Kids need to study. For many parents, time spent helping with homework and studying for exams takes up as much time in the evening as there are minutes. For young children attending elementary school, the exams may be nothing more than a spelling test. However, for older children, tests and exams can be a weekly occurrence. It’s important as a parent to strive to provide some autonomy in their educational responsibility while remaining available. Study habits can be the difference between an A or C student, and preparing them to study on their own is crucial. Getting some in-home tutoring early on in your child’s academic career can be hugely beneficial for their study habits. Not only will it save your sanity, but it will also put them on the road to academic confidence.
Creating Effective Study Habits for Your Child
If you struggle with your child when it comes to studying for exams or tests, you are not alone. Many parents scratch their heads in wonderment about how their children get along in school. The minute you try to instruct, teach, or help them with their work, they react with such disdain and attitude that the entire session turns into more of an ordeal than a study session. This is just one of the reasons why you need to teach kids to study on their own. Your child will work better with teachers, peers, and others in general than they will with you—simply because they know to restrain their frustration in the classroom (at least, hopefully).
When your child is young, make sure to immediately establish the routine of homework before play. When they get home from school, they should be allowed to relax and perhaps have a snack, but then homework should become the priority. What works well for many parents is to have them sit at the kitchen table, with the TV off, while you prepare a meal or do chores. This way, you are there to help but not in their face, so to speak. Be very careful not to give them the answers! Sometimes it can be so frustrating that they aren’t getting something simple, and it’s just easier to give them the answer. But if this becomes a habit, you will be in trouble. Also, when they are doing homework projects or other tasks, don’t step in and do it for them just so they will have a good showing. Teachers know which child did the work and whose parents did the project on their computer.
When your child is studying, try to find methods that work for them. Each child learns differently. Some simply remember words (photographic memory) but struggle to work through problem-solving. Many kids are auditory learners, meaning that talking and listening to the material will make it stick. A few, but very few, will remember just by reading quietly and reviewing. As a parent helping your child study for exams, you should mix it up a bit. You may want to look at the material for yourself and create a pseudo exam based on their notes or textbooks to see what they know. Also, make sure to rephrase questions and wording to ensure they’re not just memorizing, but understanding the material.
When you help your child study, you must be firm without being overbearing. Consider how their teacher might react to their questions. If they are not understanding something, look outside the box to find resources that may help them. At some point, however, you must trust your child to learn the material and see learning as their responsibility. There is no excuse for a child to come home after bombing a test if they have parents at home who are willing and able to help. Still, the initial effort should come from your child.
As you help them study, also allow them to come up with some study habits of their own. Make sure to teach them how to organize their material and review it often (no matter how old they are). Children should be taught to treat their schoolwork like a job. They should also learn how to schedule their time and face consequences for procrastination. If you have set up a proper study space and shown them how to do these things, the rest may just be a matter of reviewing. While EVERY class your child takes is important, there will be some that are harder for your child to grasp. This simply shows that your child has a unique personality. When you notice they are struggling due to boredom with the subject matter, try to make it fun. For example, while many kids struggle with math, turning math studies into money-related problems can make the concepts more comprehensible. When you find ways to connect their interests to the material, you will be more likely to help them understand it.
Helping children study for exams is something that should start early in life. When you help them set education priorities from the beginning and remain strict about following them, your child will understand that they are responsible for their actions. One of the biggest struggles college students face is learning how to discipline themselves to study and get things done. This starts at home, many years before they step foot into a dorm. By showing children that they need to be accountable for their work and to take ownership of their performance and study habits, you are taking the most important step in helping them succeed. Beyond that, as a parent, you must remain patient and realize that in a classroom environment, they are not afforded individual attention or methods tailored to their personality. But at home, you can provide that. When it comes to learning and children, knowledge is power. The more knowledge and know-how you give your child, the more confident they will become.