Effective Study Habits For Teens [A Guide for Parents]

Raising a teenager for working moms and parents is a challenging job. You have to take care of your teenager in parallel with managing your career. The challenge can feel even more daunting when it comes to ensuring your teen develops good study habits. 

Parents do not need to give up their careers to take care of their children, and vice versa. You can achieve both by establishing good study habits for your teen. 

Effective study habits for teens can help students better handle their workload and give them confidence as they take on homework, tests, and other assignments. In this case, parents are not required to micromanage their growing children. 

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Understanding your teen’s study needs

Teenage brings about developmental changes, be they physical, emotional, or cognitive. Understanding these changes can help you form study habits to their needs. Adolescents develop abstract thinking skills that can affect how they process and retain information. 

According to a research article published by Sage Journals, adolescents are curious to learn and experiment with new ideologies covering social, political, and cultural aspects. It supports their personal and academic success, mental well-being, and productive functioning into adulthood. 

Every teen has a unique learning style. It can include visual, auditory, reading, writing, and kinesthetic. Identify your child’s preferred learning style to help them provide the right tools and resources to enhance their study efficiency. 

Additionally, exam periods can be especially stressful for teens. If your teen is struggling to prepare for exams, expert private tutoring can make a significant difference. Discover how private tutoring can give your teen an edge in preparing for exams and managing stress.

This guide will provide parents with practical tips and techniques to help their teen succeed academically.

10 highly effective study habits for your teen

1. Create a study environment

A dedicated study space free from distraction is essential. Ensure this area is quiet, well-lit, and equipped with necessary supplies. 

Confirm with your child regarding their needs. Make it their responsibility to be well-stocked with notebooks, pencils, pens, notepads, and more. Please encourage them to spend less time arranging the right study materials for different subjects so that important things are handy. 

Limit distractions by setting defined phone, television, and hanging out guidelines. Make sure that they acknowledge and prioritize studying over any other activity during high school.

2. Foster effective time management

A consistent study schedule helps teens manage their time effectively. Work with your teen to create a daily routine with specific studying times, breaks, and leisure time. 

Research from the American Academy of Pediatrics found that parents should help their teens manage time on their own rather than micromanaging them. Constant reminders to not waste time will not help them think and plan further about their activities. 

Instead, challenge them to devise creative ways of reminding themselves of specific tasks and timelines. Let them fail in achieving small goals, but modest failures will strengthen their awareness of time and determination to follow through. 

3. Set realistic goals and rewards

Help your teen set realistic short-term and long-term goals. Short-term goals include completing daily assignments, while long-term goals could be achieving a specific grade point by the end of the semester. 

Breaking down weekly plans into daily checklists can help your child keep track of their tasks without confusion and easy to accomplish. After all, moving forward without a goal and reward becomes difficult and pointless. Use the right approach and resources, and identify the places where they may need some help.

Encourage students to use the SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) for setting their goals. This method provides a clear roadmap to success.

For teens, set up a reward system different from what you gave them when younger. For example, allow them to go to the birthday party they insisted on going to, buy something they always told you about, or make their favorite dinner for the night. 

4. Inculcate active learning strategies

Teach your teen effective not-taking techniques like mind mapping. The Cornell method of note-taking introduced by Cornell professor Walter Pauk suggests different strategies of note-taking. This helps students while they are in school or in an online classroom. 

The basic idea of the Cornell method is that you must divide a page into three sections to write down questions or doubts, facts, and the summary. This strategy helps organize information and improve retention. 

The best practice for retention of subject material is to summarize and teach it back to parents, friends, or relatives. This practice also helps teens and overall learners to review and check if they are learning the right thing, the right way. 

5. Additional academic support

In the case of working moms and parents, teens often receive partial attention for learning good study habits. They often surf online to get additional help. 

Online tutoring not only helps improve study skills but also provides practical learning. This can include implementing studies in the real world, providing sample problems, and even working on exercises together. 

There are multiple online tutoring services available; the best ones are Wiingy, Wyzant, and Superprof. Wiingy tutors are highly experienced, verified, and personalized. They can cater to your child’s specific learning needs and their own pace. 

You can book a free lesson at Wiingy. It will help your child match with the perfect tutor per their needs. If they, for some reason, do not want to continue, Wiingy replaces the tutor free of charge after the first lesson. The lessons start at just $28/hr.

6. Encourage reading habits

Regular reading improves comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills. Encourage your teen to read a variety of materials, including fiction, non-fiction, and academic texts.

Parents should use expressive voices, gestures, and balanced pitch to bring the text to life. Practicing these techniques boosts public speaking skills and listening experience.

Help your teen pick reading material that interests them and is appropriate for their reading level. Engaging books can spark a love for reading and enhance learning. 

7. Set clear guidelines for electronic device use

To ensure that your teen uses electronic devices responsibly and effectively, parents must set up a few stringent guidelines that can help them maintain good study habits. 

As per research by UniversityPrep, children should not use devices during family meals or after a certain hour in the evening to make sure they have a good night’s sleep. Watching screens before bedtime delays sleepiness for hours. 

Encourage balanced usage. Ask your child to dedicate a significant portion of their screen time to educational purposes rather than just aimlessly scrolling through social media. Use apps that limit social media use during study periods and promote focused work sessions.

It is important to discuss respectful online communication and the consequences of cybercrime. Teach them how to send and receive information online. Make them understand the various positive and negative behaviors that need to be addressed while surfing the web. 

8. Make healthy eating choices

Some foods help students focus on learning. Parents need to inculcate healthy eating habits in their teens so that they continue consuming healthy food in the future. 

To retain concentration and mental calmness include berries in children’s diet. Berries contain compounds like anthocyanins that enhance mental performance. Along with that, you can add some citrus fruits to boost overall brain function. 

If your teen is struggling with complex subjects like math and science, then a bowl of citrus fruits with berries will help. Nuts in general are very helpful for a growing mind and can be added to their diet. 

Consider eggs, beets, and fish to accelerate blood flow to the brain nerves to help slow mental decline or breakdown. 

9. Introduce your teens to stress management skills

Identify sources of stress, whether they are academic, social, or personal. Understanding these stressors is the first step in managing them effectively. 

Explore how to maintain a healthy balance between achieving academic goals and preserving mental well-being. Provide them a safe space to talk about their problems and anxiety. Teens often get tests or exam stress, due to failure and lack of preparation. 

For students preparing for exams, personalized guidance from online tutors can make a significant difference. Platforms like Wiingy offer expert help tailored to individual learning needs. To explore how tutoring can reduce exam-related anxiety and improve performance, read our blog “Preparing for Your Next Coding Exam? Tutoring Can Help You Succeed”.

Many online tutoring services help them overcome exam fears. Wiingy, Wyzant, and Khan Academy are a few best platforms offering expert guidance on exam preparation. 

Introduce stress management techniques like deep breathing, meditation, or physical activity. Encourage them to find what works best for them. 

10. Track progress

Regularly check in with your teen about their progress. Ask them about their homework, learning needs, and overall well-being. Open communication helps you to understand their challenges and successes. 

Be flexible and willing to adapt study plans as needed. What works one week might need adjustments in the next. Hence, acknowledge that to reduce time consumption for better results.

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Conclusion

Developing effective study habits is a journey that requires patience, support, and consistency. By understanding your teen’s unique needs and providing a structured yet flexible environment, you can help them thrive academically. Remember, your involvement and encouragement play an essential role in their success.

Other useful parent resources

Benefits of Afterschool Tutoring [Parent’s Guide]

Benefits of Summer School [For Parents of Middle Schoolers and High Schoolers] 

Transition from Middle School to High School [A Guide for Parents & Students]

Transition from High School to College [Top 10 Tips]

Homework Tips for Parents [Top 10]

How to Prevent Summer Slide for Your Child? [Guide for Parents]

Math Tutoring for All Ages: How Wiingy Supports K-12 and Beyond

FAQs on effective study habits for teens