Effective studying for tots to teens
Hello Everyone,
The topic that dominated conversation in early January was the poor results for the 2009 National Senior Certificate (the replacement for the matric examinations). In educational circles, there was vigorous discussion regarding where the blame should lie:
Some blame teachers for not teaching properly
Other blame parents for not parenting properly
Many blame the students themselves, for not preparing effectively
Yet others blame the syllabus....
The list goes on, and it is quite possible that many of these are contributing factors in some cases. But we are not here to play the “blame game”. My team and I are here to help.
As parents, many of the factors mentioned above are out of your control. You work hard to send your children to the best schools that you can afford, and in the limited time you have after work, many of you sit with your children to help them with homework. Yet in some cases, this still does not seem to be enough! So what else can you do to help your child improve his/her academic results? Effective studying is a skill that can be learnt, just like reading and writing. In a recent conversation, one of our parents told me that although his daughter is not the brightest child in her class, she is regularly placed among the Top 5 students. Her secret? She diligently uses the study methods that she was taught in our study skills course. This brings us back to Edison, who told us so many years ago that doing well is not a matter of intelligence alone but that hard work is also an important factor in the success equation. Children should be taught proper study methods in their Grade 4 year. It is in this year that children really start being pushed academically and the demands made on their cognitive development start to increase dramatically. This is the ideal time to lay a solid foundation of good study habits that your child can use right through to university. One of our consultants was recently presented with a bottle of French champagne, because she helped a UNISA student to finally pass his degree after 8 years of trying to complete it. If only he had come to us earlier! (Mind you, she then might not have got her bottle of champagne!) The sad reality is that few schools teach children "how" to study. Youngsters are presented with text books and exercises, and told to learn information, but no one shows them how to learn. The parents of the children who have come to us for study methods have told us that their children’s marks have increased significantly, some by as much as 20%. And all it takes is a little perspiration! But don’t just take our word for it, check out the testimonials on our website! We’ve put together a practical guide to help parents help their young ones to study more effectively. > Click here to download it for free. Until next month, happy studying! Warm regards
