What? Me Study?

     There is an art to studying.  Often we believe our students when they say:

“I am done with my homework.”  “I am done studying.”

We want to believe our children.  Then of course….the grades arrive.  I hear weekly from parents, “My child is not good at tests.”  What the parents should be saying is that my child is not good at studying, especially for tests.

     As students move into middle school and high school, doing homework is only a fraction of what it takes to be successful.  Parents need to be partners in the learning process.  Here are some helpful suggestions to be part of this process.

1. Ask to see the homework and what was assigned.
2. Expect to see thorough explanations with full sentences.
3. Ask your child to explain to you what the answer means in his/her own words.
4. If the child is preparing for a test, have the child teach you the subject.  You don’t have to be an expert or know what the subject is about.  Just be willing to learn and ask questions.  A person will remember 10% of what they hear.  But s/he will recall 90% of what s/he teaches someone else.
5. Encourage 3 by 5 cards for terms, major events, concepts…
6. Use post its to take notes within the book while reading.  Revisit the notes and translate on 3 by 5 card is necessary.
7. If a teacher lectures, when the student comes home, have them type up the notes.  The process of doing this helps the student revisit the lesson.
8. Encourage your child to keep a good dictionary near to look up difficult words and terms.  My favorite book is my Synonym book.

     The process can be part of a daily routine.  Eventually your child will be rewarded with those great grades that colleges want to see.