10 Top-Notch Ways to Motivate Students to Study and Learn

10 Ways to Motivate Students to Study and Learn

Students who are inattentive or put little effort into their school work are unlikely to benefit from better instruction or school curriculum. So, how can teachers help students become motivated? From putting students in control to offering rewards, motivation can be both encouraged and provided. Here’s an in-depth look at ten ways to motivate students to study and learn more effectively.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

An in-depth look at ten ways to motivate you students  

1. Put Students in Control of Their Learning Experience  

Education makes some kids feel like they’re being controlled. When a student feels that lack of control, they generally withdrawal from learning. It’s important that students are given control over their learning experience. 

A good way to do this is to give students options. For example, when assigning math questions, allow students to complete either the evens or the odds. That way, they can choose which one they want to complete. 

Students that are given more control and can have direct input in respect to their learning experiences, activities, and environment, become more engaged and even want to learn.  

2. Develop an Atmosphere for Reading  

It’s known that students who develop a love for reading also love learning. The two are interconnected. Reading, not only helps students develop a wide vocabulary, but it allows their brains to learn how to process formal communication. 


Enrich your classroom by providing students with a variety of quality outside information. You can find reading materials from sources like the New York Times, Forbes, or Science stage.

You can also assign students a book report related to one of your key objectives. That way, students can learn more about an essential topic from an expert in a field. 

3. Focus on Student Interests 

To engage students, focus on topics that they find interesting. Not every objective is interesting to every student, however, you can relate lessons to current trends to reach more students. For example, when coming up with a math question, you can ask students about the latest internet challenge. For the ice bucket challenge, you might pose a question regarding the volume of the bucket.

4. Make Learning Entertaining Through Game-Based Learning  

Game-based learning has been around for a long time. In fact, game-based learning has many beneficial qualities. It not only provides opportunities for extensive learning and development of non-cognitive abilities, but it helps students want to play the game which, in turn, teaches them a new skill or some other aspect of your lesson plans.

When a child is actively playing a game, their mind experiences the joy of learning something new. This is true whether the game is considered entertainment, like a video game or it has a more serious tone like a military simulator. Games that are entertaining have an added benefit of being engaging, thus motivating students to learn more. 

Game-based learning is a successful motivation tool for team-based learning. Since students generally become more competitive in order to win, they may perform better in the learning portions of the game to earn more points. 

Game-based learning is a perfect way for teachers to introduce new concepts or ideas into the classroom. Start with a fun game like classroom jeopardy, or allow students to visit an interactive website and compete online with other students at their grade level.

5. Encourage Communication  

Students should feel encouraged to express their opinions about what’s going on with their education. They should feel comfortable to express their likes or dislikes. Often, when students feel like they can’t speak up, they withdrawal from the learning process.  

It’s best to create an open atmosphere where all students know that their opinion matters. Students should know they won’t be judged, ignored, put down, or discouraged. Instead, students should know you're paying attention and listening to their concerns. That way, students will communicate better if any issue arises. 

 6. Allow Students to Learn Outside of the Classroom  

While book work is important, students sometimes become frustrated at the amount of book work that is required. It’s essential to provide students with fun activities that they can do outside of the classroom. 

Provide students with a list of educational activities they can complete outside of the classroom with friends or family. Activities like baking and shopping allow students to relate what they've learned in school to the real world. Homeschoolers can include these activities in their daily instruction. Measuring and finance are great future skills. Kids find these real world ways of learning math more enjoyable. Math makes more sense when we see the applications as useful.

7. Set Attainable Goals   

It’s important that you set attainable goals for all students. Most students like to feel challenged. Stimulating students helps them to want to set and achieve goals. When they find the expectations attainable, they're more likely to strive to reach the goal.

8. Use Positive Competition 

Competition isn’t always a bad thing, sometimes it motivates students to work harder to achieve a 100% score. One of the best ways to use positive competition is to allow students to take part in a friendly math competition. That way, students get to work together to show off their knowledge and help others that might not understand higher math concepts. Teachers can add math concepts that are relevant to their lesson plans. 

9. Track Students Progress  

It's sometimes difficult for students to understand just how far they’ve come in a particular subject, especially when they find the subject hard to comprehend. Tracking a student’s progress, motivates students, allowing them to visualize how much they've achieved as the year progresses. This is especially important for homeschool learners. Keep track of their progress with programs like, MobyMax, which tracks progression by finding and fixing gaps in learning through relevant grade level, online lessons.

10. Offer Rewards   

Rewards are an excellent source of motivation. Everyone likes to earn rewards. Students will study hard and aim for success in hopes of winning the top prize. Rewards can be large or small, depending on the grade level of the class or age of the students. Older students may not find a lollipop reward very motivating.

For example, choose rewards like a pizza party, ice cream party, or even a donut party or extra credit points for older students. With younger students, simple rewards like a piece of candy, a sticker, or a small toy will provide motivation.

Have you tried any of these ways to motivate students to study and learn more efficiently? 

Student motivation is essential in every stage of education. Focus on student interests, encourage communication, track a student’s progress and offer rewards at every stage. Since every student is motivated differently, make sure to customize your motivation strategies for individual students. 

Check out the recommended reading below for additional ways to motivate students to learn and study. 



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5 Signs That Your Child May Need a Tutor

Is it time for a Tutor?

Do you need a tutor for you child? Is your child bringing home one bad report card after the other? Have you noticed your child has difficulty studying or doing homework on a particular subject? If so, you should probably consider hiring a tutor to help them study.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Most children occasionally struggle with school, but when it turns into a rapid decline in grades, frequent meltdowns, and hating going to school, it's time to get a plan in order.

So, what are the signs that your child may need a tutor? Keep reading to learn 5 important signs that you're child may need a tutor.

1. Homework Meltdowns

If your child has regular homework meltdowns, it's probably because they can't understand the task or subject. Of course, don't rule out an optical issue. Be sure they have regular eye check ups. School work might be too advanced for your child's skill level and cause them stress and anxiety.

This is a great time to hire a tutor to help with breaking down tasks and concepts in a simpler way. Tutors often have simple tricks for remembering math facts or other educational short cuts. No matter what the homework, with a tutor's help, your child will gain confidence knowing they can tackle it with better organization and time management skills.

Become a Tutor

2. Slipping Grades

If your child's grades are slipping gradually or unexpectedly, talk to their teachers to get some insight on the matter. Of course, also talk to your child to see what's going on and if there's a subject they feel they is difficult and frustrating.

When it comes to learning and getting higher grades, getting your child tutoring lessons is very effective in boosting their ability and self-esteem

3. Behavioral Changes

School stress is normal and most children experience stress on some level throughout the school year. However, when the stress over reading, doing homework, and studying for tests becomes chronic, it can start to affect your child's personality, behavior, or happiness in a negative way. This is the time to look into what's happening. In most cases, it is related to difficulties learning or understanding a subject and it might be a good time for a tutor. (Of course it can also be related to eye health, bullying, or a problem with a teacher. so be sure to talk to your child and always ask, "How was your day?")

4. Lack of Interest in Learning

If you notice your child doesn't have any interest in studying or learning, this if often a sign of learning difficulties. Sit with your child and discuss their feelings about school. Then, decide together on hiring a tutor to help.

Math is one of the more difficult subjects for many children and can take down their self-esteem and motivation to learn. A math tutor for kids will not only teach your child how to solve mathematical problems, but they can also provide math tips on easier methods for learning.

5. Learning Disabilities

If your child is still having difficulties, even after tutoring, you might want to test them for possible learning disabilities. These include dyslexia, ADHD, visual processing issues, and dyscalculia. You might be surprised by the results. We were!

We were able to target the best type of treatment. You'll be able to find the best tutor for your child's specific needs.

Does Your Child Need a Tutor? These Tips Will Help You Decide

If you've been wondering if you need a tutor to help your child with school, these tips should help you decide. Before you hire one, talk to your children's teachers and see what additional concerns that they may have. This will help you find the right tutor for your child.

For more kids and parenting tips, check out some of the other articles on my website where you'll find kids activities, school tips, and games ideas.

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Tips to Get TEENS to Read More

Turn Your Teens into Readers: 5 Handy Tips to Encourage Teenage Reading

Most parents want their teens to become avid readers.One poll found that three-fourths of parents with kids between the ages of 6-17 agreed with the statement, "I wish my child would read more books for fun." Getting a teenager to read is often more challenging than getting a 10-year-old to read. By the time your child is a teenager, they're more interested in screen time than book time. Not every kid is going to stay up late reading books, and that's okay. You can encourage teenage reading by choosing the right book for your kid, read on for five of the best tips to get your teen to read more.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

How to get your Teen to Read.

5 Tips to Get TEENS to Read More

1. Take Teens to Bookstores and Libraries 

Bookstores are far less common now than 20 years ago. The bookstore shortage is even affecting highly cultured cities like New York. Many people who buy books do it online.

Buying online isn't the same as having a world of books that you can reach out and touch with your fingertips. Bookstores and libraries are great places to discover new authors and get recommendations while fulfilling those bibliophile needs. Smell the pages, caress the covers, see the beauty of the illustrations as they were meant to be seen.

2. Encourage Fun Reading

Sure, you may wish that your teens would read Jane Austen or Charles Dickens.These days, if they're doing that, it's probably for a class. Reading a book for a grade can suck the joy out of reading a good book. 

What does that mean for parents? It means that you should encourage your teens to read for fun, even if "fun" looks different for you than it does for them. They should read what they want, even if it's just a magazine or a comic book.

A few years ago, some parents freaked out at the idea of teens reading the Twilight novels. But vampire romance novels, no doubt, made some kids into lifelong pleasure readers. Raising our hands here! When a kid that never reads gets addicted to a book series, you jump for joy!

Books for Teenage Boys: All Quiet on The Western Front

3. Create Screen-Free Zones

These days, both adults and teens are constantly on their smartphones. One way to fight the technology craze is to create zones where screens aren't permitted.

For instance, let's say dinner starts at 6 pm. Want to eat? Have everyone in your family, including the adults, drop their phones into a basket outside the dining room before sitting down to eat.

The more you look at your phone, the harder it is to look away. Taking a break from screens can make it easier for kids to pick up a book and start reading. 

Or Encourage Kindle Reading: Whatever works, right!

4. Encourage Teens to Write

A teen interested in writing is more likely to get interested in reading. That's because trying to write a book gives you a different perspective on the books that you read. 

If your kid has a story to tell, give them the time and space to write it down. It can be anything from short-form fan fiction to a full-blown novel. Grab some cool writing journals and encourage them to get creative. If you want, you can even customize your book cover. 

5. Talk About Your Own Reading

Make reading a family priority. When you sit down with a book, you're sending your teen a message. Your teen may not think you're cool, but they're paying attention to what you're doing. 

If they ask what you're reading, tell them. Encourage them ask questions. They may tease you, but you're still showing your teen what it looks like to enjoy reading, even when you have a job, kids, and other obligations.

Get Your Teenager Reading

The idea of trying to get your teenager reading can feel impossible. But it's possible, and you don't even have to nag. In fact, nagging is more likely to backfire. Remember that, you know how it felt.

Of course, reading is great, but we've also got plenty of other ways to keep your kid entertained at any age. Bookmark our site to stay up to date on the latest parenting teens articles.

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What are the Benefits of Outdoor Play?

Playing Outside Improves Mood

This post was sponsored by Landscape Structures as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Have you noticed a change in your children when they're playing outside? Sure, they may complain that they're tired or that it's too hot or even that they're bored. However, outdoor play benefits kids in many ways. Once children have built the coping and social skills needed to interact in an outside play environment, the benefits of outdoor play far outweigh their complaints! What are the benefits to outdoor play? Keep reading to learn some tips on how to keep your kids happy outdoors.

What are the benefits of outdoor play?

Be Prepared. 

When you take your kids to an outdoor play space or local park, be sure to be prepared. Bring a cooler with bottles of water for hydration, cool, healthy snacks like carrots and cucumbers, and go ahead and throw in a treat for when they've depleted all of their energy. 

You may also want to bring a change of clothes, a non-toxic bug repellent, a blanket for resting, hats or sunglasses to shade them from the sun, and a first aid kit. Whatever you can do to insure the happiness of your children and counteract any excuses they may have for not wanting to play, only increases your chances for success.

If you're forgetful and always seem to forget the essentials, keep a park preparedness kit in your car. We never leave the house without folding chairs, a vinyl table cloth, and an umbrella packed in the trunk. If you leave a mini cooler in the trunk, it's always waiting there to be filled. You can simply stop at any convenience or grocery store along the way.

Benefits of Playing Outside

Best Places for Outdoor Play

No matter where you choose to incorporate outdoor play, it's beneficial to your child. Simply being outdoors in the sunshine can boost your child's immune system because the sun gives us vitamin D which is essential to health and happiness. Dr. Clare McCarthy shares some benefits of outdoor play over at Harvard Health. Even if you have a tiny yard, be sure to create a space for your child to get in some daily outdoor play. If they like to color or finger paint, set up a table for crafting outdoors.

Water is the most fun element of sensory play.

A well designed play structure will keep your kids busy for an hour or two. You may not be familiar with the brand name Landscape Structures, but I'll bet you've seen one or two. These playground structures aren't just for swinging and sliding, they're set up with all kinds of ways to get kids moving and to encourage sensory play.

When you give children the freedom to play and discover on their own, they build self-confidence to explore more things on their own. They want to see what else they can discover without mom or dad. So, sit back and relax while the kids explore the outdoor environment and find new ways to have fun.

Hello, over there! This megaphone encourages interaction with others.

Landscape Structures playgrounds are designed to welcome children of all ages and abilities. This play equipment has all kinds of sensory elements and play activities that encourage kids to work together making it easier for them to socialize with others. These playgrounds also encourage exercise, but don't worry, your kids will have so much fun playing on the equipment they won't even know they're exercising!

Sneaky playground equipment encourages exercise.

Sensory play aids in the learning process. Children who play outdoors have more access to sensory elements as the five senses are involved in nearly every aspect of outdoor play. They hear other children laughing, birds chirping, and bugs buzzing. They feel the wind on their face and the grass on their feet. They can even taste the outdoors when berry picking or licking their salty lips.

Practicing on the bars builds upper body strength and self-confidence. 

These poles encourage learning to balance.

What will you do when it's raining? Rain is the best sensory activity! Grab an umbrella and some rain boots and slosh through some puddles with your kiddos! Reach up to the sky and savor the raindrops as they splash on your face. Show your children that rain is fun, don't discourage it. Rain even smells good! These days, most parks use rubber mulch. If storms do force you to stay inside for awhile, don't worry about the playground being wet. Be a good parent and take the first trip down the slide to dry it off for those finicky little ones.

Encourage social interaction with other kids, but don't force it. Kids are smart, they know what you're trying to do. If they're moody, they'll fight you every step of the way. Also, simply knowing that you want them to interact with other kids can make the feel self-conscious. They may feel too shy to talk to another child when they know that you're anxious for it to happen. Pretend to keep busy reading a book or returning a text. Don't get too caught up though, those little eyes are always watching you. Sometimes, they want you to watch them and know that you're proud of them. Always be ready with a thumb's up!

A simple way to encourage socialization is to point out a favorite character on another child's clothing. "Hey, look he's wearing a dinosaur shirt. Don't you love it!" Your child may not respond, that's okay. Don't push them. You've given them something to talk about. You've made a connection with another child. Sit back and watch what happens. Socializing may start out awkward. If you have a backward child, trying to force it will certainly backfire. Learn to be happy with a nod or a smile. The rest will come with time.

Outdoor play improves mood.

Sleepy kids!

As an exhausted parent, one of the best benefits of getting in a lot of outdoor play time with the kids is that you'll get to enjoy some down time when the kids take naps. Even if they are past nap taking, they'll probably stay quiet for the car ride home! Be careful not to let little ones get too over tired. Often, an over tied preschooler will have trouble sleeping through the night. They need just enough exertion for a good night's sleep. And no one wants an over tired toddler...


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Does Gaming Increase Kids Intelligence?

How Gaming Helps Your Kids Boost Intelligence

Intelligence is the capacity for learning and reasoning, the ability to understand and process things or to deal with new or difficult situations. It's one ability which everyone can't seem to get enough of, even the so-called intelligent ones want to be more intelligent. It is believed that humans are born with intelligence but there are other factors after birth which can positively influence and develop the level of a person's intelligence. So, how can gaming help boost your kid's intelligence? Do video games really improve certain brain functions?

This post contains Amazon affiliate links When you click I may get a small commission.

Intelligence is equally a function of nature, as well as, nurture. While nature is hereditary and almost nothing can be done about it, nurture has to do with the upbringing a person gets, and this can go a long way in intellectual development. One of the things which if included into a child upbringing can increase his or her intelligence, is playing games. Yes, you read right. Playing games. Contrary to the widely held misconception that most games numb the mind, video games can add to a person in many ways; this includes:

• Gaming Boosts Concentration and Attention.

Playing games involve a lot of focus on the part of the players, unlike activities such as watching TV, listening to music, reading, etc. which can be done absentmindedly, gaming requires you to fully focus on the game and relegate every other thing to the background, and this is why some believe in the addictive power of games. However, gaming increases the usual selective visual attention of the player. This refers to the brain’s ability to focus on relevant visual information while suppressing less relevant information. If children can learn to block out frivolous distractions and focus from an early age, gaming can increase the efficiency of their brain. Thus, if your kid is one with short attention span, playing games is one way through which he/she can improve.

• Gaming boosts coordination and problem-solving skills.

A person who can focus is better coordinated and makes better decisions. Most games on Friv involve a lot of analysis of unique and complicated situations and usually, these situations require the player be coordinated. There are special moves in games which involve pressing specific keys in a sequence and all of these improve coordination because the player knows that missing a step will affect the outcome of the game. Coordination is also an important skill for problem-solving and the more coordinated a person is, the better a problem solver the person becomes.

• Gaming Enhances Brain Function and IQ.

Gaming also enhances the cognitive ability and intelligence quotient of a person. So kids can enhances these abilities trough gaming. For this to happen, one has to be selective about the type of games being played. Playing strategic games has been proven to have a considerable impact on developing a child's IQ. Memory games, as well, when played consistently, help to sharpen the memory and make it more receptive to new information. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and the Charite University of Medicine, in one study conducted to determine the influence of games on the brain, took measurements of participants' brain volume before and after playing Super Mario 64. The study showed a significant increase in grey matter of those playing the game compared to the group that did not. Imagine how many times your kid has played Super Mario!

• Gaming improves brain speed.

In playing games, the gamer is given lots of information to process per second and this helps to improve the speed at which the child processes information even when not playing games. Brain speed has to do with the pace at which a person perceives, analyzes, organizes and acts on a piece of information. Many video games, especially action games and games involving time management, require a quick reaction from the player and the ability to react quickly and still make the right decision is important for measuring intelligence. Your child is boosting reaction time each time the play a game.

• Gaming improves the ability to solve mathematical and verbal problems via logical games.

By involving your kid in logical games and puzzles, his or her ability to solve mathematical and verbal problems are improved. Games allow for creative and out of the box thinking, as well as, improving memory and attention span. All of these are important skills necessary for understanding and solving mathematical problems.

• Gaming improves planning, multitasking, prioritization.

The outcome of a game depends on how effective the player's plan is. The chances of failure and tension drive the players to make highly efficient decisions in strategy games and this can be transferred into reality and used to make decision making for daily life tasks. According to research, the areas of the brain that control spatial navigation, strategic planning and working memory are greatly improved through gaming. When playing games, the player's attention is divided as he or she is focused on the joystick, the screen, as well as, on the commands necessary to execute a gaming action. With this ability for multiple focus, a gamer can learn to multitask in real life activities without any task suffering from inadequate attention.

• Gaming helps to make flexible, faster and more accurate decisions.

With its method of reward in the form of "Next-level" punishment in form of "Game-over." Gaming encourages the player to make the best decisions possible and find his or her way out of complex problems. The player is more adept at making multiple decisions and switching between tasks without errors. This flexibility allows a kid to be faster in making decisions as he or she can make multiple decisions at once.

Finally, if you encourage your kids to play games, their daily activities should be totally dependent on a proper time management plan. You can get worthwhile games for your wards on Friv. Just remember, everything in moderation! Do you agree that gaming can boost intelligence? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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