Are you concerned about your child’s lack of motivation in math? Studies show that motivation is a vital component to math success. Learn six ways to cultivate self-motivation in your child. Although this article specifically talks about math, these tips will work in other areas of life, too.
1. Emphasize intrinsic motivation
Intrinsic motivation is the desire to do an activity for pleasure, satisfaction, or fun. Extrinsic motivation may inspire a child to do math homework for a reward, like candy, money, or praise. Intrinsic motivation has a longer lasting effect on behavior than extrinsic motivation.
You can tell what your children are intrinsically motivated to do by noting what they do in their free time. If you have to battle and coerce your child to engage in math activities, they are not yet intrinsically motivated in it. Intrinsic motivation changes depending on many factors, including the culture, confidence, fun, and support structures. If you are not sure how self-motivated your child is in math read Where Is Your Child on the Math Motivation Ladder?
Extrinsic motivators have their place in getting kids to do desired actions, like study for a math test. However, use them sparingly and try to wean your children into doing the desired behaviors without the extrinsic reward.
2. Do Fun Activities
Curiosity and self-motivation often fuel each other. Curious children will be motivated to learn about a subject and motivated children will be more curious. You can use activities they already enjoy in their free time to ignite curiosity about math. The more your children associate math with fun, the more intrinsic motivation they will have. Read some of our Mathnasium of Parker articles about fun ways to engage with math with your child.
3. Use Competition Carefully
Collaborating on a team and participating in friendly competitions can be healthy and motivating. Just be careful to avoid making comparisons between children. Instead, challenge children to compete with their own personal best scores. If the highest math score they ever got was a 75%, challenge them to get an 80% on the next test.
4. Give them the Support to Learn Persistence
Albert Einstein said, “It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.” Motivated children will work harder and longer on a math problem. Adequate support nurtures persistence or “grit” because they when they get frustrated they have a way to get help and keep moving forward.
Once a child develops grit, they can apply it to other arenas, like the workplace, sports, and other classes. At Mathnasium of Parker, we cultivate persistence as a habit. Persistent kids can accomplish a lot!
5. Help them See the Big Picture
Explain that math is necessary in order to reach their goals. Most kids do not see how learning to use the binomial distribution formula will benefit them. You may not remember ever using it yourself. The truth is that a strong grasp on math will improve their ability to make (and keep) money. Read these articles to understand why math is so important.
Seven Surprising Careers That Use Math Every Day
The Careers of Tomorrow will Look Different
Careers in Math
Tell Your Kids Math Makes Money
The Real Costs of Remedial College Math
Math Skills Your Child Will Need as an Adult
A Real Life Example Using Algebra
6. Plan for Success
If your child struggles in math at school, help them set reasonable goals. Achieving goals helps children feel competent, in control, and successful. All of those feelings build motivation. Choose goals based on your child’s developmental timeline. If you need help choosing goals, call us or read the articles:
Once you have some goals, make a plan to support succeeding in it. A goal without a plan is just a wish and wishes don’t build confidence or increase motivation.
Mathnasium of Parker is a math only learning center, but we want to see kids succeed across all domains. Our method builds confidence in learning math. You will be surprised at how that confidence in the ability to learn math transfers to reading, and even sports. If your child feels stuck in a math rut, bring them in to our center to get the support they need to build intrinsic motivation. Call for more information 303-840-1184.
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