Learning is critically influenced by learner motivation. All teachers want to have are motivated learners in their classrooms.

Psychologists have identified two types of motivation: extrinsic and intrinsic.

Extrinsic motivation results from using positive rewards to achieve a target behavior. Teachers can influence the students’ determination to succeed through their behavior and statements. What about intrinsic motivation?

Parents and teachers should make use of encouraging statements that reflect an honest evaluation of learner performance.

They could do this by:

• Recognizing the child’s accomplishments
• Attributing their achievement to internal rather than external factors.
• Providing feedback to them about the strategies they use, and instructions on how to improve them.
• Helping them set realistic goals.
• Refraining from grouping them according to their ability. Ability grouping gives the message that ability is valued more than effort.

Research suggests that competitive arrangements that encourage children to work alone to achieve high grades and rewards tend to give the message that what is valued is ability.

Learning is a complex mind activity that cannot be rushed. Studies show that people must practice a great deal for them to become experts in a particular area.

Studies also proved that the reading and writing skills of adolescents relate to the number of hours they have spent reading and writing. Children from disadvantaged environments who have fewer opportunities to learn and who miss school because of work or illness cannot be expected to do as well at school as children who have had more time to practice and acquire information.

Researches suggest that children need to be exposed to learning situations, preferably at an early age. Here are some recommendations for teachers to be able to help students spend more time on learning tasks.

• Increase the amount of time children spend on learning in the classroom.
• Give them learning tasks consistent with what they already know.
• Give them time to understand new information.
• Help them engage in ‘deliberate practice’ that includes active thinking and monitoring of their own learning.
• Give them access to books so that they can practice reading at home.
• Be in touch with their parents so that they too, will learn how to provide richer educational experiences for their children.

Children learn best when their individual preferences are taken into consideration.

Experts say that there are major developmental differences in learning. As children develop, they form new ways of representing the world.

The following are recommendations for creating the best environment for the development of children, while recognizing their individual differences and preferences:

• Learn how to assess each child’s knowledge, strategies and modes of learning.
• Introduce them to a wide range of materials, activities and learning tasks that include language, mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, art, music, movement, social understanding, etc.
• Guide and challenge their thinking and learning.
• Urge them to test hypotheses in a variety of ways.
• With them, create connections to the real world by introducing problems and materials drawn from everyday situations.
• Show them how they can use their unique intelligence profiles to solve real-world problems.
• Create situations for them to interact with people in the community, particularly adults, who are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about things which interest students.

(Henry S. Tenedero is the president of the Center for Learning and Teaching Styles and MINDful IDEAS, an affiliate of the International Learning Styles Network, based at St. John’s University in New York. He can be reached at htenedero@yahoo.com.)