Learning is a part of our everyday lives and is especially important for our students. As they advance onto more difficult subjects each new year, the information they learn may not be retained as much as we would hope. What is the reason for this? To simply sum it up, if a student does not find the particular subject interesting or relevant, the information is most likely not going to sink in. Orlando private school, Lake Forrest Prep, drills relevant learning in all classes and encourages parents everywhere to do the same.
- Use Suspense and Keep it Fresh: When helping your child with their school work, give hints on an assignment’s question they seem to struggle on before you fully reveal what the answers might be. Leave long pauses as you speak as giving emotional signals helps your child stay interested.
- Let the Students Take Control: Allow students to choose when they want to do their assignments each day. Each child may have a certain time they work best after school. Giving students the ability to take charge of how they learn will help them better understand and become attached to the learning process.
- Connect the Lessons to What They Know: Take the time to brainstorm together about what your child already knows and what he or she would like to further learn about. Without a firm reference point, it may be hard to keep the information in students’ heads.
- Build Relatedness: Many students may ask themselves, “what does this have to do with me,” or “how is this even useful?” First, it’s important to note that relatedness is important both academically and non-academically. For the latter part, there needs to be a focus on the relationship between the students and their teachers. Those who feel close to their instructors are more likely to listen and learn what they are taught. Encouraging is this kind of relationship is when the academic factor kicks in. This helps students see how what they learn relates to their own knowledge and experience. When they see the efforts and care put onto to them, they, in turn, will care about what the instructor teaches.
Relevance is so essential because it helps students understand how useful and necessary all of the knowledge from school can be. Not only does this apply in school, however, but can apply to everyday learning as well. When students realize this, the different pieces of knowledge they have learned begin to fit together into one complete puzzle. To learn more about Lake Forrest Prep, an Orlando private school, call us at 407-331-5144, or contact us online.