Want to know how to help your kids to learn new skills? We asked a panel of Australian teachers to share their tips. Their clever hacks combined with these handy products will help promote learning, so you can watch them gain confidence in their new-found knowledge.

Make Their Desk a Learning Opportunity

Kids are motivated to do more when they have a special study spot. Set them up with a desk and a chair, or even a regular seat at the table or a bench in the kitchen. “It’s a good idea to get students to work in the open, so they can ask for help and be held accountable. Anywhere with good natural light is best,” says high school teacher Jess Bell.

‍Flashcards are a useful tool that make learning fun, breaking tasks down into easily understood, visual concepts, and, for older students, creating their own aide-mémoires using index cards can be a highly effective revision strategy. For younger kids, consider a highly visual workbook with lots of different tasks and games they can work through at their own pace. Learning mats can also offer kids quick access to essential facts like colours or times tables while protecting the table at the same time. 

Kids will be motivated to learn new skills with highly visual tools like flashcards and workbooks.
Kids will be motivated to learn new skills with highly visual tools like flashcards and workbooks.

What To Try

SEE ALSO: The Best Flashcards and Educational Resources for Kids

Invest in Educational Posters and Wall Charts

Spruce up their space and make learning fun for little ones, all at the same time! Daily access to essential info will help reinforce your child’s learning. “Look for colourful posters that display things like sight words, the alphabet or number facts and hang them in high-traffic areas, like a bedroom or kitchen, for best results,” says primary school teacher Elizabeth Charlton.

Posters can also help kids visualise other topics, such as understanding how a year works by mapping out their friends’ birthdays each month or learning how to take responsibility for a job around the house through a chore chart that gets ticked off when they complete a task. Double-sided posters have the added benefit of approaching the subject in two ways, just flip to find more information.

Make learning fun for little ones with colourful posters that make it easy and enjoyable to learn new skills.
Make learning fun for little ones with colourful posters that make it enjoyable to learn new skills.

What To Try 

Encourage Daily Reading

“For all students, reading every day is beneficial, even reading a comic, a newspaper, or the back of the cereal box,” shares primary teacher Clair Simpson. The more your child reads, the more their literacy skills will improve, and the more confident and fluent their reading will become. Reading skills, and the ability to decode what you’re reading, is a critical foundation for all learning.

SEE ALSO: 7 Ways to Help Your Kids Improve Their Literacy Skills

Help Them Develop a ‘Growth Mindset’

This concept is based on the work of Carol Dweck, a Stanford University psychologist. Her influential research found that mindset has a huge impact on ability. If you think you can achieve something, you’re well on your way to actually doing it.

While this research was originally aimed at adults, why not try applying the practice with your kids too? Building a growth mindset is a process that occurs over time so the sooner you can start, the better. Help your little ones cultivate a positive attitude towards learning, frame their challenges as opportunities to improve, and minimise negative self-talk like “This is too hard” or “I can’t do this”. 

Make Learning Fun

Imaginative play, such as setting up a pretend shop or cooking in a play kitchen, has so many benefits for children. Without even realising it, kids are developing their language and numeracy skills, while also enhancing their problem solving capabilities.

“Play-based learning is a meaningful way to incorporate literacy, numeracy and science into your child’s learning,” says primary teacher Melissa Belanji. “It allows them to explore, discover, take risks and make connections through hands-on learning.” Through playing board games, using flash cards, moulding playdough, and engaging in sensory play with sand and water, you’re encouraging your kiddos to learn while having a blast. 

Flash cards, and sensory play with playdough or sand are a fun way to get your kids to learn new skills.
Flash cards and sensory play with playdough or sand are a fun way to get kids to learn new skills.

What To Try 

SEE ALSO: The 10 Best Incidental Learning Activities for Preschoolers

Focus on Key Skills

Are your kids about to start school? “Writing is a fundamental part of the Kindy curriculum and one of the hardest for students to learn,” says kindergarten teacher Elizabeth Whiteway. “Practising correct letter formation is the key – it helps with fine motor skills, plus breaking bad habits can be really difficult so it’s best to master correct formation from the beginning.”

Look for workbooks that help build basic key skills, and wipe-off writing mats that allow kids to practise their ABCs and numbers multiple times to help reinforce the new knowledge. 

Workbooks and writing mats can help kids learn new skills and improve their writing.
Workbooks and writing mats can help kids learn new skills and improve their writing.

What To Try 

Use Workbooks for Practice 

Just like playing the piano or riding a bike, you need to practise new skills to make progress. “My tip for students is to create a weekly schedule,” says teacher Sarah Bunce. “Allow time each day for homework and revision, which could be finishing off incomplete work or reading over class notes.”

Kids thrive when there’s a consistent routine in place, plus allotting regular revision time gives them plenty of opportunity to reinforce their developing skills. Literacy and numeracy workbooks are ideal for this. But also, Sarah reminds us, “Don’t forget relaxation time too, because we all need breaks.”

Easy to use workbooks can help kids learn new skills and make faster progress.
Easy to use workbooks can help kids learn new skills and make faster progress.

‍What To Try 

SEE ALSO: 7 Ways to Help Your Kids With Maths

Acknowledge Their Effort

Back to Carol Dweck again. Another find during her groundbreaking research? The way we praise kids can affect their success. Aim for authentic and specific praise that focuses on action and not outcome, and the process rather than the person. Instead of saying “You’re so clever” say “I can tell you’ve been practising your reading and you’re really improving”. The takeaway for kids is that trying their best and putting in practice time is what truly matters. Tangible rewards are also a powerful motivator – stickers, stamps and other treats can work wonders. 

Using a reward chart or merit stickers to praise kids for their efforts can encourage kids to learn new skills.
Using a reward chart or stickers to praise kids for their efforts can encourage kids to learn new skills.

What To Try 

Get Them to Teach You

Scientists call it “the protégé effect” – studies show that you better understand and retain information when you teach it to someone else. “I often ask students who are interested or gifted in a topic to become a 'guru' for other students – I divide the class into small groups and get them to share what they know,” says high school teacher James Olson. For young kids, try popping a learning placemat at the dinner table – after everyone has finished eating they can “teach you” what they see. 

A learning placemat at the dinner table can be a great way to encourage kids to learn new skills.
A learning placemat at the dinner table can be a great way to encourage kids to learn new skills.

‍ What to Try