How to Help a Student Become an Independent Learner

Federal data shows that fewer and fewer children are reading independently for fun. While finding enjoyment in reading isn’t necessarily an indicator of a student’s academic success or potential, this is a bad sign. It shows that children may not be becoming independent learners.

But what does an independent learner look like? How do you know if your child already has the skills to learn and study independently? If they don’t, how can you encourage those skills?

Let’s talk about it. Read on to learn everything that you need to know about helping your child grow into an independent learner.

First: Know What an Independent Learner Looks Like

If you want to raise an independent learner, you have to know what an independent learner looks like. Remember that all children are different, so there may be some variances in qualities.

Your independent learner will be able to pay attention in school, ask questions, and explore their curiosity to learn new things. They’ll be able to retain information and apply it to complex topics and situations.

They may struggle to pay attention from time to time (after all, they’re still a child), but they’ll find genuine joy in learning new things, even if it’s difficult.

Being an independent learner has nothing to do with IQ or actual school performance. It’s all about the way the child approaches learning.

They’re Capable of Critical Thinking

For kids, critical thinking is difficult at first. Small children see things in black and white, but as they grow, they learn to make new connections and form more complex thoughts.

Critical thinking skills are essential for independent learners. They’re able to read beyond what’s on the page and “read between the lines,” so to speak.

They Have Strong Independent Study Skills

Studying independently is difficult for young kids, especially if they struggle with their executive functioning skills. Even students who are bright and attentive in the classroom can lose focus when it’s time for them to study and practice on their own.

Independent learners are able to focus on the task at hand so that they cement all of that important information from the school day into their minds.

They Can Set Personal Goals

When a child is young, you’ll have to set goals for them (we’ll discuss this more in-depth later on). As they gain independence, they’ll be able to set their own goals and use their future success as motivation (instead of external motivation, like praise or small rewards).

An independent learner can pick a learning goal and stick with it, even if progress is slow.

They Have a Strong Work Ethic

This is another one that’s tough for children who struggle with executive functioning skills. Having a strong work ethic means that students are enthusiastic about the work that they do, even if it isn’t exciting.

The idea of succeeding and learning is so exciting to them that they’re able to commit to their assignments. They don’t quit, even if things get hard. Instead, they know how to ask for help and use their own problem-solving and time-management skills to their advantage.

Help Your Child Find Their Motivation

Children need to have intrinsic motivation in order to become great independent learners. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t reward your child or provide other types of external motivation, but by helping your child cultivate intrinsic motivation, you’re setting them up for success.

What is your child passionate about? Is there something that they want? How can being an independent learner lead your child to that destination?

For example, let’s say that your child has a passion for animals. They know from a young age that they want to be a vet. You can use this to help your child find motivation.

Your child will learn not only for the sake of learning but also for the sake of their future. Every classroom activity will take them one step closer to their end goal, far off in the future, of being a vet.

Teach Your Child How to Set Goals

But what if your child doesn’t have a clear goal yet? That’s normal. Many of us never really find what we want to do until well into adulthood, and even then, goals are always changing.

Help your child set smaller goals in that case, and make sure that they’re attainable. We love using the SMART goals method. You want goals to be:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-Bound

Goals can start off simple. Maybe your child has a goal of getting at least a B on their next math test. This is a specific and measurable grade that should be in range and there’s a clear end date for the goal (the day of the test).

Work together with your child to create plenty of SMART goals. Soon, they won’t need your help. They’ll be excited to form and reach their own goals.

Make sure that you keep up with their current goals and make sure that they’re all reasonably achievable. Your child is capable of great things, but goals that are too lofty can be discouraging.

For very lofty goals, help your child set smaller sub-goals as stepping stones toward the final destination.

Provide Structure (And Teach Kids to Create Their Own)

Children need structure in order to thrive. While this is especially true for neurodivergent children, all children will benefit from having plans and schedules. Those plans and schedules will, over time, turn children into independent learners who are able to schedule themselves.

When your child is still young, create schedules and plans for them, even on non-school days.

Create time blocks that are easy for your child to follow. Block in things like breaks and playtime as well as study time and school. Eventually, you’ll be able to loosen the schedule, but while your child is learning, it’s best to keep it consistent.

Each task on the schedule should be broken down into smaller tasks, especially if you have neurodivergent children who struggle with executive dysfunction. Breaking a big task into small tasks makes everyone more accessible.

For example, instead of just “Study,” you’ll want to break it down into steps like:

• Gather supplies
• Arrange work at your desk (or table)
• Read instructions carefully
• Answer questions in blue ink
• Take notes in green ink
• Ask for help

This might seem redundant, but you’re giving your child a strict set of tasks that they can follow so they can stay focused. You can do this with any type of task to make it more “digestible.”

Focus on Effort Over Grades

As a parent, you want your child to thrive at school. You want them to get straight As and succeed! Unfortunately, this passion for good grades might actually be doing more harm than good.

Focus on rewarding and praising effort. While you should definitely praise your child when they do well, they also need to know that learning and trying are valuable even if they don’t succeed.

If you don’t do this, your child will see an A as the only goal rather than the learning process itself. Some children are bright and great at retaining information, but they’re terrible test-takers. Don’t discourage their unique learning process by punishing them for less-than-perfect grades.

By focusing on effort, you’re encouraging your child to continue striving to be better, not because they think that they have to earn your praise, but because they want those better grades for themself.

You’ll also be taking a lot of pressure off of them. Children who only ever receive praise when they go above and beyond start to see themselves as less valuable if they’re unable to meet those high expectations.

This can turn a child who loves learning into one who feels anxious when they go to school. Remember: independent learners don’t have to be straight-A students (and they often aren’t). They have to have a genuine love for learning new things, even if they hit roadblocks along the way.

Resist the Urge to Over-Assist

When your children are still very young, you’ll feel tempted to help them every step of the way. This is a great parental instinct, but there’s a time and place for everything. Make sure that you’re not over-assisting your child if you want them to gain independence.

Remember that you won’t always be there to help them study and learn. They need to learn how to stand on their own two feet.

You should make an effort to keep your child on track, but beyond that, don’t do any work for them. If they’re struggling, encourage them to come to you for help, but instead of giving them answers, help them find the answers on their own.

By walking your child through the learning process instead of giving them answers, you’re teaching them how to think and solve problems. If you simply solve a math problem for your child, they won’t have the resources to solve a similar problem on their own next time.

You want your child to get good grades, but you can’t get those grades for them.

Let the Child Experiment and Make Mistakes

This ties hand-in-hand with our previous point. You must let children make mistakes and experiment if you want them to turn into confident independent learners.

Experimentation and exploration are how children learn. They’re exploring their own curiosities, even if those curiosities don’t seem academic on the surface, or if it seems like they’re headed in the wrong direction.

Sometimes your child’s learning journey will lead to mistakes. Instead of preventing those mistakes from happening, let your child make them. Letting your child make mistakes and find the wrong answers while they’re studying at home will prevent them from making them in a higher-stakes situation, like on an important test.

Instead of giving your child the correct answer when they’ve gotten something wrong, influence them to work backward to see where the mistake happened. Ask your child what they would do differently to get a different answer.

You’re teaching your child how to think in creative ways.

Measure Progress Together

How do you measure your child’s progress? Do you only do it by looking at their report cards? Do you involve your child in the progress-measuring process?

We already talked about setting SMART goals earlier in the article. Make sure that you’re keeping up with those SMART goals and measuring them along the way.

Find ways to track your child’s progress that have nothing to do with actual letter grades or test scores. While those things are important in the classroom, you can use other more effective and practical methods at home.

Let’s say that your child wanted to learn how to read a difficult chapter book by the end of the school year, but they started with books two grades below their grade level.

Buy your child a book that’s grade-appropriate (or at least higher than the level that they started with). Don’t tell them that it’s a higher-level book.

If they’re able to read it with minimal help, you can tell they’ve made progress toward their big goal. If they need help, you’ll still be measuring their progress and you’ll know where you need to make changes.

Seek Help From an Academic Coach

You want the best for your child, so why not give them an extra boost when they’re not in class? An academic coach can make a huge difference in your child’s experience both in and out of the classroom.

An academic coach won’t just tutor your child. They’ll help your child develop the skills that they need to be responsible and attentive so they can become a better learner.

These skills will follow your child all the way through adulthood.

Your Child Can Be an Independent Learner

Transforming your child into an independent learner might seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. All children have so much potential. You just need to find a way to unlock it.

At Peak Academic Coaching, we want to help. We love providing students with the skills that they’ll need to thrive in the classroom and in their futures.

Learn all about our academic coaching options and call us today at 470.238.8327