the history of certain scientists. As a parent, you can do the same thing at home to peak a student’s interest in the subject they might not like. For example, if they are doing math homework, you might try to use different Manipulatives to help peak interest.

Uncomfortable In Learning Environment

Some children may show disinterest because they are uncomfortable in their learning environment. It can be as simple as the temperature not being quite right to the seating. If this is suspected, it is important to figure out what exactly needs to be altered to help the student. Some children may need more lighting or a more open study space. When setting up the learning environment, you need to make sure it meets the needs for the intended students and is comfortable. Adding color, pictures, and artwork to the walls with ensuring a welcoming area. For younger children, variety play materials and Manipulatives need to be available, but not too much that will cause Overstimulation.

Failure To Meet Certain Goals

If a child continuously fails to meet the goals set up for them, they will lose interest in learning. This could be due to the goals being too difficult or hard to measure. It is best to allow the child to participate in creating the goals. This gives them more accountability and they will feel more motivation to reach them. When creating goals, it is vital to make sure they are attainable and in small increments. This can give them a more positive outlook when working toward the goal and increases motivation to keep working. If a child does have difficulty meeting certain goals, it is important to help them stay positive. Rather than focusing on the negative, bring up the positives.

Need For a Different Learning Style

Everyone learns differently. While some children learn in a visual way, others may need to utilize hands on activities to understand certain concepts. If a child is not taught in a way that they can understand, they are going to lose interest. It is important to determine the ways a child learns best and incorporate it into the lessons. Often, children need multiple means of representation, so using a variety of learning styles work best.

Difficulty Expressing What They Know

A child may sometimes lose interest in learning if their assessments do not reflect a positive outlook. Sometimes, students are not able to demonstrate what they know or have learned through traditional tests, such as multiple choice or writing in an answer. In order to properly assess, teachers should give students an opportunity to show what they know through different means of assessments. For example, students might be able to complete a project about the unit they learned or compile a portfolio of all their best work. Another idea allows students to pick from a list of possible assessments so they can choose something of interest.

Learning Disability

Learning disabilities can also be a culprit if a child seems to lose interest in learning. Learning disabilities can come in all shapes and sizes, and they can have multiple effects on a child. If you suspect your child may have a disability, it is important to communicate this with their teachers to ensure that they are appropriately assessed. If they are diagnosed, they can be given a variety of services to help them reach individual goals and achieve their maximum potential. One way to help students overcome certain hurdles, even if they do not have a diagnosed disability, it by using tutoring services for intervention. Services, such as Brisbane Tutor Ateam Tuition, gives students the specific tools they need to succeed and make progress. These services are catered toward individual needs and can give your child the boost they might need to become a lifelong learner and increase their motivation in any subject area.

Children are unique and have different needs as learners. It is up to their academic team, including the families, to create a plan to keep students motivated learners.