๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐: ๐๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ช๐ค๐ฆ: ๐๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ๐ฏ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ช๐ฅ๐ด ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ต ๐ต๐ฐ ๐๐ฐ
Many children today arenโt lacking intelligence or curiosityโtheyโre lacking connection to the way we present learning. Reading feels like a task, writing feels like a punishment, and thinking becomes something they do only to pass a test.
But it doesnโt have to be this way.
What if learning felt like play? What if children chose to read, write, and exploreโbecause it lit them up inside?
Hereโs how we can shift learning from a chore to a choice, using practical, fun, and simple strategies you can try right away at home or in the classroom:
Let Them Choose What to Read
Children are far more likely to read when the material reflects their world. Reading shouldnโt feel like punishmentโit should feel like discovery.
Try This:
Let them choose from a wide range of formats:
Comics or graphic novels
Song lyrics (printed and highlighted)
Joke books or riddles
Magazines or game guides
Create a โReading Adventure Jarโ:
Write different genres or themes on slips of paper (e.g., mystery, animals, fantasy) and let them pull one out each week.Pair a book with a movie:
Read a story that has a film version (Matilda, The Little Prince, How to Train Your Dragon)โthen watch and compare. Often, kids love the book more!
Pro tip: Make reading cozy. Let them read with a snack, a blanket, or in a โreading fort.โ Take the pressure off, and the curiosity switches on.
Make Writing a Personal Project
Writing becomes powerful when itโs not just an assignmentโbut their idea.
Try This:
For creative minds:
Write a comic strip or graphic novel
Invent a superhero or villain and describe their powers
Create an alien restaurant menu
For practical thinkers:
Plan a holiday itinerary
Write instructions for building a Lego structure
Draft a recipe book of their favorite foods
For performers:
Write a short script and act it out
Create joke worksheets or riddles
Write and film a cooking show segment
Real Example:
One of my students hated writingโshe would shut down at the thought of it. But after visiting an art gallery with me, something sparked. The characters and emotions in the artwork stayed with her. A few weeks later, she started writing her own comic. Not just one, but the first in a 7-part series.
Now, sheโs working on turning her comic into a movie and is planning a book reveal party. Writing didnโt just become easierโit became hers.
Tip: Let writing be messy and magical. Donโt jump in to fixing spelling too earlyโfocus on the idea first, thatโs where the magic is. You can always turn it into a fun spelling bee later on. Iโve done this and it worked wonders!
Turn Thinking into Play
Critical thinking doesnโt need to come from a textbook. Play-based activities actually build deeper skills: logic, communication, and confidence.
Try These Games:
Yes/No Game:
Ask them questions they must answer without saying โyesโ or โno.โ Builds quick thinking and language agility.Would You Rather:
โWould you rather fly or be invisible?โ โEat broccoli every day or never eat pizza again?โ Great for discussion and decision-making.Role Play:
Set up a pretend restaurant, spy agency, or travel desk. Let them take on characters and improvise.Invention Station:
Set a timer for 5 minutes and ask them to invent a product. Then pitch it like theyโre on Dragonsโ Den.Tongue Twister Challenge:
Work on pronunciation and confidence by laughing through tricky phrases together.
Bonus: These games double as speaking practice for language learnersโwithout the nerves.
Make Fun a Weekly Habit
You donโt need to reinvent your curriculum or home routineโjust carve out a little space for creativity.
Start With:
Fun Learning Friday โ just 20โ30 minutes
No tests.
No corrections.
No pressure.
Let the child lead. Some ideas:Write a silly story together
Read in funny voices
Act out a scene with stuffed animals
Turn a book into a puppet show
Try a new tongue twister challenge
Remember: One joyful learning moment can shift a childโs whole perspective.
Encouragement is Everything
Whatever the activityโreading, writing, or thinkingโyour encouragement makes all the difference.
Over my 12 years as a teacher, encouragement has been my superpower. With it, Iโve helped children build their imagination, lift the limits of what they believe they can do, and experience the joy of seeing their hard work pay off. Iโve watched kids start enjoying consonant blending worksheets, overcome on-the-spot nerves through the simple Yes/No game, and grow confident writing in Englishโeven when itโs their second language.
Praise effort over outcome. Celebrate curiosity. Be present, and let your child see that you believe in their ideas, even if theyโre scribbled in messy handwriting or acted out in pajamas.
Let them take the lead. You might discover a storyteller, a comedian, or a dreamer you never knew was there.
Want more ideas like this? Follow along for weekly tools, playful strategies, and stories that remind us: when we bring joy back into learning, everything changes.
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See you next week for more 5-Minute Thoughts, where youโll get the Evolve Perspectiveโsmall reads, big shifts in how we see childhood and learning.
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