While your child may enjoy going to school and doing their homework every night, this does not necessarily translate into the academic gains and grades you and your child want to see. Hence, parents can help crack the code of learning by building effective study skills in their children instead of getting them to do more revision work.
Success in the classroom comes from the right mix of attitude, habits, hard work and effort. Strong study skills are important, but this is very much a learned behaviour. From managing emotions to putting aside distractions and creating a study plan, effective studying is much easier than most students and parents believe them to be.
So, as a parent, how can you help your child study effectively and achieve academic success? Here’re three tips to help you get started!
Make The Most Of Class Time
Tell your child to sit attentively through their classes, whether in school or at their tuition centres. It is essential to pay close attention to the lessons and take notes, as these will become a reference point that will come in handy ahead of their examinations. Encourage your child to step out of their comfort zone and speak up whenever they have doubts or questions in class.
Did you know that writing notes out by hand results in better retention than taking notes on smart devices? Research has shown that taking down notes by hand was more accurate, with more direct answers to the questions – allowing your child to process information taught in class and retain what they have learnt. Teaching your child active reading strategies such as highlighting key themes and passages in their text also helps with retention.
Understand The Basics Before Memorising
While memorising helps your child learn information, without understanding the material properly, they will end up with nothing. For instance, your child remembers the formulas for a math test, however, when the test comes, they have no clue how to use them. This is where understanding plays an important role.
Understanding allows your child to apply what they have memorised to the test questions. Both understanding and memorisation come hand in hand – knowing how to use the formula but not being able to remember it can cause your child to be stuck on the question as well. Hence, understanding the concept before memorising it can equip your child with the knowledge and confidence to ace the test questions.
Plan Ahead To Avoid Last-Minute Cramming
Teach your child the importance of planning instead of cramming all their study materials the week before their exams. For example, if they are going to be tested on ten topics, get them to split the topics for review instead of studying all ten at once.
Studying a little bit of each subject every day is more advantageous for long-term retention than studying for long periods in a single day. Hence, you can help your child structure a study schedule to allow them to space their practice across the different subjects. In addition to studying, you should also encourage your child to take regular breaks to ensure focus and productivity in the long run.
Master The Art Of Learning With MindChamps
Every child gets stressed or anxious during the exam season. Hence, it’s important not to lose your cool. You can also sign your child up for MindChamps’ enrichment programme in Singapore.
MindChamps Enrichment offers a range of courses designed to help your child further their academic and personal learning. For instance, upper primary students in Singapore may find it beneficial to attend the Art of Learning enrichment course. The course aims to introduce every student to our full range of proprietary learning techniques, equipping them with the skills and mindsets they need to succeed academically and beyond. Students sitting for the PSLE exams this year or the following one can consider signing up for our Primary Success and PSLE – The Champion Mindset Way Programme to help them better understand as well as master subject-specific knowledge.
Find out more about our unique pedagogy by booking a visit to any of our centres.