Good study and work habits will take a person lot further in life than having “natural smarts”. Many of our kids struggle to score good marks in exams and wish if they were born smart looking at those scoring top ranks. But then it is our responsibility as parents to make our kids understand that the differences in grades simply come down to those who have a consistent study habit.

Make Study Habit

What we do every day will determine who we become in the future. For example, a good writer will write every day and a good sportsperson will practice his or her sport daily. To develop a habit, it takes time and effort to change. They are automatic behaviours that really don’t require a thought. So building a study habit can drastically change a student’s performance in studies and it is best to learn daily rather than struggling to by-heart the entire lessons just before attempting for exams.

Planning

It is important to plan timing and schedules for your child’s studies and also decide to choose a fixed location for studying. The first few days and months of building a study habit are the most important. During this period, it is very significant not to break the chain. Even one day makes a huge impact on how automatic behaviours or certain actions feel. The more your child performs an action, the less will power they need to put forward to perform it again. The more you help them to develop a study habit daily, the easier it is to continue doing it.

Timing

The amount of time to develop a study habit is different for different child. The average time to develop a habit is 66 days and it can be anywhere between 18 days to 254 days. This is because complex habits take longer to form than simple habits. Studies suggest that taking a break as long as a week, maybe something like summer holidays or mid-term holidays do negatively contribute to the formation of a habit. So, it is really important to make your kids continue with their study habits even during these breaks.

Monitoring

In order to determine if your child’s study habit is increasing, parents need to monitor the child’s progress in studies. Also, parents can encourage children to carry on self-monitoring. The accurate monitoring helps to determine whether the study habit is worth the time and energy it consumes. This can help to make relevant changes if required in the study habit of a child.

Convenience

The easier it is to do something, the more likely children are , to do it. That’s why it is important to make study habits as convenient as possible. During stressful times like exams, students can come together and form study groups, Also, kids can use audiobooks and listen while doing other day-to-day activities.

Smart Rewarding

Reward teaches kids that they wouldn’t do a particular activity for its own sake, but only to earn the reward. When parents try to reward their kids for showing better performance in studies and for scoring good grades, these rewards can reinforce the study habit of students. Also, they will be attending classes and taking notes so religiously. So, acknowledge your kid’s effort in studies with positive rewards so that they feel to continue the study habit daily without any compulsion.