www.wiseminds.com.au - Wise Minds Australia

What is your learner interested in?


What is your learner interested in?

The beauty of human beings is that we are all unique! This means we all have a range of interests, hobbies, quirks, qualities and traits that make us different to every other person alive. We are all motivated by the things that fascinate us. Now, think about children and their learning. How can we engage them if they’re not motivated by the content they are presenting with? We know there are a wide range of skills that kids need to develop in order to be successful in life and that we are responsible for teaching them. But how do we do this? Why not allow your child’s interests, hobbies, quirks, qualities and traits drive this process? What are they interested in? Is it music or wildlife? What do they enjoy doing in their spare time? Is it playing soccer or reading books by their favourite author? What makes them an individual? Is it their ability to think creatively, their constant humour or obsessive love for something? You can use these ideas to help drive their learning and branch off into different areas. This might for an individual project or something completely off topic to the learning pack you are completing. 

As the facilitator of the learning process think about the skills that you would like your learner to gain. Next, think about the vehicle you will use to provide the opportunity to develop these skills. This means, what topic will you teach the skills through? If your child loves a particular author, study them and teach researching skills, note taking and paraphrasing. Your child might be interested in wildlife and is also really creative. You could go to your local botanic gardens or the zoo to explore the topic, then narrow down the ideas to a specific area of focus, gather more information and then expose them to a range of artistic ways to present their knowledge. There are so many options!

Another great way to allow your child’s passions to drive their learning is to engage with teachers, specialists, community groups, organisations or those with their own keen passion in the area that appeals to your learner. There are a wide range of programs and workshops available to expose children to new concepts and allow them to engage in a meaningful experiences. Not only does this provide children with an exciting opportunity, but it also support those running the sessions. You can also chip in with other families to cut costs and possibly even participate in workshops that area little more pricey. There are lots of social media groups, ideas on council websites and even here at Wise Minds Australia. Just take a look and explore the wide range of teachers, specialists, community groups and organisations and experts who are offering experiences and workshops in a wide range of areas! 

So as you are on this learning journey, think about what will engage your learner and motivate them to keep exploring the world around them.