How To Teach A Child To Study Alone?
Teaching a child to study alone is not an act aimed exclusively at helping him but also, and above all, at empowering him. When children are small, parental support is never enough when it comes to learning and consolidating knowledge.
Parents’ participation in the child’s schoolwork will affect his or her academic performance. This is why it is essential to maintain a proactive attitude.
Having good study habits from day one will help ensure that children achieve all school goals, both at school and at home. On the other hand, this will help them to cope with the stress of the assessments in the written or oral tests.
Teaching a child to study alone means giving him a tool that will come in handy throughout his life. Remember that most of the habits we acquire as children remain over time.
Discipline is an important value when it comes to keeping alive or increasing the motivation to learn, regardless of age.
Tricks for teaching a child to study alone
The first step in teaching a child to study alone is to prepare the study area. Clear the table, eliminate objects that could be a distraction, place a desk lamp and arrange in an orderly manner the papers, pencil, notebooks, dictionaries and everything needed for homework.
And let’s not forget, of course, that a bottle of water must always be present, so that the children do not forget to drink while they study.
1. Divide the study program
Once the workspace is ready, the first thing we need to do is divide the program into sections. In this way our child will have a clearer idea of what he will study and it will be easier for him to manage all the information.
2. Get involved
It is true that the goal is to make the child learn to study on his own, but this does not mean that we should be disinterested in the study process. At first we can say a few words of encouragement and when he is done ask him how he feels and tell him he has done a great job.
If he still has any doubts, we need to clarify it and help him overcome the difficulties. With patience and without haste. In other words, we must teach him to find and apply solutions so that he does not feel overwhelmed and ends up losing all interest in studying.
If he needs to memorize something, let’s help him by asking him to repeat the lesson. We try to make it as fun as possible so that the child feels confident and doesn’t feel intimidated by questions.
3. Try not to force it
If you continually pester him by insisting on the importance of studying and react authoritatively when he is not studying, he may begin to be annoyed. You must ask him to study in complete relaxation and make him aware of the importance of studying.
4. Breaks
Teaching a child to study alone also means making them understand that breaks are necessary and that it is okay to take them. Make sure your child takes short breaks from time to time to prevent them from studying for too long.
5. Offer useful rewards
Another piece of advice that may help you when teaching a child to study alone is to put in place a reward system. It must be based on fairness to maintain motivation and a good frame of mind.
You need to teach your child to learn, not just to study. Encourage him to learn new things every day so that he realizes the importance of knowledge in the daily life of all people.
For example, you can find interactive ways to learn at home too. They can be documentaries, educational games or books. You should also ask him questions and teach him to question and reflect on the surrounding world.
7. Find fun ways to study
You can try different ways and study methods until you find the right one for your child. For example, you can use didactic cards, a personalized study guide or sticky notes to stick in his room.
If your child wants to learn in a certain way, for fun, then you should give in. If, on the other hand, he does not want to study, then you must help him regain interest in studying. You can suggest topics or focus on a topic that interests him to awaken his curiosity.
8. Minimize distractions
Another key aspect of teaching a child to study alone is to keep them from getting distracted. It is therefore necessary to turn off the television, radio and all other electronic devices in the house.
If necessary, you can prohibit the use of the Internet altogether in moments of study.
9. Writing, a useful and precious resource
To teach a child to study alone, a pencil and paper are enough. Many children, in fact, retain information better if they write down the things to study. Advise your child to take a paper and write down the questions related to the topic to be studied. In other words, teach them to prepare a questionnaire.
The important thing is that the child is able to answer all the questions and that, once finished, he rereads them to absorb the information well. This type of simulation will reduce the stress on the days when it has tests.
