No matter at what stage of learning a child is at, whether
in primary school or doing a degree, there is a need to learn how to manage own
time and have time to learn and to have fun. Indeed it is possible to make
learning fun as well. There are never enough hours in the day to do what we
want to do! There are so many things we wish to do in the day. There is the
time for personal hygiene, to do various tasks related to household activities,
particularly for your older children as well as time for the fun things like
meeting friends, playing sport, going to the cinema, watching TV etc. If we do
not organise time and ensure that some time is spent in studying, it can easily
be forgotten or swept aside in the desire to do other things. So how should the
child go about organising his study time?
How to manage the day?
Let us look at a fairly typical day of going to school.
Waking up every day at a set time and going to bed at a set time ensures that a
child will get enough sleep, for all of us need to sleep adequately. It is the
time that the body gets rid of tiredness and has time to grow and repair and
renew old cells. It is the time for the brain to rest and sort out the
information and memories. Children need as much as 8 - 9 hours of sleep per night.
Very young children can also have a nap in the afternoon to get rest.
If a child enjoys learning in the morning because he feels
fresh then some time needs to be put aside in the morning for studying. Getting
washed and dressed for the day should give him time to collect his thought
about what is going to be happening during the day. What classes he has that
day and what books need to be taken to school and get the bag ready for school.
A good breakfast is necessary for every one for it prepares the body for the
activities of the day and provides with the energy.
On returning from the school, the children need to take some
time to relax and do away with the tiredness. Have a snack, read a storybook
quietly, go out and play games with friends, then comes the time to study. Check
what homework has been given during the day. What homework needs to be handed
in the next day? How much work still needs to be done? So part of the study
time is spent in completing the given homework. The other part of the time is
to go over the lessons taught during the day; read the class notes and the
textbook for the topics covered in the day, making sure that what was done in
the class is still understood. If he does not understand some aspects, he needs
get help from older brothers and sisters or parents. If they are not able to
help, then mark the pages in the book and ask teacher the next day.
Some of students may be going for private tuition and this
is the time to do the homework or to go over the topics taught. If the child
has problems understanding, then ask the teacher at this time. By doing this
the child will keep up with what is being taught in the school and homework.
The practice of managing each day will also allow the child to have time to
play and to study and enjoy both activities.
Watching TV! Now there is something all of us like to do.
Why not look at the days viewing and see what is there that one really wants to
see. Then it can be made a part of the day's timetable. This will allow the
child to watch his favourite program and still study. As one grows older and
gets into secondary school there are many programs on TV that can help with
learning. For example, there are nature programs that can help in science
topics, geography topics etc. There are often school programs on TV, which
again will help to learn and at the same time enjoy the process of learning.
Using computers and programs related to learning through the
process of games is another tool that is good for study skills. While learning
to use the computer will allow the child to learn the skills necessary for IT,
it can also help to learn different subjects. There are many programs available
for children of all ages to learn different subjects. Again work out with
parents, what one wants to learn and how the child can use the computers at
home or in school to learn, and then this can be worked out in the timetable of
the day. This will stop parents from scolding the child about spending so much
time on the computer. If the child studies every day of the week then he can
have fun all day Sunday without feeling guilty that he should be studying. This
will be the well-earned leisure time.
Where to study?
The learner must find somewhere to study within the home. It
should be a comfortable place, with somewhere to sit and to put his books,
ideally, a table and comfortable chair. The temperature of the place needs to
be comfortable as well. If it is too hot then the child will feel sleepy, so
allow for air to circulate by opening windows and putting on a fan. If it is
cold, the child will get chilled and cannot think so keep the windows shut,
wear warm clothing, and have a hot drink. Make sure that there is good light wherever
he chooses to study.
For the evening when it gets dark, it might be good to have
a study lamp rather than just the overhead light. Having said this, remember
that circumstances can differ from house to house. Adapting to the circumstances
to ensure that study is not disrupted is important. For example, as a child, I
used to timetable the study period during the cooler hours of the day as my
exams were always during summer. The hot afternoon periods were kept for
catching up with sleep as I studied early in the morning and late into the
night. With power cuts it was necessary to study by candlelight. So I had a
candle stand which could be used to light 5 candles. This was a lot of strain
on the eyes, so make sure whatever lighting you end up with, is powerful enough
to protect your eyes from strain.
It is important that others in the house know when you are
going to be studying so that disturbances can be avoided. Remember that your
work is stored away when you have finished. Parents can put away all our books
and papers in the process of tiding up, which you have arranged in a certain
manner to access information. It might be good to discuss this aspect with the
parents and you can keep the corner of your study area as you want without it
being tidied up every time you turn your back.
What to study?
There are so many subjects that you need to study. It is
useful to prioritise what you are going to study everyday otherwise you can get
overwhelmed with the workload. During regular school days, the priority is to
be given to going over what has been taught that day making sure you understand
and have relevant notes from the classes, to do the homework allocated for the
subjects, with first preference to what has to be handed in the next day. Then
you need to take some time and briefly look at the material to be covered next
day, if you know what it is going to be.
During the time approaching exams you will need to add some
revision time into the daily study routine. Again it would be beneficial to
revise a couple of topics from more than one subject so that you can keep
abreast with all the subjects and also have variety to avoid boredom and
tiredness of studying just one subject at a time.
When to study?
This is very much dependent on the subjects and the
timetable you draw up for yourself. Over the years you should learn which the
best time for you to study is. Some people can study well early in the morning,
while others find it had to wake up early but are bright and rearing to go in
the evening and late into the night. It also depends on the environment you
live in. Meal times during study also have to be strictly adhered to. It is not
good to skip meals or eat snacks all the time for the body requires good
nutrition, not only because it is growing and needs the nutrients but also the
brain requires energy for all the studying the child is doing. Also if the
child is hungry or thirsty he will be distracted and find it difficult to
motivate himself.
Sleep and rest are just as important to effective studying.
For if the child is physically or mentally tired he cannot concentrate on his
study. If he is tired it is better to take a short nap and get refreshed,
otherwise he can waste a lot of valuable time pretending to study. When a child
is tired and he cannot remember or understand what he is studying, he will feel
disheartened that his efforts are not appearing to be worthwhile. Most of the
time children find sleep is never far at the end of the day, but when there is
pressure of tests or examinations it can be harder to sleep. Try doing
something relaxing like taking a bath, reading a storybook or watching TV or
listening to music to relax you.
Why to study?
This is a question each of individual needs to ask of self.
Am I studying because my parents demand it of me? Am I studying because the
society demands that everyone gets at least a basic education? Am I studying
because my friends are studying? These reasons make it hard to learn because
one feels one is being made to learn. This makes learning an imposition on time
when the child would rather be doing something else.
Am I studying because I wish to learn? Am I studying because
I want to do well and succeed in my exams? Am I studying because I wish to
follow a career and make something of myself? These are all good motivators for
learning. Also if it is something the individual wishes to do then the process
of learning can be fun and enjoyable instead of a chore to be accomplished.
Summary
We have looked at ways in which we can support children to form good study habits during the early years of life. This ability to organise their time approrpiately and effectively will be useful in adult life whether they are undertaking further education, going to univeristy for degrees or learning to manage their workload in their careers and finally to achieve a good work life balance.
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