What to Do When Kids Have Trouble Studying
In this article, you will find:
A study plan for the learning style
Develop a Personal Plan for StudyingAllow 20-30 minutes daily over the period of a week to help Vinny develop a personal plan for studying, one he will eventually be able to use spontaneously for complicated assignments or long-term projects. The key is to listen to how Vinny thinks out loud and talks to himself when he's studying. The better the impression you have, the more consistently you can correct and reinforce how he thinks to make the work he does more effective and successful. Monitor this process for a month to six weeks. Don't hesitate to intervene when stress threatens to sabotage it. Enlist the aid of his favorite aunt or a homework tutor if you feel you and Vinny would benefit from the input of an objective voice in this important process.
Account For Daily Habits
Base Vinny's personal plan for learning, first and foremost, on his daily living needs. Ask him to describe a typical day in his life. Since you never know how the hormones are hammering and changing him today, don't assume you know the answers. Is he a morning person or a night owl? What perks him up? What foods satisfy his hunger best? Does he get tired during the day? What helps him fall asleep? Talk about ways to accommodate his needs for food and rest to his needs for studying. You might find that working on spelling in the morning with a bowl of bananas and milk is his round-trip ticket to an A.
Account For Learning Habits
A quick test of Vinny's learning style is to watch how he teaches someone else. Ask him if he knows how to use the new jar opener or a handheld computer. Does he point and draw an example, lecture, or pick it up in his hands and show you how to use it? Remind him to rely on this method whenever cantankerous concepts cause him to forget. Use it yourself whenever he asks for your help.