Study Skills
rStrategies for organizing and remembering. In order for your child to remember information, the information needs to be filed away in his brain in an organized way. The information will then be much more easily accessible when it is time to retrieve and use the information in the classroom or on a test. Tests are often used by teachers to evaluate how much students understand and retain after days, weeks, or even months of class work, reading, discussions, homework, and projects. It is important that your child develop organized systems for keeping track of information, or he may become overwhelmed or confused about the many details. You can help your child accomplish this by:
Strategies for self-monitoring For all students, an important part of studying is becoming aware of their most common mistakes, so they can try to avoid making the same errors on the next test. To help your child become more strategic while studying, you can:
a. Did I copy the problems correctly?
b. Did I remember to label my answers?
c. Did I use the right operation?
d. Did I check my answers to see if they make sense?
Making a study plan and sticking to it The following suggestions may be helpful when your child is studying for tests in content areas such as history or science. Encourage your child to:
Before School
Get plenty of sleep Be sure to get up in time :-) Eat a good breakfast Have all your school materials ready, and be sure to take them with you. Be on time to school
During School
Be on time to each class Go to school with the intention to learn Be Prepared !
At Home
Homework !
Note Taking Guide
BE ATTENTIVE:
Listen for special instructions
Write the date and topic
Begin taking notes immediately
BE CONCISE:
Summarize the main idea
Use abbreviations
Draw simple illustrations
BE ORGANIZED:
Write a title or heading
Listen for transitions
Ask Questions
Use a special system of making your notes
Label
BE SMART:
Always copy down what teachers write on the board
Circle important words or ideas
Don't let your notes sit - read them often
READING STUDY TIPS
Preview (Scanning the Chapter) Technique Procedures
Begin with the first page of the chapter.
Reading from left to right, read all the BOLD PRINT.
Read the chapter learning objectives, (point of interests etc).
Well-written history textbooks will have a timelines
Scan or skim the entire reading assignment, pay attention to the following items:
- Section titles
- Sub titles
- Key terms in bold print
- All the pictures and the captions
- Section review questions
While performing these procedures you should attempt to answer this question:
What is this chapter is about?
SQ3R
S Scan the reading assignment (as described in pre-reading)
Q While scanning the reading, create questions as to what the chapter is going to address.
R Read the assigned text.
R Recite to yourself what the paragraph was about.
R Review what you have read.
RAP
RAP is a mnemonic device to assist in reading comprehension.
R Read a paragraph
A Ask yourself what the two main points of the paragraph were
P Put it in you own words
Highlighting Text
This is a very affective tool to use to help identify information that is important to learn. While reading, highlight with a yellow highlight the following:
- Items you do not know (but need to know)
- Key terms
- Main points of the paragraph
Do not highlight everything (what’s the point?)
Note Taking Methods:
Margin Notes
As the name suggests, margin notes are simply writing brief comments in pencil of what was the main points of the paragraph was. This is an excellent place to us RAP to aide in determining what to actually note. *** Remember, if you are reading a school textbook this might not be the best method to use.
Sticky Pads
Basically this is the same method as “Margin Notes,” but you are not writing in the book. You can place the Sticky Pad next to the paragraph you have just read. An added bonus to using Sticky Pads is you can use them to study similar to flash cards.
KWL
Is a reading device that a reader can use to note what they already know about the subject; what they want to learn about the subject and after they read, what they learned from the reading (see attached KWL sheet).
Reading Journal/Log
This method is a varied as the subject being read and the person performing the reading. Reading Journals can be a summary of each reading assignment. The focus can be on the: who, what, where, why, when and how of the reading. Some readers may choose to outline the reading, draw cartoon characters to represent what they read, write out terms and their definitions.
- Making sure he is doing nightly reading assignments and using a system to record or summarize, such as taking notes, writing section or chapter summaries on sticky notes, or answering questions at the end of each chapter.
- Having him summarize orally to you what he has read to make sure he derived the main ideas.
- Assisting him in organizing materials, such as cleaning out binders and folders, checking Planner, creating sections with tabs or folders, and making sure all study materials, including study guides or review sheets, are gathered in one place.
- Crazy phrases: If your child has to remember a list of items in order, such as the planets in the solar system, help him come up with a silly sentence using the first letter of each item on the list. The following is an example many teachers use to help students remember the nine planets in order: My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas. Otherwise known as: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto.
- Acronyms: When the order of the information does not matter, your child can take the first letters of each item on the list and try to form them into a word. For example, to help remember the 5 Great Lakes, the acronym "HOMES" can be used: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior.
- Cartoons or pictures: If your child is a visual learner, it may help to make cartoons to illustrate concepts (e.g., history, science) or to draw small pictures to trigger his memory for vocabulary words.
- Word associations: You can help your child make connections to other information he knows by using the sounds or visual representations of words. For example, if he has to remember that the word "distinct" means "different or unmistakable," you can help him find another word that sounds similar, such as "stink." If something stinks, it is definitely different and unmistakable!
Strategies for self-monitoring For all students, an important part of studying is becoming aware of their most common mistakes, so they can try to avoid making the same errors on the next test. To help your child become more strategic while studying, you can:
- Ask him to look through his graded homework assignments and previous tests to find any patterns of mistakes.
- Help your child to make a personalized checklist of test-taking techniques to remember while taking the test, such as remembering to look back to make sure he didn't miss any questions or remembering to answer all parts of the questions. Checklists can be subject-specific as well. The following is a sample personalized checklist for a math test:
a. Did I copy the problems correctly?
b. Did I remember to label my answers?
c. Did I use the right operation?
d. Did I check my answers to see if they make sense?
Making a study plan and sticking to it The following suggestions may be helpful when your child is studying for tests in content areas such as history or science. Encourage your child to:
- Assemble all relevant materials before he begins, namely, textbooks, class notes, homework, and old quizzes.
- Make strategy cards for important concepts or terms by listing the term on the front of the card. On the back of the card, your child can list the key information and a memory strategy.
- Review class notes, homework, and quizzes, highlighting important information.
- Make a chart of the important events and note their causes and consequences.
- Predict possible essay questions and jot down notes for answering each question.
- Explain the main ideas of the chapter to a parent or friend.
- Have friend or parent quiz him.
- Make a timeline of important events in the chapter.
- Answer questions at the ends of the chapters.
Before School
Get plenty of sleep Be sure to get up in time :-) Eat a good breakfast Have all your school materials ready, and be sure to take them with you. Be on time to school
During School
Be on time to each class Go to school with the intention to learn Be Prepared !
- bring all your required materials to class
- pencils, notebook paper, etc.
- write complete details of assignments (requirements, date due, page number etc.)
- follow classroom rules
- ask questions at the appropriate time
- stay focused and on task
At Home
Homework !
- make it a habit to study at least 30 minutes everyday
- create a study plan to manage your time better
- study difficult subjects first.
- study in a quiet place away from any type of distractions
- use mnemonic terms to help you remember key information
- create your own study sheet (what you think is important to know)
- review your notes and highlight information that could be on the next test
- read your notes aloud
- create your own tricks to learn
- do not put it off until the last moment
- have all your school materials ready to go the night before
Note Taking Guide
BE ATTENTIVE:
Listen for special instructions
Write the date and topic
Begin taking notes immediately
BE CONCISE:
Summarize the main idea
Use abbreviations
Draw simple illustrations
BE ORGANIZED:
Write a title or heading
Listen for transitions
Ask Questions
Use a special system of making your notes
Label
BE SMART:
Always copy down what teachers write on the board
Circle important words or ideas
Don't let your notes sit - read them often
READING STUDY TIPS
Preview (Scanning the Chapter) Technique Procedures
Begin with the first page of the chapter.
Reading from left to right, read all the BOLD PRINT.
Read the chapter learning objectives, (point of interests etc).
Well-written history textbooks will have a timelines
Scan or skim the entire reading assignment, pay attention to the following items:
- Section titles
- Sub titles
- Key terms in bold print
- All the pictures and the captions
- Section review questions
While performing these procedures you should attempt to answer this question:
What is this chapter is about?
SQ3R
S Scan the reading assignment (as described in pre-reading)
Q While scanning the reading, create questions as to what the chapter is going to address.
R Read the assigned text.
R Recite to yourself what the paragraph was about.
R Review what you have read.
RAP
RAP is a mnemonic device to assist in reading comprehension.
R Read a paragraph
A Ask yourself what the two main points of the paragraph were
P Put it in you own words
Highlighting Text
This is a very affective tool to use to help identify information that is important to learn. While reading, highlight with a yellow highlight the following:
- Items you do not know (but need to know)
- Key terms
- Main points of the paragraph
Do not highlight everything (what’s the point?)
Note Taking Methods:
Margin Notes
As the name suggests, margin notes are simply writing brief comments in pencil of what was the main points of the paragraph was. This is an excellent place to us RAP to aide in determining what to actually note. *** Remember, if you are reading a school textbook this might not be the best method to use.
Sticky Pads
Basically this is the same method as “Margin Notes,” but you are not writing in the book. You can place the Sticky Pad next to the paragraph you have just read. An added bonus to using Sticky Pads is you can use them to study similar to flash cards.
KWL
Is a reading device that a reader can use to note what they already know about the subject; what they want to learn about the subject and after they read, what they learned from the reading (see attached KWL sheet).
Reading Journal/Log
This method is a varied as the subject being read and the person performing the reading. Reading Journals can be a summary of each reading assignment. The focus can be on the: who, what, where, why, when and how of the reading. Some readers may choose to outline the reading, draw cartoon characters to represent what they read, write out terms and their definitions.