In today’s highly competitive academic environment, it is easy for both children and parents to feel the pressure to perform at the highest levels possible. When children sit down with a subject, their focus from the word ‘go’ is to excel at it, and unfortunately, students often rely on rote memorization.
If children do not have a positive attitude before approaching a subject, even the brightest students tend to develop a fear of it. This fear is one of the biggest roadblocks to any child's reaching their fullest potential.
A child’s schooling days are the most important in their life, and it is important for them to learn early in life that learning is an enjoyable and fruitful lifelong journey. So then, how exactly does a so-called ’positive mindset’ really improve a child’s performance, and how can a parent help him or her achieve it?
Attitude is everything
Let us take one of the most commonly feared subjects – math. We often see students who admit to being afraid of numbers without realizing that all it takes to excel at the subject is conceptual clarity and frequent practice.
While different students will undoubtedly learn at different paces, children who learn at a slightly slower pace should not fear the subject or believe they cannot excel at it the way their peers can. To avoid this, it is important for parents and teachers to remind children that they are not competing with other students during the learning process itself.
For students who show a lack of interest and attention while learning, it is important to incorporate innovative and light-hearted teaching methodologies that can keep them engaged in the subject. When a student begins to look forward to going to class, his/her enthusiasm will automatically translate to increased interest and better-quality performance in the subject.
Backed by research
It is a common misnomer that only quantifiable measures of intelligence (e.g., IQ) can indicate how well a child performs in a subject. However, IQ is not the only factor influencing a child’s performance.
A scientific study conducted at the Stanford University School of Medicine has recently found an actual brain pathway linking a positive attitude toward math to higher achievement in the subject. The pathway was found to be connected to the better functioning of the hippocampus, an important memory center in the brain, especially as a child solves arithmetic problems.
The research administered standard questionnaires to 240 children aged 7 to 10 and found that even with factors such as IQ, students with a positive attitude toward math were linked to better performance in the subject. It suggested that those students who develop a strong interest and self-belief in their potential perform much better.
The study, published in January 2018 in Psychological Science, also explains how a passionate and inspiring teacher can influence children's attitudes towards a subject and subsequently enhance their performance in it.
What you can do
It’s time to look beyond conventional education methods and instill a passion for learning in your child. In subjects like math, it is essential to ensure that students enjoy learning concepts and willingly partake in practice sessions outside school hours.
One of the ways to ensure that occurs is by providing your child with ample play time and is engaged in extracurricular activities that he/she enjoys. This prevents him/her from getting bored of learning. If it is enrichment you are looking for, centers such as S.A.M (Seriously Addictive Mathematics) help instill a positive spirit in the classroom. With innovative teaching methodologies and hands-on activities, they can help your child enjoy learning rather than resent it. When your child volunteers for a math lesson, you know you have made the right choice.
Naples is home to the first Seriously Addictive Mathematics center in Florida. S.A.M. offers free assessments and individualized programs for children aged 4-12. To schedule an assessment for your child, visit the Naples S.A.M. website (seriouslyaddictivemathfl.com) or call 239.460.4175.