Everything you should know about student engagement (+ 6 activities and strategies to help kids love school)

Studies show that students who are engaged are 200% more likely to attend college. That’s amazing, isn’t it? And goes some way to explain how important student engagement really is.

But college applications aside, student engagement matters most on a day-to-day basis in the classroom. An engaged class of students will work harder, better retain information, and develop faster than a class that’s bored or disinterested.

So what’s the secret to great student engagement?

Defining student engagement…

Student engagement refers to how actively involved, interested, and invested a student is in their learning. A sign of good student engagement is when a class is working well and finds genuine, personal value in the teaching.

While you may think that student engagement is only important later in the education experience, being engaged is just as important at six years old, as it is at sixteen. After all, if a child starts their academic career committed and on the ball, they’re much more likely to continue that way later in life.

In order for a student to be engaged, they have to psychologically invest, and find value, in the following:

• The school staff, including teachers and assistants.
• Their fellow students and peers.
• The curriculum.
• How the lessons are being taught.

Engagement across these elements will manifest in three ways:

• Behavioral engagement (what a student is doing — are they focused?)
• Emotional engagement (how a student reacts — are they enjoying the lesson?)
• Cognitive engagement (how a student is learning — are they working well?)

With this in mind, the best lesson plans will use specific student engagement activities to target these areas. So let’s go ahead and break down how that’s achieved, and what student engagement really looks like in action…

Six student engagement strategies to engage your class

All kids have a favorite class and a not-so-favorite one. Whether you’re a teacher at school or a parent who’s teaching from home, there will be some lessons that are more of a struggle than others.

But with the right techniques, even “boring” or “difficult” classes can be made to be fun. These six student engagement strategies will help engage your student(s) the right way:

1)   Create an active learning environment

Active learning focuses on student participation and interaction. You can do this by calling on students to ask and answer questions, for example. By asking students to feedback to the class at frequent intervals, everyone will have more of an incentive to remain engaged.

Even better: allow one student to ask a question, and another to answer it for them. This will test the whole class’s understanding, as well as calling upon typically quieter students, too.

2)   Encourage engagement with a ‘questions cup’

Chances are, you’ll find some students in the class are a little more engaged than others. Utilizing the ‘questions cup’ is a great way to make sure everyone is taking part.

Fill a cup with each of your students’ names on pieces of paper. Pick one at random throughout the lesson. Whoever’s name is picked must answer a question. You can take it a step further and offer points for correct answers, which can later be redeemed for small prizes.

This randomized approach keeps everyone on their toes. It doesn’t allow for avoidance by simply never raising their hand, and gives everyone the same chance of being selected.

3)   Ensure your lessons are accessible for everyone in the class

Although providing incentives is fun, it’s important that your students are able to engage without feeling heavy pressure to do so.

With that in mind, you’ve got to ensure that your lessons are widely accessible to everyone. Engagement will be low if your content is either too difficult or too easy for some, or most, of your class.

To avoid this, incorporate beginner, intermediate, and advanced versions of the same tasks. Also, be sure to consider learning styles — include both visual and written learning activities wherever possible.

4)   Use engaging worksheets to keep your students focused

Worksheets are a great way to maintain student engagement throughout the session. Written activities and exercises bring students back to the heart of the topic and help reinforce the core ‘takeaways’ of each topic.

Since worksheets are completed individually, they also allow you to identify where a student might need further support. This is vital to preventing a drop in engagement.

For thousands of ready-to-use worksheets that’ll engage your students and develop their learning at the same time, click here to head over to our A-Z worksheet library.

5)   Make your lessons as relevant as possible

Your students will be more engaged if your lessons feel relevant to them. Incorporating popular culture, technology, and social media into your lesson plans is a good place to start. However, it is important to find a good balance between engaging them with these things and staying on topic.

Good examples include using modern figures like Beyonce and Barack Obama to teach the civil rights movement, or explaining how climate change could be affecting their home state.

YouTube documentaries are also an effective way to go deeper on a particular topic. This is especially useful if there is a popular or “viral” YouTuber that covers the topic you want.

6)   Don’t be afraid of collaborative learning

Letting kids work in groups can sometimes be a recipe for disaster. But if you set clear expectations and require each group to present to the class, collaboration is a great way to turn student engagement up to the max.

How will you know if you’ve increased student engagement?

We hope this article has helped you learn more about student engagement and given you some useful strategies for your next lesson plans. But how will you know if your efforts have paid off?

The specific responses — or “engagement outcomes” — you’re looking for include:

• Focus: an engaged student will be noticeably focused on what you’re saying.
• Enjoyment: they are happy to listen and participate. 
• On-topic collaboration: working with their peers, while remaining on topic, is a sure sign of engagement.
• Progress: they will achieve positive results and make consistent progress.

Engaging a class of kids is never easy, but with the right resources and some good ideas, you’ll be well on your way. Remember to check out our worksheet library for even more content that will keep your students focused, engaged, and learning to their fullest potential.