Study Tips for Parents: How to Motivate Your Children to Study

Parents play a big role in their children's study habits. Good parental supervision could actually lead a child to study effectively. On several studies conducted by Nola Purdie and John Hattie for the Australian Journal of Education, it was shown that good studying skills are correlated with good academic performance. It is, therefore, essential that parents take charge in inculcating good study habits to their children.

So, here are some study tips for parents in order to improve your children's study habits:

1. Be their partner. Parents oftentimes make the mistake of scolding their children in order to study. In so doing, children associate their parents' reminders aversively and would rather bum around. Try to be their partner when it comes to their academic activities and tell them to study in a nurturing tone.
2. Explain. Parents must explain to their children the reason for studying. Children, even at an early age, can already understand explanations from their parents. Try rationalizing the need to study to your children and make them understand what the good effects of studying are.
3. Set aside time for studying. Parents must be consistent and must follow that time. As children have short concentration spans, set studying time at short 20-minute intervals. Make sure that you set study time for your children first before allowing them to play or go out of the house.
4. Maximize study time. Maximizing study time involves just studying, and not distracting your children. Do not serve food while studying. Moreover, put away toys and other distractions aside.
5. Reward their good behavior. Children must see studying as desirable behavior. Reward them after a successful study session. Let them out to play and emphasize that you let them play because they have studied well. This would form an association between studying and reward and would encourage them to repeat that behavior.
6. Remember that they are still children. Allow them to play and enjoy themselves. Parents must not burden their children with so many expectations for excellence. These expectations, instead of being helpful, may actually be a source of frustration for them. Children succeed, not in a high-pressure environment, but with a nurturing, encouraging one.

SOURCE:

Nola Purdie and John Hattie, "The Relationship Between Study Skills and Learning Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis", Questia.com