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Motivation Builder
Sharing ExperiencesWe´re worried about our children´s motivation today, maybe more than ever. We see so many kids who say they are bored. Boredom used to be considered a problem for adolescents, but now it´s striking younger and younger. Our children are used to a new sensation every few seconds on television; they are used to flitting from one thing to the next at rapid speed. No wonder they get bored. Motivation thrives on learning enough about something, over time, to get really interested in it. That´s why hobbies are so good for children and for adults, too. If you had a hobby as a child, perhaps making model airplanes, or even collecting stamps, tell your kids about it. When children have a specific interest, they seek more information about it; they get involved. When they get involved, they get motivated. It´s a remarkable cycle. Motivation Building: Newspaper ActivityFind articles that tell of events in foreign countries — Lance Armstrong Wins the Tour de France; Pokemon Sweeps Japan!; Foreign Ruler Overthrown. Can any of these events happen here? Find in the paper a situation that affects your area. Shopping Center Adds to Traffic Problem; Neighborhood School to Close. Talk about these with children. What´s interesting about the news? Is it relevant to their lives? In this way, children become more interested in what´s happening around them. Sparking the ConversationLearning is at the heart of motivation. We´re always learning but we´re usually moving too fast to recognize it: Think about what you have learned in the past year, in the past week, in the last day. For example, what did you learn about a certain person, about something new on the job? Share this with your child. Moving to Bigger QuestionsChildren may not know the word motivation, but they recognize it when they see it. Check with them: What are they encouraged by? What discourages them? Are they more motivated with certain people, certain subjects. There´s been no better way invented to encourage children´s motivation than seeing their parents as interested learners. So what´s the next thing you want to learn about? © Dorothy Rich, 2000. The nonprofit Home and School Institute, sponsor of the MegaSkills program, was founded by Dr. Dorothy Rich in 1964. For information about bringing MegaSkills books and programs to your school and community group, contact: The Home and School Insitute, MegaSkills Education Center; 1500 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington DC 20005. Phone: (202) 466-3633. Fax: (202) 833-1400. www.MegaSkillsHSI.org Reprinted with permission. Intro | Newspaper Tips | NIE & You | Activities | MegaSkills | |||||
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