Parents Should Make Their Kids Enjoy Learning

For the longterm, young children learn better when they enjoy what they see, hear and do, and the experts agree on this.

“To properly educate young minds early on, it is important to insert elements of play and recreation in every learning activity—in school and at home,” shares Rachel Tongson, Sr. Product Manager, Wyeth Philippines.

Under its Progress Pre-School Gold brand, the company recently teamed up with Nickelodeon to mount Nick Jr.’s Play to Learn Pre-School Tour.  Nick Jr. is the network’s programming block dedicated to entertain and educate pre-schoolers. 

The project aims to cultivate kids’ love for learning and was able to reach hundreds of kids in five different schools with its fun activities.

Joyce Ferro-Orillosa, an early childhood education specialist who has been teaching for 10 years explains that “According to the active learning theory, children develop knowledge and learn by being physically and mentally engaged in learning activities. Children engage in play naturally and enjoy it. They do not engage in activities to learn; they join because it’s play or because it’s fun.”

With a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership and Management from De La Salle University and a masters’ degree in Early Childhood Education from Assumption College-San Lorenzo, Ferro-Orillosa shared other fun techniques to help moms encourage their kids to love learning.

It is encouraged that parents create and design a home environment that would encourage children to sing songs, recite poems and play educational games—some activities enjoyed by kids during the Play to Learn Pre-School Tour.

Kids enjoy the film viewing of the cartoon show Team Umizoomi where they learned about shapes and problem-solving

Parents can also motivate their kids to love learning and study well by simply listening to their kids and allowing them to express their thoughts and feelings by using kind, encouraging and affirming words; building on the kids’ strengths and never focusing on what they cannot do; and by celebrating learning milestones.

“Learning must be age-appropriate and must be child-initiated. It should also support social interactions...Most importantly, the learning environment must be safe and secure,” Ferro-Orillosa adds.

Parents should make sure that fun learning in school goes hand-in-hand with the children’s learning at home.  These tips and techniques—from integrating fun in learning activities to setting an atmosphere that fuels it—inform and empower parents as they hone their kids’ love for learning.