Back to School Homework Strategies
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A study of the largest urban school districts in the United States found that students take an average of 112 standardized tests between pre-kindergarten and 12th grade. While some students excel at test-taking, others can get stressed out. A Washington Post study found high schoolers spend almost three hours a night studying. Experts say the right environment is key to homework strategies as students go back to school this fall.
“Students need to learn in a state that is optimal for learning,” said Demetrie Luke, tutor and founder of Inlighten Tutoring. Be sure to study in a space without distractions. The more multi-tasking students do, the slower their brains process information. Next, find homework strategies to motivate them. “It’s not just consumable things, money or this or that. Sometimes it’s just once again, attention from a loved one, right?” Luke said.
Encourage them to take practice tests. One study found students who had brief retrieval practice tests before a high-stakes test remembered 60% of the material, while those who only studied remembered 40%. A Texas A&M study found repeating information out loud moves content from short-term to long-term memory. Also, avoid all-nighters: cognitive performance is controlled by our body clocks, meaning our learning and memory is higher in the morning than at night. Instead, get a good night’s sleep and study in the morning. And don’t forget to celebrate the wins!
“The more wins that we can build into young people studying, the more likely they are to show up for studying, right? A win can simply be, either words of affirmation or just even just acknowledgement,” said Luke. Also try having your student teach the study material to you. Explaining it to someone else will help them remember it better, and if they’re struggling to remember something, have them look it up right away. Research shows spending too long trying to recall material can train their brains to struggle when answering a particular question.
Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services