Help Your Child Work On A Group Project

4 ways to help your child work on a group project

Kids of all ages will need to work as part of a group at some point in their education. These projects are valuable because they help students learn how to cooperate, compromise, and achieve success while working with other students they don’t know. This skill helps students get along with each other and share ideas at their current level, but it also helps prepare them for a future in any career field where they will need to work with others. Unfortunately, many students dread the group project experience because they don’t like working with certain classmates or they don’t know how to get everything done in a way that allows everybody to contribute equally. There are some things kids can do to make their group project experience a positive one – our private Costa Mesa academic tutors are here to help your kids succeed.

1. Organize ahead of time

Group projects are significantly easier if students get together to organize what each student will do and make sure they have enough time to finish before the due date. It can be a challenge to get each student together in person so it might be a good idea for each member of the group to spend a little bit of time together at lunch or right after school so they can figure out how they’re going to complete the project. Students should make sure to bring any research materials they need to the group session as well as their laptop, tablet or paper & pencil so they can take notes while they study.

2. Utilize digital technology

One of the biggest complaints about group projects is that it’s nearly impossible to get every member of the group together at the same time in the same place. Each student has a different after-school schedule and may or may not be available at a specific time. If this is the case, students should utilize everything that digital technology has to offer these days. They can meet online using any number of communication apps and talk to each other in real time. Students can also share notes or research ideas with each other in a digital environment, so they don’t have to wait until their next study group meeting to share materials (READ: 4 Ways to Help Elementary-Age Kids With Their Homework).

3. Try to be fair to everyone

It’s also important to make an effort to be fair to everyone when it comes to assigning different tasks. No one individual student should be doing all the work; it is a group project after all. However, it often seems like one or two members of the group get stuck with more responsibility, so it’s important to break up tasks evenly but also give every member of the group enough time to complete their part of the project. Every student has a different schedule, different learning styles, and different after-school responsibilities so some will need more time than others to complete their assignment.

4. Focus on each student’s strengths and weaknesses

It’s also a great idea for students to focus on their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to doing well on a group project. For example, if one student has excellent handwriting and is good at taking notes they can write down all the important things that happened during the session. If another student is great at speed-reading, they might do a lot of the initial research to present ideas to the group. Each student will have something they need to improve about their study habits that they can focus on as an individual, but group projects are about learning how to work together, share ideas, and get along with students who aren’t in their immediate social circle.

In addition to these tips, help your child succeed on a group project with the help of a private Costa Mesa tutor from TutorNerds. Get a free Costa Mesa tutoring session when you refer a friend to TutorNerds. Contact us today for more information.

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