For preschool children and older kids alike, good study habits don’t always come naturally to them. As a child starts getting more and more homework assignments, learning effective study habits will be vital to their ability to learn and grow.
Whether your child is still in daycare or already in school, you can start to instill practical study habits in them in order to increase their chances for academic success. Even if they’re in child care, you can still teach them the following basic skills that will ultimately maximize their overall learning potential and guide them towards a better future overall.
Here are some of the best learning habits to foster and encourage in your children, regardless of their age.
While it’s not always possible to study in a distract-free zone with ideal lighting and perfect conditions for learning, you can ensure that your child’s study space is conducive as possible in order for them to maximize their learning overall.
Teach your child the importance of shutting off all electronics, including the television, phone, and any other auditory or visual distractions. Also, consider helping your child make a mobile homework station in order to increase convenience in case they don’t have an actual designated space to study.
Many children have attention issues and can therefore be easily distracted while trying to do their homework. For instance, distractions from other siblings can make it very difficult to concentrate at home, while friends at school can tempt them to goof off.
As a parent, you can help your child identify what specifically distracts them the most and make adjustments accordingly so they stand a much better chance of concentrating on their work at hand.
Every child has both strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, it’s important to identify both in order for them to succeed.
For example, your child may remember details quite well, which will help in writing a book report assignment. Help them recognize all their strengths so they can use them fully to their advantage. On the other hand, it’s also important to recognize areas where they can improve as well. Understanding key challenges they may be experiencing can help your child find plausible ways to adapt while they study.
Don’t be afraid to brainstorm a number of solutions to help them succeed. For instance, if your child has a difficult time sitting still for long periods of time, plan to take extra breaks. If you know your child strongly reacts to caffeine, avoid pop and other caffeine-laden foods that may hinder their progress. If your child needs extra help in the area of math, have them work on that particular subject when you know you have the available time to help them.
After your child’s strengths and weaknesses are clearly identified, they can start to keep track of more detailed checklists that will guide them in the right direction.
It’s best to categorize and break everything down according to subject. For instance, a math-related checklist may remind your child to use addition in order to check their answers for all their subtraction problems.
While many children prefer to work on their easier homework assignments before tackling the harder ones, some like to dive head first into the tough ones first. Closely watch your child to determine which way appears to work best for them so they can make the best choice.
Many parents make the mistake of overlooking the fact that some children simply don’t know how to effectively study. Helping them in every way possible, including breaking down each assignment into smaller bite-size pieces, organizing their study area, and even arranging their backpack in a better manner can help.
Teaching your child to take notes and incorporate basic organizational skills will also contribute to their success. It’s never too early to start introducing some of these skills, even as young as preschool age.
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