Have Your Child Order Pizza
One afternoon, when my daughter was two years old, I picked her up from kindergarten and her teacher couldn’t wait to tell me the news.
“Maggie can spell her name!” she told me.
“Oh yes,” I said meekly. I didn’t know whether to be proud or ashamed. “This is her iPad password.”
In addition to feeling guilty in front of the screen, I realized that children learn quickly when they are placed in real-life scenarios that naturally have real incentives and consequences. For better or worse, my daughter’s desire to play Toca Boca was much stronger than flash cards or writing letters in a workbook. Now in her preschool there are all kinds of situations that motivate her to learn. For example, if children want to ride in swaying cars , they should write their name on the waiting list (if they don’t already know how to do this, they should try to write at least the first letter). No name on the list, no queue. Children don’t complain – instead, they want to figure out what to do in order to get what they want.
Obviously, the idea that we learn by doing is not new – Aristotle once wrote that “people become builders by building and playing the lyre by playing the lyre.” (I’ve often had to remind myself that I can only become a writer by writing.) Yet we don’t always teach children this way. The focus continues to be on memorization, standardized tests, and sedentary work — a form of learning in which, as the Atlantic report explains, “the teacher carefully controls the content and pace of what the child has to teach.” Any incentives to learn are not internal, but rather imposed by adults.
Instead, what if children can understand at an early age that this knowledge will help them gain opportunities and independence throughout their lives? He can find places for them, get them things and help them communicate what they need. To show the children how this works, parents can give them simple assignments in which they must practice certain skills. Here are some ideas:
Let them order pizza. After trying different methods to get their kids to know their address and phone number, Reddit user carlinha1289 finally had success getting them to order pizza . “I told them that we only order pizza if they can order it themselves,” she writes. “In less than 15 minutes they found out their address and phone number. The motivation was pretty high. “
Ask them for directions. Let’s say you take them to a fun location like a new park, but they have to direct you there with a map.
Give them a cookie that they have to make themselves. Teach them to follow a simple recipe.
Ask them to write their requests. I love it when my daughter makes lists of foods she wants to eat, friends she wants to invite, and places she wants to visit. She needs a lot of help with this, but is learning to pronounce words and stand up for what she wants. (And no, she doesn’t list everything.)
Don’t give them answers – guide their answers. Teach children to do online research, find reliable sources, and figure out how to learn more about the topics that interest them the most.
Give them an allowance. Teach them that they can get more by learning how to shop at bargain prices.
The idea is that real incentives and the pride that comes with achieving them is a more effective learning tool than even the brightest golden star.