It’s important to encourage positive attitudes to learning. Recent research shows that fathers have a significant impact on academic achievement. We also know children’s attitude towards learning and school is also very strongly influenced by their father. So, if you model and encourage a love of learning you will be setting your child up for success throughout their life.
Everyone has different memories of their time in school. Some are very positive, and others are less positive. Personal experiences and memories can affect your attitude towards school in general.
Your attitudes towards school will be picked-up by your children. If these attitudes are positive your children will most likely begin school with a happy and positive attitude and be open to the whole new experience.
Top Tips
- Read with your child from an early age and encourage a positive attitude to learning.
- Talk about learning. Talk about your experiences of learning new things and how it has helped you in your work and life. Try learning something new together – build something, learn about something new about the world online, play general knowledge games and quizzes with the family.
- Promote a positive mindset in your children to help them see the benefits and enjoyment that can be found in learning and improvement.
- Don’t put too much pressure on them. Encourage them to be as good as they can be and help them plan how to improve.
- Encourage them to see mistakes as an important part of the learning process and help them to see how to use their mistakes to learn.
- Take an interest. Read the school newsletter with your child and discussing articles and events. Ask your son about what they are currently learning about at school.
- Praise their efforts. Encouragement from dad goes a long way. Tell your child how proud you are of them when they try hard and have a positive attitude toward learning. You could reward by doing something together they enjoy.
- Make contact with their teachers. Children notice when their dad actively communicates with their teacher/s. This makes them feel that you are really interested in and connected to them.
- Be positive about school. Even if you have some not so positive memories of school or learning yourself, allow you child to create their own experiences of school. Speak positively about going to school and learning.
