Dreamstime
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if children had a blueprint for success in school and in life? Teaching them how to study is a good start to showing them how to succeed.
This is the first part of a five-part series on ways to help your child study.
Over the next few months, I will give you a process or model that you can adapt and implement to teach your child how to study. This guide is based on my experience as an educator and the valuable information in the Victus Study Skills System written and developed by Susan Ison.
To begin, three guiding questions or building blocks are presented in this model: Where are you now? Where do you want to be? How do you get there? This first article asks your child: “Where are you now?” The second article will explore “Where do you want to be?” The third, fourth, and fifth articles will guide your child in “How do you get there?”
Where are you now?
Where is your child in terms of current study skills and habits?
An informal study skills checklist will help to identify how he or she approaches studying. There is no right or wrong way to respond to this checklist. It’s just an inventory used as a reference point for “now.” You want your child to be excited about the adventure of learning how to study so encourage her/him to talk about the questions in each section. Be open and supportive of the answers. Ask additional questions to encourage conversation. You don’t have to complete the inventory in one sitting. Take your time. Jot down responses as a reference for later. The seven sections of the checklist will be addressed in detail in “How do you get there.”
What is his/her current schedule?
Does she/he have a planner or calendar of some sort to enter classroom assignments?
Does she/he do homework?
Does she/he get enough sleep?
Where does she/he study? Does she/he have a regular place to study that is quiet and free from distractions?
Listening: Does she/he look at the person who is talking? Does she/he ask questions?
Can she/he listen without daydreaming?
Reading: Does she/he think of questions about the story before starting to read? Does she/he try to look for the main idea in what they read?
Taking Notes: Does she/he take notes? Does she/he review those notes?
Preparing for a Test: Does she/he start preparing for a test several days before taking it? Does she/he have helpful ways to memorize facts?
Taking a Test: Does she/he know how to budget time as they’re taking the test? Does she/he check over the answers before turning in the test?
Does she/he get nervous before a test?
What are your child’s learning strengths?
Is your child a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner? Maybe they have strengths in a combination of these three styles of learning. A visual learner may have some of the following characteristics: She or he often likes to read books and look at the pictures; actually enjoys keeping an organized room; can picture information in her/his mind. An auditory learner can often remember names and facts just by hearing them; may like to study for a test by being quizzed out loud; may often be distracted by noises when trying to concentrate. A kinesthetic learner may have a hard time staying neat and organized; may find it difficult to stay still in class or at the dinner table; likes to be shown how to do an activity rather than reading about it.
Observe your child at work and at play. Together, discover your child’s learning strengths or learning styles. Help him/her find ways to study so that they make good use of those strengths. This will make learning easier and more fun. Homework will be less stressful!
What study methods will enhance a learning strength?
Think “seeing,” “hearing,” and “doing” and you can develop activities and techniques tailored to your child. Some ideas:
Visual or “seeing” learner: Write down things to remember. Highlight information in notes. “See” spelling words in his/her mind before attempting to spell them. Make flashcards.
Auditory or “hearing” learner: Study with a friend and drill facts out loud. Use abbreviations to remember facts: Ex. ROYBIV = the colors of the rainbow. Read out loud when studying. Record and listen to information.
Kinesthetic or “doing” learner: Walk around the room while reciting facts. Quietly bounce a foot while studying. Do hands-on activities whenever possible. Trace over spelling words.
A combination of activities like these may help some children learn. Let your child express what works best based on learning strengths. Be creative and willing to accommodate different learning styles.
You and your child have a starting point. Next month: Where do you want to be?
Grace Copeland is a retired Memphis educator who now consults families on ways to improve their child’s study habits. Visit victusstudyskillssystem.org for more information.