Effective Study Strategies for Young Learners - Our 3 Tips

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By Zayna Dar, Founder, Shuhari Tuition

If your child spends hours at their desk but still struggles to remember what they’ve learnt, you’re not alone. Many students put in the study time, yet their hard work slips away in class tests or during exam preparation. The key isn’t in longer study sessions, but in using smarter study strategies and active learning techniques that make the learning process stick.

In this article, we’ll share three simple but powerful study tips: teach it back, space it out, and mix it up, which can help your child build strong study skills and approach exams with confidence. These methods work for different ages, from primary school pupils to secondary school students and even sixth form or college students who want to improve their study skills. Whether your child is a visual learner, an auditory learner, or prefers working with a study buddy in a study group, these evidence-based strategies can make revision more effective and less stressful.

Technique Number 1: Teach It Back - Learning by Explaining

One of the most effective study methods is to have a student explain what they’ve just learnt in their own words. This is known as the protégé effect and is a proven active learning technique. Explaining course material forces students to reorganise knowledge, making the study material easier to recall later.

Research in contemporary educational psychology has shown that students who prepared to teach others outperformed those who only studied for themselves (Fiorella & Mayer, 2013). For example, after revising a science lesson on photosynthesis, your child might try teaching it back to you. If they stumble, that’s a clear signal to revisit that topic again. This approach improves recall and builds communication skills and confidence, which are critical for academic success. It’s especially effective for visual learners and auditory learners, as saying ideas aloud and drawing diagrams are both forms of active learning.

Technique Number 2: Space It Out - The Power of Revisiting

Cramming the night before an exam might feel productive, but research shows it’s one of the least effective study techniques. Instead, spread revision into shorter, regular study sessions. This is known as the spacing effect and helps information move into long-term memory.

Studies published in Psychological Science found that spaced practice improves retention by 30–50% compared with cramming (Cepeda et al., 2006). That means students can actually study less and remember more. For example, 20 minutes of maths practice every evening of the week is far more effective than a 3-hour study session condensed in one evening.

Parents can help by encouraging children to create a study schedule with regular breaks that involves revisiting different topics. Over time, this builds effective study skills and reduces last-minute stress during exam preparation.

Technique Number 3: Mix It Up. Variety Builds Stronger Skills

Another evidence-based study strategy is to mix up different topics or question types in a single study session. This is an approach called interleaving. For example, instead of solving only algebra problems, students can alternate between algebra, geometry, and statistics.

This makes the brain work harder, which strengthens memory and improves adaptability. A study in applied cognitive psychology found that interleaving significantly improved test performance compared to blocked practice (Rohrer & Taylor, 2007).

This method also mirrors the structure of real exams, where question topics are often mixed up. By practising with variety, learners become more exam-ready and confident. They can also leverage resources such as practice tests to check their understanding across topics. Want your child to build good study habits that last? At Shuhari Tuition, our tutors use proven study strategies to help pupils feel confident and prepared for exams. Contact us to discuss our tutoring support.

How a Private Tutor Can Apply These Methods

Students can apply these techniques independently, or with the help of their parents. But many will benefit from the guidance of a skilled tutor who can apply these methods while deepening a student's subject knowledge by doing the following:

• Encourage students to teach back new topics during lessons, strengthening recall and pinpointing areas to revisit.

• Plan a structured study plan that naturally builds in spaced practice, helping students develop good study habits and avoid cramming.

• Introduce varied questions from different topics, simulating real exam conditions and encouraging adaptability.

At Shuhari tuition, we design personalised study plans that follow this guidance for each of our students. We've found that this tailored support empowers students to master the course content and learn effective study techniques that benefit them throughout school life, exam season, and beyond.

The Bonus Tip: Bringing It All Together

Individually, each of these strategies supports more effective studying. Combined, they create a powerful framework for developing solid study skills, managing homework more effectively, and setting achievable study goals. The focus is on quality, not just quantity. Short, well-structured study sessions in a quiet space, broken up with regular breaks, are far more effective than hours of passive rereading. 

With the right study method, students feel more confident, less stressed, and more in control of their exam preparation. For parents, the message is simple: encourage your child to adopt these effective study techniques, help them stick to a realistic study schedule, and remind them that learning smarter, not necessarily harder, will support their long-term academic success.

Individually, each of these strategies supports more effective studying. Combined, they create a powerful framework for developing solid study skills, managing homework more effectively, and setting achievable study goals. The focus is on quality, not just quantity. Short, well-structured study sessions in a quiet space, broken up with regular breaks, are far more effective than hours of passive rereading. 

With the right study method, students feel more confident, less stressed, and more in control of their exam preparation. For parents, the message is simple: encourage your child to adopt these effective study techniques, help them stick to a realistic study schedule, and remind them that learning smarter, not necessarily harder, will support their long-term academic success.

Key Takeaways: Effective Study Strategies for Young Learners

• Teach it back: This active learning technique helps students strengthen memory and confidence by explaining course material in their own words. It’s especially effective for visual and auditory learners.

• Space it out: Short, regular study sessions spread across a study schedule improve long-term recall by 30–50% compared with cramming. Adding study breaks and revisiting different topics leads to stronger study skills.

• Mix it up: Interleaving different topics and types of question in one study session mirrors real exam conditions. This study strategy helps learners adapt to varied questions and improves exam preparation.

• Private tutor support: Tutors can guide students in building good study habits, creating effective study schedules, and applying these study methods across homework, practice tests, and revision.

• Bringing it all together: Quality matters more than quantity. Well-structured study time in a quiet space, combined with active learning and strong study skills, sets pupils on the path to long-term academic success.

Ready to turn effective study techniques into lasting academic success? Shuhari Tuition’s experienced tutors create personalised study plans, guide pupils through practice tests, and teach methods that make learning stick. Whether your child is in primary school, secondary school, or preparing for sixth form or college, we’ll help them reach their goals with confidence. Book a free consultation today.