Improve Your Study Habits - STUDY IS WORK!

To study is to read with sustained, purposeful concentration. It is not just a matter of skimming the assigned material and underlining the answers.  When preparing for the Watchtower Study, for example, first take note of the subheadings and the review questions.  Then, read the article slowly and carefully. Take not of the topic sentence, which is usually  the first sentence of every paragraph.  The topic sentence will often  alert you to the direction in which the paragraph will be taking you.  As you read through the article, thing about the way each paragraph supports the subheading  and ties in with the general theme  of the article. Make a note of any unfamiliar words and of points that you would like to clarify through further research.

The Watchtower Study is the study of the Bible. Therefore, pay particular attention to the scriptures, especially those that will be read when the congregation considers the material. Take special note of how the key words or phrases in those scriptures support the point being made in the paragraph. Moreover, take time to meditate on the scriptures that you read, and reflect on how you can perpetually apply them in your life. - Read JOSHUA 1:8.

Understandably, parents want the weekly Family Worship  period to be a pleasant experience for their children.  However, although parents should always have something definite in mind for family worship, there is no need for them to feel that they must organize special activities or exciting projects each week. While the Family Worship period may be spent  watching a monthly program on JW Broadcasting, it is also important for children to be taught how to study.  They need to learn how prepare for congregation meetings, for example, or how to do research on an issue that has arisen at school.  (Read  Hebrews 5:14)   If they spend some time on study projects at home, they will be better  equipped to focus on the material presented at congregation meetings, assemblies, and conventions, which may not always feature a video.  Of course, the length of each study period will depend on the age of the children.

Our Bible student also need to learn how to study.  When they are new, we happy to see them simply underline the answers in preparation for their Bible study or for congregation meetings.  But we do need to teach our Bible students how to do research and how to do meaningful study on their own. In that way, when problems arise, instead of immediately turning to others in the congregation for help, they will know how to get practical advice for themselves by doing research in our publications.

Next time: Improve Your Study Habits - STUDY WITH A PURPOSE

From the jw.org publications