Generations of parents and teachers can attest to the fact that study skills don't come naturally to children. Good study habits need to be taught and reinforced, at home as well as at school. You can help your child develop good study skills by creating routines, teaching some basic organizational techniques and showing your child set goals.
Instructions
1. Invest in a daily planner or an assignment notebook. Show your child use the assignment book as a way to organize his homework assignments. He should get used to writing down the assignment at the end of each class (in a way that he can easily interpret), include a notation as to what materials he will need to complete the homework and make note of the due date. It's sometimes helpful to color-code each class for easy reference.
2. Designate a place for homework. Where your child studies will often be dependent on how self-motivated she is as a learner. Some students work better in the privacy of their own room, while others need to be in a high-traffic area of the home so someone can prod them to keep moving. Wherever the place, help your child empty it of distractions and teach her to double-check that it's stocked with necessary supplies prior to beginning her studying.
3. Differentiate between doing homework and studying. Homework is the assignment that needs to be turned in to a teacher, but studying going over the material to make sure it's understood and has been learned. Often students think that getting homework done relieves them of the duty of studying, but it's not the whole extent of the process.
4. Designate a specific time for homework and studying. Work around your child's other activities and come up with a block of time that is set aside specifically for studying. Even if his homework is complete before the time is up, teach him to use the extra time to review his reading or other work during that time. This will reduce the need to "cram" right before a test.
5. Encourage your child to take notes while she is reading. Many children have a difficulty time reading for meaning and completing theme analysis. It's important to differentiate between reading for enjoyment and purposeful reading. Taking notes about the main events and character's reactions to them while reading a book for school can help students make connections that they wouldn't otherwise make.
6. Help your child plan for long-term assignments. He may have difficulty figuring out break a large report or project into smaller steps. With a calendar in front of you, help him break the project into components that build on each other, like research, notetaking, writing and creating the visual display. Then use the calendar to write down by when each of those steps need to be completed in order to have the assignment done (and well done) on time.
7. Be involved. Know what assignments your child has and when she has a test. Try to quiz her on the material before a test or on a nightly basis to make sure she understands the work. Additionally, make sure your child knows she can always come to you to ask for help with anything that is giving her trouble.
