One of our TPS parents shared this article about motivating students to do well in school with me recently. I thought it had some unique and useful ideas, so I am passing them on to you here! Hope they're helpful!. There is a link to the entire article at the bottom of the list, in case you'd like to read more of what this website has to offer.

Make Reading Into a Game
Kara K.'s 7-year-old son has trouble reading, and he resists any efforts on her part to help. She worries that he might have a problem, but isn't sure how to tell. Gloria V. has an answer that seems to target both the resistance to intervention and to reading: Tape words around the house — to the door, onto appliances, objects, etc. Make a game out of reading! If your child can read 10 words in a row, or even five (you decide the goal), then he gets a reward. This can be particularly succesful if your child has a hard time sitting still long enough to read a book, as it allows him to be active while he reads.

Read at Home, Choosing Books Your Child Will Love
One reason kids resist reading is that they get frustrated because they are overwhelmed by new information and are asked to use skills that aren't yet fully developed. Another way to avert avoidance is to choose books with stories your child will love. Is she dinosaur-obsessed? Is he into spaceships? Chose books, at any level, whose stories themselves will compel your youngster to want to know more.

You can start by reading aloud, then hand off the responsibility to your child at any point. Or share each page, taking turns sentence by sentence. Collaboration is another way to peak interest without being overly pushy about it. The trick is to find the right mix of interest and challenge (not too much, not too little), and to praise even for small accomplishments. Once your child's reading skills develop through genuine interest, he or she will much likely become more interested in the books on offer at school.

Create a Reward System
Sabrina M.'s eight-year-old has a more general issue: lack of motivation for all things school-related. Sabrina is concerned that she can't get to the bottom of the problem, but meanwhile, several moms have offered good advice.

One suggests a reward system whereby the child earns "money" (play money with drawings of family members) that can be exchanged for specific rewards. For example, it costs $5 to go to a friend's house, but her child gets $1 back if he comes home on time. This kind of system could be very successful for school-related milestones and successes as well.

Here is a link to the entire article at the Circle of Moms website. I bet they have a lot of good advice there!
http://www.circleofmoms.com/article/5-ways-help-your-grade-schooler-do-well-school-page-1-01097
Thanks for reading! We are glad you are here!