Three Tips for Teaching Children Study Habits

by Jyl Johnson Pattee on August 24th, 2018 | No Comments »

Back to school is an exciting time of year. Getting started and feeling prepared with a positive attitude promotes good grades and confidence in the classroom.

As moms, we are counting down the last days of summer, and, at the same time, making sure everyone is all set for their first days of school. Backpacks have been stocked with fresh paper and sharpened pencils, homerooms have been assigned and now everyone seems to be anxiously awaiting that first bell. Your kids may be set supply-wise, but are they really prepared to excel this semester?

Three Tools to Help Kids Develop Great Study Habits

The author of Tutor in a Book, (Adams 2010), a study-skills book for families and students, and the experts at Thinking Caps share the tools for success this fall semester—tools that lead to awesome study habits that will last longer than the first week.

1. Have the right materials. When that school supply list comes in the mail, make sure your child has all of the items on it before the first day. They don’t need to be new: notebooks that are only half-used make for great loose-leaf paper. Make sure not only he or she will have the proper materials for the classroom, but also make sure that your child’s study spot is also stocked as well. This helps avoid distractions when it is time to start homework time.

2. Choose the right spot. Make sure your child has a spot in the house where he or she can do homework every night. It can be a desk or a spot at the dining room table, but the important thing is that the spot stays consistent and that it’s not too cluttered to do work.

3. Follow a plan of action. Now that your child has the necessary supplies and has a functional work space, it is time to create a game plan. This is a go-to guide on how and when to get homework done. It could be a daily to-do list of assignments that need to get finished, a list of reminders such as proofreading essays or reviewing math problems. The plan is important because it can alleviate some of the anxiety that school and homework can bring.

What are you doing to ensure your children are getting good grades?

Alexandra Mayzler is the founder and director of Thinking Caps Tutoring. Her major interests are focused on learning processes and development of study skills that encourage critical thinking and academic success. Alexandra is the author of Tutor in a Book a study skills manual for students, parents, and teacher and numerous articles on education topics. She consults with schools and families and her work has been featured in publications such as the New York Times. She is the director of Thinking Caps in New York and spends her free time thinking about how to make studying easier, more interesting, and above all, enjoyable for her students.

Ashley Leeds is a writing and study skills specialist at Thinking Caps.

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

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Jyl Johnson Pattee

An active part of the Mom It Forward team, Jyl primarily writes about parenting, social good, and all things travel related. In a past life, Jyl was an award-winning copywriter and designer of corporate training programs for Fortune 100 companies. Offline, Jyl is married to @TroyPattee; a mom to two teen boys and a beagle named #Hashtag; loves large amounts of cheese, dancing, and traveling; and lives in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Topping her bucket list is the goal to visit 50 countries by the time she's 50.