How to Make Learning Fun
Photo courtesy of Rachel (Unsplashed)
When given a choice, most children would rather play than learn but when learning becomes the game, it is a win-win for both the parent and the child. So why not turn your children’s learning into hours of fun? It can come in many forms and can extend to all aspects of life, from how we see ourselves and interact with others, to academic learning that broadens our knowledge of the world.
Most people have a dominant side of the brain. Those with a dominant left hemisphere tend to be better at strategy and logical thinking, making them more likely to enjoy or perform well in subjects such as maths and science, whilst those with a dominant right hemisphere tend to be more creative and artistic, making them more likely to enjoy linguistics, music and arts. As with everything, a balance is ideal, so doing activities that will stimulate both sides simultaneously will be extremely beneficial.
There are many things that will influence how your child learns, the most profound being their age. You would not, for example, expect a 2-year-old to be able to sit down at the table with a workbook, but a 7-year-old probably could. What also has an influence is the type of learner they are.
There are four types of learners:
Visual – They need to see the information. Charts and graphs provide a good visual tool for learners of this style.
Auditory – They need to hear the information. Reciting or reading/answering questions aloud is the preferred method of learning here.
Reading/Writing – Actually seeing the words on paper help these types of learners. They learn best from materials such as quizzes, worksheets, handouts, etc.
Kinaesthetic - They learn best through actually doing. Experiments or demonstrations, including role-play, work well here.
Most people, children included, learn best if they get a good blend of all four. However, unlike adults, when teaching children, each ‘lesson’ must be presented in the form of a game or short activity in line with their concentration span. It is in this way that the lesson turns into a game. Games and activities you might consider using as a tool for teaching include:
Board games (visual/kinaesthetic)
Board games can develop not only skills such as spelling or maths, but can also develop other important skills such as problem-solving, strategy and fine motor skills, as well as the more sociable rules about taking turns, sharing, and following rules.
Jigsaws (visual/kinaesthetic)
Jigsaws are great for critical-thinking, problem-solving and hand eye coordination. And of course, the wide range of differing complexity cater to the more advanced children as well as adults.
Photo courtesy of Arseny Togulev (Unsplash)
Strategy games (visual/kinaesthetic)
Chess and Checkers are good examples of games that will stimulate both sides of the brain because you have the visual element of the pieces as well as the strategical aspect of the game. You can also play the coloured pen challenge: use coloured pens to write the name of colours, but the colour written down must not be the same colour as the pen you use. Now say the name of the colour that you see, not the name of the colour that is written down. The left side of your brain will want to read the word but your right side will see the colour.
Music (visual/kinaesthetic/reading/writing/auditory)
Introduce your child to music, both listening and even better, playing. Music stimulates both sides of the brain because it encourages creativity in the right side of the brain but the act of deciphering or structuring melodies also simultaneously activates the left side of the brain. As far as the learning of an instrument goes, the age of the child needs to be taken into consideration, but even very young children will benefit from hearing music.
Get moving (kinaesthetic)
Children usually have an abundance of energy from the moment they wake up. As such, they can rarely sit still for very long without getting bored. This is particularly true of younger children, so keep it short, keep it simple. But you can engage their interest for longer by doing activities that require movement when they learn. For example, go on a letter hunt if you a teaching them the alphabet, or a phonic hunt for those learning to read. If the weather permits, scavenger hunts are also great fun as they give children the opportunity to explore the world around them.
Get messy and creative (visual/kinaesthetic)
Children enjoy art and craft, and when they are young they usually have a particular penchant for getting messy when doing it. So if you can blend the two together, all the better! Not only can you use art and craft as a means of reinforcing their learning, you can also use it for their emotional exploration and development, fine motor skills and other skills such as gluing and cutting. Junk modelling will develop their imagination and problem-solving skills.
Workbooks can be fun too! (visual/kinaesthetic/reading/writing)
With all the resources available to us, it has never been easier to find workbooks or worksheets that will appeal to your child. From english to science to maths, not only will you find shelves stacked with books focusing on the main areas of education. You will also find others that concentrate on pencil control, spelling, telling the time, and much more. However, whilst these are great resources to have at any time, it can also be rather costly, especially when you are trying to educate more than one child.
Photo courtesy of Catherine Hammond (Unsplash)
This is where Google is your best friend. Simply type into the search box what area of study you are interested in, for example, ‘Free addition worksheets for key stage 1’, and browse the countless worksheets that are on offer at no cost. Of course, some worksheets are better suited to your child than others. There is also sometimes a price if you want unlimited access to the full range the website has on offer, but in my opinion, it is money well spent as long as you use the resources to their fullest.
See My Three Favourite Websites for my personal choice of learning resource websites.
Game on! (visual/kinaesthetic/reading/writing/auditory)
Many a parent probably never thought they’d see the day when they would say to their child…
‘C’mon, Jesse, put the computer on and let’s play that game again.’
Well, the day has come when you might well say that! Technology and learning have banded together to provide a new technological learning platform, one that schools are already take advantage of. Many websites dedicated to learning have begun popping up, and amongst other things, they offer online games of all kinds, aimed at furthering your child’s education. So, why not sell these games as educational ‘time-out’ for your child? In reality, the learning is still going on but psychologically your child will feel they are playing games. Just be sure not to allow the ‘gaming’ element to overtake the learning; the game must always be a challenge for the child, not something they can do with their eyes closed, as it were, otherwise their knowledge and skill will not grow.
A good read (visual/auditory)
There’s nothing better for your child’s learning than nurturing a love of books and reading. If they are too young to read themselves, be the animated storyteller who takes them on a wondrous journey they will want to go on again and again. You can also use audiobooks as a means of drawing your child into the world of storytelling. Whatever format you choose, stories are also great at slowing children down, so make them a regular feature of every late afternoon or evening, just before bedtime.
Above is just a small selection of the things you can do with your children to make learning fun for them, but you need not stick rigidly to those mentioned above. Indeed, the important thing to remember is that just about any toy or game has an educational value of some sort, so choose the game your child is most likely to connect with. If they love running around, choose ‘games’ that are going to get them doing just that. If they love drawing, choose something that has a creative element to it. If they love screen time, find a learning app that compliments their level. Whatever you choose to do with them, challenge them each and every time.