Positive, engaging learning environments are keys to students’ academic and social success; therefore, creating such learning environments for students is always my top priority here at i-Learner. Below are some techniques that you can deploy to establish an effective learning environment for your child.

Build rules collaboratively
One key step to creating a positive learning environment is to develop a set of mutually agreed rules. Discuss with your child how he or she would learn best, then brainstorm a list of behaviours that are beneficial to their studies. Remember – the rules apply equally to everyone – that means, if the rule says, ‘No television or smartphones when studying,’ your child should not see you using your smartphone while completing work in the evening. With companions and a sense of fairness, your child will feel much more positive about the rules and be confident in obeying them.

Recognise and reinforce positive behaviours
In order to reinforce positive actions and strengthen your child’s intrinsic motivation to study, it is important for you to recognise his or her achievements and positive studying behaviour – even small improvements are worth praising! Setting up a reward system is a great way to show your child that you feel happy and excited about his or her accomplishments and positive attitude towards studying. Make sure your child feels the same – this helps build self-esteem and encourages him or her to maintain a positive attitude and continue working hard.

Respond to struggles with positivity
How does it feel when your boss is negative about work you’ve put a lot of effort into? It’s even worse if they just tell you to do better next time rather than helping you learn from your mistakes. This is how children feel when their academic efforts are responded to with negativity. Next time your child struggles with his or her homework, try not to immediately blame him or her for not paying attention in class or for not remembering something they’ve already learned. Instead, try to understand the reasons behind these issues, and let him or her know that you’re going to tackle the problems together.

With positive learning environments, students will feel more comfortable about learning and have a sense of rapport with their teachers, parents and peers. More importantly, they feel confident in themselves and believe that they can succeed!