Better Study Skills for Your Child
Article by Beverly Stewart
No one is born knowing how to study. Some students pick it up along the way, butmany do not. Often, it is just as important to know how to study as it is what to study. You canhelp your children during study time. Here are some pointers.
1) Help your child to establish a regular daily study time, with proper seating, lighting, andregular breaks – then, enforce it.
2) Don’t accept, “I don’t have any homework.” Encourage your child to review notes andtextbooks nightly, even when there is no written work assigned.3) Have your child keep a written schedule and a homework assignment log, and check iteach day.
4) Help your child break down large projects (research papers, comprehensive exams,detailed homework assignments) into smaller, more manageable tasks with specific duedates. Enforce the due dates.
5) Let your child see you reading, and know what your child is studying. Encourage yourchild to read each day for fun and enrichment. If you take an interest in academics,chances are your child will, too.
6) Be reasonable regarding academic expectations. Sit down with your child and establish firm yetattainable goals. Review these goals regularly with your child.
7) If you have study skills tips for your child, offer them in a friendly, helpful manner, andbe sure to remember that everyone learns in his/her own way. Keep the lines ofcommunication open.
Periodically, check out your child’s book bag. Is your child prepared to study eachnight? Are folders and notes organized and easy to study from?
9) Encourage students to build a solid, open relationship with their teachers, and let themsee you doing the same. Make sure they know it’s OK to ask questions.
10) The basics of study skills are note-taking, outlining, reading for meaning, memorytechniques, time management, organization, test preparation, and test-taking techniques.
If you suspect that your child is struggling in any of these areas, or that your child maysuffer from academic or test-taking anxiety, enroll your child in a one-on-one study skillsprogram taught by a degreed, experienced, professional tutor. Don’t let today’s studyskills problems snowball into tomorrow’s poor grades, low self- confidence, and distastefor all things academic.
About the Author
Presented by Beverly L. Stewart, M.ED., president of Back to Basics Learning Dynamics, a full service educational facility providing tutoring and instruction for children and adults. Beverly Stewart is an educational consultant.
