5 Strategies to Motivate Your Student
Are you looking for strategies to motivate your student?
Some students seem to naturally love and want to do well in school. They likely possess what psychologists refer to as intrinsic motivation, where they are naturally motivated to do their best because they are motivated to do so (if this is your student, keep reading! You are likely to find at least one of these strategies to motivate your student applicable to yours).
Then, there are other students who strongly dislike school. They may find it boring, pointless, or simply a waste of time. They are reluctant to learn and do not appear to be the slightest bit concerned about their academic progress, or lack thereof.
But here is the truth: Every child can learn and thrive, even if they are a reluctant learner. All you need, as a parent, teacher, tutor, or loved one, is to experiment with different strategies to help motivate your student.
Below are 5 strategies you can use to help motivate your student.
Strategy #1: Celebrate Small Successes
Pay attention to and praise your child’s successes, whether significant or insignificant. By celebrating your child’s small successes, you’re helping to improve their confidence, sense of self, and their work ethic.
Focus your praise on their effort. Instead of saying, “you are so smart!” try saying, “you worked so hard on that math problem. Great job!”
Strategy #2: Engage Them in Their Interests
As a student, I wouldn’t touch a book that wasn’t about sports until middle school. My 5th grade teacher, I later learned, bought sports books with her own money once I read every sports book in her classroom library. Instead of trying to pry basketball books out of my hands and replace them, she encouraged me to read what I wanted to read.
Engage your child in their interests. If they love Diary of a Wimpy Kid, let them read Diary of a Wimpy Kid. If they seem to obsess over dinosaurs, tractors, trees, or anything else, engage them in their interest. Let them read what they want to read.
Students unfortunately have so little say as to what they learn. Help them enjoy learning more by giving them greater choice.
Strategy #3: Promote Autonomy and Independence
As humans, we have three psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. We like to have a sense of control, mastery, and connection with others.
Supporting your child’s autonomy helps develop increased levels of intrinsic motivation, self-esteem, and overall well-being. This also helps them become more self-directed in their learning, less dependent on their teachers to learn.
Meeting your child’s needs to be autonomous doesn’t have to be difficult.
- Offer them choices
- Provide them different strategies to complete a task
- Support your child in setting goals
Strategy #4: Set SMART Goals
Help your child be more motivated to learn by supporting them in setting their own learning goals. The SMART goal framework is great way to make the goal setting process easy for your child:
- Specific | What do I want to accomplish?
- Measurable | How will I know if I achieved my goal?
- Achievable | What are the steps to reach my goal?
- Relevant | How does this goal relate to my interests?
- Timely | When do I want to complete my goal?
Strategy #5: Provide The Necessary Accommodations
Some children are not motivated learners because they struggle in school. They don’t find it naturally easy. So, instead of feeling like they humiliated themselves in front of their peers, they may opt to sit back and refuse to try. Learning is a vulnerable process, which affects different students in different ways.
Your child may benefit from having more say over their learning, targeted support over specific academic skills, or being explicitly taught the skills they need to be successful.
Here at Strive Learning Solutions, we offer highly-effective services to support all students, including the most reluctant, unmotivated of learners. Schedule your free consultation today!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my child unmotivated in school?
There are many reasons a child might seem unmotivated: boredom, frustration, lack of confidence, or not seeing the relevance of what they’re learning. Often, it’s not a lack of ability but a lack of connection or support.
How can I help my child develop motivation to learn?
Start by celebrating small successes, engaging your child in their interests, and giving them more choices in their learning. Setting specific, achievable goals and offering autonomy can help your child feel more invested in their progress.
What if my child refuses to try or gets easily frustrated with schoolwork?
When students consistently avoid learning, it may be a sign that they’re struggling with skills like reading, writing, or organization. Supportive, strengths-based tutoring or academic coaching can rebuild confidence and show students that learning can be rewarding and achievable.
Does Strive Learning Solutions help students who are unmotivated or reluctant learners?
Yes. Strive Learning Solutions specializes in helping reluctant learners build motivation, confidence, and independence. We provide academic coaching and tutoring in Denver and Boulder, as well as virtual sessions for families anywhere.
