Study skills are learned over time. While your child will be responsible for building good study skills, you can help support their growth by providing suggestions, supplying structure and organizing your home in a way that supports development of their study skills. Your child’s age will determine how much help you provide to build study skills as well as how long or intensely they study.
Six Tips to Help Build Better Study Skills
Building Study Skills Tip 1: Make a Plan
Help your child plan what they will study and for how long (ex: addition flash cards 5 minutes daily, review social studies notes twice a week etc.). Put the agreement in writing but feel free to modify the agreement as your child’s needs and study habit preferences evolve.
Building Study Skills Tip 2: Prioritize Tasks
Teach your child to rank tasks from easy to difficult and have them do the difficult task first. Be sure to phrase them and help them focus on the good feeling that comes from getting the hardest study task out of the way.
Building Study Skills Tip 3: Have a Study Zone
Set-up a special place to study that is free of distractions, has good light and is stocked with school supplies. Some children have one study place while others may need a few for variety.
Building Study Skills Tip 4: Take Study Breaks
Remind them to take study breaks. Even a college age child should take a 10 minute break after 50 minutes of studying. They can use the break to stretch, relax or eat a healthy snack. Younger children or more active children may need more frequent study breaks.
Building Study Skills Tip 5: Find Extra Time
Look for short time periods that could be used for memorization, review and self-testing. Have them create flash cards so they can review or you can quiz them whenever you have time – waiting for the orthodontist, soccer practice to start, while you’re cooking dinner, etc.
Building Study Skills Tip 6: Study with Friends
Encourage them to study with a friend so they can quiz each other, share notes and help each other answer questions. You could host a study group at your home providing fun snacks and making sure to have extra school supplies on hand.
You can use these study skill building tips with younger students or pass them along to your college age child. The tips are guidelines to help develop study skills. You and your child will evaluate which tips will best help develop their study skills.
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