• Learning Styles
• Time Management and Organizational Skills
• Reading Skills
• Note-taking Skills
• Test-taking Skills
• Memory Skills
• Teaching Good Study Skills

These student-friendly, ready-to-use ideas will promote meaningful student growth and help all students succeed in their personal learning needs through better study habits. Be involved in making a real difference in learning.

Learning Styles

• Know your particular learning style; always combine How and Why with What you learn.
• Turn passive into active learning: Hear It, See It, Say It, Write, It, and Do It with all new material
• Intentionally decide which modality to use: Auditory, Visual, Kinesthetic before you begin
• Know your learning style and be aware of your study environment; eliminate all distractions
• Understand and apply left and right brain dominance characteristics to your learning and communication skills

Time Management and Organizational Skills

• Good organizational skills account for more good study habits than any other aspect
• Organize your mind, materials, and time
• Use a set study time 5 days a week; review all material (minimum of 5 minutes) for each class each day regardless of homework assignments.
• Use focused study time without distractions;
  • A minimum of 10 minutes per grade level five nights a week
  • Take a 10 minute break for every 30 minutes studied and do something active
  • Example: 8th grader: study 30 minutes / 10 minute break / study 30 minutes / 10 minute break / study 20 minutes
• Prioritize and make the best use of your time: Make daily TO DO LISTS, weekly and monthly calendars

Reading Skills

• Determine your purpose and rate of reading before beginning
• Use Power Reading Strategies and SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review)
• Read charts and graphs to help summarize information
• Read an entire paragraph then go back and write brief notes; always write page and paragraph numbers beside each entry
• Read the questions at the end of the chapter first; this gives your mind a reason to read to find the answers

Note-taking Skills

• Listen for the patterns of information presented through lecture format
• Listen 80% of the time and take notes 20% of the time
• Be an active listener; continually ask yourself questions regarding the material
• Develop and use a personal shorthand system
• Edit you notes into graphic organizers; use color, shapes and placement to your learning advantage

Test-taking Skills

• Recognize and control anxiety; use visualization techniques to relax and strengthen recall
• Know the format and expectations of the test; the more informed you are the lower your anxiety will be and you and can apply specific study strategies
• Use study groups to your advantage in addition to independent study time
• Listen closely to all verbal instructions before beginning the test; make notes in margins if necessary
• Quickly look over the entire test before beginning; know how to budget your time accordingly

Memory Skills

• Always understand what you memorize
• Link new information with what you already know; begin by asking yourself "What do I already know about this"
• Use a variety of mnemonics that fit your learning style: visual chains, acronyms, word links, acrostics, hookups, mental pictures
• Review new information 3 times before moving on
• Break down information into 3-5 items to learn at a time

Teaching Good Study Skills

• Empower all students with the knowledge of their specific learning modalities; apply individual learning style assessments and discuss in class the differences
• Ask: "What do you already know about this?", "How have you tried to learn this?", "Show me a strategy you can use to solve future problems like this one.", "What kind of thinking are you using?"
• Write down assignments on class calendars and expect students to keep individual monthly calendars and weekly assignment sheets; always include an estimated appropriate amount of time for completion in you directions for an assignment
• Use Daily Logs the last two minutes of each class period; student write or draw 3 main ideas they learned during class
• Help educate parents and strengthen home/school communications by sending home weekly/biweekly news letters

Links to additional information:

• Return to Study Skills Homepage
• Who Needs Study Skills
• Books
• Inservices, Workshops, Classes
• About the Author

For more information contact Gloria Frender

Phone: (303) 530-3195
E-Mail: frenderg@earthlink.net