Let’s face it: most children find studying a chore. More often than not, they need a great deal of external encouragement even before they even start picking up a book and reviewing their lessons. In this situation, parents want to make sure that they know how to help their child develop effective study habits.
As a parent, you ultimately want your child to become independent when they are studying for school. The challenge is helping them realize that studying is not something to dread, but something to look forward to. With this mindset, your child can become more self-sufficient, allowing them to effectively and efficiently study on their own. Read on to learn more.
Set Up a Dedicated Study Space
First, you’ll need to set up an environment that’s conducive to your child’s learning. This means eliminating any distractions that may keep their attention away from the activity.
To do this, find a quiet area in your home that has good lighting, comfortable seating, and has good ventilation. Organize the study table to make materials and supplies that will aid in your child’s learning readily available. These can include pens, scratch papers, pencils, learning resources, memo pads, and the like.
With an ergonomic study space, your child will be able to prepare themselves for the task. They won’t be affected by any kind of distraction, even when they’re not in a classroom setting.
Don’t Procrastinate
Most students these days have the bad habit of cramming and studying their lessons before the day of the test itself. For some, this is an effective habit because it allows them to retain information better. However, it’s not a sustainable one — with consistent procrastination, your child might feel greater pressure to start and complete activities in a short time period.
You have to be proactive in helping your child avoid procrastination. For example, if they have an upcoming test the next week, encourage them to study for at least 10 to 30 minutes daily, in the days leading to the exam.
Even simple reading their notes and books can go a long way in helping your child remember their lessons better and become more participative during class.
Make A Checklist
Studying can be overwhelming, especially when your child may be dealing with multiple subjects all at once. To make their lessons more manageable, try to make a checklist for every study session. This will help them prioritize, focus, and stay on top of their classes.
Since not all children learn at the same pace, try to identify your child’s strengths and weaknesses. Your study checklist may prioritize difficult subjects first — whether it is math, science, history, or language ultimately depends on your child.
After listing down the subjects, prioritize the lessons. Ask your child what lessons they’re having difficulty with so you can tackle them at the start of the session. Having a checklist helps you break down their subjects and make their learning schedule feel less daunting.
Test Them
A great way to gauge how much your child has learned is by testing them. This may help them set their expectations about the exam and prepare for tests that come in different formats.
When you practice a test with your child, try to be creative. You can even create your own set of questionnaires and time how long your child takes to complete them. Or you can also use other materials such as flashcards, a whiteboard, or any materials as you see fit.
Key Takeaway
Understanding how to help your child develop effective study habits may help them handle everything they’ve learned in school better. Getting your child to enjoy studying might be a challenge, but it’s best to take a step-by-step approach to it.
Start by organizing a room in your house that’s solely dedicated to studying sessions. This might help your child prepare their mind and body for the task before them. Combined with consistently encouraging them to avoid cramming, helping them make a checklist, and testing their knowledge, your child may eventually learn to study on their own.
