Study Tips for Parents
and Students
For Parents
Teach your kids how to organize themselves
and study effectively. By doing this, you will equip them with valuable skills
that will serve them both now and later in life. Below are some tips for parents
to help their children become more responsible and successful academically.
Tips
- Learn HOW your child studies. Does he/she focus for short periods of time
only, or can he/she work for longer intervals? Is he/she a visual, auditory
or kinesthetic learner? Or maybe a combination?
- Require your child to keep an assignment notebook. Sit down with him/her
and review what is expected for homework.
- Ask your child to bring home all homework, even if it was finished during
the school day. Then, help him/her organize the work for easy access in class
the following day.
- Set a routine each evening to organize backpack, books, etc. for the following
day. Avoid the chaos of the rush off to school (and those trips to school
to deliver a forgotten book or project).
- There is no such thing as "no homework." Establish a routine of study time
each evening. It never hurts to clean out a binder, review notes, or read
ahead in English class.
- Designate a special study space in your home. This location may vary from
student to student depending upon how they learn. Some students may study
easily with music playing, others may be very distracted with a lot of noise.
- Teach your child to prioritize. Encourage him/her to make a list of things
to do and then rewrite it in order of importance.
- Help your student break large projects into small steps. Utilize a large
calendar to plot out when upcoming projects are due, tests are scheduled,
etc.
- Schedule special needs in advance. You don't want to be driving to the corner
store at midnight to get poster board for that science project!
- If your child can't stay focused for long periods, use a kitchen timer to
allocate minutes for study, minutes for break.
- Let your children know that you are there for help, but it is not your job
to do their work. Encourage them to try on their own and ask for help when
needed.
- Limit phone and e-mail time. Those are earned privileges and should only
occur on "break" or when homework is completed.
Resources
- Positive Discipline A-Z , Jane Nelsen, Lynn Lott, and H. Stephen
Glenn
- Help Me, I Have a Teenager , Annie Drake
- Positive Discipline for Teenagers , Jane Nelsen & Lynn Lott
- The Roller Coaster Years , Charlene C. Giannetti & Margaret
Sagarese
- How to Say It to Teens , Richard Heyman
- Parenting 911 , Charlene C Giannetti & Margaret Sagarese
Web sites
For Students
Ok, summer is over and school is in full
swing. Are you as organized as you hoped to be? Are things starting to pile
up? Remember, you have a lot of control over how things go at school. Take charge
of your academic life! Here are a few tips and resources for you to try.
Tips
- Be sure and have a regular time to study each day. It is much easier to
do your homework daily than letting it pile up and try and do it all at once.
- Find a good place to study. Try and find a place that is free from distractions.
Be sure that you have all your materials at your fingertips.
- Make a list of what you need to do. Rewrite the list in the order of importance.
Then, as you complete each task, check it off.
- Enlist the help of your parents if you get stuck, but don't expect them
to do your work.
- Keep an assignment notebook and write in it each day. Check your assignment
notebook before you leave school every day so you are sure to bring home the
books and information you need to get your work done. (Parents hate having
to drive back to school to pick up that forgotten math book!)
- Be a good listener in class. Sometimes teachers change or alter the assignment
during class. Make a note of any change in your notebook.
- When studying for a test, be sure you know what will be covered on the test.
Is it going to be a quiz or a test? Ask the teacher how the test will be graded.
- In each class, be sure you understand the grading system. Some teachers
put more emphasis on certain things than others. Understand what each teacher
expects.
- Keep track of your grades. Average your grades often so you know where you
stand in class. If you feel your grade is low, ask your teacher how you can
bring your grade up.
- ASK FOR HELP! That is what teachers are there for, to answer your questions.
Never hesitate to ask for clarification or additional information.
- Make your own flash cards for vocabulary words, important dates, definitions,
etc.
- If you are absent from school, take the initiative and ask your teacher
what work needs to be made up. Teachers want you to learn to take responsibility
for your assignments and will appreciate that you are checking in.
- Form a study group or find a study partner. It is easier and more fun to
learn and study with a friend.
Web sites
Information is from Adventures in
Education www.aie.org
© 2005 Texas
Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation