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Dad tips for helping young kids learn to study
I was helping my daughter study the other night and, as usual, she provided wisdom and inspiration in the dad department. Here are a few things I learned from her and a few I picked up on my own that might help other dads develop good study skills in their kids.
1. Turn off the TV – a confession: I studied every night while watching Mash and Gilligan’s Island reruns and I guess it didn’t kill me. It certainly didn’t help quell the ADD that every adult in the 20th century seems to have. Try though to carve out a space away from too many distractions or at least around the right distractions (see point 2).
2. Hang around while your kids do homework. Perhaps you like this as your wind-down time or watch TV time, but your kids – surprise! – actually will interact more with you if you’re in the room and ready to engage with them.
3. Goof around with your kids. While homework is serious business, there’s nothing that says you can make jokes or use funny voices to illustrate points or help them learn rote concepts. This can be a fun time for both of you
4. Don’t do the homework for them. Even adults sometimes get carried away by how brilliant they are and how easy it is to a third grade math problem. You might look like a genius to your child, but it won’t help him learn the answer. Try to pretend you’re both trying to figure it out together. This way, you can ask leading questions that get your child to see the answer for themselves. If your child gets frustrated, suggest a break and come back and try it again.
5. Be a good role model. Your schedule will dictate how possible this is, but a good situation is to work quietly paying bills or doing some other study-like chore while your kids are working along side you.
6. Use study time to monitor your child’s progress. Most kids, even your little prodigy, should need some help as they work through problems. If your child really isn’t “getting it,” though, make an appointment with the teacher so that you can nip a developing issue in the bud.
Have fun with homework and enjoy the chance to mentor the most important people in your life. Helping with homework can bring up bad memories of school when you were a kid, but with some effort, it can be a fun time to spend with your kids.
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Facebook comments:
Good catch. I'm a big believer in your first point. Kids love tradition and routine. They can rebel against it later, but when young, it provides a lot of security.
Great post Dad,
I would had 2 things.
1. Have the homework at a regular schedule. Routine makes kids feel secure.
2. Even if homework was bad for some of us this is probably because very few of us had a dad around to help or be present.
The way you put it makes it nice in the first place.
Seeya
