There are many parents these days looking to give their kids a leg up when it comes to eventual college applications. While there are plenty of ways to go overboard, some simple tips can help your student learn to succeed in school in a natural, healthy way that they can build on for the future.To keep your kiddo engaged and learning throughout their school years, learn how to help them study smarter.
Get Proper Rest
One of the best ways to study and retain information is not to overdo it. Learning takes significant mental calories, and without the proper rest, the brain doesn’t hold enough information. Instead, you are tiring your synapses more and more, making it difficult to connect the correct information to the parts of the learning. Getting eight or more hours of sleep each night is ideal for young learners.
Sleep is essential, but rest is also necessary. Get outside and bird watch, go swimming or play chess in the park to stimulate your brain and enjoy active rest. Even if you have enough sleep every night, taking a break for rest from using your mind for academic activities is ideal.
Eat a Balanced Diet
Fruits, vegetables, protein, and complex carbs make up a balanced diet. It is all too easy for students to choose quick and easy snacks that are less than healthy to munch on when they are up late studying. Having only nutritious choices on hand and in the house gives diligent students only one option. Kids vitamins and supplements are another way to support a balanced diet.
Break From the Blue Screen
Much of the work that students do nowadays is on the computer or even on tablets and phones. The good news is that they can study from anywhere, anytime. However, the bad news is that they are often expected to learn everywhere and all the time to achieve the highest marks. Be sure to set realistic expectations for mandatory breaks to rest their eyes.
Save Time for Social Interaction
Grades are essential but social interaction is also critical for proper development. You can help your child study by letting them learn with friends while they maintain their grades and academic rigor. Ensuring they surround themselves with friends who also value academic excellence is ideal. Remember that group study works, and learning can be fun.
Time the Study Sessions
Not only are blue screen breaks and study breaks necessary for rest and brain breaks, but there is only so much one young mind can handle. Cramming for tests and all-nighters studying isn’t practical for retaining knowledge long term. Instead, encourage your student to set up a study plan where they time each session and devote a certain amount of time each day to their studies. Good habits last a long time when they are supported.
Take Notes by Hand
With the onset of so much technological development, many students take notes by recording lessons in audio format or taking notes by typing out the information. However, reformatting the data into handwritten notes is another way for students to help retain the information in their minds. By hearing, speaking, and writing data, students deepen their connection with new information and are more likely to keep it over time.
Color-Code Information
Written notes can be overwhelming, and paper switched to digital because it was challenging to organize. One way to combat piles of paper that are difficult to flip through is to encourage your child to color-code their notes. Highlighters make essential sections and pieces of text easy to access and remember.
Helping your student study smarter, not harder, is essential for having good grades and experiencing all the developmentally appropriate activities that kids need to succeed.
