How Can You Help Your Child(ren) PEEP Workshop 2010 Theresa Dismuke Presenter

Homework & Study Tips Turn off the TV set Set study time/hour Set family telephone rules during study hour Designate certain area for studying/homework Organize study and homework projects Watch for signs of frustration when your child is completing homework Show your child how to write study notes ◦ Take notes as you read the chapter ◦ Skim material ◦ Study tables and charts ◦ Summarize what you read in your own words ◦ Make your own flashcards for quick review of dates, formulas, spelling words, etc… Help your child feel confident for tests ◦ Encouraging words ◦ Make sure they have plenty of sleep/rest ◦ Remind to read directions ◦ Skip questions that they don’t know ◦ Bring an extra pencil ◦ Take a deep breath, relax and dive in to the test

Study Skills For Middle School & Beyond Help Your Child Get Organized ◦ Provide a place to study ◦ Help them develop a system to track important papers ◦ Make sure your child has & uses a planner to keep track of assignments ◦ Encourage your child to estimate how long each assignment will take ◦ Help your child break bigger projects into smaller ones ◦ Communicate with your child’s teacher

Study Skills for Middle School & Beyond Homework help ◦ What information do you need to do this assignment? ◦ Where are you going to look for it? ◦ Where do you think you should begin? ◦ What do you need to do next? ◦ Can you describe how you're going to solve this problem? ◦ How did you solve this problem? ◦ What did you try that didn't work? ◦ Why does this answer seem right to you? ◦ Tell me more about this part?

Study Skills for Middle School & Beyond Studying for tests ◦ Turn off TV, cell phone, iPod, etc… ◦ Practice math concepts/skills as a review ◦ Think of potential essay questions & outline them ◦ High-light notes, use Post-Its, study cards, & mapping & diagramming concepts ◦ Help your child find the best time for them to be productive ◦ Memorize key information/terms ◦ Help your child make the most of their time (waiting room, on the way to practice/home, or traffic jam) ◦ Make sure your child knows the basic & look for other resources

Study Skills for Middle School & Beyond De-Stressing Good study skills can help reduce anxiety, and so can relaxation exercises and regular physical activity. If your child seems unusually anxious about tests, talk to him/her about it. If the work seems too difficult for your child or the workload too great, contact the school. Have a conversation with the teacher. Maybe the child doesn't need to be doing 100 problems to practice a concept. Maybe 10 is just fine.

Test Taking Tips For Parents Make sure that your child does all their homework and reading assignments Encourage your child to space out their studying and homework assignments so that they won't be forced to cram on the night before the test. If you are anxious about your child's test it's ok, but try to keep cool around your child, you don't want them to get anxious about their tests too. Encourage your child to do well but don't pressure him/her. Keep a positive attitude about tests. Provide a quiet, well lighted area with little distractions to help your child study efficiently. Mark down test days on your calendar so you and your child are both aware of testing dates. Make sure that your child gets enough sleep on the night before the test.

Test Taking Tips For Parents Ensure that your child eats a healthy breakfast and avoid heavy foods that may make him/her groggy and avoid high sugar foods that may make him/her hyper. Make sure that your child gets up early enough so that he/she will be on time to school. Let your child relax for a few hours before bedtime, it can be stressful for a child to study all night. Talking about the test with your child can relieve stress about test taking. If your child is struggling on their tests, talk to them about it and meet with their teacher to find out the best way to help your child. Praise/reward your child when they do well on a test or for their hard work preparing for a test. Encourage them to do better if they don't do well. Review the test with your child after they have taken it and go over any mistakes they have made and make sure that they understand what they did wrong and how they can improve for the next test.