We all want our kids to grow up to become satisfied and successful people. We try our best to help them develop certain skills, interests and attitudes to life and work, and we are not alone in the process.

Our children go to school, where they learn and work in groups and are exposed to various teaching methods. Australian schools, among others, are famous for encouraging teamwork.

So, the better we help them adapt to different circumstances, the better they’ll cope with what is possibly the most stressful part of their lives at that age.

So, what is it that we can do to help them deal with everything that schools throw at them?

6 Tips for Making Your Child a Better Learner

by Claire Adams

Give them space

It’s quite important for every kid to have a designated place. Where they can go to read, write, draw or study, with all the materials at hand. If possible, such a nook should have a lot of natural light and a lamp for when it gets dark.

Your child should feel comfortable spending time there. You need to make sure you can monitor them while they are supposed to be studying. We all know how little it takes for a kid to abandon learning in favor of having fun or daydreaming.

Eliminate distractions

You can’t expect your child to learn anything if there is a lot of noise around them or if people keep coming in and going out of your home or their room. Also, phones, computers and TV are potential distractions you should get rid of for the sake of your child, at least while studying.

If you are living in a big city, such as Sydney, you might have to put up with traffic noise or bustling streets outside. Make sure the place your kid is using for learning is not affected by such distractions. If they have to use a computer for school, you need to see to it that they don’t waste time on social networks or online games, which is something you can prevent.

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Give them support

Very few kids need little or no support in the process of learning. We simply can’t expect them to be interested or good at every subject. This is why we need to help them fulfill as much of their potential as possible.

One option is to sit and learn with them, but that is never the answer in the long run, since they’ll never become truly autonomous learners. Instead, we can suggest finding a study buddy or turn to professionals in tutoring from Sydney, who will assist the kid when necessary.

Establish a study schedule

We all know that kids need to develop a habit of studying regularly, if they are to enjoy all the benefits of education. However, many parents fail to address this issue, either because they feel they can’t play a role in it or because they hope their kid would somehow realize that themselves on their own.

Both excuses are just that – excuses. You can talk to your kid and set a study schedule in a way that there are no long chunks of time dedicated to a particular subject, but rather shorter periods with breaks. The time slots for learning should be fixed, which will help your kid know exactly when they have to study and when they can play.

Help them take good notes

Taking notes is a skill that has to be learnt and perfected through practice. Your kid needs to be able to know how to take notes or highlight the important pieces of the text while studying.

The highlighted parts need to contain key terms, dates and definitions. Your kid would also benefit if you showed them how to organize their notes. Once they master this skill well enough, they’ll become quite independent.

Avoid unnecessary stress

School can sometimes create more stress than a child can take. This can affect the physical and mental state of the kid. That’s why we need to help them keep a positive attitude towards school, studying and homework.

They need to know that they can rely on us for help. That grades are not the most important thing in the world, but that they need to keep doing their best. The focus should be on acquiring knowledge instead of chasing grades. Kids should not despair when they get a bad grade. Improving it will give them the necessary confidence to deal with similar failures in life, which are inevitable.

Making Your Kid a Better Learner

Helping our kids make the most of their school is one of the crucial tasks for parents. It’s seldom easy, but the benefits are most certainly worth the effort. These 6 Tips for Making Your Kid a Better Learner will set both in the right direction!