Helping Your Youngsters SucceedIn School (NAPSA)—Many parents may be glad to learn they can foster a positive studying environment without digging out their old textbooks. Here are somehelpfultips: 1. Power Off Make it a house rule that the television must be turned off during study time. Even if it’s only on in the background, the noise and action can still lure kids like bees to honey. The same goes for phone calls—enforce a no-chat rule during study periods. 2. Designate a Specific Area for Studying To ensure that kids are “in the zone,” all possible distractions should be reduced. With that said, bedrooms and playrooms are home to temptations. Eliminate the potential diversions of games and gadgets by setting up a workstation in a quiet, minimalist space such as the dining room. A large table can be excellent for spreading out all necessary materials. 3. Make Organization Easy Help kids get right down to business by making sure all essential tools and materials are at their fingertips. Keep a supply of basics handy; highlighters, blank notecards and sticky notes should be easily accessible on or near the workspace. You can enlist the help of hightech study aids such as the FLY Fusion Pentop Computer from LeapFrog. Besides providing interactive step-by-step help for students in a variety of subjects, it hosts an onboard personal planner that kids can use to keep track of upcoming exams and assignments. A computer designed to help kids with schoolwork features a personal planner that students can use to keep track of school events and assignments. Additionally, when you take class notes with this computer, everything is automatically captured and can be uploaded to the PC for easy management. Come test time, the homework tool makes studying a breeze with a search function that allows kids to efficiently sort throughall notes to find exactly which are relevant. Learn more at www.flyworld.com. 4, Monitor Progress and Provide Guidance Parents should work with their children to build realistic checklists outlining what needs to get done before a looming exam. For example, day one may include rereading relevant chapters and day two may include making flash cards. Regularly check in with your youngsters to ensure they’re staying on track. Remind them that burning the midnight oil before a big test isn’t productive; instead, they should pace themselves and get a good night’s sleep.
