Every parent will often face the common struggle of how to motivate their child to study. However, scolding or threatening your child may not be the best approach to get them to study. As such, it is time for parents to revaluate their approach to motivating their children.
What would motivate someone to do something they don’t really feel like doing, such as exercising, working overtime, or doing household chores? People do these things even though they do not feel like doing so simply because they are aware of the importance of completing these tasks and the benefits it will bring them afterwards.
Most children despise studying as they associate it with threats and scolding. To get the child to study, parents will often threaten them with punishments or negative statements warning them about their future if they do not study, which creates emotions of fear and negativity within children.
Studying is an activity which most children refuse to undertake due to the negative emotions associated with the activity. However, they do not know the importance of studying well, which makes them less inclined to exercise initiative to revise and study religiously. It is important for parents to remember that nobody enjoys being forced to act against their own will.
Instead, parents should put a positive spin on their approach to get their message about how important studying is for their future. This article will outline some analogies and rationales to reason with your child and tell them about how important it is to study.
1. Education is Currency in This Society
Most children play video games, and they are familiar with the concept of an in-game currency. The further a child gets in terms of education, the more “currency” they will have, just like the gold coins and points they can accumulate in a game. By studying hard and getting good grades, students will have more options available to them, such as upgrades in a game, like good schools, subject combinations, and scholarships, which will make their lives easier.
In Singapore, there are always minimum requirements for grades to access certain education pathways. For national exams, students need to meet the cut-off points to be considered for the school of their choice, except for DSA students. Thus, it is important to inculcate children with the message that education is highly important in securing their future.
Children should see studying as accumulating as many points as possible, which will allow them to unlock more things in their lives in future. Opportunities are aplenty in Singapore and abroad, and having the means to acquire them is something which students need to commit to.
2. Education is a Passport to Whatever You Want to Do in Future
Children should think of education as a steppingstone which will get them wherever they want to go. If children want to study overseas, getting a good education will help them stand out amongst other applicants. Moreover, students who want to study locally can get scholarships and other opportunities by having good grades. To qualify for such universities and to ease the financial burden on themselves and their parents, students should study for good grades.
There are some courses and job opportunities which are only open to students with a certain subject combination. For example, if students have a certain career path in mind, they should look into which subjects allow them to pursue that route in university to have a better chance at applying. For example, if the student wants to become a doctor, then a good pass in Chemistry and Biology is necessary to enter university to study medicine. Thus, children can have a better idea of what is required of them and will put in the requisite effort into their studies.
3. Studying is a Student’s Job
Parents should explain to their children that everyone has a job. Parents have a job to work hard to provide for their children, and their children need to study so that they can survive and thrive without their parents’ help in future. Although it may be difficult to accept, studying is one of the only ways that Singaporean society and education recognises the merit of a person. Therefore, it is important for students to try their best to score well in their exams.
Studying should be treated not as a hobby, but rather as a responsibility. Parents can reassure their children that they can help them with some study habits and try to make their lives easier for them, such as equipping them with the proper materials and guidance should their child need it. Good students will also plan out good study habits such as planning their schedule properly and clarifying doubts at school or with tuition teachers. Parents should encourage their children to take ownership of their study habits as much as possible and inculcate in them a good attitude so that they will be able to succeed in future.
Using these different analogies to get your child to understand the importance of studying hard could help them change their perspective. It is important for parents to guide their child to understand certain facts of life, such that they know what they are supposed to do. The child cannot simply associate studying with what their parents want – they need to realise its importance for themselves and their future, and this can be achieved if their parents explain to them exactly what they need to do and how to get where they want to go.
It is very easy for parents to get bogged down in the details of the various programmes in school, such as the Integrated Programme (IP) which is one of the most sought-after education pathways in Singapore. However, children will not be cognisant of the various details like this – rather, they need to get the basic concept and achieve fundamental understanding of why they need to do something.
The next time your child shows resistance to studying, parents should simply talk to them gently and remind them that education is important and why it is important. Nobody likes to be forced into doing things which they do not see the benefit of.
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Engaging in English tuition and writing courses can greatly assist students in smoothly transitioning between education levels. These programs reinforce their language skills and establish a solid foundation for academic achievement. For more exam tips, parents and students can explore our website and watch our YouTube videos.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
1. How do I find the best English tutor?
Firstly, research and ask around for good recommendations from family or friends. Next, research online and read the reviews of tuition centres to find suitable candidates. A good idea is to drop by the tuition centre and let your child experience a trial lesson to find a good tutor.
2. What is the purpose of an English tutor?
An English tutor is supposed to guide your child to their full potential in terms of mastering the English language. Different children have different skills and capabilities in their academics, and the job of the tutor is to identify strengths and weaknesses of the child and help them accordingly.
3. What skills should an English tutor have?
A tutor should have a discerning eye for strengths and weaknesses of the student, patience to deal with different students, the requisite qualifications and experience, and they should be up to date on the relevant changes in the Singaporean English syllabus.
4. What are some important skills in English?
The English language requires the understanding of simple rules such as grammatical rules and sentence structure. Moreover, it requires more complex skills such as inference and synthesis which come later on as the student progresses to more difficult exercises.
5. Which English language skills is most difficult?
Synthesis is one of the most difficult skills in the English language as it involves using present ideas to generate new opinions and viewpoints.
6. What is the most difficult part of English class?
The most difficult part of English class is to understand how to craft your own ideas from an existing body of work, and how all the individual parts of English – grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure, clauses, etc. – fit together in an essay as a whole.
