The school year has started for our family and back to school preparations means more than buying new backpacks and school supplies. This month we are devoting Wednesdays to Back to School Preparation! Today we are tackling Study Tips for Children.
Your child may seem like a natural smarty-pants, but proper study skills can help them achieve more and get more out of school. Study skills will be essential the harder the classes get, and if your child goes to college these skills will be a necessity. Get them started the right way with these five study tips.
Learn your child’s study needs
First, learn your child’s needs for studying. Every child learns differently, so help them learn their way- the right way! Spend a week with them doing homework and do not interrupt when they work out problems. Instead, observe and help when asked, but take notes and watch how they learn to get an idea of the type of studying they need to do to succeed.
Get familiar with note cards
No matter the study techniques you choose based on your child’s needs, everyone can benefit from note cards. There are many different ways to use note cards, so they can fit your child’s individual needs. You can make them into flash cards, use them as basic study guides, or even use them to just jog your kid’s memory as they go through hard questions. Whatever style you choose, get a stack of not cards and use them!
Make a study calendar or chart
Commit to studying and show your child how to do it as well. Organizing it all on a calendar will help keep you both on track. Choose a different subject or two a day, and give yourself an allotted amount of time in which to study. You can go as little as studying spelling on flash cards for 10 minutes a night, to studying science lecture notes for an hour. Whatever schedule you work out, make it visible and understandable.
Use a dry erase board
When taking quick notes or jotting down ideas, use a dry erase board. By doing so, if what your child has written is incorrect, they can simply erase and begin again Doing it this way keeps them focused on the work and not worrying about if they get it wrong or right, but actually working through the problem to learn it properly.
Create a reward system
You get paid to work, so your child should get “paid” to study. Make a reward chart for them and offer them incentives, like candy extra television time, or even an increase in allowance. When your child can see their work paying off, they will continue to do it. This is especially important for naturally intelligent kids who make straight As without even trying. They tend to think they don’t need to study, so making them study can frustrate them. Show them there can be more reward than just a good grade!
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