Study Skills Educational
Highlights, Winter 1994 Learning How to Learn Elementary, middle and high schools have been focusing on incorporating study skills and organizational skills into their curriculums and specific subject classes. This is a positive step, since these are all life skills which our students will need to utilize in college and job situations. Requests for one-to-one tutoring in study skills have been on the rise. Our tutors have been busy teaching these skills by coordinating study techniques with homework and long term assignments, which is the most relevant and useful way of learning them. Just what are study skills, and what materials are available to assist students with their assignments? Study Skills Study Skills can be defined as processes that help students organize and direct the effort they invest in learning. The result is that the students become more effective and efficient learners, in charge of their own learning. Skills include learning ways of listening, following directions, time management, identifying one’s learning, style, mind mapping, reading for meaning, outlining, taking notes, charting, graphing, test-taking strategies and memory techniques. Certain of the skills such as listening, planning study time, creating a helpful study environment and taking notes are relevant across the curriculum, and for all ages. Other skills are more subject-specific, such as solving word problems in math or learning vocabulary in a foreign language. Parents’ Role Parents need to help their children or get help for their children, so they can discover how they learn best, which will make the learning process more comfortable and more successful. When the students, parents and teachers understand the best learning style for the student, and utilize it, the process is made that much easier. Be available to assist your child when asked, tailoring your assistance to the learning style. For example, if your child learns best by listening, oral questions would be appropriate. Be sure your child has a quiet place to study, enough time to do the work and the necessary materials. When talking about school, ask specific questions such as “Do you like working with a microscope?” rather than “How was science today?” as a way of determining if learning is taking place. Techniques and Results Study skills, as basic as any skills we teach, are learned best by doing. Instruction should involve an organized, relevant, curricular program which allows for trial and error. Most of the instruction should take place in the classroom, integrated with the regular curriculum. The skills should transfer to other subjects and other learning situations. However, if the schools haven’t succeeded in teaching your child how to organize his materials and learn from them, either parents or tutors can, and should, fill in the gaps. The student can make intelligent choices in his techniques for learning if he understands his own learning style. A critical point to remember, however, is that people are only able to deal successfully with learning tasks that are appropriate to their level of development. Mastering study skills offers students a means of increasing their sense of personal empowerment, which translates into a positive attitude towards school work and learning, resulting in more effective learning. Sources The following is a list of study skills materials which we use and find very helpful. Please call the office for further information.
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