Study Skills Four Basic Principles

Make Doing Homework A Positive Experience Provide support and praise for homework completion. Provide support and praise for homework completion. Maintain a positive and helpful attitude; avoid criticism and anger. Maintain a positive and helpful attitude; avoid criticism and anger. Find ways to make frustrating subjects more tolerable. Find ways to make frustrating subjects more tolerable. Help children study for tests in a friendly manner – time in the car is a good setting. Help children study for tests in a friendly manner – time in the car is a good setting.

Make Homework a High Priority Make clear that you expect your children to complete homework well. Make clear that you expect your children to complete homework well. Establish a place to study that suits you and your child. Establish a place to study that suits you and your child. Demonstrate, and enforce, that completing homework is a higher priority than other activities. Demonstrate, and enforce, that completing homework is a higher priority than other activities.

Top Priority Reduce activities if a child has so many commitments that there is insufficient time or energy for homework. Reduce activities if a child has so many commitments that there is insufficient time or energy for homework. Establish a family expectation that studying for exams is expected and takes priority over other activities. Establish a family expectation that studying for exams is expected and takes priority over other activities.

Use Homework to Teach Organizational Skills Encourage your child to write down all assignments and check them off when complete. Encourage your child to write down all assignments and check them off when complete. Help your children learn to plan ahead. Help your children learn to plan ahead. Have your child pre-read non-fiction reading assignments to improve skills. Have your child pre-read non-fiction reading assignments to improve skills. Encourage your child to use the SQ3R reading technique. Encourage your child to use the SQ3R reading technique.

More Organizational Skills Before a writing assignment, have your child organize his or her thoughts and complete at least one draft. Before a writing assignment, have your child organize his or her thoughts and complete at least one draft. Encourage your child to space studying over several sessions instead of only the night before a test. Encourage your child to space studying over several sessions instead of only the night before a test.

Provide and Enforce Logical and Meaningful Consequences Have your children assess their own homework completion each week. Have your children assess their own homework completion each week. Teach your children to bring all necessary materials home. Teach your children to bring all necessary materials home. If homework is a chronic problem, reduce your child’s freedom until grades improve. If homework is a chronic problem, reduce your child’s freedom until grades improve. Reward your child for good grades and improving grades – keep it simple. Reward your child for good grades and improving grades – keep it simple.

Elementary and Middle School Homework Tips Remove distractions Remove distractions Establish a routine Establish a routine Prioritize Prioritize Check understanding Check understanding Guide, don’t give answers Guide, don’t give answers Offer feedback Offer feedback Don’t procrastinate Don’t procrastinate

More Homework Tips Gather special supplies ahead of time Gather special supplies ahead of time Get organized for tomorrow Get organized for tomorrow Take everything with you! Take everything with you!

Source Additional sources are listed on your handout. Additional sources are listed on your handout.