Fostering Interest in Studying: What can a Parent do?

“Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.” - Maya Angelou

It is tough to be a parent. The tremendous work pressure that you combat combined with the increasing needs of your child can exhaust you. To inculcate interest in studying habits in your child, you need to be a willing Mom and Dad. Nothing helps a child succeed more than an involved parent. It is crucial to provide consistent support to enhance your child’s confidence. The four distinct roles that a parent can play in their child’s life are: Supporter, Friend, Teacher and Enforcer. Additionally, children should be provided with a positive home learning environment conducive to studying.

Be a Supporter

“So mothers everywhere take heart. The indoctrination you administer now may have unanticipated positive effects years later.” - Robert B. Laughlin

It is very essential that you don’t berate your child when he or she doesn’t do well, and equally important to applaud the smallest of achievements. Real learning is not based on rewards, but on the value that a child places on the process itself.

Be a Friend

Try to get to the root of the problem that your child might be facing in school. Sometimes he is not looking for a solution from you but just a sympathetic ear. With none to confide in, your child will suffer from additional stress that can hurt his self-esteem and motivation. Listening respectfully to your child’s concerns is often a major confidence booster all by itself. If you take your child seriously, he is more likely to be serious about his education.

Be a Teacher

It is a bit too much to expect a schoolteacher to address the individual needs of every child. Well, this is where you can step in. Set a time during the day when you are available. Just the mere presence of an available and enthusiastic parent will boost the level of confidence in your child. If you feel your child needs extra help in the form of tutoring, be actively involved in the selection of the tutor or tutoring service. This is as important a decision as the selection of a nanny for a small child.

Be the Enforcer

“Discipline is based on pride, on meticulous attention to details, and on mutual respect and confidence. Discipline must be a habit so ingrained that it is stronger than the excitement of the goal or the fear of failure.” - Gary Ryan Blair

You don’t need to be a jailer but you need to be tough. Enforcing discipline in advance helps your child set and keep schedules. A little firmness will teach your child vital self-management skills.

Creating a Positive Home Learning Environment

It is very important to create a workplace for your child where she can either study or even write a letter. With a familiar and reliable place the child will have an environment which will enhance her skills. A place that she can call her own will ensure that she won’t have to clean everything that she uses when she gets to the end of a study session.

Although areas with large table space like the kitchen or dining room are great for larger projects they are generally in the center of a house, resulting in potential distractions not conducive to proper learning.

A good study desk and a comfortable chair, with a good lighting system ensure that the child will be able to sit for a reasonable amount of time without getting fatigued. Shelves and drawers are important for organization and preventing clutter on the desk.

Keeping things in order is a good practice to inculcate. Ownership is very important for self-respect. A child who is able to organize her space will carry it to every facet of her life. It is essential to make the child understand that the workplace is personal yet not an extension of the playroom. Being a role model in keeping the house organized will also make the child responsible for her place.

About the Author

Anu Bhave is the founder and President of tutorNEXT - an online tutoring and homework help firm that provides very high-quality personalized, convenient, yet highly affordable supplementary education services to K-12 and college students.