Intrinsic motivation is an important trait to have in life. It is the personal desire to do things and propels a person in their life choices and towards their goals.
This is an area that I would like to learn more about myself in order to assist children to develop their dreams and realise them.
Early childhood is a key time for developing this trait. Educators have an important role in influencing children in this way, though it is not always easy to know how. Here are some suggestions based on current research:
Let the child make as many decisions for themselves as possible and allow the child to choose their own play activities. This may influence a child's right to self determine their activity and therefore motivation.
Reinforce effort that a child makes rather than the finished product. The process is the most important! This can be enforced with comments such as "you are working so hard on that", "you chose to finish that task" rather than "that is a beautiful picture."
"Point of passion" is a memory of a particular event that sparked an interest that continued into later years. These moments often occur in preschool years and are supported by a key adult in the child's life. For example, the young Eric Carle's teacher asked his parents to come in the classroom to view some of their child's art work. He had told the teacher that he liked art and she saw that he had talent, so asked the parents to "nurture the talent and respect it." His parents went on to do so and Eric remembers this experience as the "door" to his future career in writing children's books. Perhaps you remember one of these moments in your own life.
Relatedness (being close to someone) is important for influencing intrinsic motivation. This can be done by having an empathetic relationship with the child at their pace by respecting the child's boundaries and affirms the child's right to self determine. It has also been found that having many influential adults in a child's life act as anchors for support in the child's areas of interest. Parents and grandparents often play a major role and this relationship can be encouraged by teachers and ECEs by initiating communication about this, just as Eric Carle's teacher did.
It is important the child engages with the adult about the importance of activities. The adult may say "what you are doing is very important." They may go on to explain.
All of these ideas contribute to a child's motivation and choices in their present and future lives. It is important that ECEs, teachers, family members, and influential adults take note of the child's interests and help them delve into them with an inquisitive mind, especially in the preschool years. This could shape their direction in life and their ability to realise their goals.
This is an area that I would like to learn more about myself in order to assist children to develop their dreams and realise them.
Early childhood is a key time for developing this trait. Educators have an important role in influencing children in this way, though it is not always easy to know how. Here are some suggestions based on current research:
Let the child make as many decisions for themselves as possible and allow the child to choose their own play activities. This may influence a child's right to self determine their activity and therefore motivation.
Reinforce effort that a child makes rather than the finished product. The process is the most important! This can be enforced with comments such as "you are working so hard on that", "you chose to finish that task" rather than "that is a beautiful picture."
"Point of passion" is a memory of a particular event that sparked an interest that continued into later years. These moments often occur in preschool years and are supported by a key adult in the child's life. For example, the young Eric Carle's teacher asked his parents to come in the classroom to view some of their child's art work. He had told the teacher that he liked art and she saw that he had talent, so asked the parents to "nurture the talent and respect it." His parents went on to do so and Eric remembers this experience as the "door" to his future career in writing children's books. Perhaps you remember one of these moments in your own life.
Relatedness (being close to someone) is important for influencing intrinsic motivation. This can be done by having an empathetic relationship with the child at their pace by respecting the child's boundaries and affirms the child's right to self determine. It has also been found that having many influential adults in a child's life act as anchors for support in the child's areas of interest. Parents and grandparents often play a major role and this relationship can be encouraged by teachers and ECEs by initiating communication about this, just as Eric Carle's teacher did.
It is important the child engages with the adult about the importance of activities. The adult may say "what you are doing is very important." They may go on to explain.
All of these ideas contribute to a child's motivation and choices in their present and future lives. It is important that ECEs, teachers, family members, and influential adults take note of the child's interests and help them delve into them with an inquisitive mind, especially in the preschool years. This could shape their direction in life and their ability to realise their goals.
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