Reading and Study Skills

Ask any teacher to name the biggest academic skill lacking from the majority of today’s students and their response will be a resounding lack of study skills!

Lack of intelligence is not the reason the majority of students struggle today, they struggle because they were not taught this valuable set of skills. The development of study skills enables students to learn, retain, and excel at homework, projects and tests, while making school more enjoyable.  

Here are the most common elements contained in an excellent study skills repertoire.  

• Reading Skills – Strategies to capture and retain information in the most efficient manner.   An optimal reading speed should fall in the zone of 400 to 800 words per minute. 
• Efficient note taking – The ability to organize and transcribe notes in such a fashion that re-writing of the notes is not required.
• Listening – An essential skill for taking high quality notes. 
• Time management – Effective use of one’s time will be an asset the student carries for a lifetime.  A study timetable is the first step in developing this skill.
• Study Environment – Finding the best time of day and location to maximize a student’s studying efforts is another vital key in bigger picture.
• Memory – Let’s face it, a good memory will go a long way in obtaining the grades a student desires.
• Reading your Teacher – How well do you know your teacher?  Visual, vocal and other queues are very important.
• Organization – A system that enables the student to keep track of all the important dates, assignments and notes are key to being efficient.

How can parents help their children develop good study habits?

Plan and make study time a routine.  A daily plan including time set aside for studying often results in less time studying than what is currently being spent on the task.  Our human brain is wired to learn better, when information is broken up in to smaller chunks for shorter periods of time.  By studying on a regular basis, as opposed to cramming it in all at once, we are more in line with this natural structure and will learn and retain information more effectively.

Help your student determine their best study environment.  Some individuals are most alert and receptive to learning early in the morning, and some are night owls.  Some students require complete silence to concentrate and some do better with music in the background; some like frequent breaks and some not so frequent.  Help your student experiment to find out what works best for them.  While experimenting with the environmental variables, it is always best to change one at a time.  Changing more than one variable at a time will make it difficult to determine what change caused which result.

Studying is hard work and does not come naturally to most.  Your praise and admiration will go a long way to encouraging your student to continue studying.  You may even consider a contract with your student.  For example, after a set number of study hours are completed, the student will be able to go to movie with their friends, your treat!

Study with your children.  Make yourself not only available to answer questions or assist, but study yourself.  Read up on a topic of interest, maybe a new hobby or a subject you always wanted to know more about.  You will be amazed how much of a difference it will make when your child sees you studying with them.  It will become a time you both look forward to each day!

Finally, consider enrolling your child in a formal reading and study skills course.  This is where Chyten of Wake Forest can help.  We offer our renowned RANDD Reading and Study Skills course in either a classroom or one on one environment.  Our program is taught by experienced master degree tutors and guaranteed to make your child a better student.  Call us today and let us help your child become the student you know they can be!