When kids use their computers to do homework or study, a mom’s vigilance has to be taken up to a whole new level. Even the most dedicated students can get distracted by the internet when they’re studying. That’s one reason you might want to suggest some old school study skills—to give you a break from playing computer police and your kids a break from their screens.
If you suggest a couple of these to your kids and get pushback, persist. Study skills we used as kids shouldn’t be brushed off as old fashioned. There’s a reason they were once popular—they get results! So put a few of these 5 study skills into your kids’ rotation, and watch your kids become more confident test takers and students.
1. Teaching the Lesson
My son has a friend who’s an extremely diligent student. He works the hardest and gets excellent grades, in part by using old school study skills. One of them is “teaching the lesson.” His mom got him a whiteboard, and he presents the material as if he were teaching it. (Kids love writing on white boards.) So, have your child teach the material to you or his siblings.
The effectiveness of this study skill is backed up by research out of the University of California. They found that when a student explains something to others, he has to dig deeper than just memorizing facts. He needs to connect the new information to things he already knows. And bonus points if your child can field questions from you as he teaches.
2. Say it
Your child can use this study skill with you or on her own. Have her read her class notes, terms, or formulas out loud. For an old school/new school hybrid, she can also record herself reciting the material and then quiz herself as she listens back to it. There’s some new school research out of the University of Waterloo to back up this method.
They found that speaking things out loud helps you remember them better for two reasons. First, moving your mouth to speak (the motor act) strengthens the memory of the words. And second, hearing yourself say the information (the self-referential auditory input) makes it stand out more than just reading silently.
3. Flashcards
Some material just needs to be memorized. For this, flash cards are hard to beat. According to study compilations at the University of Michigan, flashcard users “achieve deeper levels of processing, such as comprehension and application.” One of the reasons flashcards are so effective is their tactile nature. Students can touch and manipulate them, which helps with retaining information. In case you need a flashcard refresher, as your child goes through his cards, have him put them in a “got it right” pile and a “try it again” pile. If you want a “new school” flash card approach, try Quizlet.
4. Matching
This is kind of like flashcards in that it reinforces learning by having students write out the information. Write the term on one index card and its definition on another. Turn the cards face down and mix them. Then, lay them out in a grid. Turning over two cards at a time, your kid can try to match the term to the correct definition. Stay nearby with an answer sheet, though, to point out when she gets the answers right.
5. Recap or Summarize
This is an old school study skill that is foundational for the study skills above. After the homework’s done, grab a sheet of notebook paper or a spiral notebook and have your child write down, class by class, the topic or concept covered that day. The act of recalling, either from memory or from notes, helps your child by signaling to his brain what material needs to be retained.
Under each topic have your student write out by hand the most important important points from her notes. Brain researcher Audrey van der Meer says that writing by hand component is powerful because “brain connectivity patterns are far more elaborate than when typewriting on a keyboard,” making it especially beneficial to learning information. They don’t have to write paragraphs. Just one sentence per topic will tell her brain what’s most important.
Do your kids use any old school study skills? Which one works the best?
