Teaching strategies come and go in K-12 education. But in the ever-evolving quest to find the best way to teach elementary-age students the core skills they need to master before moving on to more advanced grades, one factor remains consistent: students learn best when they鈥檙e motivated.
While some students come to school self-motivated and ready to learn, others seem to lack the same degree of drive. But there鈥檚 a lot teachers can do to keep the spark alive among their most self-motivated students, and to ignite it in others.
Education Week sought input from a mix of experts鈥攅ducational researchers and classroom teachers recognized for their excellence鈥攐n strategies to facilitate motivation in the youngest students for long-term academic success.
Here鈥檚 what we learned:
1. Give students more control, even the youngest learners
Kim King teaches art to K-4 students in the Mansfield Public 69传媒 in Storrs Mansfield, Conn. She鈥檚 found that giving students more control over what they do in her classes motivates them to try harder.
鈥淎 couple of years ago, I started to gradually switch my approach from that of a traditional art teacher, where I鈥檇 assign a project for the students,鈥� said King, who was recognized in 2022 as Connecticut鈥檚 Teacher of the Year.
She estimated that about half of her students demonstrated self-motivation under the traditional approach. 鈥淔or the others, I was doing a lot of scaffolding, re-directing, re-engaging them in the project,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was pulling the second half of my class along.鈥�
King used to teach art to high school students, most of whom choose to take art as an elective and wanted to be there. That difference is key to student motivation, she said. So, King started to look into ways to give her elementary students, who were required to take her class, more choices.
鈥淲e started to talk about what it鈥檚 like to be an artist, how [students] develop ideas. I started to see more engagement and self-motivation,鈥� King said. 鈥淚 began to realize that my focus was building creative confidence so my students could trust their own ideas.鈥�
For example, King鈥檚 4th grade students created self-portraits, with a twist. They traced their silhouettes, and from there came choices.
鈥淭hey could do anything that showed something personal,鈥� said King. Some students chose to use collages, others drew, some painted. 鈥淓verybody felt successful ... That鈥檚 where you鈥檙e going to get that motivation.鈥�
Giving students more control doesn鈥檛 mean that the teacher is giving up control, King emphasized.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a free-for-all. They鈥檙e learning skills. But they have a voice,鈥� she said.
2. Foster students鈥� belief in their own abilities
Also essential to motivation is the belief in one鈥檚 ability to master a given project or problem.
Most of King鈥檚 former high school students decided well before they reached her class whether or not they were 鈥済ood at鈥� art, King said. She found that her students who believe they don鈥檛 possess artistic strengths usually exhibit less self-motivation to pursue artistic projects than their peers who do.
鈥淜ids have to feel like they鈥檙e capable of accomplishing the work at least at some level,鈥� said , professor emeritus at the University of Maryland鈥檚 College of Education, who has co-authored numerous studies on reading and motivation in young readers.
Teachers can influence these feelings of capability to some extent, explained Wigfield, by making modifications to assignments for students who are struggling to help boost confidence. He uses the example of having teachers provide struggling readers with book selections they can master during periods reserved for independent reading.
Creating an environment conducive to facilitating that self-belief is important to Jessica Saum, a special education teacher in Cabot Public 69传媒, in northern Lonoke County, Ark.
鈥淲hen we give students multiple ways to show us what they know, we鈥檙e not just meeting the needs of struggling students; we鈥檙e giving credence to the whole gamut of students鈥� brains,鈥� said Saum, the 2022 Arkansas Teacher of the Year.
For instance, Saum said that if she is assessing spelling and not writing, she will allow a student who has difficulty with written expression to instead spell the word orally. Or she鈥檒l let a student work with a partner on a project to demonstrate mastery.
3. Practice the 鈥榓rt of questioning鈥�
Young children are innately curious. Cultivating that curiosity is key to enhancing students鈥� self-motivation, say experts. , the director of academic programs at Utah鈥檚 Western Governors University and a former K-12 teacher, refers to this skill as the art of questioning.
鈥淎s educators, it鈥檚 very valuable that we help students unpack and dissect what they鈥檙e learning,鈥� said Bell.
Too often, said Bell, educators focus on having students summarize what they鈥檝e learned as opposed to encouraging them to elaborate on concepts, which can occur even at the youngest grades through exploration of something as simple and concrete as a picture book. 鈥淎s a teacher, I can ask: How do you know? Prove it.鈥�
When teachers model this inquiry-based learning strategy, they encourage students to ask questions too.
鈥淲e have to cultivate early an environment where students ask 鈥榳hy,鈥欌�� Bell said. 鈥淐reate a culture where asking why is the norm.鈥�
4. Model enthusiasm for learning
Teachers have enormous influence over their students鈥攎ore than they may realize. Bell recounts a personal experience as a classroom teacher in Chicago that demonstrates this point.
鈥淚n the wintertime, I wouldn鈥檛 wear my shoes. I鈥檇 wear boots and carry my shoes,鈥� he said. He soon noticed that many of his students began to do the same. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 realize they were trying to mimic my behavior.鈥�
It makes sense, then, that students whose teachers demonstrate enthusiasm for their subject material are likely to feel the same way.
鈥淢y passion is reading. When you put emphasis and joy in that, and model that, [students鈥橾 motivation starts to build,鈥� said Leah Porter, a 3rd grade teacher at Wilcox Elementary School in Holt, Mich.
Porter recalled how she built excitement for reading among her students, several of whom told her in the beginning of the year that they didn鈥檛 like to read. She began by sharing her own enthusiasm for reading and explained how she logs the books she reads for pleasure. Then she structured a readers鈥� workshop for her students, where they could choose what they read.
Initially, it took some time to generate enthusiasm among students who were reluctant to read. But that eventually changed.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been amazing to see how, just by me modeling the joy of reading and reading to them with the joy of intentionality 鈥� they get excited about it too,鈥� said Porter, the 2022 Michigan Teacher of the Year. 鈥淪ome students who were barely reading are now begging for more reading time.鈥�
Teachers鈥� enthusiasm, whether or not aimed at a specific subject or lesson, is infectious for the youngest learners, Saum said. 鈥淭here are a lot of students going to school every day looking for that teacher鈥檚 smile.鈥�
5. Make fun a high priority
Making content fun adds another reason for students to want to learn. And that鈥檚 critical, especially for the youngest learners.
鈥淭he curriculum is a lot harder than it was 30 years ago. Expectations have risen to match the science of learning,鈥� Saum said. 鈥淭here is still play and fun, but we have kindergarteners who are reading and writing.鈥�
Providing opportunities that connect academics to play increases students鈥� motivation, Saum said.
She uses the example of having students who are learning how to write practice writing words in shaving cream. It鈥檚 messy, but it鈥檚 an activity that most children will want to do. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e writing, which is hard, but this tactile stuff makes it fun and appealing,鈥� Saum said.
