School tests and exams can be a real cause for stress in any household, but it doesn’t need to be. One of the most important things that you can do is to prepare your child on how to study to make it easier, quicker and less stressful on them. Here are some ideas to help your child beat the studying blues.
-
Know the Timetable
You can both review their timetable of tests or exams together and then plan for them accordingly. Create a study schedule so that each day there are certain subjects that they will prepare for well ahead of time. Also include revision time in your schedule.
-
Pay Attention
You really need to instill this in your kids as this will take a lot of stress and time away from their studying. If they really pay attention in class and grasp the concepts, studying will be a breeze. Also, teachers often give hints as to what’s important for specific tests and this can help your kids be better prepared and know what to focus on.
-
Good Notes
Teach your kids how to take good notes, as again this will really reduce their studying time and reduce stress and anxiety. Tell them to try and write down as much of what the teacher puts up on the board or on slides. When something is written down it is much easier to remember. Tell them to take a look at their notes every single day as this cements what they’ve learnt in their brains.
-
Make Studying a Habit
Image Credit: ahappymum.com
Try and enforce that studying should be a daily part of homework or review work as opposed to cramming in a couple of days before. The more they make this a part of their daily routine the quicker studying will take and will become more like revision.
-
Study Environment
Make sure your child has an ideal environment for studying where there is a desk and a chair that is well lit and not cluttered. It should also be a quiet space in the house free from distractions.
-
No Electronics
Make sure that no electronics interfere with their studying like the TV being on, or their mobile phone sitting next to them. If they want to reduce the amount of time studying then there should be no distractions at all. They will also absorb the information far better.
-
Turn on the Music
We’ve just said to get rid of all distractions, however music is a different thing altogether. It has been shown in a few studies that listening to music can actually help kids to learn. Some kids can and some kids can’t, but if your child studies really well with music on then allow it. Ideally it should be instrumental calming music. This often works really well with ADHD kids.
-
Focus on the Objectives
Together you can look at what they need to achieve in each session. Set a concrete goal that needs to be completed in a certain amount of time. Do the easy lessons first and then tackle the difficult ones afterwards.
-
Write your Study Notes in a Different Way
This is the ideal way for previous notes to really take shape in the brain. Some kids like to use mind maps of their study notes, while others like to rewrite it in a different way. Just rewriting them in a different way is a form of studying in itself and often gets your kids thinking about the work in a different way too.
-
When is the Best Time to Study
Make sure that your kids study at the right time of day. They can’t be too tired as otherwise nothing will go in.
-
Start as Early as Possible
Don’t leave studying until the last minute. Always follow your study schedule that you set up at the beginning and leave plenty of time for it. It makes studying easier and less stressful. Also don’t study for hours on end, make sure your kids have breaks in-between each 25 minute session.
If you follow these 11 tips your kids will save time and effort on studying, making it a breeze and not a pain. How do your kids study?
