I get emails on a regular basis asking for assist with dyslexic youngsters unmotivated to study. I’ve realized lots in my practically 30 years of homeschooling youngsters with dyslexia and ADHD. There are literally very particular issues you are able to do to extend motivation.
Hearken to the podcast or learn the transcript beneath.
Transcript: Growing Motivation
Hey, and welcome to the Past the Field Studying podcast. My title is Marianne Sunderland. I’m the founding father of the web site, homeschoolingwithdyslexia.com and on right this moment’s episode, I’m answering a query about what to do with youngsters who’re unmotivated to study. I get this query lots. And so we’re going to speak right this moment about some sensible methods to extend motivation. We’re additionally going to speak about a number of research-based methods to extend motivation.
So after I discuss unmotivated learners, I’m speaking about actually something from youngsters who’re simply procrastinating and dawdling to youngsters who’re outright refusing to do the schoolwork you assign.
So there’s plenty of number of lack of motivation. I’m excited to share with you just a little bit about what the analysis says about growing motivation in addition to what’s labored in my own residence throughout my practically 30 years now of homeschooling my youngsters with dyslexia and ADHD.
Lack of Motivation is Not Unusual
So initially, it’s vital to know that it isn’t unusual for homeschooled youngsters to lack motivation, particularly this time of 12 months. I’m recording this podcast in January of 2025. We’ve completed the vacations. It’s type of a letdown. It’s chilly and grey. We’re simply not feeling like sitting down and doing math, or no matter. It’s quite common.
Colleges use plenty of exterior motivators, however we are able to additionally use these as homeschool dad and mom. Externally motivating methods in faculties are issues like peer strain and grades or penalties from academics. This may be arduous for homeschoolers, particularly mothers, who are usually just a little extra nurturing in direction of their kids than perhaps a stranger.
It may be tough to encourage youngsters to do arduous issues on daily basis and that is by no means extra true than for youths with dyslexia, for whom studying, writing, and spelling are sometimes very tough. Bear in mind how you are feeling about doing issues which can be arduous for you, proper? Nobody actually naturally enjoys doing issues which can be arduous for them.
So there are a few issues that folks can do, although, to extend that inside motivation with our children. All of us use rewards and penalties proper? These sorts of issues are exterior motivations, however they put on us down and tire us out and frustrate our children. So what we’re speaking about right this moment goes to actually assist improve your baby’s inside motivation or the need from inside to do a sure activity.
Improve Motivation with an Expectation of Studying
So, at the start with my youngsters, I discovered it useful to create an expectation for them that we’d do what I known as the ‘workout routines of studying’ on daily basis. So for my elementary age college students, this included just a little little bit of studying instruction tailor-made to their wants with a lot of hands-on strategies.
I’m going to hyperlink within the present notes beneath an article with a assessment of the highest 4 Orton-Gillingham studying applications that folks can use at house with their dyslexic youngsters, as a result of it’s vital to be utilizing the fitting curriculum
The workout routines of studying additionally embrace math and a few type of learn aloud, or perhaps listening to an audio guide which regularly doubled as a casual historical past lesson.
I refer to those as homeschool fundamentals. I’ve referred to them up to now as my minimal viable homeschool day. That is simply the minimal quantity of stuff that I have to get executed every day to really feel like I’ve lined sufficient. We don’t need to do that for months on finish. But when we are able to get that a lot executed every day, and the youngsters are enjoying and blissful, then we’ve completed sufficient. So I’m going to incorporate a hyperlink additionally to that submit on the minimal viable homeschool day so you possibly can take a look at that on your personal homeschool.
I additionally beloved the concept I realized from Tricia Hodges from her web site Hodgepodge. She additionally has the chalk pastel curriculum known as You Are an Artist, however she’s received a ton of nice concepts for managing your homeschool, and one of many issues that I’ve all the time carried out due to her is doing one factor after lunch, in order that is likely to be just a little science or further historical past, or an artwork challenge, or it might be no matter didn’t get completed earlier than lunch from my youngsters’ core studying.
Nevertheless we construction it, we have now this expectation. And our children have this expectation that we’re going to be doing just a little little bit of the workout routines of studying every day.
So when my youngsters would come to me and say, “I don’t need to do college”, you recognize, I might simply inform them, “You understand, we have now to perform a little little bit of studying on daily basis. It’s good for our brains, proper?” That type of factor. And they also started. They knew that in the event that they got here to me and mentioned they didn’t need to do college, that was the reply they had been going to get.
Improve Motivation with Consistency
So the subsequent piece of the motivation puzzle is consistency and, to be completely sincere, consistency has been one in all my largest struggles over my practically 30 years of homeschooling.
There all the time appears to be one thing to distract us from the best homeschool plan for the day, whether or not it’s a child’s conduct or well being, or an toddler or toddler or house restore, or one in all 100 different widespread distractions to homeschooling consistency actually isn’t simple for anybody.
Nevertheless, consistency actually is likely one of the strongest instruments that we have now, as a result of it creates momentum in our house faculties, which ends up in much less resistance and extra peace.
Having a routine and sticking to it with consistency avoids plenty of that inertia that comes from an inconsistent homeschool schedule. It avoids that feeling of beginning the schedule over again each couple of days.
So, apart from setting an expectation for studying and being constant, there are a few different issues that we are able to do to extend motivation with our children. These 3 issues come from analysis on motivation known as the self-determination concept.
Improve Motivation with Competency
I did an interview with one of many researchers, Dr. Gina Riley on this fascinating analysis, and I’ll hyperlink to that beneath if you wish to take heed to extra of this. However primarily the primary component of accelerating inside motivation is a sense of competency. So that’s that the duty at hand isn’t too simple or too arduous.
Bear in mind, to start with of this episode I talked about how no person likes to do arduous issues, and that for our children with dyslexia, studying observe may be one thing that’s significantly disagreeable, as a result of it’s so arduous for them.
So that is actually vital to grasp as homeschoolers and oldsters of children with dyslexia, particularly in case you your self are usually not dyslexic.
Now, one technique to know whether or not you’re working at your baby’s degree is to do a placement check with whichever Orton-gillingham studying program you’re utilizing. So I’m going to hyperlink to that article on the highest, 4 studying applications to make use of at house. No have to reinvent the wheel right here. There are many wonderful studying applications out there for fogeys to make use of, however use the position check and comply with together with it persistently to make sure that you’re working at your baby’s degree, and don’t hesitate to return and assessment if you could.
I usually encourage dad and mom who’re educating their dyslexic youngsters at house to think about themselves as tutors to their youngsters. A tutor will see that one in all their college students has forgotten a selected rule, for instance, and can take time to assessment that rule with none guilt or disgrace. It truly is vital for us, as homeschool dad and mom, to fulfill our children the place they’re at. Bear in mind, it takes plenty of observe and repetition for our children to grasp language abilities. So don’t stress go at their tempo and with a superb program as persistently as attainable.
Now, right here’s one thing type of distinctive to youngsters with dyslexia, and that’s that some days it looks as if they’re actually prepared to soak up info, and classes go easily, and the data goes in. After which on different days it looks as if the brand new info is actually bouncing off their brains
Their degree of competency, what they’re able to doing or what’s simple for them or the fitting degree of problem, might fluctuate from each day. And so with time you’ll start to acknowledge the nice studying days and the dangerous studying days, and a clever dad or mum will adapt their educating to fulfill their youngsters wants that day. So if the data isn’t entering into.
You’re educating studying or math or no matter and also you pivot and perhaps simply do learn alouds, play a recreation, one thing like that, in order that they’re feeling good. They’re feeling profitable, however they’re accommodating their distinctive wants.
Improve Motivation with Autonomy
The following technique to encourage inside motivation from this self-determination concept is to provide them autonomy or selection over what they’re studying. So after we enable our children to have selection, that will increase motivation as a result of they really feel extra answerable for their studying.
So what this may appear like might be permitting them to decide on which topics they do first, or for our teenagers what time they stand up within the morning. This might be permitting them to decide on what learn aloud to do subsequent, or what subject of historical past or science to check. So we need to give our children as a lot selection as we moderately can. After which, after we give our children selection, it cultivates this sense of intrinsic motivation.
Improve Motivation with Associated Studying
The third manner from self-determination concept to foster inside motivation in youngsters is to construct this sense of relatedness or some type of supportive group. People are inherently social creatures and fostering a way of relatedness generally is a recreation changer for struggling learners. Relatedness is about feeling understood, valued, and supported by others, which in flip contributes to an individual’s total psychological well-being.
Relatedness, refers back to the want for social connection, belonging, and interpersonal relationships. It’s that need to really feel linked to others, to expertise a way of belongingness, to determine significant connections with household or associates or social teams, and they also know they’re not alone of their journey. This data is admittedly good for reinforcing motivation and confidence.
And so a few methods to include relatedness in studying are to attempt to prepare alternatives on your youngsters to work together with their friends. So peer interplay is a giant technique to foster this sense of relatedness, and this may be both in particular person or just about. Interacting with friends can present a way of belonging and social connection.
One other technique to incorporate relatedness is household involvement. So attempt to contain members of the family within the studying course of, encourage siblings and oldsters to take part in discussions, group tasks, or collaborative actions. This fosters a way of relatedness inside the household unit. There are plenty of totally different ways in which you are able to do this, whether or not you’re volunteering collectively, you’re engaged on a challenge of some type of household backyard, animals, no matter it’s. Some type of household challenge actually boosts that sense of relatedness.
One other technique to increase relatedness is group engagement. So exploring area people sources and actions, ideally ones that align along with your youngsters pursuits and studying objectives. In order that’s golf equipment, groups, or group lessons that may assist your baby construct relationships exterior the house and really feel a way of belonging inside the group.
There are additionally on-line studying communities. Many on-line platforms and academic web sites have boards or communities the place homeschoolers can join. So encourage your youngsters to take part in these on-line communities if that’s one thing that pursuits them to share their expertise, to ask questions, and to interact with like-minded learners.
One other technique to improve relatedness is cooperative studying. Any type of cooperative studying actions you can contain your youngsters in the place youngsters work collectively to attain a standard purpose. It promotes teamwork and a way of relatedness amongst all of the contributors.
Motivation Recap
So, in conclusion, only a fast recap to extend youngsters’ inside motivation or need to do issues, we are able to set an expectation for what sort of studying we wish our children to be doing.
And we are able to implement that schedule as persistently as attainable. After which we additionally need to incorporate the weather of competency, ensuring the work isn’t too arduous or too simple; autonomy, giving our children as a lot management over their studying as we are able to; and relatedness, offering relationships in studying of assorted varieties to extend engagement.
In order that’s the nuts and bolts of motivation. When you’re in search of extra methods to provide your youngsters selection as you homeschool. I created a listing of 20 methods to provide youngsters extra selection. And so I’m going to hyperlink to that PDF obtain within the present notes or on the weblog submit web page, wherever you’re consuming this podcast and bear in mind, no person’s motivated on a regular basis, proper? You simply need to do your greatest to implement these methods and take heed to the true wants of your youngsters.
So I hope that is useful, and thanks for becoming a member of me.
Sources
Obtain the PDF: 20 methods to provide youngsters extra selection in studying.
Interview with Gina Riley on Self-Dedication Principle of Motivation
