Returning to school for most students is a positive experience – catching up with friends, meeting new people and the excitement of new learning combines in such a way that it seems young ones are running on adrenalin for the first week or so. Like all natural ‘highs’, there comes a time where it all catches up with your son or daughter and suddenly you find that they are tired very early in the day and wanting to sleep more and lacking energy. Also starting at a new school with new teachers, new subjects and new people can set up more stresses and strains.
Older students on the other hand, begin the year with determined effort, to stay on top of their studies and homework and will often stay up very late and insist that they ‘absolutely, have to’ get something completed before they go to bed which could be as late as midnight. The end result can be that students ‘overdo it in the first few weeks’ and for some students they then ‘hit a wall’ and say that it’s all too hard and it ends in tears. This can be upsetting for parents, who want to encourage their sons and daughters to achieve and do well, but at the same time don’t want them to be so emotional, worried and upset. It’s important to get the right balance because as parents you want to encourage your son or daughter to do well but at the same time, we need to set some sensible boundaries for homework and study.
Homework for the very youngest students (Prep to Year 3) - around 15 minutes is acceptable, Years 4 -7 about 30 – 60 minutes, Years 8 – 10 about 60 to 90 minutes and Years 11 and 12, around 2 to 3 hours is the norm. Obviously homework time and study time may vary depending on the day of the week and time of the year, upcoming examinations and due dates for assignments for example, however; with these time allocations in mind, parents will have a better sense of what is fair and reasonable for your child.
Please consider some of these simple strategies to help reduce stress any upset: around school, homework and study. Developing good routines with your son or daughter is one of the most important keys to the kind of good start you want for your child.
The Night before School:
• Develop routines with your son or daughter.
• Ensure that they are prepared for the next day – everything is packed the night before ready for school, PE clothes, Library books, Permission forms signed, homework completed etc.
• Students of all ages, need to get a good night’s sleep – 8 hours for everyone and younger students will need longer. Having a routine of the same bed time for younger students helps prepare them for sleep time.
• Quiet time before bed helps relax the brain. Quiet reading time for older students and reading stories to younger students will help this process. Blaring music or television or intense impact computer games will not relax your child and it will make the process of falling asleep difficult.
Before School
• Always – no matter what the rush – ensure that everyone has a good breakfast and students have a nutritious morning tea and lunch for school. The television ad that shows the ‘fuzziness of the brain without food’ is funny, but it’s also true. Growing children do need high energy foods – and not high energy ‘sugar’ drinks.
• Remind your child to drink plenty of water. Research shows that dehydration and a lack of water, also makes it difficult for students to concentrate in class.
After School:
• Listen to what your child has to say on the way home in the car (or when they arrive home) – this is where you get the best sense of how the day has gone; remember that students will be more emotional at this time than later – keep it all in perspective. Be reflective in your listening – don’t jump in and ask too many questions. Let your child tell you in their own way and rather than ask questions that only require a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response, make statements that allow them to give a longer response.
• Let them change into casual clothes straight away
• Allow time for play or relaxation for an hour
• Have a set time for homework and make sure that they have a space to do the homework. It’s ok to do homework with you around but try to keep the noise to a minimum where possible and encourage your child to problem solve before seeking help from you. Avoid giving the answer to your child.
• Homework should not be stressful for the student or parent. If your child is having difficulty, either, write a note to the teacher or make a time to meet with the teacher to discuss the issue. The teachers at CCPS are here to help you, please talk to them sooner rather than later about any problems.
• Encourage your son or daughter to find solutions to his or her problems without your intervention. This is important to allow students to develop their own problem solving strategies. If they are having difficulty solving the problem, having a small break can help but not if the break is watching television which can become a huge time waster.
• Praise your child genuine efforts but avoid overdoing the praise. Be specific about what you are praising your child for and only give praise when it’s deserved.
• Encouragement and praise are powerful motivators for your son or daughter, use criticism sparingly and seek to find a positive way to encourage your son or daughter to work harder or to a higher level. Keep it fun and interesting!
No two people study the same way, and there is little doubt that what works for one person may not work for another. However, there are some general techniques that seem to produce good results. No one would argue that every subject that you have to take is going to be so interesting that studying it is not work but pleasure. We can only wish.
Everyone is different, and for some students, studying and being motivated to learn comes naturally. Your son or daughter’s success in school is dependent on his or her ability to study effectively and efficiently. The results of poor study skills are wasted time, frustration, and low or failing grades. All I can say, upon reflection of many years as a teacher, (and parents I know you will agree), is that time is precious and not to be squandered, no matter what your son or daughter believes right now.
Parents, my blog on 3 February, 2009 has much more detail, for older students, on how to study more effectively and includes some useful strategies for learning and studying sourced from a range of websites and books.
Effective study skills must be practised in order for you to improve. It is not enough to simply "think about" studying; you have to actually do it, and in the process use information from what you do, to get better. All that follows depends on this single concept. At school, I often talk to the students about setting a goal to improve by 10% - this is a relatively small percentage and is achievable. Over time, like compound interest the improvement in a student’s academic performance can be profound. The secret is to be persistent, to continue to practise the skills necessary to learn and over time, student achievements will improve too because:
"Practice doesn't make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect."
Author, Louise May Alcott, once wrote:
“Have regular hours for work and play;
Make each day both useful and pleasant,
And prove that you understand the worth
Of time by employing it well.
Then youth will be delightful,
Old age will bring few regrets and life
Will become a beautiful success,
In spite of poverty.”
A lovely sentiment to help keep us all grounded on life and the 'here and now'. Life is all about finding the right balance, don’t you think?
Karon Graham
Older students on the other hand, begin the year with determined effort, to stay on top of their studies and homework and will often stay up very late and insist that they ‘absolutely, have to’ get something completed before they go to bed which could be as late as midnight. The end result can be that students ‘overdo it in the first few weeks’ and for some students they then ‘hit a wall’ and say that it’s all too hard and it ends in tears. This can be upsetting for parents, who want to encourage their sons and daughters to achieve and do well, but at the same time don’t want them to be so emotional, worried and upset. It’s important to get the right balance because as parents you want to encourage your son or daughter to do well but at the same time, we need to set some sensible boundaries for homework and study.
Homework for the very youngest students (Prep to Year 3) - around 15 minutes is acceptable, Years 4 -7 about 30 – 60 minutes, Years 8 – 10 about 60 to 90 minutes and Years 11 and 12, around 2 to 3 hours is the norm. Obviously homework time and study time may vary depending on the day of the week and time of the year, upcoming examinations and due dates for assignments for example, however; with these time allocations in mind, parents will have a better sense of what is fair and reasonable for your child.
Please consider some of these simple strategies to help reduce stress any upset: around school, homework and study. Developing good routines with your son or daughter is one of the most important keys to the kind of good start you want for your child.
The Night before School:
• Develop routines with your son or daughter.
• Ensure that they are prepared for the next day – everything is packed the night before ready for school, PE clothes, Library books, Permission forms signed, homework completed etc.
• Students of all ages, need to get a good night’s sleep – 8 hours for everyone and younger students will need longer. Having a routine of the same bed time for younger students helps prepare them for sleep time.
• Quiet time before bed helps relax the brain. Quiet reading time for older students and reading stories to younger students will help this process. Blaring music or television or intense impact computer games will not relax your child and it will make the process of falling asleep difficult.
Before School
• Always – no matter what the rush – ensure that everyone has a good breakfast and students have a nutritious morning tea and lunch for school. The television ad that shows the ‘fuzziness of the brain without food’ is funny, but it’s also true. Growing children do need high energy foods – and not high energy ‘sugar’ drinks.
• Remind your child to drink plenty of water. Research shows that dehydration and a lack of water, also makes it difficult for students to concentrate in class.
After School:
• Listen to what your child has to say on the way home in the car (or when they arrive home) – this is where you get the best sense of how the day has gone; remember that students will be more emotional at this time than later – keep it all in perspective. Be reflective in your listening – don’t jump in and ask too many questions. Let your child tell you in their own way and rather than ask questions that only require a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response, make statements that allow them to give a longer response.
• Let them change into casual clothes straight away
• Allow time for play or relaxation for an hour
• Have a set time for homework and make sure that they have a space to do the homework. It’s ok to do homework with you around but try to keep the noise to a minimum where possible and encourage your child to problem solve before seeking help from you. Avoid giving the answer to your child.
• Homework should not be stressful for the student or parent. If your child is having difficulty, either, write a note to the teacher or make a time to meet with the teacher to discuss the issue. The teachers at CCPS are here to help you, please talk to them sooner rather than later about any problems.
• Encourage your son or daughter to find solutions to his or her problems without your intervention. This is important to allow students to develop their own problem solving strategies. If they are having difficulty solving the problem, having a small break can help but not if the break is watching television which can become a huge time waster.
• Praise your child genuine efforts but avoid overdoing the praise. Be specific about what you are praising your child for and only give praise when it’s deserved.
• Encouragement and praise are powerful motivators for your son or daughter, use criticism sparingly and seek to find a positive way to encourage your son or daughter to work harder or to a higher level. Keep it fun and interesting!
No two people study the same way, and there is little doubt that what works for one person may not work for another. However, there are some general techniques that seem to produce good results. No one would argue that every subject that you have to take is going to be so interesting that studying it is not work but pleasure. We can only wish.
Everyone is different, and for some students, studying and being motivated to learn comes naturally. Your son or daughter’s success in school is dependent on his or her ability to study effectively and efficiently. The results of poor study skills are wasted time, frustration, and low or failing grades. All I can say, upon reflection of many years as a teacher, (and parents I know you will agree), is that time is precious and not to be squandered, no matter what your son or daughter believes right now.
Parents, my blog on 3 February, 2009 has much more detail, for older students, on how to study more effectively and includes some useful strategies for learning and studying sourced from a range of websites and books.
Effective study skills must be practised in order for you to improve. It is not enough to simply "think about" studying; you have to actually do it, and in the process use information from what you do, to get better. All that follows depends on this single concept. At school, I often talk to the students about setting a goal to improve by 10% - this is a relatively small percentage and is achievable. Over time, like compound interest the improvement in a student’s academic performance can be profound. The secret is to be persistent, to continue to practise the skills necessary to learn and over time, student achievements will improve too because:
"Practice doesn't make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect."
Author, Louise May Alcott, once wrote:
“Have regular hours for work and play;
Make each day both useful and pleasant,
And prove that you understand the worth
Of time by employing it well.
Then youth will be delightful,
Old age will bring few regrets and life
Will become a beautiful success,
In spite of poverty.”
A lovely sentiment to help keep us all grounded on life and the 'here and now'. Life is all about finding the right balance, don’t you think?
Karon Graham
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