Developing Good Study Habits for Your Kids

Teaching a child good study habits will not only make homework time easier, it will also help him earn better grades. Study skills are a foundational skill for school success, and what they learn in lower grades will serve them well for years to come.

Before diving into homework, work with your child to figure out what works best for him. Instead of trying to dictate what time your child should do his homework or what environment he works best in, work as a team to figure it out. When a child is part of developing a plan or coming up with a solution to a problem, he’s much more likely to follow through. Also, every person, whether it’s adult or child, has different needs. What works great for you may not work at all for your child. By letting him take the lead in creating good study habits, you’ll make sure they fit his needs.

Get on a schedule. Some kids do better when they have a short break between getting home from school and doing their homework. Other kids do better when they tackle homework after dinner. And others work best in cycles of 30 minutes of homework followed by 30 minutes of play time. The set-up doesn’t matter nearly as much as having a consistent schedule that fits your child’s temperament and attention span. Try different approaches and see which ones fits his needs best. Give each approach at least one full week before deciding to move onto something different. Your child’s homework schedule will probably change according to his after school activities, but you can incorporate what you know into the updated schedule (e.g. he works best after a snack, he has a hard time with TV transitions so it’s best to do homework before TV time, etc.). As your child gets older, he’ll know what time management approach works best for him and he’ll understand the importance of carving out time to focus on homework, studying, and projects.
Create a learning environment. Teaching your child how to create an environment that supports him in doing homework and studying is a key study skill. Although some kids are unbothered by a cluttered area, most children and adults do their best work when their work space is clean and organized. For children with ADD or ADHD, having an organized work area is essential. Noise is also an important part of a learning environment. Having the TV on is never a good idea. Some kids need absolute silence and others work well with music in the background. Before even sitting down, make sure to have all the necessary supplies on hand so your child doesn’t have to stop what he’s doing to go find an eraser or grab more paper. Phones and social media sites should be off limits during homework time. Texts, IMs, Tweets, and other updates create a constant flow of distractions and can derail even the best student. Teaching your child what type of environment works best for him will allow him to recreate that environment wherever he goes. As he gets older and his schedule gets more demanding, he’ll be able to effectively study at a friend’s house, at the school library, or any other place he’s at between activities.
Set up an organizational system. Being organized and having a study plan and a time table are essential in developing good study habits. Most schools require or suggest a spiral daily calendar so your child can write down his homework assignments each day. Make sure this calendar is handy when he sits down to do his homework so he can see each assignment, item by item.
Projects due at a later date usually require additional time and effort so sit down with your child and develop a plan to get it done. Help your child break the project into smaller, more manageable steps and create a timeline to get everything done. Have a larger calendar where you can record each step along with final project due dates, test dates, and other activities related to the child’s schedule. That way you’ll know if a softball game conflicts with a weekend writing session.
Find a convenient place to keep all handouts. Sheets listing weekly spelling words, study guides for upcoming tests, project outlines, and other important paperwork can go on a bulletin board or inside a binder or a file folder. The system that works best for you and your child depends on your home’s space, how much paperwork you have, and your personal preferences. Make sure that as your child gets older, he takes on more and more responsibility for emptying his backpack and putting papers in the agreed upon area.

Homework and study time don’t have to be a nightly battle. With some creative planning, you and your child can work together to create a schedule, space, and system that works for you both.
Source: Become a Nanny

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Sue Scheff: Ask a Librarian - FREE Virtual Reference Service

Ask a Librarian provides Florida residents with live virtual reference services via local library customized web sites from 10 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday (EST), and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday (EST).

Getting back into the swing of homework and studies can sometimes be difficult.  Florida has created a live virtual reference services with many libraries including St. John's County, Broward and Palm Beach.

Take time before school opens to introduce your kids to Ask a Librarian.  It is a fantastic point of reference for many projects, homework and essays.
Ask a Librarian offers real people, real help, real fast!

What is  Ask a Librarian:

Ask a Librarian is a free online service that allows Floridians to chat live with a librarian for immediate assistance. A trained information professional can guide you to the answers you need in minutes rather than your wasting hours navigating hundreds of unhelpful and irrelevant web sites. More than 100 libraries statewide collaborate to provide this service to their patrons and the patrons of other participating libraries.

What is Ask a Librarian Mobile?
Ask a Librarian’s email service is optimized for your handheld device. Visit our mobile interface at www.askalibrarian.mobi, then choose your local library from the list. E-mail your question anytime, and a librarian from your library will answer you via e-mail.

How does Ask a Librarian work?
When you click on the chat button, your question enters a queue for the on-duty librarians. Librarians answer questions in the order they receive them. Typically, depending on the expected traffic, between two and six librarians staff the Ask a Librarian desk during the hours we are available for live chat. When the librarian accepts your question, you are able to chat one-on-one with that librarian while he or she helps you find what you need by guiding you through the myriad of resources available. The librarian might screen-share these resources with you. Screen-sharing allows the librarian to co-navigate resources on your PC.  Read more and watch demo.

Check to see if your library is listed.  Click here.

Be an educated and prepared parent, your teens will have a better school year!

Read more.

Sue Scheff: Students Being Paid for Good Grades

We have heard about this controversy lately. Like with many situations, there are several sides of the story. Many can remember being rewarded for a good report card, however today it almost seems like we are paying our kids to do well – in reality, shouldn’t they want to be successful so someday they will earn their own money? Let’s not answer that – today’s society is a new generation. I am not speaking about all teens, however the sense of entitlement has reached a level that is disturbing to many parents and teachers.

Recently I read an article by Connect with Kids about “A Little Incentive” that offers tips that can help you make a decision that is best for your family. Take the time to read this. Be an educated parent and weigh both sides of the issue.

Tips for Parents

Is it a good idea to give cash in exchange for good grades? That is something each family must discuss and decide. Evaluate your teen's grades. If the grades are good, continue with the plan you are using. If the grades could use some improvement, take the opportunity to discuss the importance of good grades. Explain how good grades will help them children into the college of their choice.

If this does not work, consider a reward system. Ask them what they would like to receive for grades. If money seems to be the best motivator, but you are not comfortable handing over cash for them to "blow," you do have some options that will motivate and educate.
One option is to take the opportunity to teach your teen the value of a dollar. Family Education Network suggests the following tips:

Once a dollar amount is established, sit down with your teen and establish a money management program or financial plan.

Begin by designating 35 percent of their "grade money" as free spending money. This would be theirs to do spend as they wish. At least half, in this example 65 percent, must be saved.

Your teen can open their own savings account, or if you are stock and mutual fund savvy, try to get them investing early and on a regular basis.

Have your teen give a percentage, 10 percent for example, to charity. If you are uncomfortable with rewarding good grades, consider other options for helping them achieve academic success. One of the most important things you can do to help your teen succeed in school is to become involved. Consider the following ideas suggested by the American Federation of Teachers:

Know your child's school family. The teacher is the primary player in your child's school environment, but there are others (such as counselors and librarians) who make a valuable contribution. Attending parent-teacher conferences, open-school nights and other events are the best way to get acquainted with these important people.

Expect success at school. Children work best when they know what you expect of them. Discuss these expectations with your children -- expectations for good grades, attendance and study habits. Encourage them to take courses that will challenge them, but not overwhelm them. For example, high school students usually can choose from several English courses and several mathematics courses. Discuss these and other course options with your children. Make sure they are choosing courses that will interest and challenge them.

View unsatisfactory grades as an opportunity. All parents want their children to receive good marks and advance to the next grade, but do not expect a teacher to give your children a grade or honor that they have not deserved. Make it clear to your child that grades are not ''given'' - they are earned. If your child receives an unsatisfactory report card, use this as an opportunity to restate your own commitment to high standards. Discuss with your child (and the teacher) what he or she will need to do differently to improve the grade and advance to the next level.

Help your child keep pace. Absences, family problems and other distractions make it difficult for a student to keep up with lessons and assignments during the school day. Ask a teacher if your school district offers after-school tutoring, summer programs or other activities that can prevent your child from falling behind.

Monitor your teen's part-time job. For many teenagers, holding a part-time job is an important rite of passage into adulthood. It teaches students about the working world and how to manage money. But a part-time job can cut into study time and add to the stress of teen years. Grades can fall, and attendance can suffer

References: American Federation of Teachers, Family Education Network, New York Post article, Reuters, Connect with Kids

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Back to School Tips for Teens and Tweens

Some great articles and websites to get your kids ready for school! As a parent advocate, (Sue Scheff) this is one of the busiest times of the years - not only for kids, but the parents with the preparation for school or college!

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