Here are some tips on choosing an appropriate time, place and other strategies to help your child study better.
When to Study
Plan the week's study ahead.
Sessions should be from one to three hours.
Study the most difficult subject earlier.
Have a definite break every hour.
Avoid late hours.
Plan some time for relaxation and recreation.
Where to Study
Always in the same place.
Choose a well-ventilated room with good lighting.
The place should be free from other distractions.
It should be comfortable and properly furnished.
Attention and Interest
Remove irrelevant and unwanted stimuli, e.g. noise.
Help your child to suppress unwanted thoughts by quickly switching to a topic within the subject.
Help your child understand what they are studying and why it is important.
Help your child take a lively interest in the subject outside study hours, for example, through application to the real world, fun quizzes or trivia games.
Memory and Learning
Never try to memorise what you don't understand.
Go over notes and reading within 12 hours of writing or reading.
Master each topic before leaving it.
Start each session with a review of the previous session.
Don't stop when you have only just mastered something. Go back and revise it.
Select important points to learn.
Prioritize important sections and make notes to summarize.
Use active recall (recitation or writing - see below) to aid memory.
Break up long pieces into manageable chunks.
Use rhythm when learning by heart.
Active Study Strategies
Reciting
Describe or explain aloud any topic in your own words.
Teach or explain information to someone else.
Writing
Make a study review card for each topic with main ideas, key events and people, causes, results and so on.
Draw a diagram, map or chart from memory and check your book for accuracy.
Write questions you think could be asked in the exam and recite the answers.
