Students of all ages can build strong study habits that will improve their productivity, academic performance and grades. These strategies take time to establish, but will pay off in the long run.

Distractions like noisy siblings, TV and mobile devices can be a major challenge when studying. Encourage your child to set up a dedicated study area with a few essential tools and remove distractions.

1. Set Clear Goals

Having clear goals is the foundation of any learning habit. Students who set specific, realistic study goals are more likely to stick with their studies, rather than studying sporadically and whimsically.

Goals can be as simple as choosing to study at a certain time and place each day or as complex as creating a weekly review schedule. However, the most important aspect of goal setting is that it should be personalized and fit the student’s school schedule and learning style.

For example, if a student is a kinesthetic learner, it may help to study in a room with movement or music. Alternatively, a visual learner might prefer to study in front of a chart or poster. It is also a good idea to create a list of key things to review before each test or assignment due date, including highlighting or underlining important information, reviewing the syllabus and course guide, and practicing sample problems.

It is also helpful to identify optimal times for study, such as in the morning, afternoon or evening. Eliminating distractions, such as checking the latest social media posts or turning on TV, can also make study sessions more productive. Try using apps that block social media or putting your phone on “do not disturb” mode during study sessions.

2. Create a Study Space

If you want to study well, you need a dedicated space that’s free of distractions. It also needs to be comfortable and ergonomic. That means a chair that supports proper posture, a table that’s at desk height for typing or writing, and enough room to keep laptops or notebooks without having to move them every few minutes.

For students living in homes with multiple people, a separate workspace may not be possible. But if your child has access to a family room, office or other area that’s not typically used for studying, they can try to convert it into a study zone. Remove food and dishes from the table, use a desk divider, set up a comfy chair, and stock it with useful supplies like colored post-its, pens, highlighters and scratch paper. Encourage them to personalize their space by adding posters, artwork or other decorations they enjoy. This can help them generate a study-mood when they sit down to work.

We’ve noticed that when a student feels invested in a particular study space, they tend to take it seriously. We’ve even seen some students give their study space names, which can trigger a sense of ownership and responsibility.

3. Set a Schedule

One of the best things you can do for yourself is to develop a consistent study schedule. This will help you focus and avoid procrastination and will also save time in the long run. Studies show that the more consistent you are with your study habits, the better you will perform.

Make sure to set aside specific times each week for study and stick to it. Shorter study sessions are more effective than long stretches that can lead to fatigue and lack of retention. It may help to break your studying into smaller blocks of time and to include regular breaks (see Habit #3). Reviewing new information or taking a brief quiz can be helpful in transferring it from your short-term memory to your long-term memory.

Experiment with different locations and times of the day to find out where and when you study best. You may find that some subjects, like math and science, work better in the mornings, while others, like history and humanities, may be more suited to evenings.

On weeks where you don’t have many exams or papers due, consider putting in an extra hour or two of study to get ahead and start big projects. This can make your final exam preparations easier and reduce stress in the days leading up to it.

4. Reduce Distractions

If you want to study effectively, you need to remove distractions from the environment around you. This includes eliminating noises from outside, muting the phone and turning off notifications during study time. It also means taking a break from the screen (including social media, YouTube and video games) to give your brain a rest.

Another effective study habit is reviewing the new information you learned in class before starting your homework assignment for that topic. This helps the brain move the material from short-term to long-term memory. Reviewing can be done by re-reading notes or reading the chapter that your teacher taught in class.

It is also important to avoid eating a meal or having too much coffee or energy before studying. These things can affect how well you focus and your ability to understand the material.

Internal distractions are just as important to reduce, particularly anxious thoughts. For students that have a hard time concentrating, it may be helpful to take a walk or do some yoga before sitting down to study. Some students even benefit from listening to white noise or music that helps them focus. There are also a variety of apps available for Apple and Windows computers that help with concentration by blocking access to websites, reducing distractions and blurring the background.

5. Make Study Time a Priority

For students to succeed at school, they must make studying a priority. Often, this means blocking off blocks of time to focus on study sessions. This is particularly helpful for children who may not be able to focus well when they are tired. For example, if a student feels most productive in the mornings, they might choose to study during that time each day.

Many students struggle to prioritize study time, especially when they are overwhelmed with assignments and exams. To help them see where their priorities lie, they should create a list of subjects or exam deadlines and rank them by importance. Then they can see where to spend the most time and where to be more flexible.

Once a schedule is in place, it is important to stick with it. It is also important for kids to learn to balance study time with other commitments like sports, band, work and socializing. Learning these skills will help them thrive in school and beyond. In fact, effective study habits are one of the key components to developing lifelong learners. By encouraging these habits, parents can help their child excel in school and in the workforce.

6. Create a Checklist

Good study habits don’t just help students in school; they can also help them in professional settings and even in their personal lives. However, it is important for students to understand which study skills are most effective for them.

One way to determine this is by creating a study plan. Similar to a checklist used by a pilot before flying or a mechanic as they service a car, studying with a plan ensures that all necessary steps are taken to achieve the desired outcome.

Another benefit of a study plan is that it helps students identify and address areas where they need to improve their study skills. For example, if a student often procrastinates or struggles with reading comprehension, it may be beneficial to try new strategies like retrieval practice or blank page testing to increase understanding.

Developing and maintaining good study habits will help students stay on track with their academic goals. However, it is important for students to remember that these habits need to be applied on an ongoing basis to see results. That’s why it is important to regularly evaluate a student’s study habits. We’ve created a handy study skill assessment that can help.

7. Reward Success

Many capable children at all grade levels experience frustration and failure in school, not because of their intellectual ability, but because they do not have good study habits. Parents can help them overcome this problem by helping them to prioritize the aspects of their learning they can control (study skills, not IQ) and by teaching them to develop helpful study routines.

For example, a common study habit that helps students improve their grades is to start homework on the day it is assigned. This way, the information is still fresh in the mind and less likely to be forgotten. This strategy also allows students to review the material before exams, which can reduce their stress.

Rewarding good behavior with rewards is another way to encourage students to work hard. But it is important to choose appropriate rewards that are not merely bribes. For example, a student who has worked to declutter their bedroom might deserve a reward of new clothes rather than a treat that negates the effort they have made.

Rewarding success is important in encouraging good study habits because it demonstrates to the student that they are working toward something valuable and will feel a sense of accomplishment when they achieve it. And a sense of achievement and self-respect is one of the best motivators to continue with a behavior.