There has been a noticeable decline in some children’s test scores in the United States over the past few years. According to the 2024 Nation’s Report Card, the average reading score for fourth graders was two points lower than in 2022 and five points lower than in 2019.1 Some experts point to the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, including school closures and disruptions to classroom instruction, as possible factors. Others raise concerns about smartphones, social media, and now artificial intelligence tools that may tempt children to put less effort into learning. Add to that the many distractions in our children’s lives, such as television, music, and gaming. However, I believe there is more to consider. After twenty years as a mother and my experience as a teacher, I have seen children who are willing to learn but have never been taught how to study.
My three youngest children are currently in middle and elementary school, and I have been watching their study habits for some time. They rarely bring textbooks home; those usually stay in the classroom. Most days, they come home with graded papers in a take-home folder and, occasionally, a worksheet. In class, they use laptops assigned for classroom use to access their work and complete activities on supplemental learning programs, but they do not use those devices at home. Although we were required to purchase several composition books and notebooks as school supplies, my children do not bring home notes from class, either. Without textbooks, notes, or access to their classroom materials, what can they review at home, and how are they supposed to learn to study independently? Increasingly, schools seem to rely on technology to facilitate learning. But I wonder whom it is helping most: students or teachers?
Technology can be helpful, sure, but it can also make it easy to overlook valuable teaching practices that students need, such as reading aloud, writing by hand, practicing spelling, and looking up unfamiliar words. Do not get me wrong; I am not calling on teachers to give children more homework. In fact, I strongly oppose sending children home with piles of assignments after a seven-hour school day. What I mean is teaching students how to study. Educators and parents should be teaching children strategies to retain and use what they learn, instead of simply throwing information at them and expecting it to stick. And this needs to happen in the classroom as well as at home.
What we need is a serious intervention to show students how to learn effectively. That may mean taking it back to “the old school” in some ways by relying less on technology and making more room for children to read, write, practice, and discover what they can do on their own. Here are some tried-and-true ways parents can help children develop study habits that support their academic success:
1. Encourage them to jot down their homework
I have noticed that my children’s teachers don't always communicate expectations directly to students. Instead, they send notices about assignments and projects through an app that only parents can access. However, we may not always be able to keep up with every notification due to work and other responsibilities. If our children miss those key details, they may be unsure of what they are expected to do on their own or how to prepare for class. Having students write down those instructions in a planner or notebook would help them take ownership of their learning and teach them a valuable skill: being responsible for their own work.
2. Have them look up unfamiliar words
Keep a print dictionary within reach and encourage children to look up words they encounter in books or assignments. Ask them to write the meaning in their own words and use the word in a sentence. The goal is to help them pause, investigate, and make sense of what they are reading. Parents may be tempted to let them do a quick Google search or ask an AI assistant, but it is better for children to reach for a hardcopy dictionary first. Flipping through its pages and searching alphabetically gives children practice finding information for themselves, while introducing them to other words along the way.
3. Make time for reading aloud and dictation
Some of my most memorable teachers read to us from a novel each day. Listening while following along kept me engaged and helped me appreciate books. Teachers and parents can create a similar routine, even if it is for ten or fifteen minutes. They can also occasionally read sentences aloud and ask children to write what they hear, then compare it with the original. Dictation gives students a chance to practice listening, spelling, and writing.
4. Teach them to take useful notes
Children may be told to study for a test without ever being shown what information to save from a lesson. Encourage them to keep notes for each subject, whether in separate notebooks or clearly labeled sections of one binder. Teachers can model different approaches, such as short summaries, charts, diagrams, and concept maps, so students can choose what helps them understand the material. At home, ask your child to explain one idea from their notes rather than simply rereading the page.
5. Show them how to study with flashcards
Flashcards can help children practice vocabulary, math facts, science terms, and historical events. The key is to look at the question, try to answer before turning the card over, and set aside the cards they miss for another round. Encourage your child to revisit the cards over several days instead of trying to memorize everything the night before a test. Quizzing themselves can help children see what they know and what needs more practice.
6. Have them quiz a partner
Pairing students to ask each other questions gives them another way to practice recalling what they learned. They can write questions from their notes, take turns answering, and explain answers they disagree with. Once they know how to do this in class, they can use the same approach at home with a parent or sibling.
7. Use art and music to make learning memorable
Art can be a study tool when it helps children represent an idea. A child might sketch the water cycle, draw a timeline of historical events, or make a comic strip showing the sequence of a story. They could also turn facts into a short song or rhyme and sing it a few times to help them remember. Then ask them to explain their drawing or recall the facts from their song without looking back at their notes. Drawing and singing can make studying feel creative and enjoyable rather than like a grueling chore.
These are just a few of the many ways we can teach children to study. If we want to help them improve their grades and test scores, we must begin by showing them how to approach new information, practice it, and recall it when needed. Those skills can build children’s confidence and give them a stronger foundation for a lifetime of learning. Share these ideas with an educator or parent who could use a gentle reminder that children need to be taught how to study, not just what to learn.
Bio:
Wendy Díaz is a Puerto Rican Muslim author, educator, and mother of six. She co-founded Hablamos Islam, a nonprofit organization that produces educational resources about Islam in Spanish (hablamosislam.org). She has written, illustrated, and published over a dozen children’s books and currently lives with her family in Maryland. Follow Wendy Díaz on social media @authorwendydiaz and @hablamosislam.
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