[Forbes]
In parenting, the 80/20 rule has shown much success in helping parents manage their time and workload. This, in turn, decreased parents’ stress levels and made home environments more conducive for children.
But what if we could apply that same rule to our children’s education? After all, it increases productivity and improves time management which will help our children in their exam revision and learning.
What is the 80/20 Rule?
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Also known as the Pareto principle, the 80/20 rule is where for many outcomes, roughly 80% of the consequences come from 20% of the causes.
This principle was discovered by an Italian economist: Vilfredo Pareto, in the early 1900s after he noticed that in his garden, 20 per cent of his pea plants contained 80 per cent of pea pods.
How can You Apply it to Your Child’s Education?
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In Singapore, studies show that students have to complete up to 10 hours of homework each week. However, the number of hours may not be directly proportional to the quality of their learning.
Applying the 80/20 rule to your child’s education optimises their learning and makes their study sessions more productive.
Here are some ways you can do that:
1. Understand the main idea
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When studying a new topic, it is important to get your child to understand the main idea of the topic. These key points are the crucial 20 per cent of the content, and it helps them to understand the basics.
This doesn’t mean that the other 80 per cent of the content is unimportant. After all, it contains important details and examples that students need to study and revise.
2. Help them prioritise their time
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Although your child needs to study and revise the subjects and topics they’re weak in, they still need to set aside time to revise subjects that allow them to score well.
Using the 80/20 rule, advise your child to dedicate 80 per cent of their revision to their weaker subjects and 20 per cent to their stronger ones.
3. Giving them breaks
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During the exam period, allowing your child to take breaks from studying is crucial. It lets them destress and refresh their minds and bodies.
You can use the 80/20 rule to help you with this. Allow your child to study for 80 per cent of the time and dedicate the other 20 per cent to breaks where they can go out or just relax.
Conclusion
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There are many ways to help your child optimise their study sessions, and applying the 80/20 rule is one of them. It is simple and easy to use, and you can apply it to your everyday life too!
Let us know in the comments what your experience using the 80/20 rule was like!
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