The study routine: 6 steps to teach your child how to study better

Here are the 6 steps to make your child's study a productive activity, like playing when he was younger, and you won't have a headache either!

© iStock

1. Concentration

Lack of concentration is often associated with a lack of understanding: of the delivery, of what you are reading ... The first step is therefore to be able to understand what you are preparing to study and memorize.
The first thing to do is to prepare the studio location: a place away from possible distractions such as TV, video game consoles, food. An orderly and clean place is essential, which can also facilitate, so to speak, a mental order.
Every hour the child must take a break of 15 minutes: a rule also recommended for adults during office work!

See also

Your son is four months old

Fetal echocardiography: what it is and what is the purpose of studying the heart of the fetus

7 signs to tell if your child is a bully

2. Memorize

The brain is like a muscle that, in order to function properly, must be stimulated and trained: exercising the brain facilitates present and future memorization skills, essential for proper study.

There are several types of memory: visual, auditory or kinesthetic. Find the one that works best for your child to memorize faster and at the same time not easily forget what he has just memorized.

Underlining, repeating aloud, rereading: these are the most effective and popular methods for good memorization.
Never memorize word for word: the textbook must be understood from a conceptual point of view and not repeated as for a poetic recitation.
The child must learn to repeat the concepts expressed in the book according to their lexical knowledge, which will improve over time through reading.

3. Manage time

It is important to study in different time slots, just as it is important to take breaks and generally teach them to manage their time.
During the period of class assignments and exams it is essential to dedicate more hours of study during the course of the day, just as it is important to be able to carry out other types of activities.
Do not let your child be reduced to the last in view of a test: it is important that the day before the exam or verification is dedicated to a simple and peaceful review and not to the actual study.

Try to make a study plan, complete with dates and time slots, together with your child.

4. Express yourself correctly

Knowing how to express yourself correctly is essential for the success of a school test.
We must teach our children to be precise in writing, and to be concise, concise and direct in their responses, as well as having argumentative skills in exposing the response itself.
For oral tests, repetition aloud is always an excellent method, both because it mimics the test itself and because it helps the child to maintain control of his voice and emotions.

5. Define your goals

Setting goals facilitates daily study, as well as constituting a model of life necessary for the professional future.
Even before the actual study, it would be advisable to have prepared a plan with precise subjects, days and time slots, so that you and your child can always have study activities under control.

Never be too hard on the child: do not define unrealistic goals for him and do not compromise other types of activities to devote to free time. For the success of the study objectives, moments of relaxation and pause are necessary and to devote to other activities, such as play and sport.

6. Trust

Lack of confidence is the number one enemy of the study: this is the first cause of failure in passing a school test.
Especially in the case of children it is very important to underline the positive aspects of study and school in general: if they have not obtained a good grade in the class test, do not emphasize the failure but make them understand how important it is next time to do more to recover and get a good rating.
Punishments like stopping them from extracurricular activities don't work very well ... would make their failure even more mortifying.

See also:
Children and snack: tips and habits to follow
Rules for children at school: how to get off to a good start
Start school again: here are some useful tips for parents and children