PARENTING

Want your kids to score As? Start with these easy strategiesto get them on the road to study success ByLANCEKING

The biggest differencebetween students who passall their exams well and thosewho fail is the use of good

learning techniques. The best learnershave a range of different thinking andlearning processes. They engage avariety of strategies and techniques tostudy, understand and learn conceptsand information. And these allow themto approach learning problems, processinformation effectively and arrive atcorrect answers. These processesare what I call "Learning Skills", theunderstanding and use of which canmake a huge difference to any child'ssuccess in school-based learning.

Now you too can help yourchildren learn more effectively and moreefficiently, using these basic 10 tips.

IIOrganise thehome studyenvironment

Make sure they have a place todo school work which suits themphysically - desk or table and chairat the right height with good light.

et Develop routinesTry and get your childreninto a routine of study every

night starting at the same time so thatit builds into a habit. This needs tobe a time preferably when the TV isoff, the cell phone is put away, anyother children or distractions are notallowed to interfere and they are totallysupported in getting school work done.

If Get them tobuild in theirown rewards

Help them learn to use T\~ video games.internet or phone time (and any otherpleasure) as a reward for getting workdone rather than a way to fill in time.

PEncourageregular reviewTo remember what they learn

at school, every night they need toread over what they did that day -let them teach you what they arelearning and have picked up. Getthem to review schoolwork while it isstill fresh in the mind; this is vital tounderstanding and remembering.

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PARENTING

not suit their own particular way ofthinking and they may need to try adifferent approach, a different process.

When a child becomes awarethat there are many different waysto learn the same information,they can then take on board thatexecutive (metacognitive) function.They'll have the capacity to observetheir own strategy use and makedecisions as to what strategies to use

in which situations.

'"

Allow them toform study groupsThis can be formed with

friends as long as they use timetogether to get work done. Childrencan often ex-plain things to each othermore easilv than a teacher can.

flFOCUSon theprocess

When your child ishaving difficultieswith a subjector with study or

problem solving, the thingto focus on is "how" they aredoing what they are doing.

When they have a difficulty, theimportant thing is to work with themand help them to tease out the processthey are using to get the unsuccessfulresult. Get them to look at thatprocess objectively and see if they cancome up with a different process, adifferent way to approach that sameproblem and then to have another go.UJHelp them develop

metacogrutiveawareness

All that means is raising their awarenessthat there are many different ways toapproach any learning problem. If yourchild is having difficulty understandingsomething or applying knowledge ina new situation, it could just be thatthe way they are trying to learn it does

Sf Work with whatthey can controlnot with whatthey can't

If a child is having learning difficultiesor failure and they (or you) attributethat failure to a lack of ability or a

200 Women'sWeeldyMAY 2012

lack of intelligence, then that way ofthinking gives them no chance forchange or improvement. Ability andintelligence are generally thought ofas things we have little control over.

If, however, any difficulty or failurecan be attributed to a lack of effort.or to the use of an ineffective proce .then that is something over which thechild has complete control. He can ~something new and success becomespossible again. Similarly, if you wishto praise a child for any academic orlearning success, focus your praise onthe effort they put in, the strategies the.are learning and the changes they aremaking in improving their performancerather than their natural talent orintelligence. By doing so, you willencourage more successful, process-focused learning behaviour in the futur

IJHelPthemlearn throughall their senses

Sometimes teachers deliver lessonsin ways that do not suit the way yourchild prefers to learn. Your childends up struggling with "just toomuch talking", "too much writingnotes", "too much video" etc.

Luckily, there is a huge amountof information on every subject onthe internet your child could belearning. And often it is presented ina manner which is more visual, moreinteractive, more self-paced than inthe classroom. Parents can help byfinding good websites for school-basedsubjects which their children can thenuse when they need to. Check out thelinks to many good free sites on http:www.taolearn.com/students .php

Model effectivelearningThink about how you learn

and teach your children your beststrategies for reading text, summarising -key points, making mind maps, writingreports, memorising, organising yourtime, making "to do" lists, meetingdeadlines. Talk about the importanceof perseverance, persistence andlearning from mistakes. ~