The Tough Subject!

There is at least one subject that we hate throughout our lives. No matter how hard we try to study it or like it, it never happens! Dealing with that one subject has always been our nightmare.

Just like we did, so do our kids have this one dreaded subject and it is often the troublemaker when it comes to exams and studies. Being the most hated subject, it quickly becomes the one that always gets postponed in studies. But to clear the examination, they cannot avoid it. So “time in hell” is guaranteed!

Today’s blog is all about dealing with that boring time and give you some pro tips of turning foes to friends!

1.         Back to the basics

Usually, a subject is hated because it isn’t quite understood. And for understanding a subject, it is necessary to know the basics. Take your kids back to the ABCs of the subject. Start from the very first chapter which normally contains an introduction to the subject or chapter.

If learning from the book isn’t proving to help, you can try methods like YouTube videos based on the basics or you can try to implement certain different teaching methods to make it interesting.

Learning the basics is time-consuming, but equally necessary for the kids

2.         Pause, Recall and Learn

Kids normally prefer finishing up the subject as fast as possible and that leaves them with very less understanding. Now, this is a fatal habit as they might never understand the subject. Get them into the habit of pausing, recalling and then learning. Here’s how to do it

a.        Pause: Ask them to read a line. Pause, then re-read it again slowly by focusing on each word and its meaning. Pause, and read that line again for the third time. The meaning would now be much clearer

b.        Recall: Let them finish reading about the concept or the chapter in a similar way. Now ask them to recall what all they read and what words do they specifically remember or forgot

c.        Learn: Once the whole process of pause and recall is done, ask them to explain what all they understood in their own words

This helps them understand the subject in a deeper way

3.         Quick tests

This is probably the best way to ensure that whatever the kids learned is well understood and retained. Arrange small tests at the end of every chapter or on specific topics. This has two-fold benefits. One that the chapter is understood and second, by the end of the last chapter all the previous chapters are well done!

Plus when you organize these tests, it makes the kids study harder with a perspective of doing well. In schools normally kids are used to studying 2 to 3 chapters for class tests. So giving a test based on the only chapter sounds very comfortable to them!

This is a classic example of managing the psychology of kids while they deal with that one dreaded subject

4.         First priority

Typically, the most hated subject is kept for the last moment, the simple reason for this being that the kids just simply don’t want to study the subject at all. This causes two problems; one the mind is already exhausted from studying other subjects and second less time is available in hand. Due to these two issues, studying it even at the last moment is a no-go scenario.

So tell your kids to give first priority to this subject. They are going to hate it, but make them understand the need to do this.

5.         Illustrations

Normally, subjects like Math and Science have illustrations given for each concept. If your kid is finding it hard to understand the concept, these examples can help a great deal in clearing the air.

You can also tell them to make up their own examples so that they would know how to apply the concept to situations.

6.         Make notes

Teach the kids of getting into the habit of noting down important things. Writing notes helps retain information. The more the kids write, the more easily they remember.

Writing in their own language also makes it smooth to revise the chapters later

7.         Solve problems

If there is access to previous year’s question papers or some question banks, let your kids solve maximum questions in it. This will boost their confidence in their capabilities of dealing with the subject. The more questions they solve accurately, the more their hate will start to disappear!

Turning the most hated subject into a likable one is no easy task. These tips are handy for sure, but most of all you need to help your kid in overcoming the fear of that tough subject!

Do you have any clever tips that you used? Let us know in the comments below of any cool tricks that helped your kid sail through this dreaded subject study!