By Andrea Atkins
If you want your kids to get good grades, they have to study-the right way. 
A+ Study Habits
The Best Way to Learn Vocabulary
Read it, write it, say it, hear it, says David Ball, a sixth-grade social studies teacher in Rye, New York. First, read the definitions. Then, with the book closed, write each one on a notecard. Next, say the definitions aloud (preferably to a partner, like Mom or Dad). Last, listen to your partner say the definitions aloud. Repeat from the start.
Create a Mobile Desktop
Since kids are always on the go, fill a lidded container with pencils, pens, paper and other supplies so your child can do homework in the car, on the couch, at his sister's basketball game. He can use the lid as a desk, and whatever he needs is right at his fingertips, says Joe Bruzzese, author of A Parents' Guide to the Middle School Years.
Color-Code Reading
Have your kids use small, different-colored adhesive notes to "highlight" key passages they read, suggests Brit Foster, a high school English teacher in Rye. For instance, try yellow to denote themes, blue for symbolism, pink for characterization and so on. It helps kids prep for tests and gives them the confidence to take part in class discussions.
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