Good Study Skills Help Students Make The Grade (NAPSA)—Developing effective study habits is essential for a child’s academic success. A child who has strong study skills is likely to perform better in the classroom. On the other hand, stu- dents with poor study skills can be frustrated and often receive low grades. “Knowing how to study makes learning much more enjoyable and leads to greater confidence in the classroom and in everydaylife,” says Richard E. Bavaria, Ph.D., vice president of education for Sylvan Learning Center. “By focusing on key areas such as time management, organization, effective note-taking and test-taking strategies, a student can see improvements in all aspects of their schoolwork.” Here are sometips from Sylvan Learning Center to help students improve their study skills: * Manage time. Students have busy schedules, so it’s never too early for them to learn how to use their time wisely. Encourage your children to estimate the time an assignment will take and then to work efficiently to complete it within that time. Emphasize organization. Work with your child to find the best organizational method for him. Organization minimizes late nights finishing homework and helps with test preparation by reducing last-minute cramming. * Keep a schedule. Have your child keep track of assignments, project deadlines and test dates with a desk calendar or planner. Sheshould also have a daily schedule listing not only class times, but time for studying, projects and extracurricular activities. ri Prd i Good study skills are a cornerstone of academic success. Help develop your child’s note-taking skills. Most students take notes in class, but often when they review them they can’t make sense of the content. Rather than trying to write down every wordof a lecture, it’s better to listen carefully and write down summaries of the main ideas. Have your child review or even rewrite his notes each night, while the material is still fresh. This will make it easier to remember key points and easier to review. * Develop test-taking strategies. Being well-prepared for a quiz or test can significantly reduce a student’s anxiety on exam day. Have your child study over the two or three weeks leading up to an exam. This way your child can go to school well-rested on test day and not stay up all night cramming. For more tips on strengthening study skills, please visit www.educate.com/tips or call 1-800-31-SUCCESS.
