Teaching Students
to Learn How to Learn
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It's perplexing that most elementary, middle school and high school curriculua don't teach fundamental homework and study skills. The truth is that most students have to be taught the best ways to learn, and that their comprehension and retention in all subjects improves remarkably as they learn how to learn. In this article, Author Mary L. Dennis shares with teachers some of her observations and anecdotes in writing the Teacher's Guides for Great Homework and Study Skills.
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Wouldn't it be great if all students were so motivated to learn that all you had to do was set them loose in a good-sized library with plenty of computer terminals, and just be on hand to answer questions? Unfortunately, students like that are rare. We all know how important it is to get them motivated to want to learn the material in a lesson we're about to present—but there is still this question: Do they know how to learn the material?
This is a question we kept in mind as we developed the Great Homework and Study Skills for Young Adults VHS and DVD and the accompanying Teacher's Manuals, one tailored to middle school students and the other designed for high school students. I learned some interesting things while researching for the manuals. For instance:
• The SQ3R method -- survey, question, read, recite, review -- is covered thoroughly in the program and manuals. Did you know it uses all three main types of learning styles—auditory, visual, and kinesthetic? Perhaps that is why it has been used so successfully for over half a century.
• Students who are taught the SQ3R are surprised that they can read their assignments in less time, yet retain more of what they read.
• Getting students to listen is as simple as giving them a reason to be interested in the subject. Simple? Then why don't they listen? The manual gives you some tips on how to make listening their job. Students follow the path to real learning by
- finding a way to connect with lessons,
- staying actively involved as they listen for the major points and the relationships among them, fitting ideas together to "get the point," and
- summarizing and reviewing their notes to add reinforcement.
• Finding a good place to study is another key factor in better academic achievement. Students use our Study Environment Evaluation Chart to zero in on the characteristics of the various areas where they study and use the results to choose the best place for them.
• Many, many students are just plain disorganized and absent-minded. They can't keep track of books, test dates, and assignments. They don't know how to prioritize. These are not necessarily skills that come naturally. Students have to be taught how to systematize, and we provide tools to help.
• Taking tests can create real trepidation even in the hearts of well-prepared students. They feel like they're entering a dark room with no clue where the light switch is. We show them how to turn on the lights and give a shining performance.
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Using Our Site to Learn About Study Skills
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- Want to achieve better grades and have a better understanding of the material you read?
- Need some homework help to get you through a tough assignment?
- Would some good study tips come in handy for that big test coming up?
- Are you looking for tips to help parents with their kids homework?
Effective study skills are important for just about everyone: children, middle school students, high school students, college students, and even for adults since learning continues throughout one's lifetime. At this educational web site, we've connected you to the best learning strategies and study skills available. By using our study skills instructional video and exploring the study skills links provided, you'll have everything you need to increase your learning ability. Or if you're a parent or teacher, these educational resources will help improve your child's or student's study skills. Whatever your needs, you'll find everything that is study skills related right here at this comprehensive site.
Please take a few moments to see everything our site has to offer. Visit our Taking Better Classroom Notes page for some quick tips to improve your note taking skills. Our Homework Help page connects you to helpful homework tips, tools, and homework reference sites. Our Study Skills Links provide helpful resources for even more homework and study skills tips, checklists, study strategies and more. So enjoy our free study skills resources web site and use it as your home base for study skills and homework help.
Of course, there's no better source than our very own Great Homework and Study Skills to learn everything you need to know to become a better student, improve your grades and achieve a better understanding of what you learn. If you're a teacher, be sure to check out our Great Homework and Study Skills Teacher's Manual: Ten Teacher Lesson Plans. Two independent versions of this remarkable teacher's guide are available! One is designed specifically for middle school, and the other is for high school teachers. Both guides cover the same comprehensive material with level-appropriate objectives, activities, handouts and exercises.
Click here to bookmark our site and use it as a stepping stone whenever you want to improve your homework and study skills.
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