How To Motivate Children With Learning Difficulties?

More and more children around the world face learning difficulties. However, motivating them to pass certain subjects is not impossible. Dyslexia, dyscalculia, attention deficit and others are not impediments to advance in education.

Clearly, we are referring to children who process information differently than others. Therefore, greater commitment, effort and motivation are needed. All this, without counting more time and patience. Factors that, without a doubt, should be worked out together with the parents.

Fear of failure, constant frustration, lack of understanding, and emotional problems are all stepping stones. At least this is supported by several studies that have been carried out on the subject. This is reflected in the intention to drop out of school and avoid trying or denying the complication.

How to increase motivation in the face of learning difficulties?

Children experience a constant desire to learn. In fact, our mission when dealing with learning or attention difficulties is to feed that craving. But how to rekindle a child’s appetite for knowledge and nurture their curiosity?

• Follow the learning. If the child feels that the parents are involved, motivation increases despite the difficulties. So spend time on it and be aware of the advances and setbacks of the little ones. It’s not about solving your problems, but talking about them and looking for answers to obstacles. Support the child, but don’t do for him what he can’t.

• Increase self-confidence. The important thing is to highlight the child’s skills and aptitudes at all times. Celebrate your achievements and nurture passions in and out of school. Extracurricular activities can be of great help, as long as you know how to use them to drive learning. That way, the little ones will understand that they are very capable and will be encouraged to try. Always remember to value their effort.
• Sow persistence and tenacity. Explain to the child that although the times are different for her and she faces more obstacles than her peers, she is just as capable as the others. Basically, the key is to try, and over and over again. No fear of failure, because there is a lot to learn from mistakes. Persistence, bad luck or intelligence, the world belongs to those who try! Always remember that geniuses become, they are not born that way.

• Love and respect, always. In addition to your accomplishments and failures, the child needs you by his side. Connect with her, accept her and offer support and company in any situation.
• Reward what was learned, not the results of the school. Do not send incorrect messages to your child. The goal is not to get the best grades in school, but to learn. Otherwise, the child will believe that the effort is not worth the effort, it is only important to achieve academic success, which will leave them frustrated.
• Let her choose favorable terms. Let the child choose the time of day they prefer to study and do their homework. Also allow her to choose the appropriate location so that she will feel that she is in control of certain situations. In this way, the child increases his pride and motivation.

Patience for long-term motivation

Patience is the cornerstone for parents and children to enjoy this long and difficult but rewarding journey. Although there are many obstacles to overcome, motivation will lead the child to learn and develop. And nothing is more wonderful than a little one who has the ability to see the world differently.

It is essential to keep the child’s motivation high. For this, it is necessary to understand that learning difficulties can be worked and overcome. But not everything must necessarily revolve around this difficulty. Other areas can be managed as long as they help and benefit the child.

Also, as parents, we must make sure of one elementary point. Our children must have everything they need to surpass themselves. But that should never mean that the illusion and desire to keep learning and improving will slowly die out, but rather that they will rise from the ashes like a phoenix.