School can be difficult and does not come easy or naturally for some. Establishing effective study habits at a young age will help your student to be successful throughout their academic career. It will also help reduce stress, anxiety, frustration, and save a lot of time.
Studying is not just about reviewing what was taught in class, it also encompasses knowing what you need to study and keeping track of your assignments. This looks different for most students. Find what works best for your child and establish a daily routine of checking their assignments with them at an early age. This will help to build the foundation of successful study habits.
Location is essential. Understand what type of learning environment is best suitable for your child. Wherever this may be, make sure it is conducive to their learning style. Also, it is best for them to have all of their needed materials readily available prior to starting their study session. For those students who become easily distracted by other thoughts, it is useful to have a “worry pad”. They can use this pad to write down the thoughts that are distracting them, that way they can concentrate on their studies now and come back to those thoughts later. Managing these distractions are important homework skills.
The following study habits are offered by How-to-Study.com and are often found in successful students:
- Plan specific times for studying and try to keep it around the same time every day. Establishing this routine will help to keep studying a part of their daily schedule and not make it feel like an additional, unwanted task.
- Try not to do too much studying at one time. Cramming is not an effective form of studying. It can cause stress and anxiety, which in turn makes it more difficult to retain the information that is being studied. Taking short breaks will also help to restore your mental stability.
- Set specific goals for their study times. These goals will help them to stay focused and will allow them to track their progress. This will also allow them to celebrate their small successes when a task is completed.
- Work on the most difficult assignment first. This assignment will require the most effort and will expend most of your child’s mental energy.
- Review your notes prior to completing your assignment. This will ensure you are doing the assignment correctly and refresh your memory prior to completing the assignment.
- Ask their friends not to disturb them during their study times. Their phones can be placed on the counter or put on “do not disturb”.
- Difficulty with an assignment. If your child is struggling with an assignment, they can email their teachers for more direction, access the school’s online tutoring resources, or reach out to a friend in their class.
- Review their schoolwork over the weekend. This does not have to be for an extended period of time, just enough to provide them some review prior to their school week beginning.
Establishing these study habits at a young age will help your child to value learning and will help to build a solid foundation for success throughout your child’s academic career.
