Many parents assume that children are taught how to study at school. Surely this should form part of each subject’s curriculum! If a child is expected to write a spelling test every week, the child should also know how to commit the words to memory as well. However, this is not always the case, leaving the child overwhelmed and the parent frustrated.
Helping Your Child Prior to Studying
Learning for tests and exams is not a once-off event, but a continuous effort which should take place on a regular basis. There are a few steps that need to take place prior to sitting down to learn.
- Ensure that the child is well rested and has had something to eat. Keep a bottle of water at hand.
- Organise the child’s learning environment. Your brain associates the TV room with relaxing and the kitchen with food. The child’s learning environment should help them to focus on their work without adding more distractions.
- Timing is everything! Children need help with organizing their schedules and making time to study. Having a weekly routine prevents studying or revision from being done once all their other activities have been prioritised.
Helping Your Child Study
As far as learning styles are concerned, the idea of “different strokes for different folks” definitely applies. A kinaesthetic learner will experience sitting down to study as punishment. An artistic child will enjoy the process if he or she can use their creativity to make colourful summaries or mind maps. Discuss this with your child to help them develop their self-awareness as far as their preferred study method is concerned.
Chrizelle Prinsloo is the owner of Kip McGrath Education Centres, Walmer. She has a background in psychology and has taught in mainstream and special-needs schools both locally and abroad. Chrizelle is passionate about helping children gain confidence in their own abilities and about finding different ways to help them learn.
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