by Gerard Coulombe

Created on: June 23, 2009

How to develop good study habits in children

Students with good study habits are the pride of their parents and the envy of their friends. Are there parents who do not wish for the children in their families that they be good students and good children? If for one reason or another, the children are not or cannot be good students for lack of good study habits to begin with, how difficult will family life sometime be? Life would be so much simpler if all parents were to receive assurances and then guarantees that, upon entering school and thereafter, all of their children would develop good study habits of a kind that would sustain these students through difficult studies and earn for them the grades in courses that rank them among those students performing at the top of their classes all the time?

It is for many parents a dream reverently wished that their children achieved at the pinnacle of academic success. Or to put it another way, parents want their children to perform to the best of their abilities and while they are at it, they would like for their children to exceed beyond their own abilities.

So how are parents to help their children to develop good study habits? Let us concede that some writers who come up with lists of good study habits do not think them through, as they should. For example, on the list of recommended good study habits is the notion that a well-designed study nook in the home where the student can work without distraction while having all study tools at hand is a good thing to have. It is not germane to the notion of what is a good study habit. A good study nook is no more than its design or arrangement-a good thing to have but not necessary.

Good study habits begin with the student. Very briefly but most important, a student must want to learn. The more a student wants to learn, the more open the student is to learning, the more enthusiastic, curious, perceptive, eager to get started is the student, the more unlikely the parent will have trouble getting the student to get down to work. These students are already self-motivated starters. No prompting is necessary where they are concerned. These students get down to work as they run through the door, drop their backpack on the kitchen floor and head for the refrigerator to get started.

So, motivation is key. Next comes a clear understanding of what students have for homework. They usually know when they are enthusiastic about a teacher or subject or combination

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