Study Skills to Share with your Student:

·         Take responsibility for yourself
Responsibility is recognition that in order to succeed
you can make decisions about your priorities, your time, and your resources

·         Center yourself around your values and principles
Don't let friends and acquaintances dictate what you consider important

·         Put first things first
Follow up on the priorities you have set for yourself, and don't let others, or other interests, distract you from your goals

·         Discover your key productivity periods and places
Morning, afternoon, evening; study spaces where you can be the most focused and productive.  Prioritize these for your most difficult study challenges

·         Look for better solutions to problems
For example, if you don't understand the course material, don't just re-read the material. Try something else! Consult with the teacher, a tutor, a classmate, or start a study group

·         Look to continually challenge yourself

       Partially adapted from the audio cassette by Steven Covey, 
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

Testing Tips

·         Review subject matter together for upcoming tests

·        Make sure to get a good night sleep

·        Eat breakfast

·        Dress comfortably 

·        Get to school on time

·        Read & follow directions carefully, and ask if you have questions

·        Do the easy parts of the test first, then the rest

·        Check over all answers before turning in the test

·        Encourage wanting to do well, but stress that one test won’t measure all that your child can do.

·        Parents and teachers…wish them luck!

Tackling Projects

Does your high school student put off long-term projects until the last minute?  Perhaps she doesn’t know how to get started.  Suggest that she create a project board to manage the assignment- a helpful idea from the book How to Study by Ron Fry.

1.      Buy a blank chart at an office supply store, or use a large piece of poster board.  Across the top, list the assignment, such as “Report on Favorite Author.”  Then, along the left-hand side, write “Week 1,” “Week 2,” etc.

2.      In each week’s slot, write down the steps that you want to complete and the time you think they will take.  Example: search for biographies at the library- one hour.  This process forces you to get started by thinking about each step and planning for them in your schedule.

3.      Put the completed board where you can see it, such as near the table or desk where you study.  Each week, go over what you need to accomplish in the coming week.

High School Years: Working together for lifelong success

Homework

When students do not have written homework, they should review notes from their daily lessons. Students should be studying and reviewing notes on a regular basis. Parents should check planners and homework on a regular basis as well. Please take the time to look in your child's backpack to check what is being done. If your child is constantly coming home and stating that he/she does not have homework, you should contact your child's teacher.

Homework Handover

By the time children reach middle school, they should be in charge of their homework.  But some kids struggle with the increased responsibility that middle grade homework requires.  Try these suggestions for helping your youngster handle homework:

·         Tell your middle grader that completing and turning in homework on time is her job.  Let her know that you’re confident she can handle it on her own.  Offer to help her gather supplies or decide on a place and time for homework.  Then, move on to the sidelines and let her take over.

·         Even though homework is your child’s job, continue to pay attention to his work.  It’s okay to give him help when asked.  Ask questions from time to time to see how things are going.  A “ready for that geography test?” shows your child you care.

·         Changes don’t happen overnight- developing homework skills takes time and effort.  Your middle grader’s grades may even drop at first as she adjusts to the new challenge.  But if she knows that you take her responsibility seriously, chances are she will too! 

Q & A: Great Expectations

Q:  My middle grader wants to do better in school.

How can I help her improve her grades?

A: Start by having her figure out the areas in which she needs improvement.  Suggest that she look over teachers' comments on previous assignments.  Has she turned in assignments late?  Help her create a schedule so she will begin projects earlier.  Are her test scores low because she did not prepare? She may need to sharpen her study skills.

Some kids find it hard to get motivated about doing schoolwork that is not assigned.  Remind your student that working hard every day can improve understanding-- the real goal of learning.  Even if your child has no homework, he or she could review a textbook or do practice worksheets.

As your middle graders makes improvements, let them know you are proud of their efforts.  Pointing out successes will build the confidence to keep trying!

Middle Years: Working together for school success