Help Your Child Master Essential High School Study Skills

Study skills high school students need to be successful may come easily to some and may be harder to manage for others. Understanding that your student may require more assistance in managing high school study skills is a great first step to helping boost academic performance and future work habits. Even if your high schooler is earning great grades you may want to implement these essential study skills as a way to build a strong foundation for college or career.

There are certain study skills high school students need to be successful. Sharing these tips with your child is a great first step to creating effective study skills in high school.

1. Make a schedule Creating a personalized study schedule should be the first thing your child does at the beginning of each semester. This may change weekly or monthly but having a general studying schedule outlined will help with planning ahead. This schedule should build in time around extra-curricular activities, athletic practices, and after school jobs.
2. Trade your time If unexpected events arise that impact the study schedule encourage your child to trade time instead of simply missing a study session. Find ways to adjust the schedule. Many students find that using one of the three weekend nights as a reserve study session provides enough time to make up missed studying.
3. Create an organizational system No two organization systems for studying are alike. Some students prefer organizing everything digitally on a laptop or tablet, others rely on a folder and binder system, and some may choose hanging file folders in a caddy for organization. Give your child the freedom to find a system that works but provide support in creating the structure. Help your child identify better ways to organize and encourage maintenance off the organizational system.
4. Plan ahead Your child should review the to-do list, assignment schedule, and studying schedule regularly. Flagging or highlighting important or upcoming assignments eliminates the urgent response of missed or forgotten work. If your child does forget or miss an assignment it should be completed immediately along with adjusting the standard study schedule so no other assignments suffer.
5. Set your own deadlines Even though each assignment comes with a built in deadline from a teacher students should work to set their own deadlines. These personal deadlines help prevent procrastination and allow for extra time in case an unseen event arises and your child needs more time to complete the work. Teachers will appreciate the effort students have put in to completing work in advance of the set deadline.
6. Plan for review Your child should find time in the weekly study schedule for a brief review of previous coursework. It should cover all the work already completed and give your child an opportunity to look forward to future work. This review will help to remind students of what has been learned and how it connects to upcoming assignments.
7. Find a friend There may be times that your child needs to study with peers or work on classroom assignments. Encourage your child to choose classmates with successful study habits. Having friends to study with is beneficial as long as their habits don’t get in the way.
8. Work with the teachers Your child’s teacher works as instructor, facilitator, and cheerleader. Work with the teachers to ensure the study schedule is followed and work is being completed. Teachers want their students to succeed and feel accomplishment. Contact your child’s teachers as soon as you discover a problem that needs to be addressed.

Do you have any other study skills high school students may find useful? What have you found that works best for your family?