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Effective Study Habits and Study Skills Mean Good Grades NowEffective study habits and study skills lead to good grades.One can, also, reward students for better grades. However, never forget that making learning fun so children discover learning is fun will create the most return over the long term, as far as learning and better grades are concerned. For more information pertaining to good grades, click here. Although effective study skills and study habits result in better grades, do you know what effective study habits and study skills are? They are regular, consistent study habits that good students use every time they prepare for a test or do homework. In this section, effective study habits and study skills that help primary school students get good grades will be emphasized. Effective study habits are learned at home. Parenting means teaching our children these skills and making them habits. Study skills are so important to improving grades that some think grades really measure how well parents teach their children to study, particularly in the primary grades. The purpose of this section is to help parents teach their children effective study habits, not only to improve good grades, but to make education easier and, even, enjoyable. Despite the fact effective study habits are, largely, a discipline we instill in our children, we must always bear in mind that learning through play inspires children to learn more. So, any opportunity to mix play and learning together should be taken. Hence, making learning play is a study skill for getting good grades. Note TV and video-computer games are not considered play since they increase anxiety and aggression. Topping the list, as to effective study habits, is seeing that your child is paying attention to the teacher. His eyes should always be on the teacher when she is talking. One way to confirm that he is paying attention is to check with the teacher. A second method is visiting the class and seeing for yourself. Another way is to make sure he is regularly answering and asking questions in class. Hence, when he arrives home, ask him about his class participation. Your behavior demonstrates to the child you are interested in her getting good grades. Study skills training, chiefly, occurs at home. Parents must assure that their children have a regular place and time to study. They must see to it that their children are studying at that regular time and place as well. It is important that children begin their studies soon after arriving home, with no noise or distractions to interfere with their doing homework. A desk, adequate lighting, quiet, and a comfortable chair are a good start. Giving school studies the highest priority at home causes children to give it a high priority too, and learn effective study habits. Homework should be prioritized, with the most difficult tasks completed first, while the child is fresh and alert, or, alternatively, waiting until a parent arrives home to tackle an especially difficult problem. A consistent plan is the heart of effective study habits and will insure your child gets good grades. Parents must use their own judgment to determine, for example, if the children should play for a short time, after school, before commencing their homework, or if they should dive into it immediately, and how long study breaks should be. What is best will be determined by what works for your family. Remember to praise children for work completed properly and on time. Children will respond to praise by getting good grades. It may be that your children will move heaven and earth to get their homework done if allowed to play right after school with their friends. Again, what works best for your family will determine your decisions. Bear in mind, however, that the later in the day school study begins the less its importance becomes in the child's mind and the more likely the child will tire before completing it. Regular scheduled play breaks are important. A play break can be used as a reward after a particular problem is completed correctly. In this way the completion of a difficult problem is associated with a reward, play. What's more, a play break should not involve TV or computer games, but physical movement like playing with friends or going outside to play with the dog. Video-computer games and TV increase anxiety and aggression and are not associated with good study skills and study habits and attaining good grades. These activities are associated with obesity and decreased learning in school. What's more, they interfere with old fashioned play and, therefore, increase obesity due to lack of exercise. Video-computer games and TV increase negative emotions like anxiety, which for the child already stressed by doing his homework, may increase the problem and interfere with completing it. Moreover, since negative emotions are associated with decreased learning, it is better that these activities be limited to about one hour per day. Click here to find out how TV interferes with learning and child health. Good study skills and study habits mean once homework is begun no distractions should be allowed. This teaches children to concentrate on their studies. Some kids like to stand up and then sit down while studying. This can increase circulation and aid attention and is okay. Other children like to put on their favorite study hat when they do homework as a physical reminder to help them concentrate on their work. Respect for kids individual study habits will help them get good grades. Good study skills emphasize relaxing and thinking about the challenge (brainstorming possible solutions) before tackling it. Creating a plan of attack ahead of time is often helpful to the student. In this way assignments can be simplified and completed in small, digestible bites, avoiding any overwhelming feelings. Putting difficult problems into one's own words can help a child understand the problem better, instead of relying on rote learning. Beware of rote learning where your child can repeat the solution to a problem, but doesn't understand what she is saying. Therefore, stress to her that understanding the problem is more important. Children may have different learning styles. Some children learn better by hearing, others by seeing a demonstration, and still others by reading. Keep in mind that your child may have a learning style that suits him best. Teach to his style. For deeper learning, use all three styles together. Rewarding a student for good grades is a judgment call. If it works for your child, why not, but remember the bottom line is that our children learn to enjoy learning for its own sake. This is why making learning fun and learning through play are such excellent study habits for getting good grades. Bear in mind that the study skills described herein are simply a guide for the parent and not etched in stone. Use what works best for your child to help him or her, not only learn, but enjoy learning and the result will be good grades. For more ideas, regarding effective study habits, click here. Main points regarding teaching effective study habits and skills at home:
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