How Parents Can Support Smarter Studying: 4 Evidence-Based Learning Strategies That Actually Work
As a parent, it’s natural to want to support your child’s academic success - whether they're struggling to stay focused, trying to master a challenging subject, or just learning how to study effectively. But here’s the truth: most students aren’t taught how to actually study. Often, the most guidance a student might get is a basic understanding of flashcards. Though self-testing is an excellent strategy, creating flashcards can feel tedious, inaccessible, and ineffective if done improperly. Therefore, many students rely on study habits that feel productive (like re-reading notes or highlighting), but aren’t actually helping the information stick.
Thankfully, research in cognitive science has identified numerous simple, effective strategies that significantly boost learning and retention. These methods aren’t fads. They are grounded in decades of evidence. Even better, there are ways you can help your student put them into practice.
Here are the four strategies, and ways to promote the use of them at home:
1. Spaced Practice
Instead of studying everything all at once (a.k.a. cramming), students learn better when they space their studying out over time. Studies show that using this strategy alone can improve test scores by up to 10% (without any extra study time!)
How parents can help:
Encourage a regular study schedule instead of last-minute prep. Maintenance studying prevents the need to cram.
Help your child break big assignments or test reviews into smaller chunks across days or weeks.
Think of it like watering a plant—frequent small doses help it grow better than one giant soak.
2. Retrieval Practice
Actively try to recall information from memory, like quizzing yourself or writing down what you remember without using notes. Brain Dumping is a great example of this: Have your student write down the top 10 larger concepts they are learning about. Then, with their notes away, have them write down everything they can remember about each concept (what other concept is it related to, terms and definitions, examples). Then, ask them to bring their notes back out and compare what they wrote.
How parents can help:
Ask your child to “teach” you what they just studied.
Encourage self-quizzing or flashcards.
Turn review into a trivia game—fun and effective!
It’s not about testing - it’s about practicing memory retrieval, like exercising a muscle.
3. Elaboration
Encourage your student to ask “how” and “why” questions to make deeper connections with what they’re learning. Often after taking a test students will say “The teacher never went over anything that was on the test!” This usually happens when a student memorizes only a term/definition relationship, and not the application of the concept. Making sense of material in their own words helps students think critically and retain information longer, as well as understand applications of concepts instead of simply definitions.
How parents can help:
During dinner or car rides, ask your child to explain what they’re learning and how it connects to the world.
Prompt them with questions like, “Why do you think that’s true?” or “Can you give me an example?” or “What do you think would happen if (choose a variable) was absent/increased, etc.?”
The more connections a child makes, the easier it is to recall and apply the info later.
4. Interleaving
This involves mixing up different subjects or problem types while studying, rather than focusing on one topic at a time. Often students think they need to finish one subject before moving on to the next. However, switching it up more accurately mimics a testing scenario.
How parents can help:
If your child is reviewing math, encourage them to mix in different types of problems instead of doing 20 of the same kind.
If they’re reviewing for multiple subjects, rotate between them instead of doing all science, then all history. The Pomodoro Technique is excellent for this learning strategy (working in focused 25-minute intervals followed by short 5-minute breaks to boost productivity and maintain focus).
This makes studying feel harder, but it actually leads to stronger learning in the long run.
A Final Word for Parents
Most students are not taught how to study effectively. They are given information and told they will be tested on it. Maybe they are even given a review sheet. But for most, discovering study strategies that are effective, efficient, and productive is a difficult task. That means they need help learning how to learn. The four strategies above are powerful tools you can reinforce at home. No matter the age of your student, building these habits now will set them up for long-term success.
And remember: It’s okay if they don’t master all four strategies at once. Try picking one or two to focus on, and grow from there. Over time, these habits can become second nature, and transform frustration into confidence.
Reece D’Angelo, M.S.
Executive Function Coach/Academic Tutor