Is Your Child Studying Effectively or Do They Need a Better Game Plan?

mum and daughter studying game plan

Recently, we asked parents what they wanted their child to learn and focus on in terms of their studies:  

“I just want him to bring out his best and study more effectively.”  

“All I want is for her to stay on top of her studying.”  

It turns out, most parents are after the same thing – study effectiveness.   

But what does ‘study effectiveness’ really mean? As a parent, how can you measure and tell that your child has it?  

Some parents look at the numbers – marks and rankings. Others may turn to their child’s attitude towards learning, or if they frequently put things to the last minute.   

The thing about study effectiveness is that it’s not just about getting one or two things about studying well. It’s not just about reaching high exam results or making sure your child ‘likes’ to study.   

In this article, we explore the three signs of study effectiveness, including how you can measure and ensure your child is studying effectively to get those higher marks.  

Key Measurement of Study Effectiveness  

Contrary to popular belief, study effectiveness is about more than just your child’s marks or attitude toward studying.  

Real study effectiveness is about your child being consistent across all stages and all their subjects and pulling out a result that matches their abilities – not just their effort.   

Studying effectively is closely related to developing a set of study skills that helps your child yield higher marks but with less effort. Of course, these skills depend on their current strengths and areas for improvement.  

But overall, studying effectively means these three things:  

  1. Your child puts in the work.   
  2. They pull out a good result.  
  3. The result matches their ability (not just the effort they put in).   

The key measurement is simple: Do your child’s marks or rankings match their highest potential?  

If yes, then they’re studying effectively. If not, then they’re either not studying effectively, or there are some study skills that they lack or already have but need improvement.   

But it’s not as simple as solely pre-planning assessments, starting assignments earlier, revising consistently throughout the term or doing exam papers just to improve.  

Studying effectively is an entire process, not a singular task or point in time.   

girl studying effectively

That means that for your child to study effectively and improve their results, they require a personalised strategy. It’s backed by a recent report from the Victorian Department of Education, where personalised learning strategies were found to improve student achievement by 10%.   

Achieving study effectiveness is very similar to champion athletes having personalised training plans to get to that podium finish and bring home the gold medal. Your child needs a ‘game plan’ that’s crafted based on their current strengths and challenges so they can develop the necessary study skills to boost their results.  

Building Your Child’s Personalised Study Game Plan  

As a parent, you’re in a pivotal position to make sure your child has a game plan that perfectly suits their learning profile. Here are some of the best practices in building their study game plan:  

  1. Close the gap. Start the conversation. 

Teenagers find starting conversations about their school life difficult. That’s why it’s important for you to take the first step and close that gap so you can help your child express their needs and thoughts.  

Ask about their goals and challenges. Is there anything they want to pursue after school? What activities or subjects do they find hard to do or learn?   

Listening is one of the simplest and best things you can do. Make sure you give them a chance to articulate their thoughts without any fear of judgement.  

  1. Get to know their Unique Learning Profile. 

What are their learning strengths? What motivates them to study and improve their academic performance?   

What are the possible ‘blockers’ at school or at home that keep them from giving their 100% effort and getting the best results?  

These are just some of the questions you can ask to learn more about their unique learning profile (ULP), their distinct learning blueprint of strengths and weaknesses.  

  1. Find the best ways to support your child. 

Not all students are the same. Because of your child’s ULP, there will be specific strategies and tips that would give them the best kind of support. Ensure that you identify and understand these strategies so you can help your child take advantage of their ULP for higher marks.  

The easiest way to do that is to map it all out. So, nothing is missed, and any gaps in their study skills can be filled with appropriate study techniques.  

Even with this map, it can still sound like a lot, and that’s why we’re here to support and simplify.  

We’ve mapped out the top 6 domains for studying effectively and put it all in a study game plan. This guide contains 36 specific strategies to help Year 7-12 parents support their child in improving their study skills fast.  

It’s important to remember that your child cannot do this alone, even if they insist they can. Your child needs all the guidance and help they can get to improve their academic performance and school results.  

If you want more specific advice or to brainstorm ideas to better support your child, we are happy to help out. Simply book in a quick call, and our education strategists can help you craft the perfect study game plan for your child’s needs.