How Can Help My Child Study?

I have no homework.

HOMEWORK
What typically comes to mind when we think of homework:
Something assigned by the teacher that my child needs to physically turn in

What we may forget when we think of homework:

Your child reviewing what they learned in every class,

every day (self-directed)

Ex) a project, essay, reading logs, math worksheet

Ex) reviewing the steps to a new math problem, rewriting notes to review material, creating index cards to help them learn new vocabulary

Homework should include studying. We need to help our child change the way they perceive homework.

STUDY TIP #1: Create a study space for your child

What an effective study space looks like:
Free of distractions (technology, noise) --exception is a computer for research

Good lightening
Comfortable temperature A space that students can spread out materials Equipped with supplies student may need (pens/pencils, paper, dictionary, art supplies, etc.) Snacks /water are nearby to avoid frequent breaks/interruptions Have a calendar or white board visible where students list upcoming projects/tests and their due dates

p://getcoldturkey.com/

STUDY TIP #2: Establish a set-time

BENEFITS OF SETTING A SPECIFIC STUDY TIME L
Let your child know how long they are expected to study (30-60 minutes would be the average) Allow for 5 minute breaks after 20 minutes It may be helpful to set a timer

Help establish a routine (especially helpful if students are involved in extracurricular activities)
Students thrive on structure Lets family members know not to disturb student during this time

* Have a dry erase board where child lists what they need to do and cross things out as they go., This allows them to feel they can tackle *

STUDY TIP #3: Encourage student to chunk material

I dont know where to start. I have too much to study. This project is too difficult.

Chunking = taking something lengthy and dividing it into sections; you are focusing on small sections at a time Important to focus on most difficult concepts first Research shows that the avg. student needs 9-12 repetitions of new concepts in order to learn it

On Monday, my child took 2-3 pages of notes on the atomic theory. They wrote down in their planner that they have a test Friday on the atomic theory .

What chunking looks like:

MONDAY Student looks over the notes and circles most confusing ideas and checks those ideas that they understand They then focus on 3-5 concepts/vocabulary terms TUESDAY WEDNESDAY They review the 3-5 concepts from Monday and look over 3-5 more They review all the concepts from Monday and Tuesday and now review 3-5 more They review all notes, beginning with the most difficult

THURSDAY

STUDY TIP #4: Make Learning Fun!

Ways you can help your child get excited to study:
Encourage them to make index cards for difficult vocabulary words/concepts and make it into a game Create a reward system Have them watch videos, look up images, and create drawings of new material Help child come up with silly acronyms like Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally (Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiply, Divide, Add, Subtract) and personal connections to new material

Front of Index Card

PERSERVERANCE

Back of Index Card Definition: the act of never giving up despite challenges/difficulties

Personal Connection: I demonstrated perseverance when I kept running the mile even though my legs felt like jello.

ORGANIZATIONAL TIPS
Encourage and check your childs planner daily Make sure your child has a separate divider or folder for each class An Effective Organizational System: 1 large binder with dividers for every class that begin with their 1st period class and ends with their 7th period class

MOTIVATIONAL TIPS
Create a study reward system Leave positive messages in your childs study space Have a dry erase board, homework log, or notebook where your child makes a list of what they need to do and cross things out as they go (helps to set small, attainable goals) Help your child personalize their study space

ACADEMIC/STUDY RESOURCES
http://www.khanacademy.org/ (videos that show you how to solve math problems step by step) http://quizlet.com (students can make their own on-line index cards to study) http://www.freeprintablebehaviorcharts.com/h omework_charts.htm (homework checklists you can use to monitor childs use of study time)