How to teach a child to study? Psychologist’s advice

Genius and triplets are incompatible?

History knows many geniuses who got C’s in school. Among them are Einstein and Pushkin. It also knows those who, without shining natural abilities, managed to win a place in the sun. For example, Lomonosov mocked his contemporary, the literary man Vasily Trediakovsky. The heavy poems of this piit were forced to learn by heart at court as a… as punishment for minor offenses. Nevertheless, with his diligence and determination Trediakovsky secured a place not only among those close to the court, but also in the history of literature.

However, Pushkin also did not rely on his unique gift for everything. His drafts can be difficult to make out – there are so many corrections in them. Crossed out several times lines – evidence of what painstaking work is behind the apparent ease of his poems. If with the same diligence Alexander Sergeevich treated all school disciplines, his academic performance would be much better. Such thoughts are suggested by the reviews of lyceum professors: “Not diligent.”

Woe is me

As we can see, without diligence, even Pushkin’s genius could not become a guarantee of success in all subjects. It is not surprising that many gifted children, who rely only on their understanding, have mediocre grades at school. They are usually excited to rush to their first class in their lives. But then the enthusiasm is replaced by boredom. A fluent reader child is forced to listen to hour after hour, as less successful classmates pull syllables annoying to the toothache “ma-ma so-ma-la ra-ma.” His raised hand is waved away by the teacher with the words, “I know what you’ve learned.” The “smart kid” gets the impression that he doesn’t need to study at all. If everything works out by itself now, then it will continue to do so.

When new material begins, the “prodigy” easily grasps the essence. But with the same ease he forgets details: dates of history, names of writers. Faced with a difficult task in math, which is not given immediately, such a child can not believe that his abilities can fail him. He declares that there is an error in the condition. The idea of sitting and thinking longer does not occur to him.

It is up to the parents to teach their child to work diligently without relying on his or her own abilities. Obviously, these same skills are all the more useful for someone who has a hard time learning.

How do you teach learning?

From the very beginning, you should let your child know that studying is an important and maturely serious matter. Explain that not only your mood depends on it, but also his future. A few rules will be useful for this.

• • • • Be aware of your grades at all times. If a failing grade in a quarter comes as a surprise to you, you are largely to blame.
      • For the first years regularly, and then – from time to time – monitor the completion of homework. Asking in the evening if everything is done is not enough. Review written work. Listen to a poem you have learned.
      • Make sure that time-consuming assignments, such as essays, are not done at the last minute. Teach your child to plan his or her time properly, but help him or her do it first.
      • If a child fails at something, you should do it along with them, but never instead of them.
      • Periodically ask your child to recall what he or she has gone over before.
      • If you notice that the school material clearly does not match the abilities of your child, start to act: find a specialized school, hire a tutor, give him additional tasks yourself or ask the teacher.
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Teaching self-esteem

You managed to sit down to solve a difficult problem with a little stubborn boy who was eager to go outside to play soccer. For half an hour you watched him sitting bent over his notebook, concentrated and sullen. But now the problem is solved, and the child gets up from the table with a look of relief – you can play. And you mutter to him: “Finally! You never sit down to do your homework yourself.” Bite your tongue. Otherwise, your child all his life will work from under the stick and will never enjoy his work.

What better way to tell when your smart kid has willingly sat down to do his homework? When he tries to find the answer to a difficult question on his own? In general, when he does what you think should be the norm? Probably those:

• • • • right after lunch you went to do your homework. You became responsible;
      • when you couldn’t solve a problem, you looked through the textbook for an idea. Good for you. You know how to handle adversity;
      • you did the right thing. You tried and you succeeded.
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These phrases praise what is up to the individual, not their innate abilities. By combining strict supervision with such a spoonful of honey, you teach your child to work hard and give him the joy of self-esteem from a job well done.

It’s not working!

It is not only bad grades that signal that a child is not doing well in school. This is evidenced by his inability to ask questions and ask for help when there is a too difficult task. A child who has given up hope of success will be desperate to hide his ignorance.

Your task in this case is to inspire the disbeliever that by asking a question, a person shows his intelligence and desire to know more. And explain that everyone makes mistakes, but everything will work out if you make an effort.

There are many ways to support a student who is having trouble completing an assignment. Praise them for their diligence and offer them a five-minute break to play a game or warm up. Suggest which section of the textbook should be re-read. Find a similar problem among those already solved. As a last resort, do the task together – ask leading questions, ask them to reason aloud, solve a similar problem yourself.

When the solution matches the answer at the end of the textbook, sigh. But not with relief, but with joy. Your child has learned one of the most important lessons of his life: smart is not the one who gets everything easily, but the one who does not give up in the face of difficult tasks.

Shutterstock/FOTODOM UKRAINE photos were used