How to Boost a Student’s Motivation in the Classroom and at Home

Motivation is essential for learning. If a child is motivated, they can learn just about anything. And it would be great if every kid had internal motivation that always inspired them to gain knowledge on the topics at hand, but let’s face it, not every student is excited about coming into the classroom each day.

Here are some ways to boost a student’s motivation to learn both at home and in the classroom.

Rewarding for Accomplishments
While you do not want to condition the students to expect rewards every time you ask them to complete a project, it does not hurt to offer them incentives of some sort when they do a superb job on something. 

For instance, in the classroom, top scores on an exam could earn ten minutes of extra time on the classroom computer or bonus time during free reading. The students would love to be your assistant for the day in the younger classrooms.

The same can be done at home, but you can become even more creative. You may reward a child for a job well done by allowing them to choose what dinner will consist of for the night. None of the rewards, in either case, has to be expensive in the least. 

However, be careful when giving out rewards for accomplishments. A child shouldn’t expect to be rewarded for everything that they do. 

Provide Choices
You can increase a student’s motivation by allowing them to make choices. Kids often get assignments issued to them without their input, but if you can provide alternatives and options instead, they will take ownership of the task at hand much better. 

In the classroom, it may be something as simple as allowing them to summarize a book in a variety of ways. They may create a slide presentation, write a one-page summary, create a diorama, or make a verbal presentation to the class.

At home, again, provide them alternatives. They may take out the garbage, wash the dishes, mow the lawn, or clean the floors for household chores. 

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Students can feel overwhelmed or nervous when tackling school work on their own. This usually ends with them not providing their best effort in return. However, if matched up with the right student or two, the right team can achieve success for virtually any subject. 

The same can be said for tasks at home. If your child needs a hand to become successful, pair them up with a sibling or pitch in yourself. Motivation is often increased when the work is spread out to a team instead of just an individual. 

We Can Help
Sometimes a student just needs more knowledge on a topic, and then their motivation to study or get their homework completed improves. At iAchieve, we have professional tutors that can work with children of all age levels and on essentially any topic. This can be done either in person or remotely if needed. We can work around your schedule! 

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