1. Ways to Motivate Children
Linda Christensen

2. What is Motivation?
“It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”
Albert Einstein
Ask parents what they think motivation is!

3. A motivated child is likely to:
Choose tasks that are challenging

4. A motivated child is likely to:
Choose tasks that are challenging
Begin tasks without having to be prodded

5. A motivated child is likely to:
Choose tasks that are challenging
Begin tasks without having to be prodded
Show serious effort and concentration

6. A motivated child is likely to:
Choose tasks that are challenging
Begin tasks without having to be prodded
Show serious effort and concentration
Have a positive attitude toward learning and schoolwork

7. A motivated child is likely to:
Choose tasks that are challenging
Begin tasks without having to be prodded
Show serious effort and concentration
Have a positive attitude toward learning and schoolwork
Use coping strategies to get through the rough times

8. A motivated child is likely to:
Choose tasks that are challenging
Begin tasks without having to be prodded
Show serious effort and concentration
Have a positive attitude toward learning and schoolwork
Use coping strategies to get through the rough times
Stick with tasks until successful completion
Easy to see why motivated students are successful - all of these characteristics fit those of successful adults

9. A child who is not motivated is likely to:
Choose work that is inappropriately easy

10. A child who is not motivated is likely to:
Choose work that is inappropriately easy
Need lots of prodding to get started

11. A child who is not motivated is likely to:
Choose work that is inappropriately easy
Need lots of prodding to get started
Put in minimal effort
We all share some of these characteristics - but think about when we do - it might be when we’re overwhelmed or insecure. We might be overtired or unwell

12. A child who is not motivated is likely to:
Choose work that is inappropriately easy
Need lots of prodding to get started
Put in minimal effort
Show a negative or apathetic attitude about learning and schoolwork
We all share some of these characteristics - but think about when we do - it might be when we’re overwhelmed or insecure. We might be overtired or unwell

13. A child who is not motivated is likely to:
Choose work that is inappropriately easy
Need lots of prodding to get started
Put in minimal effort
Show a negative or apathetic attitude about learning and schoolwork
Give up quickly when the going gets rough
We all share some of these characteristics - but think about when we do - it might be when we’re overwhelmed or insecure. We might be overtired or unwell

14. A child who is not motivated is likely to:
Choose work that is inappropriately easy
Need lots of prodding to get started
Put in minimal effort
Show a negative or apathetic attitude about learning and schoolwork
Give up quickly when the going gets rough
Leave many tasks unfinished
We all share some of these characteristics - but think about when we do - it might be when we’re overwhelmed or insecure. We might be overtired or unwell

15. Motivated students can rightly take credit for their own achievements
But, most of them also owe a debt to the people who started them out on the right path - their parents

16. Set Proper Expectations
Expect your child to succeed
and her chances for success improve greatly.
Communicate with your child
- be kind but honest about interests and abilities
- Remember to communicate that you expect to see their top effort. If that effort expectation is met, then she has succeeded. If you only look at the final product, then you might miss the enormous amount of work that went into every step.

17. Help Your Child Set Goals
- Write the Goals Down
- Put them in a prominent spot

18. Help Your Child Set Goals
- Write the Goals Down
- Put them in a prominent spot
Make the Goals Specific
Not, “Connor will do better in Math.”
But, “Connor will raise his Math Grade from a C to a B.”

19. Help Your Child Set Goals
- Write the Goals Down
- Put them in a prominent spot
Make the Goals Specific
Not, “Connor will do better in Math.”
But, “Connor will raise his Math Grade from a C to a B.”
Make the Goals Measurable
Not, “Connor will finish his homework.”
But, “Connor’s mark’s on quizzes will improve.”

20. Five Steps to Help your Child Accomplish Nearly Anything
Steps and the Likelihood of Success for Each:
Make a conscious decision to do something…………..25%
Decide when they will do it……………………………….40%
Plan how they will do it…………………………………...50%
Commit to someone else that they will do it……………65%
Make a specific future appointment with the person
they committed to, at which time they report
whether they’ve done it…………………………………...95%

21. Show Your Child You Think School is Important
Maintain a relationship with your child’s teacher

22. Show Your Child You Think School is Important
Maintain a relationship with your child’s teacher
Support the programs at your child’s school

23. Show Your Child You Think School is Important
Maintain a relationship with your child’s teacher
Support the programs at your child’s school
Create a suitable environment

24. Show Your Child You Think School is Important
Maintain a relationship with your child’s teacher
Support the programs at your child’s school
Create a suitable environment
Keep up with your child’s assignments

25. Show Your Child You Think School is Important
Maintain a relationship with your child’s teacher
Support the programs at your child’s school
Create a suitable environment
Keep up with your child’s assignments
Stay positive about school and schoolwork

26. Support Your Child’s Learning Style
Does your Child learn best by:
Hearing - such as listening to a talk or a book on tape?
Hearing – auditory learner enjoys music and hearing stories, is comfortable talking – prefers spelling aloud rather than writing -
- rhymes, songs, associative words, give oral quizzes, books on tape, talk through problems
Seeing – visual learner - likes artwork, movies, theater, follows a map, likes directions backed up on paper
- use color – post it notes – colored pencils - look at pictures charts and graphs first when reading, flashcards, talk about looking at the speakers during oral presentations.
Doing - Kinesthetic - loves to move, exercise is critical. Would rather participate than sit and watch. Likes to use her hands to create.
- use counters for addition and subtraction – use cardboard letters or blocks for spelling
Take frequent study breaks . Different positions for studying – hands on projects

27. Support Your Child’s Learning Style
Does your Child learn best by:
Seeing – such as reading a book or a graph?
Seeing – visual learner - likes artwork, movies, theater, follows a map, likes directions backed up on paper
- use color – post it notes – colored pencils - look at pictures charts and graphs first when reading, flashcards, talk about looking at the speakers during oral presentations.
Doing - Kinesthetic - loves to move, exercise is critical. Would rather participate than sit and watch. Likes to use her hands to create.
- use counters for addition and subtraction – use cardboard letters or blocks for spelling
Take frequent study breaks . Different positions for studying – hands on projects

28. Support Your Child’s Learning Style
Does your Child learn best by:
Doing – such as building a model or preparing a chart?
Doing - Kinesthetic - loves to move, exercise is critical. Would rather participate than sit and watch. Likes to use her hands to create.
- use counters for addition and subtraction – use cardboard letters or blocks for spelling
Take frequent study breaks . Different positions for studying – hands on projects

29. Speak the Language of Encouragement
Research shows that encouragement has a bigger effect than praise on a child’s motivation.
Praise:
Discusses results: “Great work on the quiz! You got an A!”
Use opinion words: “good,” “great,” “terrific,” and “wonderful.”
Is typically given when the child has performed as you had hoped she would.
Encouragement:
Notices effort and progress: “I can tell you spent a lot of time on your paper! It must feel good to know you worked so hard!”
Uses descriptive words: “You cleaned the bathroom without being asked. I can see myself in the sink!”
Can be given regardless of the child’s performance: “That didn’t work out the way you planned, did it? What can you do differently next time?

30. ENCOURAGEMENT MAKES MOTIVATION SOAR!!
The big difference is that words of praise lead the child to rely on YOUR assessment of her accomplishments.
Words of encouragement lead her to form her own positive assessment of herself.
ENCOURAGEMENT MAKES MOTIVATION SOAR!!

31. Encourage your Child to be Resilient
A resilient child has these qualities:
A strong belief that an adult in their lives will always be there with love and support
Resilient children are ready for whatever life throws at them - they get that way by developing these qualities

32. Encourage your Child to be Resilient
A resilient child has these qualities:
A strong belief that an adult in their lives will always be there with love and support
The ability to solve many of their own problems
Resilient children are ready for whatever life throws at them - they get that way by developing these qualities

33. Encourage your Child to be Resilient
A resilient child has these qualities:
A strong belief that an adult in their lives will always be there with love and support
The ability to solve many of their own problems
The ability to focus on their own strengths
Resilient children are ready for whatever life throws at them - they get that way by developing these qualities

34. Encourage your Child to be Resilient
A resilient child has these qualities:
A strong belief that an adult in their lives will always be there with love and support
The ability to solve many of their own problems
The ability to focus on their own strengths
To regard mistakes as something that happens to everyone, and something to learn from.
Resilient children are ready for whatever life throws at them - they get that way by developing these qualities

35. Help your child be resilient by:
Empathizing with your child

36. Help your child be resilient by:
Empathizing with your child
Providing reasonable choices

37. Help your child be resilient by:
Empathizing with your child
Providing reasonable choices
Changing your approach when it clearly doesn’t work

38. Help your child be resilient by:
Empathizing with your child
Providing reasonable choices
Changing your approach when it clearly doesn’t work
Supporting your child’s interests and talents

39. Reinforce Learning at Home and in the Community
Motivated students know that learning takes place everywhere
Reading – books and newspapers
Movies – video versions of books
Travel – town, state, nation, world
Cooking – expand tastes
Museums - in person, online

40. Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Motivation
Awards, stickers, candy, extra privileges, money
Treat your child to a reward once in a while, but other times reward him only with a smile, or a big thumbs up. Or tell him: You can really be proud of yourself. Look at what you did.

41. Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Motivation
Work for what you get out of it
Internal satisfaction

42. Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Motivation
Work for what you get out of it
Internal satisfaction
Extrinsic
Awards, stickers, candy, extra privileges, money
Treat your child to a reward once in a while, but other times reward him only with a smile, or a big thumbs up. Or tell him: You can really be proud of yourself. Look at what you did.
TAKE THE MIDDLE GROUND!!

43. Striking the Spark that motivates a child produces an internally fueled quest for success that no amount of external rewards, threats or pleas can equal.
Motivation is truly the secret to helping children develop the greatest potential and parents would do well to learn how to do it.