Homework/Study Skills

Help your child make paying attention to details a habit

Even the smartest kids can fail when they don’t pay attention to details. They get a C-, D or F on an assignment due to sloppy work or careless mistakes.

For good grades, children must develop the “detail habit.” They must slow down. Proofread for errors in spelling and grammar. Double-check math answers. Rewrite essays to ensure they’re legible.

To develop this habit, kids must link cause and effect. They must see that extra time and effort result in first-rate work they can take pride in. They must care about the outcome more than getting the assignment done as quickly as possible.

To help your child learn to self-monitor for details:

• Don’t lecture your child when she gets a poor grade due to substandard work.
• Identify problem areas. Ask your child’s teachers to specify details your child habitually neglects.
• Make an “Attention to Details” checklist of detail-oriented activities. The checklist can include things like: submitted neat work, completed assignment, followed instructions, checked spelling, etc. Have your child check items off.
• Brainstorm with your child how she might correct a chronic problem. Ask the teacher for ideas.
• Play detail identifying games. Write a short paragraph that has errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation. Have your child find the errors. Or write sloppily. Help your child rewrite your sentences to improve legibility.

Reprinted with permission from the February 2008 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2008 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: Lawrence J. Greene, 1001 Ways to Improve Your Child’s Schoolwork, ISBN: 0-440-50265-9 (Dell Publishing/Random House, 1-800-733-3000, www.randomhouse.com).