Study time may be important, but the keys to homework success
start in the classroom.
Study time may be important, but the keys to homework success start in the classroom.
Many students make their first mistake long before they crack the books at home because they fail to copy down homework completely and accurately, according to Dave Payne, owner of the tutoring service Extreme Learning Inc. in Morgan Hill.
“I would suggest kids use either a PDA or Web-based calendar, or a print-based planner to systematically record their homework every day,” said Payne.
“Parents should check that every day to make sure that the homework was copied down correctly and that they’re really doing what needs to be done.”
If in doubt over a child’s copying, Payne said, a parent should regularly converse with his or her teacher about assignments to make sure they’re written down correctly.
Relying on a planner to keep track of homework instead of relying on memory is a good way for a student to understand how much work he or she is responsible for in order to pace his or her progress better, said Payne.
Students should always feel free to ask questions about the assignment if anything is unclear, said Tutoring Club Morgan Hill director Karen Young.
Clarity is important in a student’s own work, too.
“When you’re in class, you should take really good notes and make sure that when you go back to read it, you understand what you wrote,” said Young. “When things are really cluttered, it’s hard to get your facts straight, especially in writing and math. If you don’t have your notes straightened out and your numbers lined up, you’re going to make mistakes more easily.”
Once home, students should create a homework area for themselves that is neat, clean and free of distractions such as cell phones, music videos, television and instant messaging, said Payne.
The amount of time a child should spend studying varies by age – usually around 10 minutes per grade level per day, said Payne. Thus a first-grader would spend 10 minutes per day on homework, while a 12th-grader would spend about two hours. But to ensure quality of work, he cautioned, don’t rush.
Instead, Payne advised, set aside a standard time period every day in which to do homework. If a students has finished his or her homework early, the study period doesn’t end. Instead, they can concentrate on reviewing notes or working on projects, dividing both into broader chunks and developing strong time and work management skills. If students cannot finish their work in the allotted time, they may need to extend their study time.
Any extra study time students puts in will reward them later on in the form of grades, especially when it comes to exams, said Young.
“Some people, in getting ready for tests, test themselves,” said Young. “They ask things like, ‘What would the teacher test me on?’ They may write up some problems or anticipate what the teacher might ask.”
Doing extra work doesn’t sound exciting, but it’s an excellent way to prepare for tests, said Young, and really knowing the material you’re studying now will help you to avoid pitfalls later.
“When students are functioning about a grade or two above the grade level they’re in, they’re the most successful,” Young said. “We especially see that for people who are college-bound.”
Parental involvement is key in scholastic achievement, said Young. Parents can help their kids to absorb information better by asking them questions about their reading like, “What did that paragraph mean?” or “How is that important to the story?” advised Payne.
“One problem with a lot of the homework we see in the learning center is that it’s disconnected from what they taught in class, so the kids may not understand what they’re doing,” Payne said.
Parents may be busy, but Payne advises busy moms and dads to form homework clubs, allowing groups of five to eight children to study in the presence of one adult who can supervise them and answer questions. Children who are having trouble keeping up with the group may require some specialized attention.
If your child is struggling with his or her homework, particularly if his or her grades are slipping or he or she complains of being unable to complete tasks, it may be a symptom of a larger problem, said Young. Be supportive of your child, and work to develop a strong bond with that child’s teacher, she said.
Parents should ask their child’s teacher about classroom performance, behaviors and relationships, Young said. They should talk to the teacher about ways to improve their child’s performance and, if necessary, seek help from outside programs or tutors, she said.
How study habits change
As students progress through different stages in their lives, their study needs change, said Dave Payne, owner of the tutoring agency Extreme Learning Inc. in Morgan Hill. Here are a few of his tips for success, year by year:
Early elementary
Content knowledge: Make flash cards to practice important vocabulary as well as foundation skills like addition and subtraction.
n Study skills: Young children are developing their attention spans, so push them to develop concentration. If your child comfortably focuses on homework for five minutes, set an egg timer for five minutes, and allow him or her to work until it rings. After a short break, go back for another five. Keep adding a minute each day until your child can comfortably concentrate through their entire homework time.
Real-world skills: Introduce your children to multi-media skills like typing, design and digital photography.
Middle school
Organization: For the first time in their lives, most students will be asked to remember their own assignments in middle school rather than receiving a daily reminder from busy teachers. Work with students on developing organizational skills.
Study skills: Middle school students face mounting social pulls – friends, video games and other activities that may detract from their study times. Study groups are still helpful, but they should be limited to smaller numbers of students to ensure that one adult can help them all.
Real-world skills: Critical thought, an element that first begins to appear in middle school lessons, is vital in the real world. Help your youngsters connect facts to broader ideas by asking them to tell you the meaning of a chapter in their own words and encouraging them to outline their work.
High school
Time difference: Biology is on high-school students’ side. Though homework may be getting tougher, their biological clocks keep them up later, so let them make the most of that time. Encourage your high school student to participate in after-school activities and sports, eat dinner and then tackle homework.
n Study skills: Tests begin to play an increasingly important role in a student’s progress starting with high school. To ensure better test performance, encourage them to outline chapters and answer end-of-chapter questions even if they’re not assigned.
College
Reading volume: Even though students may be groaning under a pile of books, now is not the time to skip anything important. Academic reading is often dry and heavy and, while skimming is a great way to get through all those pages, be sure to go back to read the important sections carefully
n Study skills: Concepts are the most important elements of most college classes, so dispense with notecards unless you’re taking a foreign language and shift to outlining chapters. Organize study groups and challenge one another to stay on top of material, splitting up reading and sharing notes.
