What to Do When Kids Have Trouble Studying

Assignment analysis

• Do I understand why I have to read this material? What do I already know about this subject? Can I make some predictions about this material even before I read it? These first questions help Vinny focus his attention and make a conscious appraisal of what he already knows about the project ahead. They link learning, concentrate his efforts, sidestep time-consuming and unnecessary repetition, and force him to make predictions. Don't accept short answers to any of these questions. If it's a report, how many pages? If there are math questions, how many? Specifics force him to reflect and project. How well he predicts also demonstrates how well he makes thinking links to visual clues.

• Do I know all that I need to know about this? Do I know where I can get some more information? Can Vinny do the work alone, or will he need another person? Sharing ideas helps kids verify, clarify, expand, or correct their thinking. Encourage him to enlist the support he needs by keeping handy the phone numbers or e-mail addresses of reliable classmates, tutors, or his grandfather in Florida who speaks Vinny's language when it comes to math. Ruminating about the kind of help he needs also teaches flexibility and resourcefulness.

• How much help am I allowed to have? Don't be hoodwinked into believing that middle school teachers give assignments to parents or let best friends study for Vinny's tests. What parts of the assignment must Vinny legitimately do by himself, and what specific parts are you or his study partner permitted to assist with? If he doesn't know or suddenly forgets, call or e-mail his teacher and get clarification.

• What are some new strategies and tactics I can use to learn this? This makes Vinny think of new ways to utilize his talents to fulfill ever-growing academic demands. This is where creativity kicks in. If his social studies teacher is amenable, he might choose to erect a model of an ancient polis instead of reading chapters about Greece and writing out the questions at the end. Teachers know that the greater the choice and stake kids have in their own learning, the greater the motivation and final outcome. Allow ten minutes for strategizing and developing tactics. Repeat this as often as assignments change.
  Try some of these tactics: Instead of laborious note taking, have Vinny write only the most important point of each paragraph. As a hint, tell him to look for main ideas in the first or second line of each paragraph. Have him make up quiz questions for each chapter and then quiz his best friend. Make rhymes to link important names and dates. For example, "in 1903, Orville and Wilbur flew above a tree."

• When is the work due? This simple question forces Vinny to think about time management. How many thirty-minute homework sessions does he think he can fit into his schedule before the project is due? It might even inspire him to get advance notice about assignments, tests, and quizzes.

• How much time will I need to do or learn this? The time element doesn't occur to most kids until 3:30 a.m. Time limits provide critical milestones for kids with attention or behavior disorders to set a realistic pace. Set short-term goals at first so Vinny can experience success faster. Set the kitchen timer, or use a grandfather clock or his wristwatch alarm to sound at fifteen-minute intervals. How many math problems did he complete in that time? Setting concrete time limits even helps kids with strong discipline and skills to stay focused and on task. For long-term reports, teach him to use the "new task" and calendar features in the office program standard on most computers. Periodic reminders can be set to sound off whenever he boots up his computer. By the end of middle school, he should be able to work steadily through three thirty-minute sessions with only short get-a-drink breaks.

• How do I submit it? This encourages Vinny to think about presentation and organization. Must the finished piece be typed or handwritten? In what format and how should the pages be bound? Is the teacher a stickler for spelling? Then talk about how he prepares for school the next day. Does he have a routine place for stashing completed assignments that must be submitted in the morning? What is the best location for his backpack? His lunch money? Sports equipment? Does he have a trick for remembering to stop off at his locker on the way to science class or health class to get his textbook? Conduct a walk-through of assignment requirements and submission strategies to ensure against forgetting, careless omissions, and misplaced or lost work. The best way to get Vinny to plan ahead is to guide him to think ahead.