The new school term is an ideal time for a fresh start. But we know it isn't always easy to form good habits. And we know the pain of watching our child struggle to engage with their homework.
Here are five ways to make your child's study routine more enjoyable and sustainable. These tips will help them build a healthy relationship with learning – one that could set them up for success for the rest of their education!
1. Break it down
We retain information best when we learn in bitesize chunks. Plan your child’s study routine around short but fully-focused bursts of learning.
Most children get around 2.5 hours of homework each week. You'll see below that it’s simply not possible to sit down and complete this all in one go!
As children grow, so does their attention span and ability to remember information for the long-term. When creating their study schedule, take these timings into account:
Average length of focus by age
Age 7
- Lower range: 14 minutes
- Upper range: 21 minutes
Age 8
- Lower range: 16 minutes
- Upper range: 24 minutes
Age 9
- Lower range: 18 minutes
- Upper range: 27 minutes
Age 10
- Lower range: 20 minutes
- Upper range: 30 minutes
Age 11
- Lower range: 22 minutes
- Upper range: 33 minutes
Age 12
- Lower range: 24 minutes
- Upper range: 36 minutes
2. Harness their circadian rhythm
Our circadian rhythms regulate physical and behavioural processes – things like sleep and cognitive functions. Our concentration and cognition is affected by the ebb and flow of these rhythms.
There's no universal 'best time to learn' – it largely depends on the person. Everyone's peak performance time varies depending on their unique circadian rhythm.
But there are some general trends. Research shows that children under 6 are more likely to be ‘morning’ people. People are more likely to become 'evening' people as they enter adolescence.
Peak performance in primary school children
Consider your child’s peak performance tendencies when planning their study schedule. Mornings can be hectic, but you'd be surprised how little study time you need to set aside for younger children (see our previous tip). Evening study creeps towards younger children’s bedtime, making concentrating difficult.
As well as taking advantage of children's energy patterns, you can use morning study sessions as a motivational tool. Encourage your child to study in the morning to work towards a fun activity or reward later in the day.
Here at Atom Learning, we've seen that children who use our online learning platform in the morning progress 59% faster than children who use it in the afternoon!
- Morning: Many children are alert and experience good cognitive performance. Their brains are receptive to learning and forming memories.
- Mid-morning to early afternoon: Alertness may continue to improve, allowing for the best learning and retention.
- Afternoon: Children often experience a dip in alertness known as the 'afternoon slump'. Tiredness can affect their ability to concentrate and learn.
3. Tap into technology
Technology offers lots of support for building good study habits and sticking to a schedule.
Does your child work well with music? Playing their favourite tunes can boost their enjoyment of study sessions. White noise is another option to block out household distractions. Explore background sounds with your child to find what they like best. Study playlists on Spotify or YouTube range from lively focused beats to calming rain noises.
Online learning is a convenient way to form healthy learning habits. Platforms such as Atom are designed to help your child feel excited about learning. When they genuinely love their study time, getting them to stick to a schedule won’t be a battle.
“She enjoys it, I enjoy it. My approach is not to pressure her. I set the work but she navigates it herself, which helps her to feel ownership over her progress. If she’s happy, she’s willing to do the work.” – Amirah, parent of a daughter in Year 5
.avif)
