Studying101: Smart Study Habits That Help Your Child

Technique 1: The 10-Minute Memory Test

Time needed: 10 minutes

Best for: Any subject

After your child studies a topic for 15-20 minutes, have them close their books. Set a timer for 10 minutes and ask them to write down everything they remember. This active recall technique strengthens memory pathways and shows what they actually learned versus what they think they learned.

Technique 2: The Teaching Challenge

Time needed: 15 minutes

Best for: Math, science, and complex topics

Have your child explain a concept to you as if you’ve never heard of it before. They can use drawings, examples, or analogies. If they struggle to explain something clearly, that’s a sign they need to study that part more deeply.

Technique 3: The Mix-It-Up Practice

Time needed: 20 minutes

Best for: Math, language skills

Instead of practicing one type of problem repeatedly, mix different types with smart study habits. For example, combine addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems in one practice session. This helps your child learn to identify which method to use in different situations.

Ways AI can benefit education with smart study habits:

While many students spend hours simply reading or highlighting, the real key lies in adopting smart study habits—not just more hours. As the University of North Carolina’s Learning Center notes in their “Studying 101: Study Smarter, Not Harder” handout, true learning comes from active engagement, not passive re-reading. You’ll also find a helpful article on study-smarter strategies outlining how short, focused sessions outperform marathon study blocks. The benefits of AI in education gives a clear overview of how adaptive tools and feedback systems can support your child’s learning. Moreover, articles on AI in U.S. classrooms and embracing AI in the classroom provide context for how these technologies are being used globally—and what to watch out for via the pros and cons of AI in education lens.