As families prepare for the 2026–2027 school year, many parents naturally begin offering advice to their children about how they can achieve academic success. Although parents always have the best interests of their kids in mind, those well-intentioned conversations can sometimes create more resistance than inspiration.
For me, the beginning of another school year always brings back memories of my many years as an educator and school principal. My experiences showed me that teachers teach best when their students love to learn. I believe that we should take a different look at the role of homework, especially for elementary-aged children, and how we can inspire the love of learning in young students.
Learning Happens in Many Different Ways
There are many ways to learn. Old-fashioned pencil and paper activities are good ways to learn, but these are only one of many possible ways. At the end of a school day for elementary school kids, other forms of learning can enrich a young child’s learning experience.
I encourage parents to ask teachers for ideas about how kids can learn in different and fun ways with their parents. I imagine many teachers can suggest all kinds of learning activities that support the work done at school.
Ideas That Make Learning Fun
Homework might include activities such as:
- Reading to each other
- Games that require math skills
- Exploring the neighborhood for examples of nature and science
- Card games and board games
- Measuring and weighing while cooking
- Finding the best bargains in the grocery store
- Spelling games
- Calculating gas mileage, win/loss averages for favorite sports, time and distance while traveling, etc.
When parents get involved in the learning process in this way, they set a powerful example for their kids and can give parents a fun way to inspire their kids to love to learn.
Mistakes Are Part of Learning
I also encourage parents to keep in mind that making mistakes is part of learning. To truly love learning, kids must understand that mistakes are part of the process. Parents should show the same amount of love for their children, regardless of how successful they are with their schoolwork.
Let's Put the Joy Back Into Learning
Learning how to solve problems is an essential ingredient in the love of learning. Experience working through challenges is essential because it teaches more than just the solution. It teaches children how to think, build confidence, and tackle future challenges on their own.
Listen to our audio, Teaching Kids to Think and Solve Problems, to learn how to guide your child toward independent thinking and becoming a confident, capable problem solver.
Thanks for reading!
