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Study habits are a critical asset for students. Studying not only offers the incentive of a 'good grade', but emphasizes what has been taught in the classroom and can boost a child's self esteem if they meet success. Children with good study habits tend to be more motivated to learn and driven to achieve. If a student is equipped with the right skills, then they can be incredibly successful in school. Understanding which study skills provide the best results differ with each student, and often require the guidance of parents and teachers.

One of the emphases of fifth grade is to provide students with tools that can help them achieve their goals. In class students will learn how to take notes, create flashcards for quizzes, use study guides to review, and learn to be critical thinkers. Below are some additional study tips that may prove beneficial to your child.

1. Roleplay as a Teacher

Think you've studied enough? Test yourself. Find a parent or sibling at home. Pretend you are a teacher and try to teach what you have learned to them. If you can explain a concept or idea well, then you've done a good job. If you find yourself struggling to explain something, even a particular word, then it means you need to spend more time studying.

2. Create Flashcards

Write down a word, person, place, or event on one side of your card. On the other side, write down a few phrases describing it. Do this for each flashcard. When you are finished, test yourself. Look only at the front side and try to recall the description you wrote down for that word. If you ace this the first time, do it again for at least four more times. The repetition of testing yourself will help you understand and remember the concepts better.

3. The SQER Method

SQER stands for survey, question, read, recite, and review.

Survey

Take a glimpse at what you are going to study. Make sure to look for main ideas. These will help you focus on the right things to study before you start.

Question

Ask questions about the subject you are learning. Questions like who, what, when, where, and why are a good place to start. Answers to these questions are usually very important to study. For example, if I was learning about the American Revolution, I would ask questions like:

- Who started the revolution? Why was there a revolution? What happened in the revolution? Where did it occur? When did it occur?

Read

Reading is NOT skimming. You must actively read, trying to answer the questions you created. Pay special attention to bold or italicized words as these have more emphasis or special meaning. Also look at graphs, illustrations, and tables. I love to include questions about these on tests.

Recite

Stop occasionally during your reading to recall or recite what you have read. Review the main ideas, details, and any important vocabulary terms introduced.

Review

Review the answers to your questions and re-read. Glancing over notes or class activities will also help too. The more repetition, the better you will understand the concepts presented.