For many students, “study” is a four-letter word. Particularly with elementary-aged children, studying seems boring and unnecessary. However, solid study skills will carry your child throughout their entire education! So it’s important to establish excellent study habits early on. Luckily, there are so many fun, engaging ways to help kids study. In fact, here are 4 tips to help your kids study successfully.

Create a Space

Having a designated study space at home is incredibly important. For one, it helps your child avoid distractions. A good study space should be away from the TV; it should contain all of the materials your child needs to do their homework; and it should be clean and well-lit.

Designating a specific study space also helps your child get into homework mode more easily. They’ll know that, once they’re in that space, it’s homework time. On the flip side, once they leave that space, they know their homework is finished! Keeping that space contained really does help reinforce that homework mindset.

Make it Fun

Most kids aren’t exactly jumping at the chance to study. To combat the study blues, show your child that schoolwork doesn’t have to be all work. Suggest that your child create silly rhymes or songs to help them remember facts. Mnemonic devices also work great, especially if they let your child show their creative side.

If your child prefers online games, check out our Homework Help page. We’ve compiled a list of resources that help kids study in a way that’s different from just rote memorization. Khan Academy also has some great study resources for students of all ages.

Take it To-Go

You already have a study area at home, and you know your child is learning at school. But what about everywhere in between? Let’s take advantage of the travel time! Keep a set of flashcards in your car so your child can study anytime, anywhere. Do you have to bring your child along for an errand? Suggest they take out their flashcards during the commute. Is your child glued to their iPad every time they enter the car? Strike a deal with them: they can have screen time on the way home if they go through their flashcards on the way to your destination. By doing this, you’ll turn studying from a chore into something that gives your child a reward. And what child doesn’t like getting a reward?

Make sure you have different sets of flashcards in the car. This gives your child options, so they’re not always studying one concept. Maybe one set will be for multiplication, while another could be for spelling words. Switch out these sets for new ones whenever your child starts to cover something new in class.

Note: when your child is younger, you’ll probably have to help them make the flashcards. But as they move further along in elementary school (around fifth or sixth grade), have them take over the reins. The act of writing things down actually helps them remember, so even making the flashcards counts as studying!

Learn How Other Kids Study

Every tip until this point is a result of my experience working with kids and learning what’s best. But how about hearing from the kids themselves? I asked some of my younger students to share their best homework and study tips. Here’s what they had to say:

• “Practice. Do the easy ones first.” -Max, grade 1
• “Do your spelling 4 times a day. Do your homework at school.” –Ian, grade 3
• “Keep your homework together in a separate folder, stay focused on your task, and get things out of the way.” –Jabe, grade 7
• “Get a planner and use it. Do not do homework too late at night. Bring all your materials home.” –Samantha, grade 8
• “Staying organized is very important to maintaining good study habits. Reviewing your class notes/topics is one of the best ways to study. Changing any bad habit when it comes to laziness will improve your GPA quickly.” –Ericson, grade 8
• “If you get it done before your mom asks you to do it, good things will come!” –Kai, grade 8

Want some more intensive study help for your child? Sign up for K-8 tutoring with us today.