Fall Back in Love with Learning

Every one of us started out as a natural learner. As small children, we asked endless questions. Why is the sky blue? Where do birds go in winter? How does the ferry float? Nobody had to convince us that learning was worth it. Curiosity was simply part of who we were.

So why do so many students lose that feeling along the way?

Somewhere between the early grades and high school, learning can start to feel less like discovery and more like pressure. Homework becomes a battle. "I'm bad at math" or "I hate reading" gets repeated until it sounds like a fact. The research shows this isn't just a feeling. Gallup, which has surveyed millions of students about their school experience, has tracked what it calls an engagement cliff: while 74% of surveyed fifth-graders are engaged with school, just 32% of surveyed 11th-graders are.

That's the challenge. The good news is that curiosity doesn't disappear. It just needs the right conditions to come back, and fall, with its fresh start and new routines, is the perfect time to create them.

What reignites the spark

Curiosity isn't just a nice feeling. It changes how the brain learns. In a well-known 2014 study published in Neuron, researchers at UC Davis found that participants showed improved memory for information that they were curious about and for incidental material learned during states of high curiosity. Brain scans helped explain why: when curiosity is stimulated, there is increased activity in the brain circuit related to reward, the same system tied to dopamine. In other words, a curious student isn't just more engaged. They actually remember more.

In our experience at LEAP, students rediscover that curiosity when a few things come together.

The first is feeling understood. When a student works with someone who takes the time to figure out how they learn, not just what they're missing, the whole experience shifts. Learning stops feeling like something done to them and starts feeling like something they're part of.

The second is small, real wins. Confidence isn't built by being told "you can do it." It's built by actually doing it, one problem, one paragraph, one "oh, I get it now" at a time. Those moments add up faster than most families expect.

The third is room to make mistakes. Students learn best when it's safe to be wrong. A supportive, low-pressure setting lets them try, stumble, and try again without worrying about who's watching.

The fourth is connecting learning to what they care about. A student who loves baseball can learn fractions through batting averages. A teen who's into music can find a way into poetry through song structure. When learning connects to their world, it stops feeling like a chore.

Personalized support makes a measurable difference, too. A major review of randomized tutoring studies by researchers at Northwestern and the University of Toronto found that tutoring programs yield consistently substantial positive impacts on learning, and that effects tend to be largest for programs that use teachers or paraprofessionals as tutors, are held in earlier grades, and occur at least 3 days per week.

Simple ways to nurture curiosity at home this fall

You don't need a lesson plan to help a student fall back in love with learning. Since curiosity boosts memory, the goal at home is simply to spark it.

Try asking "what was the most interesting thing you learned today?" instead of "how was school?" Take a weekend trip to the Staten Island Museum, the Botanical Garden at Snug Harbor, or a fall walk through Clove Lakes Park, and let them lead with questions. Read together, even with older kids, and talk about what you're reading. Celebrate effort and progress, not just grades. And when frustration hits, remind them that struggle is part of learning, not proof they can't do it.

How LEAP can help

At LEAP, we believe every student can be a confident, curious learner with the right support. Our educators work with each student to meet them where they are, fill in the gaps, and help them rediscover what it feels like to succeed.

Whether your child is catching up, keeping up, or ready to get ahead, this fall is a great time to start.

Schedule an appointment today at 718 351 2710 or fill out this contact form, and we will call you back.