How do you teach your children study habits?

[Michelle O. in MO]

This question might seem a little vague, but I'm wondering how to approach this task with my 12yod. She's very bright and does well with school on little effort. But she could use some improvement. Example; today she took a chapter test for Rod & Staff 7 and scored 84%. I know she could do better than that. Her diagramming was perfect. There were a lot of things on the test that she did very well. It was a point here and there that made the difference. If I go over the test with her (which I will) and review the questions she missed, she'll be frustrated that she missed them because she'll claim she knew them. So, before taking this test she did do the chapter 2 class review with me, she did the written review on her own and then went over with me what she missed. I have her write vocab cards and go over them with her. But I don't have the time every day to hold her hand and study and I don't want to study for her.

 

Grammar is not the only subject that this is happening in. Pre-Algebra is another. In fact, unless I'm constantly on her about every point and topic that we're studying she'd do the minimum and call it good (maybe that's a tween thing I-don't-know). But she gets frustrated over not having A level test scores.

 

One last thing, I was not a solid student in school. I graduated with honors (which isn't saying a lot because grades were so highly inflated), but I had absolutely no study habits. I was also a procrastinator. Getting good grades in high school without having to work at it made me believe that I didn't have to work at it. I got to college and had a very rude awakening. I floundered through college and feel I could have done much better if I had some solid study habits under my belt. I'd like to instill them for my dd, but don't know how to go about doing this. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

[Lily_Grace]

This is something we're working intensively on this year. We have a built in 'self-education hour', which includes learning to study for tests. I encourage making flash cards when we sit down for word root exercises and note taking for history, science, and reading. For longer independent projects or to try to keep him on task I have Project Planning Sheets, which have columns for him to write down the different steps he has to tackle, when he expects to start each step, and when he finishes each one. Having exactly what he needs to do written down and mini due dates helps him a lot more than just a date on the calendar.

[silliness7]

I'm working on study skills with my 8th grader. Flashcards help. Being able to self-quiz is a must, imo. And I told him he really has to be honest with himself about knowing it or not. Many times he thinks he knows it "good enough" but come test time, he did not. Determine what you need to know then from that determine what you don't know. Read, write, memorize, review, review, review, whatever it takes to get what you don't know to stick in the brain.

[choirfarm]

Ok, this is going to vary with each child. Here are what I or my children do:

 

Science- One highlights in his book. ( Sorry but by high school I MAKE them write in their books. You learn so much more that way. ) Another chooses to take notes in a notebook while he reads. Both are required to make a study sheet of important terms and go over them with dad. Dad sits and quizzes them over what they cover in the evenings. ( Dad is a doctor, so science is important to him.)

 

History- When we did TOG, they had questions to look over. I would ask them what would be on the test and they would discuss and write down. I never told them, I just helped them see/think for themselves what the important things were to study. Now that they are doing AP Gov, they do much like they do in science. There is a practice test she posts online for them to do as well.

 

Literature- They write in their books as they read. They write in their books when I go over important quotes and themes. Then once again I say things like, "What do you think I might ask for an essay question?" or "What important characters do you think you need to know?" or " Did you see any themes in this book that are similar to something else we've read." ( Sometimes essay questions can cover any book we've read this year.)

 

To me, math and grammar are skills. If they are not careful on homework, then they aren't careful on tests. Haven't figured out a way to fix that. Middle son is a B/C student on both of those areas for just those reasons. If you have some solutions, let me know. You can't really "study" for these. I did the homework in college, I made an A. I didn't study. It was actually doing the problems consistently that made me get the A.

 

I did a couple of things in college. A week before a big test, I made out my own test like I thought the prof would. The next day, I took the test. I then circled and concentrated on what I missed and studied that for a couple of days. Then I made out another test.

 

If it was a big essay test, then I would once again make out sample questions. I would write bullet points under each question of important things to cover. Then I would go to an empty classroom and lecture over the essay. I would then look at my notes and see what i would miss, highlight it and then lecutre again. The next day I would do the same thing again. ( This way, I didn't have to write it all out each time. ) For AP gov, she gives hints on the essay and I have them write a practice one on what I think the topic might be. Then I read it over and suggest things. That has helped them quite a bit on the actual essay.

 

I just remembered that my middle one used to teach math to the dogs. He would get out the white board and teach them how to do it. He did well that year... Maybe I need to have him teach Geometry to them???

 

I hope that helps.

[choirfarm]

I did the same thing with my honors English students in 11th grade. They had absolutely no idea what would be on the test or how to study. I questioned them before the test and lead them through the important things. I helped them figure out themselves what they needed to study. I never told them. They could figure out what my essay questions would be by the end of the year. It just takes practice. Sometimes you need to have one test by the prof to know exactly how to study.

[Alte Veste Academy]

I like Study Is Hard Work. I bought it after seeing it recommended a few times here. In the summer before DS8's 5th grade year, I plan to read it with him.

[gingersmom]

I have worked very hard with my son this year on note taking and keeping his notebooks neat and orderly.

 

I also give him 15 minute periods during the day to "study". Sometimes its latin vocabulary, today it was his history notes.

 

He also has evening "study hall" usually 3 days/week for about an hour which includes any homework and studying for any upcoming tests/quizzes.

[Kalmia]

Choirfarm: "Then I would go to an empty classroom and lecture over the essay. I would then look at my notes and see what i would miss, highlight it and then lecutre again."

 

Do you mean that you would review aloud everything you knew on the topic without looking at the notes and then check the notes to see what you missed? This is a very interesting study method. Seems to ensure that you really "know" the material rather than "recognize" the material. I like it.

 

I also like the idea of teaching the dog (or cat or snake) as a little kid's version of this.

 

Thanks for getting me thinking.

[choirfarm]

Choirfarm: "Then I would go to an empty classroom and lecture over the essay. I would then look at my notes and see what i would miss, highlight it and then lecutre again."

 

Do you mean that you would review aloud everything you knew on the topic without looking at the notes and then check the notes to see what you missed? This is a very interesting study method. Seems to ensure that you really "know" the material rather than "recognize" the material. I like it.

 

I also like the idea of teaching the dog (or cat or snake) as a little kid's version of this.

 

Thanks for getting me thinking.

 

Yep, that is exactly what I mean. I found that I tended to study what I already knew. I had to force myself to figure out what I didn't know. I pretended I was the professor and I was lecturing to the class. It helped me when I actually taught high school later. Of course I rarely "just" lectured. But I generally talked while I walked around the room. I never needed notes. No passing notes in my class!!! I can't tell you how many I took up at the beginning of the year. These days, I bet I would have been confiscating cell phones.

[elegantlion]

I like Study Is Hard Work. I bought it after seeing it recommended a few times here. In the summer before DS8's 5th grade year, I plan to read it with him.

 

It's recommended in WTM as well. I just bought it and started reading it for myself. Wow! It might be to much to read for the average student before 7th or 8th grade. But you could certainly read it with them, or for youself, and break down the information to their level.

 

It's concise and not another method or an author with another study tool you just gotta have. The title pretty much sets the tone for the content.

 

Chapter 4 is on getting more out of what you read. I realized I naturally read that way, seeing a section at a time instead of individual words. I'll be interested to see how it helps ds's reading speed.

 

Ds will be reading as soon as I'm done. I'll probably make him read it again a few times in high school.

Edited December 6, 2011 by elegantlion

[Michelle O. in MO]

Thank you all for the ideas. This will definitely be a process and probably even more challenging for me to convey to dd considering my miserable ps background. I think it's really interesting to hear everyone's approach to this skill.