Motivation to learn can be sustained by

The correct option is focusing on mastery-oriented goals.

Explanation:

Motivation to learn is best sustained when students focus on mastering concepts, developing competence, and improving their skills. Mastery-oriented goals encourage intrinsic motivation, curiosity, resilience in the face of challenges, and a deep understanding of the material.

Let us analyze why the other options are incorrect:

1. Punishing the child: Punishment creates anxiety, fear, and resentment, which hinders effective learning and suppresses long-term motivation.
2. Giving very easy tasks to children: Tasks that lack appropriate challenge lead to boredom and fail to promote growth or sustained interest.
3. Focusing on rote-memorisation: Rote learning relies on surface-level recall without true understanding, leading to passive learning and rapid loss of interest over time.