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The Editor's Desk - From Beneath the Clutter
Feature Article - Enhancing Motivation and Engagement
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The Editor's Desk - From Beneath the Clutter

Christmas is almost here. Time to finish up, or maybe even just start your holiday shopping. It can be a crazy time.

This should be the last newsletter of this year. I very much doubt I'll have the time for it next week or the one after. Have to have some holiday family time, after all!

Feature Article

Enhancing Motivation and Engagement

An important question asked by parents worldwide is "How can I motivate my child to do better at school?" Motivation and engagement is of the most important of qualities a student can possess. It is both an end in itself and a means to an end; Students who possess these traits have been shown to achieve higher educational outcomes, develop a deeper understanding of key concepts, and are able to make greater connections to real-world situations. It is the first in a series of qualities, characteristics, values and strategies that will assist students in realizing their potential.

The good news is that we, as parents, are able to influence the attitudes of our children. In fact, we are the greatest influence on how a child perceives and values schooling. This idea is supported by educational researchers around the world. It is through our attitudes and our behaviours that shape their perceptions of the importance of school and study in general.

Lets talk first about the signs and indicators of engagement. Below is a list of some of the clinical indicators of engagement. A child who possesses some or most of these a traits are considered to have a healthy level of motivation and engagement towards schooling: • School enjoyment - i.e. talking and indicating that they enjoy school; • Connectedness - i.e. ability to see the value of schoolwork to one's own life; • Participation - i.e. desire to engage in all schoo-based activities; • Self-efficacy - i.e. beliefs about ability to produce meaninful work; and • Learning practices - i.e. age-appropriate skills in core activities.

As parents, we also need to understand the blocks, or factors which diminish motivation. For this, concepts such as learned helplessness, high anxiety or self-sabotage are the obvious ones. There is not enough time to explain these in length in this blog, but they are discussed in detail in the free Learning Guide found on this website: www.learningguardian.com. Once again, knowledge and awareness of what may be causing issues in and around school is important, as they can then be dealt with appropriately.

Probably the most important thing that we can do as parents is develop skills and knowledge ourselves as to how we can enhance motivation and engagement. The free learning guide mentioned above details over ten separate strategies to enhance your child's motivation and engagement. Ideas such as shifting attitudes about school by showing relevance to everyday activities, to a variety of study skills and techniques are all discussed and explained at length. The benefit of these strategies is that anyone can implement them with their children in an non-threatening way. They have all been proven to be successful! Many of these activities are also supported with worksheets and templates to make it easier for all parents to implement them.

In summary, I am sure we all agree on the value of healthy motivation and engagement towards school. As parents, we can make a difference to how our children perceive school and the work that accompanies it at every level. All we need are the right tools and strategies to achieve this. Just visit our website and click on "Free Learning Guide" to receive more information about this topic.

Passionate educator and advocate for children achieving their best in schools. Shane has a Master of Education and is about to embark on his Phd studies. With over 15 years teaching experience, Shane provides accurate and easy-to-follow information for parents with children in schools. For further information, please email at [email protected]

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