Learning

How to Help Your Child in Studying

Many parents want their kids to excel. However, academic result is just one of the indicators to measure your kid’s achievement. A holistic education encompasses moral, intellectual, physical, social and aesthetic aspects. Understanding of your own view on education is a prerequisite for guiding your children to study in appropriate manner. You should appreciate your kid’s performance and capability in different aspects. You should motivate them to learn and help them establish good learning attitude in order to improve their learning effectiveness.

Self-reflection by parents

1. Learning objectives
Parents should reflect their purpose of sending their kids to school. Schooling is not just for achieving an outstanding academic result or satisfying parents’ pride. Let your kid understand that the purposes of studying are knowledge pursuit, self-enrichment and keeping in touch with the society.
   
2. Appropriate expectation
Sometimes, kids feel that studying is hard and stressful because parents are over anxious and expect too much. If parents’ expectations go far beyond their kids’ ability, the kids would be discouraged and lose confidence as they are not able to meet their parents’ expectations. Your expectations should be progressive and appropriate to your kids’ abilities so that they feel the goals are achievable.

   
3. Appreciate the strengths and efforts of your kids
Parents should appreciate children’s strength and not place too much emphasis on academic results. For example, try to appreciate their persistence in studying and praise them for their overall performance. If your kids have tried their best, you should accept the results they achieved. You should praise their efforts instead and encourage them to keep working hard.
   
4. Accept your kids’ weaknesses
Successful parenting includes the acceptance of your kid’s weaknesses. For example, if your kid is poor in analysis, you cannot improve his/her abilities by beating or laughing at him/her. On the contrary, you should guide him/her patiently to think more about things that happen around him/her, starting with something easier first. You can also help them with games that involve logical thinking and reasoning.

   
5. Avoid making comparisons
Avoid comparing your kids with others in their presence. Negative remarks, such as "You’re really good at nothing! Such poor marks! Look at your cousin. He’s always the top of the class every year." will only hurt them. They will feel inferior to others and eventually they will lose their aspiration and interest in studying.

How to help your kids in studying

1. Foster learning interest
Fostering learning interest is a long-term plan to drive your kids to learn. You can inspire their interest in learning and their thirst for knowledge by helping them search for information and new knowledge in an interesting and lively way. They will then have the initiative to pursue further knowledge and new things. You can also prepare some interesting stories, newspapers etc., or take them to library or bookstore to develop their interest in reading.
   
2. Spend quality time together
Arrange some time to spend with your kids every day. You should put aside your own work and activities completely and dedicate your time to your kids such as listening to them, reading books or newspaper with them, or discussing some inspirational TV programs with them. Through these activities, you can inspire their interest in the world around us and instill in them the correct values. When they explore or enquire about something, answer them and provide guidance and support readily.
   
3. Care for needs
There is a Chinese saying that: "In order to perform well, you must have the necessary tools". You should provide your kids with their own area. Such area needs not to be very spacious. It may even be just a table at the corner of your living room. When they study, ensure a quiet environment free from disturbances, such as the noises from TV or Mahjong, so that they can concentrate on their studying.
   
4. Set the schedule together
Setting a schedule is a way to motivate your kids to complete the tasks on time and enhance their concentration. Parents should involve their kids in setting the schedule because they are more willing to follow their own decisions and carry out their own plans. In addition, breaks and activity periods should be allocated to let them rest and improve their efficiency in studying.
   
5. Start from easy to difficult
When setting the schedule with your kids, you may suggest that they start with the subject that they like or they think is easier. This can help boost their confidence so that they may feel better able to handle the more difficult subjects.
   
6. Develop their self-discipline
At the beginning of their schooling, you may guide your kids in doing their homework. However, parents should gradually withdraw after your kids have mastered the skills. Let your kids understand that studying is their responsibility. Let them develop their independence, self-discipline and self-study ability, and hence being able to study with persistence, concentration and confidence.
   
7. Commitment to their growth
Everybody has his/her own talents and potentials. However, not every kid is an academic prodigy. You should communicate with the teachers to ensure an appropriate education approach for your kids. This can help solve your kids’ learning problems. You should also encourage your kids to participate in different extra-curriculum activities, study groups or interest classes to help them develop their potentials and enhance their learning interest and confidence.

Conclusion

Kids’ learning ability is without doubt subjected to hereditary factors, yet education and guidance from parents and teachers are also of decisive influence. Parents should first develop their kids’ interest in learning and also provide a favorable learning environment. Help them set up attainable targets. Parents should also appreciate their kids’ efforts, and encourage them to apply good learning approach and try their very best.

(Revised in June 2022)

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