Most of us will agree that developing the ability to read at a young age is essential. Being able to understand written text is the basis of learning, yet study after study shows that across countries, a significant percentage of children do not reach the required minimum standards.
For example, in Europe, around 20 to 30 percent of students finish primary school without the necessary reading comprehension skills to study effectively. This significantly impacts their overall learning outcomes and to make things worse, the tendency is negative in most countries.
For sure, the lockdown during the pandemic did not help and in many classrooms, the percentage of students with an immigration background who are faced with the challenge of learning a new language has increased over the years.
In other countries, for example Germany, my home country, many educators blame the lack of teachers and missing financial resources in the education system for the insufficient level of education.
But what’s the way forward?
In a recent study, we asked around 300 primary school teachers and leaders about their main challenges when teaching reading and literacy. The number one reason they mentioned was lack of student motivation.
If that is true, how can we increase motivation for reading or, even more profoundly, motivation for learning in today’s children and teenagers?
As Steven Kotler, author and expert in peak performance, details in his book The Art of Impossible, ‘motivation is the sum of drive, grit and goals, and the most potent intrinsic drivers are curiosity, passion, purpose, autonomy and mastery.’
Following Kotler’s research, shouldn’t we dedicate much more effort to creating a supportive learning environment at school and home to foster a child’s innate curiosity and desire to learn? In our quest towards this desired new reality, I’d like to share some thoughts that come to mind:
What schools and teachers should aim for:
- Make learning fun: Teachers should strive to include games, hands-on activities and multimedia in their teaching to make the learning process more enjoyable and interactive.
- Set clear, attainable goals: Schools should guide students in setting and achieving small, manageable learning goals. This can help students experience the joy of success, boosting their confidence and motivation. Technology and EdTech solutions can help personalize learning for each student.
- Promote a growth mindset: Teachers should create a classroom environment that treats challenges and mistakes as opportunities for growth rather than failures. This can encourage resilience and a love for learning among students.
At home, as parents, we also have many ways to make a difference for our children:
- Provide positive reinforcement: We should consistently acknowledge and praise our children’s efforts and achievements in learning, regardless of their size. This can boost our children’s self-esteem and motivate them to continue learning.
- Model lifelong learning: By showing our children that learning is a continuous and rewarding part of life, we can inspire them to become lifelong learners. This also is true for reading: the more we read as parents, the easier it is to motivate our kids to read.
- Encourage self-directed learning: By allowing children autonomy in their learning at home, we can help cultivate a sense of ownership and pride in their learning journey. This can mean letting them choose the books they want to read or the projects they want to work on.
We can reverse the negative trend, but we need to be ready to review the strategies that led us to where we are today.
By Sven Huber
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