Study Skills - How Can YOU Help Your Kids?
By:
Frank McGinty
You pick up nuggets of wisdom in the most
unexpected places. One was given to me by a
man I met in the Scottish Highlands.
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.
Think of our children when home study time
comes around: "It's a day's work getting
started."
Can we as parents do anything to help in
this situation?
There are lots of ways, but here we'll
consider only a few of the practical details
that are well within our control - and which
can radically affect the quality of study
sessions.
First and foremost is a suitable place for
studying.
It's not uncommon for students these days to
do homework in the living room or the dining
room. But think of the distractions: music
blaring, lively conversations going on, the
TV...
Much better, then, to give the kids an area
they see as their study space, even if it
means making some sacrifices. It could be a
new use for a spare room or just a quiet
corner out of the way. If your kids can get
online in their study area, so much the
better.
Try to provide a table or a desk which is
used for study sessions only, so that books
and equipment can be left as they were.
It's so much easier when all you have to do
is sit down and pick up from where you left
off!
It's easy to overlook the importance of
having all the things you need for a study
session close at hand. Imagine what it does
to motivation when you have to stop every
couple of minutes to ask: "Anyone seen my
calculator?" or "Anyone got an eraser?"
It's much easier for kids to feel organized
and 'on top' when they've got all the
required items for their study session:
Ring binders, notepaper, blank and/or lined
sheets, items for geometry and science, a
calculator, pencils, erasers, pens and so
forth.
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.
It goes without saying the study room should
be well-ventilated and maintained at an
appropriate temperature. Nothing kills the
study habit more than a lack of oxygen and
an environment that's too hot or too cold!
In some homes, especially if there's a big
family, there's simply no room to set up a
study space. Is there a way round this?
Why not see if relatives can help out? Often
there's room in the grandparents' house, and
they'd be pleased to see the kids pop in for
some study sessions.
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!
You provide the materials, the school
provides the location - and the kids supply
the effort. Voila!
Helping your kids in the crucial area of
home study will benefit them greatly in the
long term.
Here's to your parenting success!
Article Source:
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