Every parent knows that once the child starts with school, you get to relive some of your school days (trauma included) as learning things becomes a family affair. Ever since I finished school, I remember the feeling of happiness it was all over, especially the subjects I didn’t feel I was that good at like maths. Having my two boys in school has certainly made me relive some of those maths days and struggles.

Primary school maths is one thing, but secondary is a completely different thing. I can feel the level of difficulty increasing for me now that Ethan is 12, and is beginning his 7th year in school. He’s the kind of boy who doesn’t shy away from asking for our assistance with mastering a specific subject if it would help with his skills and grades. And we love him for it. 

As my husband is the mathematician in our household, however, and he isn’t always around when needed because of his job, we resort to the next best thing – comprehensive study guides perfect for in-depth explanation and exercises. Lucky for me and my boy, with editions such as those from Five Senses Education, it’s easy to go over the essentials with various subjects, and I already know I can count on them for the years to come too.

What Are the Benefits of Study Guide?

Tailored specifically for the Australian curriculum, study guides have become an indispensable tool for students (and parents) across all levels of school. As indispensable and trusted as my Hobonichi planner, I might add. Their helpful concept is designed to assist with learning which explains why it’s full of topics, ideas, rules, questions, and problem-solving points for the adequate school year. As such, what you can expect kids to benefit from this tool is: 

Confidence

Let’s face it, it’s natural not to feel your best when there’s some subject or part of it you haven’t fully mastered. Getting the right guide is a wise investment in the child’s confidence, as he or she would feel a boost in the self-assurance once they feel able to do the needed exercises and exams like NAPLAN and get a great grade for their effort. 

Organisation

Not every child is born an organised person, and it’s perfectly okay. It’s also okay to acknowledge being organised is something that would come in handy for them later in life, and you’d be happy to know a guide can be just the tool they need to work on it. Having all of the crucial content broken down into simple ideas and rules can set the proper foundation for them, and provide the ideal example of how to organise a specific material later on in school, university, and even professional life. 

Then again, there’s an aspect parents like me find particularly useful which is making the most of the content thanks to organisation, and not having to spend time looking for helpful resources online. One purchase is all it takes to get a hold of all the crucial info for the specific subject and matter. But, if you were to look for other resources, rest assured it can easily be used in a combination with them. 

Progress

It’s easy to track how far your child has gone in their learning when you’ve got resourceful study guides that are also equipped with checklists or even self-assessment tools. It would be easy to also motivate your child to be more consistent with working on the added exercises in the book, more so when he or she can see for themselves with the checklists and assessments. 

And, while I’m at it, this can make it piece of cake to adopt consistent practice without having to force them into it. Practice does make perfect after all, and they’d get to experience this thanks to the guides. Don’t be surprised if it inspires them to be more consistent with certain habits or activities outside of school too. This can be a huge plus you didn’t see coming! 

Wave Stress Goodbye

Not every child experiences fear or anxiety, however those who do know how traumatic going through exams can be. Sometimes, this isn’t even for lack of knowledge, but rather the whole setting and not being able to manage time well. 

Lucky for your child, the guide is a tool that allows you to recreate exam conditions in your home, letting them go over the fear or anxiety by giving them the chance to work on the exercises while managing time. Going through the experience at home first can be just the thing they need for when the actual exam happens in school.

Save Money

Okay, this last one isn’t exactly a benefit for the kiddos but for the parents. Tutoring is nice and all, yet not everyone can afford to have that many lessons with a professional, and when that is the case then the guide as the next best thing proves to be of the essence.