Motivation Made Easy: Practical Incentives for Homeschool Success
I have been a classroom teacher for many years. During that time, I have seen things that teachers have done horribly wrong. I mean, it has kept me up at night. I have also seen some things teachers have done with tremendous skill. I will be the first to give credit where credit is due.
One of the things I find amazing is how teachers can keep dozens of students motivated to complete their work. Think about it. Most of you are at home with a handful of “students.” In the public school system, teachers are with 20+ children. They are working. How do they do it?
There are several things teachers set into place to make the learning environment successful. Today I plan to focus on just one – MOTIVATION. It’s February. Winter has it’s tight, dark grip on us. The holidays and festivities are over. This can be a tedious time for teaching, both in the classroom and at home. I have included ideas I have used both in the classroom and when homeschooling my own children that bring a little more fun into learning.
6 Ideas to Motivate Your Children
- This was by far one of the most successful ideas I did when teaching in my classroom. If you have a Mr. Potato Head, set it up with no parts on it – just the potato. Set a goal for what your child is working towards. Perhaps math is a struggle. Set a goal that every time your child completes a math lesson, one element is added to the Potato Head. Every day, a new element is added. Once Mr. Potato Head is complete, celebrate with a reward! Here’s the secret. As your child is working towards a reward, it will take days to complete. Day after day of working toward the reward begins to develop positive habits.
2. This is a free download you can click to get the PDF. The center is blank and it is black and white. Think of a reward and write it in the center. For example, if I read for 15 minutes I can add a petal. Then you can color each petal or cut the petals apart and add them every time your child reaches her goal. Once all the petals are added or colored, celebrate with the reward in the middle!
3. This rocket is a cute puzzle reward. Purchase this template as part of a 30-page set below. Just print a simple picture and cut the parts. Write the reward and place it as the first piece. Then once a job is completed (for example, your child comes to the table quickly and ready to work), add a piece of the puzzle. Once all the pieces are assembled, celebrate the win!
4. This is another motivation chart you can download for free. I have quite a few of these in my motivation packet you can purchase as well. I love the way you can customize these. Pick the ones that have only a few dots if you want a quick turn around for the reward. Maybe your child is earning something big and you want it to take longer. Pick one that has more dots. Every time your child does a desired behavior, he gets to draw a line to the next dot. Once it’s completed, time to celebrate with a reward.
Purchase The Motivation Packet Here:
5. One of the simplest things to make a reward system is to find simple coloring sheets. This one is included in the free PDF download I made for this post. Every time your child completes a task, such as writing in their journal, have him color a part of the picture. Once the picture is complete, time for a celebration!
6. This is a collection of reward systems. They are also available in our shop. Just set a goal and reward. As children complete each step, it brings them closer to the reward. It builds habits and discipline along the way. At the end, there is much more than an incentive. Lifelong skills are developed as they learn patience and not to grow weary in well-doing.
Get all 30 motivation pages for your child!
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