The majority of us know how to ride a bike, right? But, how did we learn to ride a bike? Someone took the time to 
give us a few lessons and make sure we knew what to do. Studying needs to be taught in a similar fashion. No one is born knowing how to study. Study skills need to be taught and then practiced by using the new learned skills.
Good study skills make it easier to learn and do well in class, especially as kids move into middle school and high school.
Here are six steps to smarter studying:
- Pay Attention: Good studying starts in class. When kids pay attention in class and take good notes, they are unknowingly starting the process of studying.Some kids have a lot of trouble paying attention in class; this happens because they are sitting next to a loud person or a talker. Maybe it’s just hard to see the board from where they are sitting. It’s important to let the teacher know about any problems that are preventing the child from paying attention and taking good notes.
- Good Notes = Easier Studying: This should start by writing down facts that the teacher mentions or writes on the board during class.
- Plan Ahead and You’ll Be Glad You Did: Waiting until Thursday night to study for Friday’s test will make for a homework night that is absolutely no fun. Unfortunately, we are all guilty of putting things off sometimes. However, one of the best ways to make sure that doesn’t happen is to plan ahead.Provide your child with a cool calendar or something similar that you can keep by the study area. Test and assignment due dates should be written down. Spending time in creating a plan for each task helps teach time management skills early on.
- Break It Up: When there is a lot of studying, it can help if things are broken up into chunks. For example, say there is a 20 word spelling test coming up. Instead of thinking about all the words at once, try breaking them down into five word chunks and working on one or two different chunks each night.Remind your children that it is ok if they can’t remember something on the first try. That’s where practice comes in. The more days spent on reviewing something, the more likely it is to stick in the brain. There are also tricks called Mnemonic devices that can help with remembering stuff. When trying to memorize a list of things, make a phrase that uses the first letter of each.For example, say you are trying to memorize the names of the eight planets in their order from the sun. Think: My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nachos to remember Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
- Lose the Confusion: Ask for Help. Kids can not study effectively if they don’t understand the material. Teachers are always available to give extra help if the material is not being understood. Checking over notes that were taken in class always come in handy and offer help when you’re stuck.
- Sleep Tight: So the test is tomorrow and a study plan has been followed – but suddenly a blank is drawn and nothing that was studied comes to mind, not even 2+2. Do not Panic!The brain needs time to digest all the information that it has just been given. Try getting a good night’s sleep, you’ll be surprised by what comes back in the morning.
How much studying should be done each night? Most brains can only pay attention for about 45 minutes. So if studying has been going on for a while and it’s becoming harder to stay focused, it is time to take a break for some water or a walk around the house. Fight the temptation to turn on the T.V. or to stop working!
