Study Skills for Middle and High School Students

Study Skills Checklist of Students

How can you improve your concentration? First of all, find out what works for you. It's a good idea to begin studying for 15 minutes at a time, then work your way up to longer periods of study. Take breaks. Always give your time to take breaks when you are studying. Do not cram! That may sound like a good idea, but it's not. Review small portions of material; take a break; study some more. You will retain more information that way. Reward yourself for studying, learning a difficult topic, or completing a project. Go to a movie, spend time with your friends, or do the things you put off to study. You are more likely to study again and concentrate if you know that there is a reward waiting for you at the end. Find a comfortable, quiet place to study. It needs to be free of distractions. You want to study in the same type of situation in which you will be testing. Use the same place for studying. Studying in the same place will help you remember more material on the day of the test. Always study in a real emotional mood. Studying in a positive emotional mood when also help you remember more of the material.

The Study Environment:

Many students use the same method to study that they used back in elementary school. Did you ever realize that you may be able to improve on this to save time and energy? It's a fact that most students, regardless of how bright they are, can improve study habits.

• Choose a quiet, well-lit area, preferably a desk or table--no easy chairs. Keep it clear of clutter. Use the same location every time--be consistent.
• Make sure you have resources nearby and handy. Take your books home every night. Stock your study and homework area with paper, pens, and a computer.
• Get rid of all distractions: radio, phone, television.
• Don't study when you're tired. You need to be fresh to learn the material.

What is the difference between studying and doing homework?

How to read a textbook:

1. Review vocabulary and technical words found at the end of the chapter.

2. Read the main idea questions at the end of the chapter.

3. Read the chapter summary at the end of the chapter.

4. Review all charts, diagrams, pictures, captions, and graphs throughout the chapter.

5. Begin reading at the beginning of the chapter. 

Remember, the textbook is the thinking of the author. Let him or her draw you a roadmap by reviewing the end of the chapter before you begin reading.

Study Skills are also known as "study strategies." I prefer the word strategies. These strategies are specific approaches that are applied to learning and studying material.

Good learning strategies are necessary not just in school, but also in life. Experts on the subject state that most students fail tests because they just don't know how to study correctly.

Mind Mapping

Mind mapping, or brain mapping, is one of my favorite ways to organize my thoughts. I use a Google app called Mindmeister to organize nearly everything. I use mind maps to organize my notes for this blog. I use mind maps to organize my lessons for each class period. I share those mind maps with my students so that they can see that I practice what I preach. I encourage my students to start every writing and research project with a mind map.

Daily Pages or Journaling

Another strategy that I encourage in my students is daily pages. Daily pages are my personal term for journaling or writing in a diary. My daily pages specifically focus on me wrapping my brain around whatever I'm trying to work out or learn or even brainstorm. I've created specific daily pages on books that I want to write, educational resources that I want to sell online, lessons that I want to teach. The possibilities for a student are endless. My students begin each writing class period with Daily Pages. They have to write for the first ten minutes of class. I do give them a prompt, but I allow them also to write about whatever they need to wrap their brains around.

The PQRST Method

Preview the material.

Question the material.

Read the material.

Summarize the material.

Test yourself over the material.

Flash cards are a great and old-school style of note taking and learning. They are also cheap and efficient. Some teachers even require that students use note cards and turn them in as part of the project grade.

A method that is similar to mind mapping is tree diagramming. The learner writes the topic under study at either the top or bottom of a sheet of paper, then he works his way either up or down jotting notes about the subject. There can be many branches on a tree diagram. The playoff bracket is an excellent example of a tree diagram.

Outlining is not necessarily a method for studying as it is a way to organize your notes. Outlining is part of the prewriting part of writing, but one outlines after researching and note-gathering. 

Outlines are a type of tree diagram. Students and writers use outlines to organize their notes and ideas before they sit down to write the draft. Outlines are either sentence or topic ones. Ask your teacher if you are not sure what type to use.

Sketchnotes are fun, interactive notes that visually capture the learning. You are more likely to learn the material if you can visually identify the content. Sketchnoting allows you to listen more carefully and focus on the main ideas of the lesson. Use a sketchbook and fine point pen for sketch noting. Think of sketch noting as a sort of visual map of your learning. 

Here are some pretty basic tips:

Prepare for the class. If you are supposed to do some reading or planning, then do it. 

Be on time. 

Take notes.

Ask questions.

Think ahead of the teacher.