What Can Be Done in the Area of Study Skills?

Your student must develop a study style that will meet classroom demands. To assist in this effort, discuss with your student that the job of being a student is an important one during these high school years.

Assist your child in furthering the development of study habits that will aid concentration, classroom performance, and will reduce academic stress.

Good study skills improve school performance. The better a student's school performance, the more opportunities there are to choose from after school. Talk with your student about attitudes toward homework, class participation, note-taking skills, and test-taking strategies. Your student needs to feel prepared in these areas and you can help by doing the following:

• Identify commitments with your student (homework, sports, lessons, jobs, friends) and establish a schedule for completing all items.
• Suggest that your student budget time, and work on one project at a time.
• Create a consistent space for homework to be done. Preferably, it should be clean, well-lit, quiet, and outfitted with appropriate materials. Buy several good reference books (dictionary, encyclopedia, atlas, almanac, etc.)
• Create a consistent time block (a minimum of two hours is recommended for high school students) to complete homework. When your student does not have homework or has leftover homework time, they can use that time for other activities such as reviewing work, reading the newspaper, reading for pleasure, doing crossword puzzles, or sharing work projects with you.
• Telephones, TV, and headphones should be off limits during this time period.
• Let your student know when you are available to help review homework.
• Ask to look at assignments in advance if you are expected to help.
• Provide help and encourage homework. This will add to a student's academic success.
• Encourage sufficient rest and provide breakfast and trouble-free conversation. Encourage a relaxed attitude.
• Consistently praise all efforts your student makes to develop a regular and consistent study style that works for various subject matter. The student who does this is taking ownership in his/her academic progress.
• Watch for workshop opportunities for parents to further expand their skills in reducing homework and study hassles.
• Look for memos from staff in student handouts or during Open House.
• Attend presentations on how to nurture study in particular subject areas.
• Be willing to serve as a communication link between your student and a teacher when problems arise.
• Always invite your child to attend meetings with teachers.

ATTEND OPEN HOUSE
ASK FOR MIDTERM PROGRESS REPORTS
BE AWARE OF MAJOR GRADING PERIODS
ASK TEACHERS FOR GRADE TRACERS ON CLASSES TO BE CHECKED MORE CLOSELY
KNOW SOME STUDY METHODS
Different methods of studying can be used for different assignments. Here are a few which can be helpful for your child to use.

STUDY PLANS:

It's common to hear students say, I've read my assignment but I don't remember what I've read." That may be happening because the reader has no plan to follow. Students are not likely to make that statement If they are in the habit of using a study plan when reading assignments.

By knowing the steps that improve understanding and remembering, you can help your son or daughter switch from a read, daydream, forget method to a read, react, remember method. Many study formulas have been written to make it easier for students to remember how to read an assignment.

• SQ3R -Survey. Question. Read. Recite. Review.
• (3R) PQRST-Preview. Question. Read. State Test.

These study methods usually include some of the following steps:

1. Page through the lesson and read all the headings, questions and summaries. Look at pictures, maps and graphs. (This brief glance will give you a general idea of the material.)
2. Establish WHY you are reading. Make questions out of the headings in the assignment. Read the questions written by the author or teacher. This will alert you to the important points. Go one step further and try to think of answers to the questions before starting to read. IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE SOMETHING TO LOOK FOR!
3. Read with an active mind. Imagine or picture what you read. Look for answers to questions. Compare the answers you find to those you predicted before reading. (The key is to keep your mind alert by having a silent conversation with the author--agree doubt, ask, compare, and question.)
4. Look away from the assignment after each section. STATE THE IDEAS IN YOUR OWN WORDS.
5. After reading the entire lesson, read each section heading and check your memory by trying to remember important facts and ideas. Review in the same way days and weeks later.

Flashcards are helpful any time a large number of facts need to be learned. They can be used for such things as definitions, dates, names, and facts about people, formulas, and new words. Just making the cards in the first place helps students learn the facts. Here are some ideas for using flashcards:

1. When using cards for the first time, put them into small groups. Learn one group of cards at a time.
2. Shuffle the cards often so they aren't learned in a particular order.
3. Practice often for short periods of time.
4. Spend most of the time on cards that haven't been mastered yet.