Active Learning: A Parent's Guide to Fostering Engagement and Success

The role of parents in their children's learning extends far beyond the classroom. By actively engaging in their children's education and fostering a love of learning at home, parents can significantly impact their academic and personal development. This article provides practical strategies for parents to create an active learning environment and support their children's educational journey.

The Importance of Active Learning

Active learning is a pedagogical approach where students engage with the material, think critically, and participate in the learning process, rather than passively receiving information. It emphasizes student involvement through activities such as problem-solving, discussions, and hands-on projects.

Study after study shows that kids who get regular physical activity experience improvements not just in their fitness levels but in brain function, too. Beginning the day with a walk or bike to school or moving before starting schoolwork at home can prime the brain for learning. It makes sense - kids need to move more. Creating active learning opportunities can be as simple or grand as you make them. Whether in the classroom or while studying or spending time as a family at home, active learning is just as important.

Strategies for Parents to Encourage Active Learning

Here are practical steps you can take to support your child's active learning:

1. Embrace Physical Activity

All children need regular physical activity! It is particularly important for children with special needs to be included in activities that improve physical fitness. Variations and modifications of movements and activities should be offered to children to create a learning environment that is welcoming and respectful of all abilities. Empower children to suggest and choose which activities, games and movements they find enjoyable and accessible. Demonstrate modifications of simple movement skills such as jumping jacks, squats, and push-ups, and allow children to choose what’s best.

Integrate Movement with Learning: Combine physical activity with academic concepts to reinforce learning in a fun and engaging way.
- Math and Science: Integrate simple movement tasks such as jumping jacks, squats, and running in place into various math concepts (counting, equations, and graphs). Monitor heart rates before and after a short burst of exercise and predict heart rate responses for other forms of exercise.
- Reading: Ask kids to spell words using their bodies to mimic the shape of each letter. Read books that include physical action verbs such as wave, wiggle, jump, skip, shake and slither, and invite students to demonstrate the movements. Ask kids to act out a story after it’s been read out loud. This not only promotes physical activity, it helps children summarize and demonstrate understanding. Or, assign children characters and re-read a story.
- Spelling: Write each letter of the alphabet on multiple sets of bean bags and spread the bean bags throughout the classroom or home.
- Social Studies: Take a deeper diver into the sports, games, and dances of other cultures around the world or during different time periods being studied.
Gardening: Gardens can provide opportunities for physical activity while learning about nutrition and agriculture education. Gardening requires children to carry items, bend and stretch, dig, rake, and weed.
Songs & Music: Add motions to songs you already sing at home and in the classroom. Alternatively, find songs that children know and rewrite the words to incorporate physical activity.

2. Encourage Questioning and Critical Thinking

An active learner is a student who learns by thinking about concepts and asking questions when things don’t make sense. As a Learning Coach, you can encourage your student to stop and think about lessons as they’re reading them. Some students benefit from reflecting in their reading after each page, while others excel after each paragraph.Your student’s grade level will determine how you approach this. One way to help your child become a more active learner is to encourage them to ask questions, especially when learning new concepts. When it comes to math lessons, they can compare their answer to the correct answer.

Ask Open-Ended Questions: Encourage your student to think through a specific problem.
Utilize Learning Resources: Learning Coaches often have many available resources provided by their student’s teachers or found online that are meant to help encourage active learning. There are many worksheets, section review questions, and concept maps that your student can use to check if they understand the topics they are learning. When it comes to elementary engagement, look for lesson guides that can help you support their learning as you encourage your student to think deeply about lesson concepts.
Promote Independent Learning: Your student can become an active learner by asking questions when something is not clear. This may require them to reread the lesson or repeat parts to grasp the new concept taught.

3. Foster Collaboration and Project-Based Learning

This method to foster elementary student engagement encourages students to work with others to solve problems and answer questions. They can think independently, share ideas, and then discuss lessons with a partner. Project-based learning allows students to take a hands-on approach to their learning. Instead of just listening and absorbing information, they are taking learning by doing. They can take what they’ve learned in a science lesson and use it to find ways to help the environment. Students can learn more about the immigration process by knowing where their ancestors came from. They can also learn about diverse cultures by taking what they’ve learned about holidays and creating their own.

Encourage Group Activities: Facilitate opportunities for your child to work with peers on projects and assignments.
Promote Hands-On Learning: Support project-based learning experiences that allow your child to apply their knowledge in practical ways.

4. Make Learning Fun and Engaging

Children have a natural curiosity and eagerness to learn. But they also have very short attention spans. That is why it is such a hack when you can make learning fun. One way to make learning more fun is to use games and interactive activities. For example, turn spelling practice into a game. Additionally, try using technology to your advantage. Another way to make learning more fun is through hands-on activities. Try out those messy and fun science experiments. Encourage them to make arts and crafts gifts for friends and loved ones. Furthermore, relate their lessons to their interests.

Incorporate Games and Activities: Turn learning into a game to capture your child's attention and make the process enjoyable.
Use Technology: Leverage educational apps, websites, and interactive tools to enhance learning.
Relate Learning to Interests: Connect academic concepts to your child's hobbies and passions to increase motivation.

5. Understand and Accommodate Your Child's Learning Style

Every child is unique and has their own learning style. Understanding your child's learning style can do wonders for their academic success. Moreover, considering their learning method can help them develop a love for learning. Visual learners prefer to see information presented in charts, diagrams, or other visual aids. Auditory learners prefer to learn through hearing and listening. Kinesthetic learners prefer to learn by doing and experiencing. To learn your child's learning style, observe their behavior. Also, asking them how they prefer to learn can provide helpful insights. Understanding and accommodating your child's learning style can help them retain information more effectively.

Identify Learning Preferences: Observe how your child learns best - visually, auditorily, or kinesthetically.
Tailor Learning Activities: Adapt your approach to match your child's preferred learning style.

6. Foster a Positive Learning Environment

A positive learning environment can foster motivation, engagement, and a love for learning. First, it's important to establish a routine for your child. The routine must allow your child to balance their academic and daily life. You also need to delegate a space for studying in your home. Ensure that the space is free from distractions. Encourage your child to take breaks, do physical activities, and pursue their interests. These things are equally important to studying. Fostering a love of learning in your children is one of the best things you can do as a parent. One of the best ways to do this is to encourage your child's natural curiosities and interests. Ask them what they want to learn, and find ways to incorporate their interests into their studies. Modeling a love of learning yourself can also be incredibly powerful. Show your child how you enjoy learning and share your own knowledge and experiences.

Read also: Enrichment and Engagement

Establish a Routine: Create a consistent schedule that balances academic work with other activities.
Designate a Study Space: Provide a quiet, distraction-free area for studying.
Encourage Breaks and Interests: Support your child's need to take breaks, engage in physical activity, and pursue their interests.

7. Set Realistic Expectations and Provide Positive Reinforcement

Unrealistic expectations can lead to undue stress and pressure on your child. As a parent, surely you don't want this for your little one. Consider your child's strengths and weaknesses when setting expectations. Communicate openly with them about their progress and goals. Set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals. It is also important to celebrate the small successes along the way. Avoid comparing your child's progress to that of others. Encourage your child to do their best and celebrate their progress, no matter how small. Positive reinforcement is a strategy used to encourage and reward positive behavior. Using this strategy increases the likelihood that they will repeat it in the future. Start by identifying specific behaviors you want to encourage, such as completing daily assignments or studying for an exam. When your child displays the desired behavior, immediately praise and reward them. Be specific in your praise, and make sure your child understands why they are being rewarded. It is important to be consistent with positive reinforcement.

Set Achievable Goals: Establish realistic expectations based on your child's abilities and progress.
Celebrate Successes: Acknowledge and celebrate your child's achievements, no matter how small.
Use Positive Reinforcement: Encourage desired behaviors through praise and rewards.

8. Engage in Open Communication

Regular communication with your child's teacher can help you stay informed about their progress. This way, you can also stay aware of any challenges they may face. Attend school events, participate in the classroom, and volunteer in the school community.

Maintain Contact with Teachers: Stay informed about your child's progress and any challenges they may be facing by connecting with teachers.
Participate in School Activities: Attend school events and volunteer to show your support and stay involved in your child's education.

9. Promote Mental Health and Well-being

Talking about mental health feels embedded in our everyday lives. I found that as a result, my relationship with them has grown in a big way. I know that it might not be easy to start these conversations, especially if you didn’t grow up talking about your feelings, emotions, and mental health with your parents. However, it’s important to break that generational cycle, and there are ways to do so.

Introduce mental health-friendly books and movies: Stories are powerful. Whether experienced through a book or a movie, stories unleash kids’ curiosities and imaginations. With my kids, books and movies have often led to amazing mental health conversations, and I often learn from and feel inspired by them, too! I’ve also had the chance to read to my kids’ classes on occasion, which gave me the chance to share a mental health-friendly children’s book with their peers, too.
Establish a no-judgment rule in our house: We have a rule that the kids can ask me anything they want and I will always answer with as much transparency as I can. On many occasions, this rule has led them to ask for a private conversation. No matter what they share or ask, I try to stay in listening mode for as long as possible. “And then what happened?” “How did that make you feel?” “How do you think that made them feel?” “What feels like a good next step to you?” “What do you think about that?” (i.e. “I don’t know the answer to that. Would you want to look it up with me? “We all make mistakes.
Make my own mental health and self-care visible: My kids see me do a lot of things throughout the day - they see me work, clean, do laundry, play with them, and prepare their school lunches. They also see me go to the gym for a full hour for “me” time most nights. And, they know that when mom is frustrated or pensive, she goes for walks and drives. It’s not uncommon to hear, “Mom’s going on a drive again,” which of course makes me smile and laugh. But, these are the strategies I’ve found that I need to stay balanced as a human being, and I want my kids to know and expect that they may need to find theirs, as well.
Normalize sharing stories about asking for help: When my daughter was able to return to in-person classes for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic, her teacher told me that often she would struggle with her reading and cry silently at her desk rather than raise her hand for help. This deeply bothered me as a parent.
Ask them what else they are learning about mental health: My kids LOVE “teaching” me about what they learn in their S-E-L class. So far, I’ve learned that one of my kids likes to breathe like a dragon, as taught to her by their guidance counselor; her sister likes to breathe in to smell the roses and to breathe out the birthday candles. When it comes to mental health conversations, I don’t always know what to say or how to say it, but what’s never failed me is asking my kids a couple of questions and following their lead from there.

10. Encourage Responsibility and Independence

Taking responsibility, working independently, and engaging in active learning are important qualities for school success. Here are some suggestions for helping your child to develop these qualities.

Establish Rules: Every home needs reasonable rules that children know and can depend on. Have your child help you to set rules, then make sure that you enforce the rules consistently.
Promote Accountability: Make it clear to your child that he has to take responsibility for what he does, both at home and at school. For example, don't automatically defend your child if his teacher tells you that he is often late to class or is disruptive when he is in class. Ask for his side of the story. If a charge is true, let him take the consequences.
Assign Household Chores: Work with your child to develop a reasonable, consistent schedule of jobs to do around the house. List them on a calendar. Younger children can help set the table or put away their toys and clothes. Older children can help prepare meals and clean up afterwards.
Break Down Tasks: Show your child how to break a job down into small steps. Teach your child how to do the job one step at a time. This works for everything - getting dressed, cleaning a room, or doing a big homework assignment.
Foster Self-Reliance: Make your child responsible for getting ready to go to school each morning. Help him get used to getting up on time, making sure that he has everything he needs for the school day and so forth. If necessary, make a checklist to help him remember what he has to do.
Monitor After-School Activities: Monitor what your child does after school, in the evenings, and on weekends. If you can't be there when your child gets home, give him the responsibility of checking in with you by phone to discuss him plans.

Read also: The Power of Active Learning

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