5 Ways to Help Your Student Finish 2016 Strong

After the Thanksgiving break, thoughts turn not to learning for most students, but to Christmas. Stores, homes, businesses, and classrooms at Orange County private schools are all decorated and thoughts linger on gifts to give and receive, relatives to visit, Christmas parties, and the pageantry of Christmas Mass. The excitement of Advent, which begins soon after Thanksgiving, hardly gives students any breathing room to focus on their studies. End the semester on a positive note – especially with the mid-semester tests in December – with the following ideas.

• Eyes on the prize: Focusing is a skill that must be practiced. Ask your child what keeps him or her on task – checking items off a list, visualizing the feeling of completion, good grades, or a reward – and follow through on helping them focus.
• Progress rewards: Children love surprises. Give your child a small reward for studying for a test and earning a good grade on that test. The reward could be a trip to an ice cream shop for a double scoop, renting a movie, or simply playing outside with your child. Whatever the reward, let your child set it, not you. Your idea of a reward may be far different than what is wanted and studying may suddenly come to a halt.
• Take breaks and exercise: Studying for three hours the day before an exam is difficult. Ease up on the schedule by studying for an hour (or half an hour for younger students) and taking a break to run around outside for fifteen minutes. The ability to focus is strengthened with exercise and breaks, so the time is definitely not wasted.
• Keep it simple: Christmas parties and events crowd out study time. Keep the whirlwind of Christmas activities to a minimum and create a study schedule that works for your child and your family.
• Celebrate as a family: It is not fair to your child if you leave him at home while the remainder of the family attends a much-anticipated Christmas concert. Make an effort to study together and assure the information is known before the entire family attends a Christmas event. You can even use the event as a break, studying in the car on the way to a Christmas party and studying on the return trip. This will alleviate tension and keep your child in the Christmas spirit while you all learn something new by studying together.

When the exams are completed, it is time to celebrate. Walk around the neighborhood looking at Christmas lights, take in a living nativity, visit theme parks decorated for the holidays, bake cookies, and visit friends. Make the most of your family time, but do not overschedule your entire Christmas break. Leave time to relax and enjoy each other, and play together with the gifts given to your child. The Diocese of Orlando wishes all its Orange County private school students and their families a Merry Christmas and joyous New Year. Call the Diocese at 407-246-4903 for a calendar of events during the month of December, from Advent to New Year’s Day, and read our blogs to learn more tips on helping your children study and stay on track to make the most of their school year.