Motivation Tips for Your Homeschooled Student

Motivation is a complex process, and as a parent, you might wonder what you can do help improve your homeschooled students’ motivation. In this episode of Beyond Transcripts we’re joined by Transcript Maker founder, Matt Bass, to talk all about student motivation and tips for enhancing motivation.

What is motivation?

Motivation can be defined as the direction and intensity of effort; it’s important to understand that your student’s interest and passions may change, that motivation can go up and down, and that there is a lot that can influence someone’s motivation. What motivates one of your children may do nothing for another, but don’t worry- there are many ways to help enhance someone’s motivation.

Keep in mind that there are two general sources of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is using internal sources for motivation, such as interest in something, the love of learning, or the excitement of improving. Extrinsic motivation is utilizing external factors for motivation, such as praise, awards, or money. We want to try to foster intrinsic motivation, but keep in mind that extrinsic motivation isn’t bad- these sources can be used appropriately to help build excitement and interest.

Tips for improving motivation

When it comes to helping motivate your homeschooler, we discuss a number of ideas including:

• Understanding your student’s interests and learning styles
• Giving your student choice (within reason), such as which subject they want to study first
• Using incentives to create some excitement; remember that these don’t have to be big or over the top
• Encouraging your student to set goals: as they work toward them, the progress helps to create motivation
• Giving verbal feedback that praises their effort or hard work rather than the outcome of what your student does
• Changing up your day: Try starting with a different subject or start later. When you homeschool, you can often adjust to meet the needs of your kids

Remember that there will be ups and downs with motivation and when you homeschool you have the flexibility to work with your child’s needs and that can be great for motivation.

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more about student learning styles

Setting goals helps with motivation

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