Top 5 Favorite Study Tips For Elementary School Students: Part Two

In my last post, I discussed 3 of my 5 top studying tips for elementary-aged students. Part two continues the countdown with tips 4 & 5…they may be last, but certainly are not the least! The success of your student relies heavily on your involvement as a parent. Following these tips will certainly help your child prepare for a successful future!

HomeworkTips24. Distraction-free. It is no secret that kids are high-energy and easily distracted, but many children also struggle with attention issues that only exacerbate their “zest.” This is why preparing a distraction-free study zone is absolutely critical: turn-off the TV, put smart-phones away, and clear the area of anything that might provoke diversions. Computers lie in a gray area, as they provide access to some of the most distracting material, yet are required for many assignments. Nowadays, there are some great programs available to address this conundrum (SelfControl, Anti-Social, Self Vault are a few) by allowing parents to block/allow certain websites for during specific time intervals. While these resources help battle the “symptoms” associated with children who have trouble concentrating, there are also programs that help to address the cause—one of which I developed to help my own children. The ifocus attention-training system was a labor of love, and no expense was spared in bringing top experts from the children’s health field to work on research and development. I am pleased to report that we’ve had remarkable results, with studies showing improvements in a child’s concentration, memory, and self-regulation as they have fun playing the Jungle Rangers computer game—the heart of the ifocus system.  You can check out ifocus on our website or on the National PTA Member Benefit Providers page.

5. Everyone is different. I’ve heard that people learn 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, 30% of what we see, 50% of what we see and hear, 70% of what we discuss, 80% of what we experience, and 95% of what we teach. While those numbers may not be exact, the main takeaway should be that there are many different ways in which information can be presented and subsequently, many different ways in which we can learn: through visual, verbal, and physical presentations; by use of logic, reason, and systems; or, by means of musical and aural performances. They might prefer to learn in social settings with other people, or alone through self-study. Bottom line: every student is different, and it is important to recognize which learning styles your student responds to best, while also realizing these styles may change over time, by subject, or even by lesson. In my experience, I’ve learned to be sensitive to what is working, what isn’t, and adapt to fit their changing needs.

 

Michael Apstein is an entrepreneur, father of 5, and grandfather of 3. As the CEO of Focus Education,  Michael has turned his passion for helping his own children succeed into a company that develops products to help all children succeed. Focus Education’s Ifocus system uses breakthrough adaptive learning technology, embedded in a video game, to make learning to focus, pay attention, and build memory skills fun and effective.

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