This is a great article that we have broken down in to 5 parts.
Whilst nearly 10 years old, the basics still ring true.
Ten Components Of
Accelerated Learning
ONE: Make it
Relevant
Human beings generally
have no interest in learning that which they don't see as relevant to their
lives in some way. We all know what happens when we put people in an
environment where they are asked to learn something they don't want to learn or
aren't interested in. They start talking to each other, fidget, figure out ways
to leave, daydream or doodle in their notebooks.
It's even more
obvious with children. If you ask them to sit and watch something or listen to
someone talk for any period of time, they wiggle and squiggle, roll their eyes,
talk and ask lots of questions like, "Is it over yet?"
Yet put them in
front of something that they find interesting, and even a two-year-old will sit
still.
Topics must be made
relevant and interesting or the information falls on deaf ears, and eyes. Even
if YOU think the information is absolutely necessary, if it isn't relevant to
the one you want to teach then you are wasting everyone's time and energy.
So how DO you make
financial freedom and security relevant to an 8-year-old or a 12-year-old or
even a 16-year-old? Great question.
The answer involves
going into their world. In order to figure out how to relate what you want to
teach them, you must understand what it's like to be 10 or 12 or 16. Only then
can you begin to shape your message in a relevant way that will reach out and
grab them.
Find a way to
relate it to their lives. You can start by asking them what matters!
TWO: Enroll Them
Once you figure out
how to make your financial education program relevant, your next step is to
enroll them in the idea of learning. Enrolling is how you 'hook' your audience;
get them to want to be there. When your audience is properly enrolled, they are
ready to learn.
Here are three
basic verbal methods the professional experts use to enroll their audiences:
1) Enrolling
Questions & Scenarios.
Asking your
audience a couple of relevant questions can immediately get them involved in
the subject matter. Raise YOUR hand and get them to raise THEIR hand in
agreement. Enrolling questions usually come in pairs and your goal is to enroll
100% of the audience. Sometimes this means thinking on your feet!
In a course about
money, you might ask...
"How many of
you like to spend money on things that you want?"
"How many of
you want to grow up to have all the money you want and need so you can live the
way you want to?
You can also use
something like this...
"Imagine just
for a moment, waking up every morning with the ability to do whatever you want.
If I told you I had the secrets to that kind of life, would you want to learn
them?"
A simple way to
enroll children, in particular, is to invite them to visualize a particular
situation and ask for their advice and feedback about how they would handle the
situation. A good example would be "wanting a new pair of shoes but not
having enough money" or "having a friend who asks you to borrow
money". The more we can invite them to role-play situations that help them
experience "financial risk", the better they will be prepared to
handle those situations. Another scenario would be asking children to visualize
what they will be like when they are older. Ask who will be paying for their
food when they leave home, who will buy the gas for the car, stuff like that.
Bottom line...ask
questions that will eventually reach 100% or your audience.
2) Announcements
with meaning.
This is a way to
reconnect with someone who has mentally left the room and "jar" them
back into the program. An announcement goes something like this: "I was
sick and tired of being broke!" or "The time is NOW!"
Bottom line...make
announcements with a strong conviction.
3) Staggering
Statistics.
This type of
enrolling method involves using well-researched statistics. The statistic you
use must be 100% true or you will lose your credibility. The statement is used
to get your audience's attention.
Perhaps something
like...
"Our country
is currently in debt to a tune of over $11 Trillion dollars!"
"College students are moving back home at an unprecedented rate!"
"College students are graduating with $_________ in credit card debt, with no ability to make the payments."
"College students are moving back home at an unprecedented rate!"
"College students are graduating with $_________ in credit card debt, with no ability to make the payments."
Along the same
lines, don't hesitate to provide a group of children or teens with real
statistics...
o like the fact
that it takes approximately $300,000 to raise a child from 0-17.
Then ask them how
many children they want to have!
o like how much
they'll end up paying for that first new car they finance.
Ask them if they
think the car was really worth it?
o like how much
buying a $4 coffee drink adds up to over 40 years at 10% interest.
Ask them if they'd
rather live on that money later or drink it once.
Bottom
line...startle them with facts!
Regardless of which
methods you use, be concise, powerful and full of conviction. Pay attention to
the response you get from your enrolling methods so you continue to modify for
each presentation or class. You will quickly find that the more time you spend
crafting your enrolling questions, the better and more effective your teaching
experiences are for your students.
Bottom line...find
a way to hook them and you're half way there.
For more
information on YOU can learn how to teach your financial literacy programs in
the most amazingly affective way, check out http://www.creativewealthintl.org/trainthetrainer.php
Elisabeth Donati is
the owner of Creative Wealth Intl., LLC and creator of Camp Millionaire, a
unique financial intelligence program for youth. She is an expert in teaching
the basic financial principles everyone needs in a way that is engaging,
empowering and fun.
She has a passion
for empowering women in her Creative Wealth for Women program and is the author
of The Ultimate Allowance and the weekly ezine, Financial Wisdom with a TWI$T.
For information, visit http://www.creativewealthintl.org
