Learning to read and write is likely one of the most difficult subjects for children to focus on. Making them sit down and copy the alphabet line after line is not going to hold their attention for very long. Read stories aloud to engage students. Ask questions at regular intervals and try to get students to focus their imagination on where the plot might lead, or where they think it should lead. Pick random words while reading and ask if anyone can spell the word out loud. Offering rewards like a star chart can help keep children focused. Creating their own myths and legends is also a great way to engage students' minds.
As history is a subject of reflection, using facts and figures can sometimes cause children's eyes to glaze over. Keep kids alert and focused with engaging activities. Use costumes and props to help students act out small scenarios of historical events. When concentrating on a specific subject area, such as kings and queens of England or the American Civil War, it is useful to give each child a specific part to play, and insert facts, dates and figures into the scenario to help spark memory. The more engaged students become, the more likely they are to retain the information.
Since math has the reputation of being "hard," most children believe they will not succeed in the subject. Making math both interesting and challenging will enhance students' learning experience. Make the subject fun to learn by incorporating activities into the lessons. Giving the children a tape measure and asking them to measure certain items in the room will allow them to explore the classroom and learn how measurements are important to how space works. Ask students to figure out whether a cupboard will fit into a certain space and get them to calculate the difference between the size of the cupboard and the area in question. Keep their attention focused by giving them interesting facts to accumulate.
Art is probably one of the easiest and messiest subjects to teach children. Art is a form of self-expression, and letting the children have free rein will let them explore their imagination and creativity. Be constructive in your critique of their work. Let students choose the subject for a drawing or painting so they will feel ownership of the creative process and enjoy it.