Help children learn study habits for success in school
Published 3:00 am Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Summer is winding down and school is right around the corner, so what can parents and students do to prepare?
There are many tips that people give for success in school. They say the best strategy is to always take notes in class or to make flash cards or to set specific times for homework and studying and on and on.
It’s important for students to hear these tips to get ideas on how to study more effectively.
But it’s also important to understand that these are merely ways that have worked for people before and won’t necessarily work for everyone.
Different people learn in different ways and the most important thing for students is to figure out what works for them and to find ways to implement those approaches into an effective study strategy.
Some people learn best visually by seeing demonstrations and graphics. Some learn best by writing and reading. Others learn best by listening and talking. Still others favor learning through interactive methods.
None of these methods of learning are incorrect; they’re natural and specific to each individual.
Students should work to find their style of learning and parents should work with their children to try to find the best possible way to learn.
Parents may want to help their children by implementing certain study methods, but it should only be done after gaining an understanding of how the child learns.
Some students may read their textbook for hours the night before a quiz or test and fail anyways, simply because they’re attempting to learn in a way that doesn’t work for them.
It’s up to parents to help their kids find better ways of studying.
One danger of parents not looking for the right study method with their kids is the possibility that parents could hinder their child’s learning by assigning him or her to a method that doesn’t work, which would likely lead to frustration from both parent and child.
So as schools start back in the next couple of weeks, take some time to talk with your children about study habits and find out what you can do to make their school year as successful as possible.