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Study Skills - How Can YOU Help Your Kids?
Some years ago when touring the Scottish Highlands, I met a man who said something that's stuck with me.
Some years ago when touring the Scottish Highlands, I met a man who said something that’s stuck with me.
The man was elderly, yet was still working on his small farm. He had no intention of retiring, and when asked if he felt the pace of the years he said he really enjoyed his work but - and this is what stuck with me! - “It’s a day’s work getting started.”
No matter how he felt, he had to make the effort to get up and get on!
This doesn’t apply only to farming.
The same principle applies to our kids when they have to get down to serious home study or ‘homework’: “It’s a day’s work getting started!”
Can we as parents do anything to help in this situation?
There are a number of simple things we can do, but don’t underestimate their effectiveness. Let’s look at some.
First and foremost is a suitable place for studying.
So many students attempt to do their study in the living room or at the dining table where there are all kinds of distractions: people coming and going, the TV blaring, and so on.
Why not go out of your way to organize the home so that the kids have a designated study area, even if it’s one they have to share? You may have to give up something like your ‘parlor’ or ‘best room’, but if the kids make good use of it, it will be worth it. An online computer would help.
A huge drawback to study is having to set-up an area and unpack books and materials. You’ll make it much easier if your kids can leave everything set up for next time.
You can overcome resistance much easier when all you have to do is sit down and get going!
Another serious, but seemingly trivial, impediment is a lack of ready materials. How motivated do we think our kids will be when they’re always asking: ‘Anyone got a spare pencil?’ or bemoaning the fact that, ‘My worksheets are all mixed up!’
It’s much easier for kids to feel organized and ‘on top’ when they’ve got all the required items for their study session:
Notebooks, ring binders, pencils, erasers, pens, wallets, a calculator, geometry equipment, science items, etc.
Most kids are on a limited budget, so it’s usually appreciated when parents contribute these items as a goodwill gesture. It’s also a sensible investment in our children’s future.
The study room, of course, needs to be kept at a comfortable temperature and should be well-aired. There are no bigger barriers to the study habit than a lack of fresh air and an atmosphere that’s either too stuffy or too chilly!
But in some homes it’s just not possible to set aside a study area. What then?
In that case call on the relatives. Usually grandparents will have a spare room, and they’d be delighted to see the kids calling in regularly for a study session.
Or how about letting your kids team up with their friends at their house? Careful, though! It’s so easy for unsupervised study sessions to deteriorate into gossip or chat sessions…
If this happens, why not encourage your school to set up a Homework Club. These are gaining in popularity the world over, and since they are run by teachers there’s a lot more motivation to cut the gossip and get on with the work!
This could be a ‘Win - Win - Win’ situation: Parents supply the study materials, the school supplies the place and the right atmosphere, and the students make the effort.
Facilitating your children’s home study experience will make a huge difference to their success - and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you played your part ...
Enjoy your parenting!