How To Inspire Teens to Study Effectively Without Nagging

Did you miss the webinar last weekend?

I was sharing my “anti-boring” method for talking to teens about studying … in a way that raises grades, eliminates nagging and boosts self-confidence.

More than  100 concerned parents tuned in, and a few teens and adult learners, too.

We had a great time, and a number of you were inspired to sign up for my summer course. I also got several requests to share the talking points. So without further adieu…

2 mind-numbing study habits that all students should stop

1. Don’t sit still while reading or reviewing. If you’re not moving any part of your body (except your hand to turn the page) for more than 10 minutes, you are TOO STILL and you will bore your brain.
2. When you read textbooks or review your notes, don’t just start at the beginning. Instead, give your brain an “itinerary” for the “journey” you’re about to take while reading or reviewing the information for your test.

(Want me to walk you through how to stop, and what to do instead? Click here).

3 mistakes parents & tutors make that set students up to struggle

1. Parents, tutors and teachers often accept the words “study” and “review” — the two most boring words on the face of the planet — as if they are communicating something of value. (See the video above to hear more about this; See below to see what you could say instead).
2. We give struggling kids strategies for studying, often strategies that worked well for us when we were younger. However, we don’t explain WHY these strategies tend to work. When withhold this information, we are creating kids’ dependence on the specific strategies RATHER than teaching them how to choose the right strategies for the right occasion.
3. Tutors often study with the students during their tutoring sessions, without also expecting that students study on their own. This is another way of creating dependence; kids don’t think for themselves about how to study because they know they can just wait for their tutor to give them activities to help them study.

(Want step-by-step support without having to pay a lot of money for private coaching for you or your teen? Click here.)

5…no, 6! … fail-safe actions to do this summer to lay the groundwork for your Best School Year Ever

1. Get to know what is happening in your brain when you are learning. Understand what neural pathways are and how they are created. The better you understand your brain, the better you can choose study strategies that are efficient, effective…and anti-boring. The more parents AND kids understand this, the better they can communicate with each other.
2. Understand the difference between passive (boring) and active (anti-boring) approaches to learning.  Spend the summer practicing how to be more active when you learn. Notice all the ways we learn with all our senses: speaking, hearing, listening and moving our bodies. When you get good at creating active study techniques for yourself, you are learning to “think like a teacher,” which will help you ace tests when the school year starts.
3. Parents, practice asking better questions of your kiddos when you are discussing studying and learning. My two favorite questions these days are “What will you do to remember the key ideas?” and “How will you know when you are ready for the test and can stop studying?”
4. Make conversations about learning a family affair. At the dinner table, brainstorm with your kids when you are struggling to learn/process/memorizing something at work. Have fun with each other coming up with “anti-boring” ideas for learning. Effective learning means trouble shooting strategies until you find the right ones, so parents can model this alongside their kiddos.
5. Spend the summer collecting fun supplies that will make learning more active. This might include posterboard, clay, a giant white board, flashcards, etc. But don’t just read my list; everytime you go shopping notice if there are some supplies that belong in your “Study Cupboard.” Turn this into a game this summer. As you find a new supply, ask each other the question: “How might this supply help me remember key ideas more actively?”
6. BONUS: Find a mentor or a coach. Sometimes the parent/child relationship is such that parent involvement gets in the way of learning. If that’s the case, find an adult who can have these conversations with your kids. Family friends are great…you might also like to employ an academic coach like me!

Want an easy way to follow through with these suggestions?

This summer I am hosting an online learning extravaganza called “The Anti-Boring Approach to Powerful Studying“.

Through a series of short videos, animations, and activities, I will walk parents, tweens, and teens through the following:

• wacky and effective explanations for the brain science behind learning
• specifically what you’re doing now that bores your brain & hijacks learning
• a menu of 15+ non-boring study techniques
• how to turn those actions into efficient and effective study plans
• how to create rockin’ organization and time management systems
• how to fight procrastionation & follow through on your plan
• conversation starters for parents and teens to make communicating about studying easy and nag-free

Designed for students 6th grade through adult, this online summer learning experience condenses the unique study techniques developed from an anti-boring career coaching hundreds of students (teens and adults) and presents them in a playful, easy-to-apply format.

The course opens from June 15 to August 15. It has the following components:

• Six self-paced lessons (of about an hour each) that teens and parents can work through together and/or separately
• Bi-weekly online group chats with Gretchen Wegner to get personalized help and answers to your questions
• Facebook group for parents to share tips and tricks about how you are implementing these tools in your households
• BONUS: Interviews sessions with guest experts on topics such as Learning Styles, College Admissions, Learnings Disabilities, SAT/ACT Prep, Accelerated Learning Strategies, and more.
• Optional: Add on personalized 1:1 coaching directly from Gretchen (via video chat). Receive details about this after you have registered.

The $50 early bird discount is good through Sunday, June 8th at midnight. For more information and to register, click here!