If you can help your child develop healthy study habits and make studying fun, they just may enjoy studying as they get older. Here are a few ways to encourage studying while keeping things light and fun.
Mnemonics
Mnemonics are a great way to help students learn tools for memorization; your child can be creative and develop fun and funny mnemonics. In Stink, Solar System Superhero, one of a series of short novels for young elementary students, the main character “Stink” is working to come up with a mnemonic for remembering the first letter of all the planets. The students laugh together as they come up with phrases like “My Very Educated Monkey Just Spoke Utter Nonsense” or “My Very Eager Mad Cat Just Scratched Up Nose-Picking Earwigs” (Includes dwarf planets). Coming up with study tools such as mnemonics can be fun and creative project, while helping your student memorize material.
Turn it Into a Game
Everything is more fun when it is a game. If your child has a competitive streak, develop ways to make studying into a game. An article from parenting.com suggests playing “beat the buzzer”. Work on math problems together and see if you can beat a best time. Or, compete against each other rather than a clock. This can also work for reading or practicing a group of flashcards. Any goal that can be accomplished in a specific amount of time could be applied to a time test game.
Visualize
Students who are visual learners may need some help finding different methods for studying. If they enjoy art or drawing, help them make flashcards with pictures on one side instead of words. Get out large pieces of paper and help them draw a poster of the concepts they are learning. Layout a long sheet of paper and encourage a pictorial timeline. Any way to incorporate silly or fun drawings will help your visual learner remember more material and encourage them to use their natural talents for studying.
Invest
Look at studying as a fun opportunity to spend quality time with your child, rather than being a painful struggle. The more fun you have together, the more fun studying will be over time. A little time invested now can set your student up for a lifetime love of learning.
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