If we consider the reasons why children and young people sometimes fail to realise their potential, a lack of motivation is usually a major contributing factor. Maintaining children’s motivation when activities become difficult or repetitive can be difficult. Yet learning new things and improving skills are vital for success. How can we instill a lifelong interest in learning? How can we make the acquisition of skills and the achievement of goals exciting and worthwhile even when the going gets tough or when the first flush of enthusiasm begins to fade?

Top Tips for Motivating Children

1. Children need reasons for doing things that do not have an obvious or immediate advantage. So explain the benefits that achieving their goal will bring them.

2. Capitalise on these benefits as soon as possible. If for example, a child is learning to read and recognises one or two sounds or letters, ask them to help you spot a particular shop, item on a menu or name on a party list. The aim is to show the child that the benefits of continuing with a task or activity can often be felt almost immediately. They can become more independent. They can take some control over their experiences, and this will motivate them to continue.

3. Use rewards. Not just at the end of a process, but during it. Set small and achievable goals and reward them with a small token every time they achieve it. Older children may prefer collecting stickers towards a larger reward, for example, a trip to the cinema.

4. Every time a task or activity becomes difficult or tedious, change the approach. If for example a child is learning their times tables, approach it in different ways – outdoors, using the familiar environment, as songs and rhymes,- if five ducks lay two eggs each, how many eggs do they lay altogether? Use clay to make the eggs, use sweets to multiply and divide, use cakes, sticks, conkers and so on. Variety will keep children engaged.

5. Persistence is a vital skill for maintaining motivation and pace. Persistence and routine are interlinked so set a routine for the child to follow, with small rewards in the form of stickers or a ball game in the park etc. to look forward to at the end of each session.

6. Children have short attention spans. This can mean anything from a few minutes to half an hour or slightly more. To keep children motivated, don’t ask them to do more than they are capable of.

7. Finish each session on a positive note. Look forward to the next session by talking about points that will directly interest and benefit the child.

8. Encourage children to imagine how they will feel when they have accomplished their goal. Help them to use their imaginations to experience the benefits. How will they feel? What will they be able to do that they can’t do now? How will they be able to use what they have learned?

9. It goes without saying that motivation is at its greatest when children are doing something of their own choosing, something that interests them and something they enjoy doing.

10. The achievement of a goal is a huge accomplishment. Celebrate it. A child will feel a surge of confidence and this in itself can spur them on to setting further exciting goals.

Children are naturally motivated and keen to learn and experience the world around them. By tapping in to this natural, vibrant enthusiasm, children will enjoy achieving their desired outcomes. Achieving produces good feelings, and the habit of setting and achieving their own goals becomes the exciting and exhilarating habit of success.