Many teenagers struggle with study. It’s completely normal. In fact, many people struggle with studying across all age groups. Something important that we need to be aware of is that this difficulty in studying does not necessarily mean that your teenager is being lazy or that they have a lack of ability. Adolescents are still developing organisational and planning skills. This means that most of the time they’re not aware of what they should be doing when they sit down to study, leading to inefficient use of time and little visible progress. Moreover, this struggle to study does not mean that parents are failing. This is a learning curve for everyone to figure out what works best in your home.
So, how can you help your teenager study efficiently at home? First, we need to focus on structure, not pressure. I have found that by having a clear routine and structure, this reduces decision fatigue. In turn, when your teenager sits down to study there is less time faffing about considering what they should be doing, and more time getting right into their work. Planning removes the “where do I start?” problem. This also means that more of their energy is dedicated to the actual study and not into deciding what to study. The best way to encourage your teenager to plan their study is to use a study timetable with them. This outlines a clear plan for them to follow, including what time to study and what topics to focus on at that moment.
Now that we have a plan in place, we need to help your teenager understand how to study. Many students don’t know how to break work into tasks. For example, “study maths” is too vague. Instead the study timetable should be more specific in what maths topic is being covered today. If there is a test coming up, I have found this is the topic students want to take priority. If they have just completed a test, I recommend looking back over what mistakes were made and revising and correcting them. Otherwise, I advise looking over the topic being covered that week in school, or finally revising over a topic previously covered that the student is still unsure about. This order of priority has worked well for teenagers when deciding what topic to study this week. This allows a specific plan, which teenagers should find easier to follow.
Your teenager should now have a study plan in place that they are trying to follow. Support this independence (without stepping back completely!). Let the plan be theirs, allow them to make mistakes, reflect, and alter their plan learning from their own actions. When giving them guidance on their study, ask open-ended questions instead of giving them instructions. Allow them to understand why they are doing what they’re doing. And finally, praise effort and consistency, not just results. The results will come with time. Right now, we’re focusing on providing your teenager with the skills needed to have success.
Of course, for a more hands-on approach. Parents who are happy to dedicate their time to their teenager’s study can also take part in the study process. This can be done in ways such as watching relevant documentaries together, quizzing each other, asking your teenager to teach you the topic, and turning revision into short, focused conversations rather than long sessions.
If you’re not sure where to start, I’ve created a free study plan template designed to help students build structure and confidence, without overwhelm. If you feel that you and your teenager may need more guidance than that, I also have a study bundle that you can purchase.