How to Help Your Child Create Great Study Habits
Education is fundamental in the lives of children. It is highly unlikely that they will be successful in today’s society without some level of education. Basic reading, writing, and arithmetic skills are highly necessary even for the most entry-level positions. There are few children that are able to just grasp the information that they have learned in school. The vast majority of children need to study to reinforce the information they learned in class. It is your responsibility as a parent to help your child develop the study habits that they need to be successful.
One of the things that children need to understand about studying is that it is more than just completing their homework assignment. Many children think that just because they whiz through putting answers on their paper that they have studied. Their true understanding of the information is reflected in quizzes and tests. As your child is going through a chapter or lesson, encourage him to take notes on what he is reading. When your child can accurately summarize the chapter in his own words, this is a sign that he has understood the information that he read in the chapter. For dates, formulas, spelling words, and other lists, use flash cards to review the information.
Help your child learn to take effective notes in class. Many children are mistaken on how to accurately take notes. They believe that note taking involves writing down what the teacher says word for word. It is nearly impossible to write down everything the teacher says. When children use this tactic for taking notes, some percentage of the information is left out of the notes entirely. The information that is left out could very well be the information that is on the test. Help your child understand correct note taking. Read some information to him from a textbook and have him take notes on what you have read to him. If there was some point that was missed, point it out to him.
Set rules for your child about television and radio during study time. The rules that you set should be specific to your child’s needs. Some people, even adults, need to have some kind of background noise for them to study well. Pay attention to your child while he is studying. If you notice that the television is a distraction, make a rule that the television should not be on during study time. On the other hand, if your child is capable of studying even with the television on then you can allow the child to leave it on.
Set aside a certain area of the house that is conducive to studying. This might be the family office, the child’s bedroom, or some other room in the house. If your child is prone to distractions, eliminate distractions as much as possible. The room that your child uses for studying should have enough space for him to spread out his books and papers as needed. Many desks do not have enough space for this. The kitchen table is a good area for children to study because it is large enough to open several books at a time.
A regular study time will be helpful in developing your child’s study habits. This time can be before or after dinner depending on activities that your child may participate in. As you think about the study time, consider your child’s development. A first grader will only be able to concentrate on a single take for about fifteen minutes. A high school student, on the other hand, can focus for more than an hour. Include study breaks or rewards for a job well done.
Pay close attention to your child and watch for signs of frustration. This may indicate that the needs your help on a particular problem. Your child can’t learn if he is upset about homework that is too difficult to accomplish. This is also true of assignments that are too long. If you have to stop the homework assignment for that night, you might need to write a letter to the teacher giving an explanation for the situation. Some parents have conferences with the teacher if the problem continues.
