8 Good Study Habits to Develop in Kids: How to Study Effectively

You’ve done the first step of doing a SingBee overhaul to your child’s study corner and furniture replacement (woohoo for following through, mommies and daddies!🥳). Now, it’s time to get to the core of studying “efficiently”. We’re talking about none other than forming Good Study Habits, and it all starts as early as toddlerhood.

1. The Study-Day Starts the Night Before

…at least, when it comes to preparing your child mentally, emotionally, and physically, it does.⭐ A good ol’ good night’s rest, meaning sleep starting somewhere around 7 to 9 PM (and no later! 😬) is enough to ready the mind and body for the fun-filled next day. 

This means going over the next day’s schedule, preparing materials, setting the alarm clock, etc. Doing so won’t only let tomorrow’s activities run smoothly, but they’ll also help with mental preparation. Mind-prep leads to action, with much less feet-dragging and much more enthusiasm!🙌

2. Schedule-Sticking Like SingBees-to-the-Honeycombe

We, at SingBee (sly smile with our chosen idiom in the subtitle above 🤭), often reiterate the importance of creating a fixed daily schedule, especially for school/study/weekdays. That’s because sticking to one offers tons of benefits for kids. 

In the context of developing good study habits, observing a fixed schedule trains children in finishing tasks “well + in a timely manner”. In a word, that spells “efficiency”. It teaches them the how and what of prioritizing, for enhanced productivity. Plus, it’s a natural safeguard against laziness. Every time slot serves as a signpost that signals them to speed on up ahead with homework. And being able to complete them 

3. The Ask-a-Question Habit

When children ask questions, it builds their self-confidence and broadens their intuitiveness. It can even reinforce their desire for knowledge in a very out-of-the-box kind of method. A common characteristic of analytic minds. These are, of course, apart from the fact that a question is a bridge that immediately informs parents and/or teachers on which specific part of a topic is unclear and needs further explanation.💡

It’s okay that your kids are shy to raise questions about schoolwork. There’s no fault there, and therefore, Or anything under the sun, for that matter. Having said that, they should never feel intimidated to ask in the first place. We want to prevent them from clamming up and retreating into themselves. Instead, create a safe space for them by consistently lending a listening ear whenever they do pose any sort of inquiry.

If they’re hesitant to do so, or if such instances are far and few between, lead by asking them unconventional confirmatory questions like, “Which parts of the lesson were your favorites?” “Which ones, not so?” “What part was a bit fuzzy?”. These unintimidating, open-ended questions can gently prod them to self-check their own understanding

4. Note-Taking, Full-Throttle

Lovingly train your children to be in the habit of taking down notes during classes. Make sure that their ergonomic desks for youth are equipped with study materials they can easily grab hold of during study time.

In fact, let them do this even during leisure reading. Have them take down notes about who the main characters are, settings, plots, etc. It’s an excellent means of strengthening both their listening and comprehensive skills.

5. Organization is Always Key (Even for Homework)

When kids (and many adults) hear the word “organization”, they often relate it with task-tediousness and buh-buh-boredom.😶 But only if the idea of “arranging and tidying up to-dos” (as we like to call it) is foreign to your little ones. 

Acquaint them with organizing schedules early on. It’s not as business-y as it sounds, we promise. It’s nothing like that, in fact. Sit side by side with them and assist them with coming up with grids, outlines, tables, or calendars (as colorfully and creatively designed as they want them to be) that can be easily understood at a glance. 

Plot days of the week and hours of the day, then fill them in with the activities to be done therein. Before you know it, organizing will be such a breeze for them, they won’t ever view it as tedious homework.

6. Read… a Whole Lot 🤗

We don’t mean merely going over school topics and/or subjects. We mean reading as a form of leisure. As a hobby. As a way to pass the time on long afternoons or weekends. Love for the written word, whether printed on hard copies or online, is something that can be developed. 

Create a reading list for your child and update it every month. Search online for resources on child-friendly books and proactively alott a specific schedule for “reading time”, much like homework, hobbies, and playtime have their own spot in weekly to-dos. It will also greatly help if your child likes the books you present to them.

Please make sure you aren’t assigning high school-level novels to your tots, in an effort to up their reading skills.😱  The best bets are age-related reading materials within the adventure, science fiction, and historical fiction (and then slowly add actual history books here) genres. For toddlers and younger, alphabet books and picture books are recommended.

7. “Now”, Not Later

Teach your little ones to carry and carry out the “now” attitude and action in whatever they do. As opposed to procrastinating or postponing to-dos for later, go back to #2 and stick to the day’s schedule. 

The impact goes far beyond being able to complete tasks that are set for the hour, the next hour or the day. It affects behavior as well, in the best possible way. Constantly and consistently being in the “now” moment can aid kids in tapping into their full potential for productivity, goal-setting, self-control, and time management. 

8. Positivity and Motivation Every Step of the Way

Practice positive thinking and self-affirmation with your kids. Aside from giving them consistent encouragement, guide them in how to turn their mindsets “positive” and replace the “I can’t do” attitude with the “I’m so on top of this!” perspective. 

It all comes full circle, as this relates to our statements in #1 about how, even in promoting good study habits, preparation begins in the mental arena. Continuously affirm and motivate them, and they’ll learn to do that within themselves, too. 

Self-trust and confidence are springboards where all great things begin. Nurture these in your children and watch them flourish in anything they commit to, whether it’s studying, improving skills, or any other milestone they’ll want to achieve later on in life. 

At the end of the day (metaphorically speaking), it’s about the long-term gains. These steps (among many) are stepping stones in child development that may deeply and positively impact their growth into adulthood. Beyond the scope of better study habits, these disciplines will build character and strengthen skills so that they can grow into their full potential and tap into their natural capabilities with ease! 

More SingBee blogs, updates, tips, and more coming your way! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay updated on all-things-SingBee or reach out to us at singbee@nginc.io. And check out supportive desk chairs and study tables to add to your child’s study corner today!