Whether you teach elementary, middle, or high school, you have likely tried many ways to improve your students’ study habits. What works for one student may not help another at all. Traditional study methods may not serve students who frequently work with computers, tablets, and other tools that were not available in the past. To complicate matters, low motivation, text anxiety, and attention difficulties may be preventing several of your students from succeeding. Here are three ideas to help your students in taking charge of their educational journey.

1. Teach Students Organizational Skills

While some students will enter the classroom with superior organizational talents, most children — and many adults — do not have ideal time management or organizational skills. By teaching students how to manage their time effectively, they can approach studying with confidence and motivation. Teaching study skills in the domains of attention, note-taking, listening, and research is appropriate material for many classrooms.

2. Do Not Assume That Students Will “Figure it Out”

Students who are glossed over in regular education classrooms in elementary school may be referred to special education when they are older because their lack of study skills has set them up for failure. By identifying deficits in study skills early on and educating younger students in areas in which they can improve, their motivation and confidence will improve over time. Additionally, studying habits can be addressed and deficits identified in subsequent years of schooling for the best possible outcome.

3. Consider Factors That May Be Impeding Student Success

According to the CDC, learning disabilities and related conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and ADHD are prevalent in school-aged children. Frequently underdiagnosed, it’s important to identify students unable to learn study skills as quickly as their peers for they perceive and use information differently. If you have a suspicion that a student is underperforming because of a learning disability, a neurological difference such as ADHD or autism spectrum disorder, or an emotional disturbance, it is crucial to prompt the student, or his or her parents, to begin the evaluation process. 

Get in Touch with Western Psychological Services

The first step to helping students study more efficiently is often understanding why students are not doing as well as they should in the first place. The School Motivation and Learning Strategies Inventory can help educators identify learning strategies and uncover reasoning for their students’ lack of success. Published by WPS, the SMALSI is available for students ages eight to 18 and freshman to graduate-level college students. You can administer the assessment in multiple languages.