by Christi DuPre

Created on: May 19, 2008   Last Updated: May 20, 2008

Not long after I began home schooling, I experientially came to the conclusion that many researchers have documented for years- children needed some form of motivation to maintain their interest in learning. As a result, I began adding ingredients and stirring the motivational pot until it was spicy enough to be interesting. I soon found out that some ingredients lost their flavor over time and had to be swapped for others. With a little thought and creativity, you can keep your pot boiling with ideas that inspire your kids to love learning. What follows are a list of ingredients that you may want to sample in your home school.

1. REWARDS
You don't need a laundry list of rewards for minor accomplishments. Determine an area where your child needs encouragement. Then consider a suitable incentive for that child. Your reward may be aimed at academics or behavior.

Intrinsic rewards are internal to the child. For instance, satisfaction in a job well done or an accomplishment. This could be achieved by simply praising their efforts or putting a sticker on a worksheet or test. It is also helpful to search for competitive outlets for your kids. My daughter looks forward to the home school art festival every year. She has a gift in art and is motivated to improve by participating in this annual competition. She receives an internal sense of accomplishment and a placement ribbon as an award. Both bring a smile to her face and keep her enthused about her abilities and potential.

Extrinsic rewards are external to the child. You as a parent know better than anyone what delights your child. Choose a reasonable accomplishment or period of time before they earn the reward. If they have to wait too long, they will be discouraged. On the contrary, quick gratification is not meaningful.

As a reward, plan a field trip for reaching a significant milestone. That trip could be correlated to your studies. For instance, a trip to the butterfly house following a study on these creatures. A movie night with a friend is another great motivator. Allow them to rent a movie, choose a favorite snack, and invite a friend. For a younger child, a toy of their choice is an irresistible reward. A gift card to a book store, lunch at a fast food restaurant, or an "ice cream sundae night" are anticipated incentives. You could also fashion a coupon for anything they enjoy. For example, a free download from Itunes.

2. EDUCATIONAL GAMES & FUN BREAKS
Games are a great ways to engage reluctant learners and

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