How to get your children into their learning mode

It is so amazing how children learn. Being one of the most curious stages of growing, children can be a constant bother if we do not understand them. They are naturally curious and will take everything as it is. Children like to imitate what they see or hear. It is therefore a great concern what we expose, show or let the children hear and see. An unknown quote has it that “Children seldom misquote. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn’t have said.”However, when parents and teachers expose the children to the world, they need to be conscious of the information that they let them have. Everything that exists or appears in a child’s environment must be censored. It is like filling in a child’s empty mind and heart with information. Nobody would want any child’s mind and heart to be filled with negative things. The character and behaviour of a person is created and can be moulded as a child. It is the effective stage to learn new things. As children learn, the desire is to let them learn good things and avoid bad.First, children learn best through observation. They are keen observers and are very outspoken. They will always generously and innocently share what they see and hear wholly. At times parents or elders get angry and claim that such children lack respect when they do or say what is not right. They are not because they do not know. Whatever we see in the behaviour of a child reflects what (s)he is fed. But what we need to know about these children is that they will speak until and unless they are taught the right thing to do.Besides being diligent observers, children learn through play. Children’s day is best spent with a lot of playing. If you put a child in an empty room alone, you will realize that they will invent something to play with. This is because their world revolve around play; how and what to play with. Let the children get dirty, explore, ask questions and find out on their own. Some parents will restrict their children to where and who they play with. By giving the children a chance to play and never mind about them getting dirty, we are helping them to be self reliant and discover for themselves. Children best learn through play.Lastly, the children like to interact. They are easily sociable than the adults. By allowing your child to freely play and mingle with the other children, you are giving them an opportunity to learn, share and discover from the other children. Two children who have never seen each other will in no minute start chatting and playing together like they have been friends for eternity. That is just how easy it is for children to socialise. Some parents do not allow their children to interact with any other child. This could be of bad effect for their children later in life.Children like to find out on their own. When parents bar them from mingling with other children, they will develop an attitude towards others and social life later. And as they grow, it would not be easy to overcome and outlive such an attitude. Let the children learn.The writer is an educationist