Prosperity Horizons Educational News

Maximizing Your Study Time for Better Results

It's time for students across the country to go back to school. For many, it's an exciting time.  It's time to rejoin their peer group and go back to structured activities.  For others, it's a worrying and fearful time.   Both groups can benefit from a little preparation and organization. The following articles are designed to  help both the students and the parents prepare the way for a successful school year.                          

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Back to School, Ways To Help Your Student

 by Ron Misener
 

The arrival of September and a new school year looms. For some this is a much-anticipated event bursting with excitement and bolstered by confidence. For others, there is apprehension and even dread. Parents can help their children prepare for school in several ways – while channeling their excitement or quelling some nerves.

First, parents can assist kids by creating a manageable schedule of extracurricular activities that will allow sufficient time for homework and studying. The out-of-school sports leagues, dance and music classes all start taking registrations and it’s tempting to sign up for everything the child is interested in – after all, won’t being active and busy keep them out of trouble? There is definitely some truth to that, however, a healthy balance must be maintained. Most students can handle no more than two or three extra-curricular activities a week while juggling curricular demands. Remember to schedule time for homework and home study too! Primary students need 15 to 20 minutes a night; intermediate students need about an hour. High school students will likely have an hour or two a night.

Another way parents can help their children prepare for school is to talk with them about the importance of interacting appropriately with their teachers and how to act in class. Role playing certain common situations might help a student learn to deal with asking for extra help, asking permission to use the restroom or tactfully make a suggestion or contribute to a discussion. Although teachers do not always ‘teach’ these skills directly, they may nonetheless expect students to know them and may even draw conclusions about a student’s demeanor and skills from the way they present themselves in such situations. Let the kids in on the secrets of successful in-class behaviors as well. These include sitting up and slightly forward, ‘tracking’ the teacher as s/he moves in the classroom, nodding to indicate listening and participating by either answering or asking questions.

Finally, parents can help students set up their study area in the home with the proper lighting and supplies. The computer is best placed in a shared space – off the kitchen for example so that whoever is preparing dinner can keep an eye on internet surfing, help with keywords for searches and generally monitor for safety. Basic supplies should include plenty of pens and pencils, lined and unlined paper, construction/ colored paper, markers, crayons, pencil crayons, a sharpener, corrector fluid or tape, glue, tape, ruler, geometry set, dictionary/thesaurus (or online), and perhaps a timer. The timer can be used to plan the homework session so that each subject gets some time and variety maintains interest and encourages more effective use of time-on-task.

When the first day comes let them help prepare a healthy lunch they will actually eat and send them off with a reassuring hug. Ask specific questions when they come home – go beyond – ‘How was your first day’ so that you get more than a one or two word response. Ask what they’re excited about, what is worrying them, what supplies they might need, who their teachers are and what they remember about them. Back to school can be a positive time for the entire family!

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by Ron Misener
This article courtesy of http://www.university-phoenix.com

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Maximizing Your Study Time for Better Results

by Roger Seip
 

The daily schedule for many young students today could rival that of several top-level executives. With soccer practice, dance, scouts and clarinet lessons taking up much of the evening, when do students get to focus on their studies? Too often students get overwhelmed with the amount of work left over at the end of the day. They look at study time in one big sum and get distracted and exhausted before they even begin. To solve this problem, you may not be able to adjust your child’s schedule, but they can change their study techniques.

Here are 3 study techniques that will help any student maximize their study time.

ß They should start by separating and segmenting their study time. Break it up into smaller bits. No matter how brilliant you are a concentrated attention span lasts only about 20 minutes. So break your 2 or 4 hours study sessions into groups of 15 or 20 minutes. During the break, stand-up, walk around, grab a bit to eat or something to drink and then get back to the grind for another 15 or 20 minutes. This not only helps create spaced repetition, which is crucial for retention, but helps make study sessions less stressful and daunting.

ß Another tool to help in maximizing study time is to use random practice. When reviewing lists or concepts don’t go in order. Skip around to force your brain to pull from an entire group of information. This aids in understanding the purpose or meaning behind a concept instead of merely its place in line. The simplest way to implement random practice is through the use of a study partner.

ß Use a Study Partner. When at all possible, it is very beneficial to study with another student who shares the same educational goals and motivation. A study partner can help identify areas of weakness and ensure that topics don’t get skipped. It’s also beneficial to witness how another student takes in and stores information. For this reason and others, it is better for the study partner to be another student, but parent don’t be afraid to fill this position. The progress gained from working with a partner in general is worth it.

Proper and efficient study techniques will follow a student through all levels of education and learning. Establishing good habits and skill sets, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem at the time, will prove to reap massive rewards in the long run. So while little Johnny and Suzy might need their first day planners before the third grade, don’t let it stop them from becoming the best students they can.

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Roger Seip is a nationally known memory trainer. He has helped thousands of students across the country improve their memory as well as study habits.
His new program, The Student’s Winning Edge - Memory Training, teaches students how to train their memory to study more effectively and get better grades. For more information on how your student can have a more powerful memory visit http://www.memorytrainingforstudents.com  or email info@memorytrainingforstudents.com .

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