Every parent wants to see their child succeed in everything they do, especially in their studies. That is why we try all we can to help our young ones become independent at learning and studying effectively. Soon enough, these teenagers will be picking out colleges and study courses, and we will be even more confident of their choices when we are certain they have all they need to succeed. Understanding that it is never too early to help your teens build up their studying muscles, we have compiled these effective methods to help your teenagers develop stronger study habits.
What Is The Best Way To Study?
Understanding the perfect approach to efficient studying is not always easy, but neither is it rocket science. You may just have to try a few different approaches to see which ones favor your teen the most. You should know that because we are all individually different, so is our approach to studying. Finding what works for your child is the primary goal, and then you can improve on it. With this in mind, here are a few ways to help your teens study well.
Start Studying Early
Most kids have a habit of ignoring their class notes and study materials until a few days before a big test. At this point, they just try their best to cram all the information in, which is usually a bad idea. Engaging your teens in study sessions from the beginning of a semester increases their chances of covering more grounds and having sufficient revision time before any big test. In fact, studying as early as a semester starts gives your teen an edge over any pop quiz they may encounter.
Reading and Studying Are Not Same
Young people may be tempted to simply gloss over materials and can mistake this process for studying. They need to understand that mere reading of texts and notes does not equal the studying of said texts. Oftentimes, they may think that re-reading the same text also means that they are studying. As parents, you need to help them understand how to study actively and intensively. Using proven study methods such as Cornell notes, they can maximize the time spent in study. The goal of studying should be smarter not harder.
Practice With Problems
No one gets better at their craft without sufficient practice. Providing real-time problems for courses helps students grasp the applications of whatever they study. In fact, technical courses usually require that you work through many problems, and it is even more helpful if these problems are relatable. As they practice these problems, you will realize they will get more comfortable explaining the process of solving these problems. Help them see their progress by recording their answers and how they achieved them.
Discuss Studies At Home Regularly
Research has shown that students who get to discuss what they studied at school with their parents perform exceptionally better than those who do not. This shows how attentive they were during their classes, as well as how well they retain the newly learned information during their day. Moreover, talking about what they learned helps them form solid opinions about these topics, increasing their ability to clearly explain the topic later.
Provide Quizzes and Tests
Many researchers have proven that testing yourself can help to boost academic performance. As parents, you can always provide quick quizzes or mock tests for your teenagers after intensive studying. This is usually helpful, especially before any big tests. Not only will they know how they are faring, but it also helps to boost their confidence and alleviate whatever fears they may have for the upcoming test. Actually, you may let your teenager draw up their own tests by themselves, but let them understand that setting easy questions may not be helping them entirely.
Ace That Next Exam
While these pointers above may be very helpful, it is also very good for you to have a study plan that you can stick to. Consistency is very much needed, as they are in their formative years. Also, trying out new methods such as incorporating technology in study habits may be very helpful. Finally, remember that this may be tasking, as it will require some of your time too. But with a little dedication, you’ll find that they will be studying independently in no time!