Top 10 Study tips for kids

With iphones, Xboxes and PSPs abound, kids these days have a ton of distractions to keep them from studying. This becomes a problem for parents, who know all too well the dangers of slipping up in an education system as rigorous as Singapore’s. The question on the mind of every parent is: How do I motivate my kid to study and keep at it regularly?

Study Smart

Talk to your child’s teachers, assess your child’s homework, ultimately find out the areas he or she is weak in. Let’s face it; many children are unable to keep their focus on academics for long periods of time. By noting the areas a kid could improve on, parents could use study time effectively to target certain topics while keeping within a kid’s attention span.

Reward your kid

Rewards equals to positive motivation. For instance, you can allow your child an hour of television, a chocolate bar, or even a McDonald’s treat for every solid study session the child puts in. Give bigger rewards for a week of regular studying or a high mark gained in a class test. Make your child feel good about studying!

Recap

Help your child remember better by asking questions on the topics covered in his or her study session. It need not be a full-fledged test as parents could just simply ask their child to recap a particular topic. Question your child on the key points and guide the child to the right answers. Studies show that children remember better this way.

Be involved

Children left alone will often get distracted. If a class in school is left unsupervised, little to no work will be done. Likewise at home, if your child is left unattended during a study session, he or she would most probably have accomplished little to nothing in the given time. What parents could and should do is to go one step further and not only supervise but get involved in their child’s work. Help your child solve maths problems, act out a story, do a science experiment with them in the kitchen. Not only will your child be more interested in the subject, but both of you will be spending some quality family time!

Create a proper study environment

Don’t give your child the opportunity to get distracted by their surroundings. Instead, set aside a study area in your house with a proper desk, comfortable chair and adequate lighting. When a child is studying, parents can be supportive by getting into the mood too and using that time to read quietly. When the whole household is in the right mood, your child will feel better about studying.

Frequency is important

Experts at the famous Kumon program have emphasized that frequency is essential especially in math and writing. Frequency and regular work have more impact than an intensive 2 – 4 hour session, so even a 10 minute session of math sums a day can be very effective. Always remember that practice makes perfect!

Maintain a healthy lifestyle

While not a method that directly aids ones studying ability, making sure the child stays healthy is a good way to ensure he or she does performs well in school. Make sure your child has sufficient sleep each night. Regular playtimes, sporting activities and simple physical exercise will also boost your child’s energy and help them relax.

TeachkKids to be organised

Being organised saves a lot of that precious studying time and also helps your kids learn an important good habit. Teach him or her to keep the pencils sharpened, notebooks ready and pens working. Encourage your child to file his or her work separately for easy access in the future. Make sure the study desk is free from clutter and there is ample space to work on. All these small factors work together to save time and effort, and contribute to a child fully maximising study time.

Encourage goal-setting

Set down with your kid and ask what he or she would like to achieve certain subjects. If the kid wants to get full marks for future math test, work together with him or her to attain that goal. Setting goals can be a powerful method of motivation which is further sweetened when your child attains his or her target grade.

Have regular studying sessions

Having scheduled study sessions is a great way to get your child to study regularly. Make a schedule of your child’s time after school or during weekends. Set aside a period of time everyday or every few days, in which your child would use to study. Get your child into a habit of hitting the books regularly. You can even slot the session right before a daily hour of television to give him or her the extra motivation.

Written by

Sandra Ong

Educationkidsparentinghomeworkstudy tips