How humour helps children learn

We all know that waking up in a good mood sets us up for the day ahead, and it’s no different for children.
 
‘Laughter and humour produce a rush of feel-good hormones, which gives children a whoosh of happiness,’ explains Andy Cope, teacher, author and 'happiness expert'. 

These words show how humour is a serious business, and can have a big impact not just on children’s wellbeing, but also their learning.
 
‘A happy brain is more creative, so children can see possibilities and solutions that they can’t see when they’re in a low mood,’ Andy explains.
 
‘Children learn through play, so “having fun” is an essential component of learning.’
 
According to American professor Claudia E Cornett, humour enhances children’s learning in many ways, including:

• Attracting attention and provoking thought – for example, if someone starts a Knock Knock joke, the other person instinctively wants to know who’s there.
• Improving creativity, and encouraging playful frames of mind that help them solve problems in a creative way.
• Helping them gain friends.
• Improving communication, helping them become not just good speakers but also good listeners.
• Helping them deal with difficult moments.
• Motivating and energising them. 

Humour also teaches children that it’s okay to try and fail. If, for instance, their teacher makes a spelling mistake on the whiteboard but is able to laugh it off when a pupil points it out, they’re showing their class that making mistakes is human, and not something to get upset or embarrassed about.
 
This promotes a ‘growth mindset’ that encourages children to be more resilient, challenge themselves and try new things, knowing that they can laugh at themselves and move on rather than dwelling on what went wrong.
 
Indeed, research shows that humour in learning actually improves students’ school performance by capturing their attention, reducing anxiety, encouraging group participation, and increasing motivation.
 
There are specific academic benefits to humour, particularly in terms of literacy. ‘Jokes give children the chance to play with words and language, for example by discovering puns,’ says Gyles.
 
Funny comics and books that appeal to children’s sense of humour help them enjoy reading for pleasure, and build vocabulary and an understanding of grammar, tone of voice and audience without them even realising.
 
But perhaps most importantly, humour forges relationships not just between children and their peers, but also between them and their teacher, and this sets up a happy environment that’s right for learning.
 
‘Yes, we need teachers with subject knowledge, but more important is that they know how to connect with children,’ Andy says.

Along with the specific learning benefits of humour, it helps to create an atmosphere in which children can achieve.
 
‘Humourless classrooms feel cold, with little joy, whereas a happy classroom is a wondrous place: there’s a buzz and warmth, and children aren’t afraid to put their hands up,' says Andy. 'They’re working at their best because they want their teacher to be proud of them.’
 
Teachers use a variety of humorous techniques in the classroom to help children learn, such as:

• Reading funny books or poems aloud
• Rhymes, chants and riddles
• Funny anecdotes
• Classroom-based and playground games
• Jokes
• Banter (although it’s important that this isn’t at the expense of the child/ren) 

They may also set children specific tasks that have humour at their core. They need to learn to write for different audiences, for example, so they may be given an activity where they write a funny story, play script or poem.
 
They may put on a school play that’s designed to make the audience laugh, or take part in a joke-telling competition, or learn silly rhymes to help them remember phonics rules or times tables.

Encouraging a positive and playful attitude starts from the moment you wake your child for school. There may seem little place for humour when you’re trying to make packed lunches, locate missing PE kit and get your child to brush their teeth, but having a laugh as you’re brushing their hair or walking them to school will get them in the right mindset for learning.
 
‘Rather than setting your child up to be happy at the end of the school day when their learning is finished, it’s much better to set them up to be happy at the start of the day,’ Andy explains.
 
‘Having a smile on their face will make them feel happy right now: it’s like rocket fuel for learning.’
 
It’s also important to seize everyday opportunities for humour. ‘One of the easiest ways to do this is by reading a bedtime story every night,’ says Andy.
 
‘Bring the story to life, so the baddy has a baddy voice and the goody has a goody voice. The funny bits are hilarious, the exciting bits are nerve-tingling, and your child is wide-eyed with laughter and fully engaged.’
 
Jokes, too, can bring a smile to everyone’s faces and can be great for smoothing over arguments or getting siblings interacting.
 
‘Jokes, riddles and silly poems are great for getting children to lift their eyes from the screen,’ says Gyles.

‘Sharing jokes – whether silly jokes, naughty jokes, bad jokes or dad jokes – helps them learn empathy and have fun, and breaks down barriers between adults and children.’