When children enjoy the process of learning, their study habits become AUTO for the rest of their lives. Here are 10 ideas based on BRAIN SCIENCE that can help you do just that!
It's no secret that most of our kids despise doing homework and studying on their own. In fact, many children would not want to do their home assignments at all without? their parents' interference.
On the other hand parents want their kids to become responsible and take ownership of their studies.
Here are 10 very simple, yet effective, ideas that can help parents bridge the expectation gap.
Idea 1: Remove all potential sources of distraction while studying
Kids have a tendency to get distracted easily and one of the biggest reported reasons kids have a hard time studying is constant distractions. It is crucial that parents eliminate all potential sources of distraction when a child is studying. The source can be a family member, a younger sibling, a device, or even elements in the study environment itself. Observe what is distracting your child and take action!
Idea 2: Establish a fixed & realistic study routine
Childhood is the ideal time for our child to easily adapt to any routine. It seems daunting at first, but a little effort here goes a long way. Set aside a few hours each day for study. It is important that the hours are at the same time each day. Adhering to the same timetable will help your child develop the ability to set aside time for study on their own as they grow older.
Idea 3: Schedule regular but quick breaks within study hours
A child can often focus better when they are able to take short breaks to relieve the stress of trying to pay attention. So, encourage your child to take 5-10-minute breaks throughout study time to relax their brain. Many professionals suggest working for 25 minutes and then taking a five-minute break, a technique knows as "The Pomodoro Technique" which has proven to be very effective across different age groups.
Idea 4: Avoid rewards
This may sound counter-intuitive but at least two dozen researches have demonstrated that children who anticipate receiving a reward for finishing a task (or for completing it successfully) simply do not perform as well as those who do not anticipate receiving a reward. Children who are rewarded for their efforts may acquire a sense of entitlement. Instead of rewarding them for studying, we need to encourage them for their good? work. Encourage the effort regardless of the outcome.
Idea 5: Encourage independent, self-directed learning
Many of us go above and beyond to help our children with their schoolwork. We? do it to help our ?child achieve great result, but in the process make them dependant on us.? Surely, we can advise, inspire, review, teach and help your children in their study. But, at the same time? we need to allow them to gradually understand the entire study process and do things on their own. Later, when they comprehend the entire process of study, we need to urge them to continue studying all by themselves while adhering to the previously established routine, ways and timing.
Idea 6: Make learning fun
Rather than focusing only on textbooks, why not try incorporating games and activities into studying? Children learn best with a variety of learning strategies. We need to explore different ideas to make study fun. For instance, we can teach our children to count using toy blocks or other readily available toys or household things. We can teach them writing letters by letting them use their fingers, dipped in colours, and outlining on a piece of white paper. This way, when they grow older, they will eventually discover their own way to make studying enjoyable.
Idea 7: Encourage children to accept failure and be constructive
When children do their own homework and study independently, they are more likely to make mistakes, fail tests, and receive poor grades: all of which can be difficult for them to accept and manage.
Allowing our child to make errors and learn from them is a valuable life skill. We should encourage them not to despair over their failure. This is not the end of the world. Rather, it can teach them the most important life lesson - "getting up again when we fall"!?
Idea 8: Plan the priority in advance
Planning ahead of time is an effective method for achieving outstanding results in a systematic manner. If your child has an exam on Sunday, inform them that they should begin studying on Thursday. Divide the study material into small daily portions. This teaches them how to organise their study time properly.
Idea 9: Stay involved & follow through
Developing good study habits can be difficult, and our children will require our assistance. For example, some kids struggle with remembering and prefer visual learning. If this applies for? your child, then consider visual learning (such as flashcards) to help your little one remember. We know our kids the best, and if we can assist in a way that is most effective for our kids, it will have the best results.
Idea 10: Remember to sleep tight!
So, the exam is tomorrow, and you've helped your child to follow right study plan - but now your child can't remember anything, not even 2+2! Don't panic. Their brain needs time to comprehend all the data. You'll be astonished at what children remember the next day if they get enough sleep. Always let your child have enough sleep and see the magic happen!
Remember
School success is crucial, but cultivating excellent study habits will benefit our children for the rest of their life by teaching them important life skills like time management, goal setting, self control and balancing priorities. So let us all put more focus on creating the perfect environment for our children to learn, so that they become self-dependant and start winning on their own!
Sadia Mahjabeen (sadia@iammotherly.org) is the Principal and Tamanna Toma Khan (tamanna@iammotherly.org) works as a Program Expert at iAmMotherly.