Education Archives:
Strengthen Spring Study Skills
By Dr. Raymond J. Huntington
If you’re like many parents, you began the
school year with strict rules about homework completion, limitations
on television and Web surfing, and resolutions to “stay the course”
in paying close attention to your child’s academic progress. By
April, however, your son or daughter may find it increasingly
difficult to concentrate with the sun shining warmer and brighter
every day. But springtime is an especially important time for
improving up fourth quarter grades and preparing for final exams.
Here are some ways for students to screen out distractions and make
the very best use of study time in the classroom and at home.
Preview textbook lessons. Many students find it
helpful to preview textbook lessons before reading through them.
Introductions will generally outline the scope of the information
and give advance notice of some of the most important points.
Chapter headings and sub-headings will often define key principles
or ideas, and summaries will often provide a concise overview of the
information students are expected to retain. By reading the
introductions, headings, and summaries, the student can construct a
mental map of the content, complete with guideposts to some of the
most important points.
Pause to think about the material during the
reading and studying process. As students read through material, it
can be helpful to pause on occasion and summarize what they’ve read.
After reading a few paragraphs, for example, restating the main idea
and key points in their own words can help students retain and
organize the information.
Take notes effectively. Students can also make
more strategic use of their study time by learning how to focus on
the most important information in a lecture or textbook lesson.
Taking notes on the main points that are outlined in textbook
chapter headings and subheadings (which are often in capital
letters, bold face type or italics) is an effective strategy for
maximizing the value of homework. Listening carefully for distinct
or subtle verbal cues from an instructor (eg: “One of the key points
to remember from today’s lesson” or “now I’d like each of you to
think about the passage we just read”) can help students retain the
most important information from classroom lessons.
Pay special attention to textbook graphics.
Students should also remember that diagrams and tables in textbooks
are often used to clarify main ideas; they are also good indicators
of information that the author (and a teacher) may consider
important.
Engage in self-testing. Many students find
tests a nerve-wracking experience. Self-testing, on the other hand,
can be a low-stress way for students to ascertain how well they
understand the material, and pinpoint areas that need additional
time and effort. The process is generally simple. By taking a look
at the points of a lecture or the headings in a textbook chapter,
the student can often determine what types of questions might be
asked on a test. Going through the process can therefore help the
student define the most important information to remember, and
prepare effectively for the real tests to come.
Stay on a consistent study schedule. By this
time of the year, many students have strayed from the firm schedules
for studying and homework established last September. But it’s still
a good idea to set aside a time and place for studying every day of
the week. And the usual advice about the time and place always bears
repeating: students should avoid the distractions of television,
telephones and recreational web surfing, and they should work in a
well-lit, organized environment.
Take on the most difficult assignments first.
Most students have one or more subjects that they find especially
difficult. Because homework in these subjects tends to demand
sharper concentration skills, students should try and take them on
when they’re most alert. Getting the harder work out of the way
before going on to easier assignments alleviates anxiety and helps
students avoid being caught in a late night trap in which the work
becomes more difficult because of fatigue and frustration.
While it’s always important to establish good
study habits from the earliest grades, it becomes even more
important as students reach middle and secondary school, where
assignments tend to require more critical thinking and independent
work by the student. And although it’s only natural to occasionally
feel a bit overwhelmed, these strategies can make that work much
more manageable and academically rewarding throughout the academic
year.
Dr. Raymond J.
Huntington is co-founder of Huntington Learning Center, which has
helped children achieve success in school for 26 years. For more
information about how Huntington can help your child, call 1 800 CAN
LEARN.
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