Teaching your child how to study is the most important skill you can give them to carry on throughout their school years. Introducing study methods to your child is a great way to implement good habits that will help them excel and truly understand what they’re learning in school.
On the other hand, talking to your child about studying can also be a bit touchy since it is most likely the first time your child is struggling with something academically. But don’t fret! We have some simple ways that will help your child learn how to study effectively and have fun doing it.
7 Ways to Teach Your Child How to Study
Make A Song Out Of It
Have you ever had a song get stuck in your head? Well, this is kind of the same concept. Help your child make a song out of whatever they need to study and it will help them remember it a lot easier. It doesn’t have to be a whole song, just a little jingle. Try to have your child pair whatever they need to study up with a catchy beat! Remember that kid song, “M-I-double S-I-double S-I-double P-I”? It’s a perfect example of how making a song out of something helps you remember it longer!
Repetition
Repetition is a great way to teach your child about memorization and recall skills. This is a great way to help your child remember spelling words, math formulas or important test information. Encourage your child to practice repetition by having them write it down a couple of times until they can remember it without any help from their notes.
5 Word Limit Notecards
Notecards are pretty much a staple when it comes to studying. To help your child use notecards effectively, try having them write no more than 5 words on either side of the card. This will help them be selective with what they want to remember, while also helping them retain the information.
*Pro-tip: Use different color pens or highlighters, one color per notecard. The colors will help your child with memory recall.
Whiteboard Test
The best way to know if your child truly understands what they’re learning, is to test them on what they know. Get a small whiteboard and dry-erase markers, and create a mini-review test for them. You can get really creative by coming up with different questions, multiple answers, adding drawings, or fill in the blanks (to name a few). Your child can also use the whiteboard to test themselves!
Teach Others
Teaching others what you know is a great way to show that you really know your stuff. Encourage your child to explain to you in detail whatever they are studying. Ask them the 5 WHYS: Who, What, Where, When and Why (if it applies to what they need to study). For example, if you ask them how they do a certain math problem then they should be able to show you exactly how to solve it in detail.
Write it, Speak it, Hear it
When your child is writing something while studying, have them say what they’re writing out loud to themselves. This will help them study actively while covering their 4 basic skills while studying: writing, reading, speaking and listening.
Breaks
Remember to teach your child how to take breaks when they study, to prevent them from getting bored or burnt out. Breaks should be catered to the age of the child. For instance, a 3rd grader would get a break after 15 minutes of studying, while an 8th grader would get a break after 25 minutes of studying. Make sure to keep the breaks short, but long enough to grab a snack, or stretch and get the wiggles out.
Study skills are important for creating independent study habits for your children as they get older. These 7 tips can help give your child easy to access study habits that can help their brain retain the knowledge as well as teach them to manage their time and find out what skills work for them.
WANT TO READ MORE?
Check out this article on The Real Mom’s School Guide
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