To help your child reach his fullest potential in school, knowing how to study is key. Studying isn’t just simply reading and regurgitating, though. (And it’s most definitely not just doing homework and extra practices from assessment books!)
Studying is a process of reading, processing, understanding and retaining knowledge from learning materials such as books, notes, and other learning materials.
Many students think of studying with just the purpose of preparing for an exam. While this may be true, it also involves setting aside time to review what’s already been covered or to prepare for future classes.
Studying hard is one thing. In order to maximise learning, one should know how to study smarter.
Here are some study (and exam) tips for students.
1. Create a designated study space
It’s important to create a designated study space for your child to set them in the right mood and mindset. If space isn’t an issue, the study area should be quiet and free from distractions, such as TV, noisy siblings, gadgets, or pets.
It’s also good to place it somewhere where there’s natural sunlight. In their area, equip them with all the necessary tools they’ll need to study, such as papers, pens, a calculator, and a calendar to keep them on schedule.
2. Draw up a revision timetable
To avoid last-minute rushing, prepare a revision timetable early for them. This way your child is not cramming last-minute revisions the night before the exam.
Spreading the lessons out will also enable your child to have time to revise topics that they may be weaker in. This will also give them time to ask their teachers for further explanations if necessary.
You can also divide revisions into bite-sized sessions so that your child can absorb information better. Plan this out in a calendar format so it’s easy to follow and have an overview of.
As a parent, it’s important to recognise and trust that your child is spending enough time on each subject. Of course, just because they have a timetable doesn’t mean you can leave them to study alone. It helps to check up on their progress once in a while with a quiz or revision paper, and ask them if there’s anything you can do to help them.
3. Break this down into manageable sessions
Just like many things in life, taking a break is important. Long hours of studying is not productive - taking study breaks is crucial.
You should be careful about how you let them spend their break times, though. For example, watching television or playing games on their phone may cause them to get too absorbed and ask for a longer break time.
As an alternative, you can let them go outside for a walk and only allow them to use their gadgets once they’re done for the day. This way, they’ll feel refreshed in between breaks as opposed to just having more screen time.
4. Review past mistakes
Another study and exam tip that we suggest is to let your child redo past revision papers that they’ve done before. This is so that they can test their current knowledge and work on their weaknesses.
Once they’ve learned from their mistakes, they can move on to a new revision paper. This is also a good exercise to help your child learn how to approach questions and the types of responses that are appropriate.
Reinforce effective studying through PAL Learning
Another way to strengthen your child’s studying technique is by enrolling them in primary school tuition centres such as PAL Learning.
PAL Learning is a tuition centre for primary school students which focuses on providing specialised help for topics your child may have difficulty understanding. They also boast small class sizes, which makes studying fun, engaging, and more interactive for your child.
Contact us today to know how we can help your child improve their study habits!
