Back to School: Setting Good Study Habits

By Missy Ruzicka

With a fresh new school year about to start, it is the perfect time to start working on a homework reset plan for your kiddos and revisiting good study habits. It’s never too early to start a routine for studying. Even when my kids were just starting school in the early years, we set aside time to look at school work or read each day. Here are some things you can do to help your kids start that routine.

Nightly homework may be a thing of the past for younger grades but setting up strong study habits now will help when the middle and high school subjects start piling on. There are tons of theories out there on how to become great students but the most important piece is finding study habits that work for the individual student.

My daughter would study for hours on end at her desk in her room, all set up without any distractions; while her brother would study in random places all over the house.

Everyone learns in different ways and at different speeds so what might work for one child might not work at all for another. I really saw this in my two kids when they were growing up.

In elementary school they studied at the kitchen table while I cooked dinner so I could help them, but as they grew up their study spaces were more unique to their personalities. My daughter would study for hours on end at her desk in her room, all set up without any distractions; while her brother would study in random places all over the house. It would drive me crazy but that’s what worked for him. Help your child find what space works for them no matter what that space may look like, including under the dining room table with a sheet over it and a lantern.

Organization is crucial to helping those study sessions become a habit. Every day after school, have your child go through their backpack so they can find the spelling list or whatever they brought home to study. With older kids, have them pick out a little planner or notebook they like and use it to fill out assignments, tests, and due dates. It’s a horrible feeling to show up for class just in time for that quiz you totally spaced. They will have less anxiety knowing they are on top of all their assignments.

A great idea from Parent magazine is to have younger kids put a smiley sticker on the calendar when they’ve finished with their school work for the day. Something so simple but it really encourages them to get their stuff done and set that routine in motion.

Educators have said that children with strong study habits have shown to be more confident and less anxious when it comes to school work. Teaching our kids good study habits will help them reach their goals. To help them establish good study habits help them find a work space and decide how to get organized. Plan out study times, set study goals for each session, and remember to take brain breaks. It’s good for kids’ brains to take a break from studying but have them set a timer during the break so they don’t get lost in a book or a game and forget to go back to practicing the spelling list.

Happy Back to School!