2005 Year in Review

Ten Smart Study Habits

As we get ready for another school year, it is a good time to teach your child some basic common sense habits to make studying an easier habit to develop. Consider these tips:

1. Have a spot for all the materials your child will need for studying, both at school and at home. Keeping a checklist of necessary items (pictures for pre-readers) can help a child until it becomes an established routine. A plastic pouch can keep small items such as pencils, pens, rulers, and erasers hooked in a binder.

2. Keep track of assignments. Have a weekly or daily assignment sheet in a notebook. Small pieces of paper or memo pads can be easily misplaced or lost.

3. Help your child determine the most comfortable position for studying. Some prefer sitting at a desk or table, some prefer lying on a bed or floor. Let your child choose with the understanding that you will be checking to make sure it aids their study.

4. Consider the best time for study. Children study better when they are not tired or hungry. A break from school and a snack or meal can re-energize a child.

5. Help your child understand when they need a break. What do they do when it becomes hard to concentrate? Do they become frustrated, distracted, and unable to think clearly? Do things become complicated? A good rule of thumb for grade school children is to study for at least 15 to 20 minutes before needing a break, and at least one half hour for middle school children before a break is taken. Breaks usually last from 5 to 10 minutes.

6. Young elementary children often need an adult to test or question them for most of the study period. Older grade school children can be given time to study before they are tested.

7. Some children do better when the work is varied between assignments (working on math problems between two reading assignments).

8. After first looking at the material, teach a child to go over it again several hours later. This can build confidence as he recognizes what he remembers or has learned.

9. Where possible, discuss and relate materials to your child's own experience. Help your child see how the material is used in daily life or how she has experienced a similar lesson in a story.

10. At the end of the study session go over everything that needs to be memorized. This may keep it fresh in their mind for better retrieval.

Adapted from Karen Bond, North Carolina Cooperative Extension, "Even Intelligent Children Need Smart Study Habits".

by  Editor, theCity1.com
September 27, 2005