Tanya’s son Kip thrives on competition, and loves going fast… so she’s harnessed those interests to help him strengthen his skills in weaker areas.

Tanya Mitchell – mother of 3 says, “I can’t leave my child alone to do homework and expect him to be encouraged and feel good about himself, but if I just take a few minutes, find out where he’s having some difficulty, and sort of help create a little plan for him – he does very well.”

Little Kip was having trouble behaving in school, too, but his mom devised a point system that has worked wonders.

Linda Stahnke – education expert says, “It’s so much better to build in a system of rewards for accomplishment, tell them what you want, set some goals and rewards that are tied to them doing what you want, don’t nag them to get it done but make sure there are consequences if they don’t do it, and then follow through and keep your word.”

Find out what motivates your child and then use that knowledge to encourage learning. For example, a child who loves art might enjoy a museum visit, meeting a real artist, learning history of certain pieces, or creating his own art.

Linda says, “It takes spending time with them and trying some different things first, and then just feed that, …if its something that they own, that they desire themselves, then they’ll pursue it.”

And don’t neglect your child’s weak areas. With focused attention and encouragement from you, your child’s weaknesses can become strengths.

Tanya says, “Find activities and things that they enjoy that will help build those skills, because brain research shows they can change those skills.”