Fairytales and Short Attention Spans by Cyanna

Fairytales and Short Attention Spans by Cyanna - March 2018 Scholarship Essay

There are many different ways to go about explaining the importance of higher education to a second grade student. The brain of a six year old, is not yet fully developed and their idea of reality is not quite reasonable. Since the majority of second grade children still believe in Santa Clause and that the characters on Paw Patrol are real, a fairytale approach will help them understand the idea.
I currently have a younger sister who is in second grade and she asks me questions all the time about what I will be doing next year. She often asks questions along the lines of “What will you be doing there all day?”, or “What is college and why are you going?” Though I do not have clear answers for her questions I do try to explain what exactly will be happening. Our conversations usually go a little something like this: She approaches me to ask questions, and I often go into how I truly need this for my future career and explain how it is different from elementary school and it usually turns into a conversation about what the boy did the other day in class. Having a conversation with a second grader often includes many detours because they have such a short attention span so there always have to be something that relates to them.
For second graders, if one were to relate college to something they like, it holds their attention for a little while longer. For example, if someone is rambling on about college to a seven or eight year old without relating it to them, they will find a way to change the subject. So, when I talk to my little sister I often relate it to her going to the best ballet school when she is older (her dream job at the moment is to become a ballerina), so it captures her interest while she is also able to learn why this is an important part of success. As she knows, I want to do something in the medical field which requires me to go to college so I tell her it’s like her going to a really good ballet school so that she can be the best ballerina she can be.
It may also help to talk about college as if it is the next best thing after Disney channel. It’s similar to the way college’s get students to come to their schools: highlight the best parts and elaborate on those things. Due to college being catered to some of a person’s greatest interest, highlight that fact. For example, if a student likes science, to keep a child’s attention say they’ll be able to take almost all science courses so they can be excited about it, especially if they hate reading. This usually has second graders saying, “I can’t wait to go to college!”, by the end of the conversation.
There are many ways to get second grade students interested in higher learning and the previous ways are some that I use. Turning college into a place that seems so unreal to a child makes them want to get there even more. Also, relating it back to their interests and explaining why its important in that context will have them understand more and have them listen to what you are saying. Second graders are a tough crowd but once they understand and are engaged in the topic, it can be some of the best conversations you’ll ever have.