The end of summer vacations means going back to school. It is a time filled with anticipation and excitement as children prepare to reacquaint themselves with friends, develop new friendships and share lots of experience. It is indeed a special time for students to study after long vacations. After a long summer vacations, children have to join school and face mid-term test or exam in opening session of schools. Therefore, it becomes very difficult for them manage their curriculum and study well to perform better in exams.
By developing good study skills and by studying smartly, your child can understand the lessons better, retain them well and score better in examinations even after enjoying to the fullest during summer vacations. Further, it will reduce her anxiety, nervousness and stress, which comes from lack of preparation.
Being a parent, there are things you can do to prepare your child, many of which will help your child settle down, adjust to the surroundings and prepare well for the exams. Hence, follow these tips and help develop smart study skills in your child during summer vacations, so that she can give her examination confidently and attain good grades.
So, encourage your child to show some anxiety at the start of a new school session.
Set the Tone – During the summer vacations, encourage your child to read the notes provided by the teacher and start studying. Make her use a planning calendar to record due dates for assignments and homework etc. that she needs to submit after summer vacations. Analyze her planner once a week to see if any changes are needed and if the timings need to be adjusted.
Set expectations – Set limits for your child and tell her what you expect from her. Before she gets down to study, make her analyze what are her specific difficulty areas and the areas that make her feel pressurized. Talk about those difficulties with your child and let her overcome them. For this, ask your child to divide her time between all the subjects she is preparing and allot time according to her comfort with the subject. If she feels she is weak in a certain subject, make sure that she allots more time to it.
Be prepared – After vacations, you need to help your child readjust to the school environment. There are things you can do to prepare her settle down after a long vacation but first of all, make your child well versed with the 4 Ps i.e. “Preparation Prevents Poor Performance”. The most effective way of alleviating the exam stress is to be well prepared. So, make sure that your child refers to the syllabus and knows it completely. Basically, she should have a clear picture of familiar and unfamiliar topics.
Develop a positive attitude – After the summer vacations; full of fun, excitement and laughter, your child might get away from studies and develop a negative outlook towards homework, studies and exams. But it is your duty to develop a positive attitude in your child and ask them to say “I can” more often than “I can’t”. Make sure you and your child always stay optimistic. Always have faith in her abilities and focus on her strengths.
Create a calm and happy atmosphere at home – The long boring days of summer vacations will make your child lazy and drowsy. Therefore, it is important to create a happy and exciting atmosphere at home to make exams fun for your child. Remember; do not create panic during exams. Keep in mind that it’s exam time and not a torture time. If you want, reduce the TV hours or let her socialize less, but you should never stop your child from enjoying her life. An old adage states that “All work and no play makes Jack a dull Boy”. Let your child spend her time with friends, play, get refreshed with whatever she do and spend her leisure time.
Designate a study space – Make sure that your child study in the place which is free from distractions. Enrich your home environment and provide your child with the right space to study. Make your house comfortable with right room temperature (neither too hot nor too cold) for your child to study in. Also, ensure that all school supplies and materials are available. Further, monitor her progress and encourage good study habits by regularly checking her work.
Set a designated study time – Your child should know that a certain time every day is reserved for studying and doing homework. Make her find the best time of the day. Even if she doesn’t have homework, the reserved time should be used to review the day’s lessons, read for pleasure, prepare for exams or work on upcoming assignments.
Use a Calendar – Give your child a portable calendar that she can bring with her to school. Teach her to write down assignments, tests, lessons and other plans regularly. Also, have her write down her classmates’ phone numbers and e-mail addresses so that she can find and contact them easily.
Make a schedule for the day – Summer vacations disturb whole schedule pattern of the children. After the fun filled activities in summer vacations, teach your child to prioritize her tasks. Ask her to make a “to-do’s” list and prioritize her subjects by using an A-B-C rating system. Help your child write down the topics she has to cover and make sure that she strikes off each item when completed as this will create a sense of accomplishment. Further, ensure that she does not overschedule herself and include time for rest, relaxation, sleep, eating, exercise and socializing in her schedule.
Provide needed support – Help your child develop organizational skills by photocopying checklists and schedules and taping them to the refrigerator. Gently remind her about filling in calendar dates and keeping papers and materials organized. Most important, set a good example. If you keep things neat and organized in your own life, your child is more likely to follow it.
Be involved – Know what assignments your child has and when she has a test. Try to quiz her on the material before a test or on a nightly basis to make sure she understands the work. Additionally, make sure your child knows she can always come to you to ask for help with anything that is giving her trouble.
Take written tests – Written tests are considered as one of the best ways to prepare for exams. Make your child learn the chapter first and then listen to the answers. When the child has learned it properly, take a written test next day. Further, you can buy a practice book that imitates the actual test and have your child take one or more of the timed practice tests in the book so that she becomes comfortable with the length and design of the actual test.
Make sure your child is well rested – Make sure that your child gets a good night’s sleep. See that your child gets her regular amount of sleep before the tests and is well-rested. Give her time to rejuvenate and let her watch a bit of TV; have a warm drink and a read before trying to go to sleep. Do not add to your child’s anxieties by pressuring her to ace her test.
Inspire your child to win without inducing fear – Guide your child that more marks never guarantee success, but skills like problem solving, self-confidence and positive attitude towards life help an individual to attain success. Tell her that exam is not the end of everything but it is a means to test her capabilities to help her develop various skills. Praise her and motivate her for to do her best.
So, follow these tips and be supportive of your child. Above all don’t let your child forget to enjoy the beauty of life, while competing for life. The secret formula for being a good and successful student is “Studying Smart”, with the right mindset, constant self-motivation and skillful time management.
Furthermore, make your child enjoy life, let her be alert in her studies and become more work oriented instead of result oriented. All the best, just let her go ahead with confidence.
