The ability to study effectively is important for a student’s success in school. Many capable students at all grade levels may experience frustration and even failure in school not because they lack ability, but because they do not have adequate study skills. Good study skills benefit students beyond improving their academic performance. Children who have developed good study skills are also more likely to experience an increase in their feelings of competence and confidence as they learn. They tend to approach they schoolwork with positive attitude, rather than a negative and anxious one.
Developing Study Skills
Study skills may be viewed as basic learning tools; they enable students to acquire and retain information presented in textbooks and classroom more specifically, study skills include listening and reading, note taking, outlining, managing time, and taking test. Study skills may be organized according to four general stages of learning that are common to all students. The first stage of studying involves taking in information from books, lectures, or presentations. Study behaviors that are associated with success at this stage include listening and reading. The second stage entails some organization of the information. Study behaviors that facilitate organization of the information include underlining, note taking, outlining, making list, and asking oneself questions about the material. Stage three involves practicing or rehearsing the organized material and requires some type of review or discussion on the part of learner. The final stage is the actual remembering or application of information. Skills in taking tests, writing, and preparing reports are used to this stage.
How Parents Can Help
Parents need to remember that there is no simple formula for improving study skills for all children. More important than following any one particular method are building good habits, developing a system that works for a given child, and using the system effectively and consistently. Learning styles vary from student to student. Study habit that works for one person may not work well for another person-even both children come from the same family. Students need to discover how they learn and then work out study systems that fit in the best with the way they learn. Here are some tips parents can pass on to their children for helping them develop good study skills. Without pressuring, parents may encourage children to:
{ Establish a study routine. Children should pick a place, find a time, and build a routine. Studying should be a part of the daily family routine. Students find that they learn more if they get into the habit of studying in the same time and in the same place each day. Of course, special family even or sudden demands will force them to break that routine from time to time, but they should try to stay in the routine as much as possible.
{ Make sure study surroundings allow children to concentrate. To concentrate on studies, some children may require total quiet, while others may need a little background noise (such as music). Children should find the atmosphere that helps them focus on what they have to study without being distracted by other activities or being so relaxed that they fall asleep. Children may need some cooperation from the family to do not do this (not disturbing them, taking phone message, etc).
{ Keep assignments in the folder. Students may have a separated notebook for each class, but they should keep all homework assignment in one folder. That way they will be able to see all of the things they have to do and divide their study time accordingly.
{ Work out a study system. Rather than just reading straight through an assignment, most students find that they learn more if they work out a systematic method. This. May involve skimming the material, underlining or taking notes, reviewing major ideas, and so on.
{ Expand concentration time. At first, children may be able to concentrate only for short time periods (ten minutes is typical, since it is the time between commercials on TV programs). Parents can help children work on building this up to longer stretches without breaks, so it will take less time to get through assignments. Most children need to work up slowly and steadily, just as one does in weight training or aerobics.
{ Developing time estimation skills. One key to good studying is being able to estimate how long it will take to complete each assignment, then note how long it really took to do the work, and how long to well they did on the assignment. Most student must keep adjusting and evaluating estimates until they become routinely accurate.
{ Plan ahead. Athletes cannot get in shape in one or two night; they need to work out for several weeks. Studying works the same way. Student should start working on major assignments or reviewing for major tests well ahead, planning their strategy for finishing the assignment on time.
{ Set goals. Before they begin work on an assignment, help children decide how well they want to do on it and how much effort it will take to do that well. This will help them learn to divide study time effectively so they do not spend too much time on relatively unimportant assignments.
{ Reward achievements. When children achieve one of their study goals, give them a little reward: make a snack, allow them to call a friend, etc. often children want someone (parent or friend) to congratulate them on their achievements and with whom they can share what they have learned.
