2. Study Skills presentation will cover:
• The importance of study skills
• The truth about studying
• Self-awareness and learning
• Areas of focus and strategies to enhance learning
• Huntington Advanced Study Skills Program overview
STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
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Agenda
4. In order to be successful, students
must have the tools necessary to
effectively acquire, retrieve, analyze,
and communicate information.
STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
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Study skills are essential
5. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Study skills are essential
Study skills impact multiple aspects of learning including:
• time management organization
• recording and recalling information
• active reading
• managing test anxiety
• taking tests
• writing essays and reports
• conducting presentations
HOW CAN A STUDENT MEET
ACADEMIC EXPECTATIONS WITHOUT
THESE SKILLS?
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7. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
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The truth about studying
Re-reading a textbook and/or notes, while
time consuming, ensures deeper
comprehension and long-term retention of
information.
True or False?
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The truth about studying
Re-reading a textbook and/or notes, while time
consuming, ensures deeper comprehension
and long-term retention of information.
False
Re-reading is not active learning and does not require much thought. In
order for studying to be effective it needs “desirable difficulty,” an
empirically verified principle that shows that people have better recall
when they use mental effort.
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The truth about studying
DESIRABLE DIFFICULTY:
• Make the learning and studying process
more challenging by using strategies like
spacing learning apart
• Have learners generate test material
• Force students to use their mental “muscles”
and encourage a deeper processing of
material
• Make learning as easy as possible may
increase short-term performance (immediate
recall), but it decreases the more important
long-term retention
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Sources: “Highlighting Doesn’t Actually Help You Remember Anything”
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The truth about studying
Multi-tasking allows students to complete
work more successfully and efficiently.
True or False?
11. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
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The truth about studying
Multi-tasking allows students to complete
work more successfully and efficiently.
False
Switching between tasks negatively affects the accuracy of
completed work. It takes time to refocus and get back on task
which makes study time less efficient.
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The truth about studying
• A study conducted at George Mason University in
April 2014 demonstrated the impact of interruptions.
• In this study, students were given three one-minute
interruptions while outlining an essay, three one-
minute interruptions while writing an essay, or no
interruptions at all.
• The quality of the essays was evaluated using a
six-point scale designed by The College Board.
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Sources: “Interruptions Negatively Affect Quality of Work”; “Do Interruptions Affect Quality of Work”
13. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
The truth about studying
THE RESULTS SHOWED:
• 90% of students who were interrupted either
while outlining or writing, produced work of
significantly lower quality than students who
were not interrupted.
• Students who were interrupted while writing
wrote fewer words than students who were not
interrupted.
• Further analysis suggests that the reduction in
word count resulted from interruptions inhibiting the
students’ thought process, and as a result the
participants failed to fully develop their ideas.
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14. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
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The truth about studying
The longer that a student studies the
better he or she will do on a test.
True or False?
15. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
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The truth about studying
The longer that a student studies the
better he or she will do on a test.
False
Studying in large blocks of time is counter productive and leads
to fatigue and poor retention of material. It is better to study in
blocks of time with breaks in between which gives the student
the chance to self-test, and helps to prevent fatigue.
16. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
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The truth about studying
Taking notes on a computer is better than
taking notes by hand.
True or False?
17. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
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The truth about studying
Taking notes on a computer is better than
taking notes by hand.
False
There are advantages and disadvantages to taking notes on a
computer. For example, taking notes on a computer allows the
student to edit and reorganize notes quickly, but it is easy for
the student to become distracted.
Sources: “The Pen is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking”
19. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Sources: “A Revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy: An Overview”; “The Role of Metacognitive Knowledge in Learning, Teaching, and Assessing”
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Metacognition, the awareness and
understanding of one’s own learning,
is key to success
Students who understand key strategies for
learning and thinking and can effectively apply
them while studying perform better in school.
20. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Sources: “A Revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy: An Overview”; “The Role of Metacognitive Knowledge in Learning, Teaching, and Assessing”
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Metacognition, the awareness and
understanding of one’s own learning,
is key to success
Metacognition
1 2 3
Types of
Metacognitive
Knowledge
Strategic knowledge Knowledge about
cognitive tasks
Self-knowledge
Description Knowing general strategies
that might be used for
different tasks
Understanding the conditions
under which the strategies
may be used
Understanding the extent of
the effectiveness of these
strategies
22. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
• Executive functioning
• Evidence-based study skills
• Test-taking strategies
• Papers and presentations
• College application essay writing
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23. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
Executive functioning
Create a suitable
work environment
Organizing
electronic information
Executive functioning
Time
management
Goal setting
Maximizing
productivity
Organization
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24. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
Executive functioning
Executive functioning
Goal settingOrganization
Maximizing
productivity
Time
management
Creating
schedules
Overcoming
procrastination
Balancing social
and academic time
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25. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
Executive functioning
Executive functioning
Time
management
Goal settingOrganization
Maximizing
productivity
Learning behaviors
and attributes
Setting
personal goals
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26. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
Executive functioning
Executive functioning
Time
management
Goal settingOrganization
Maximizing
productivity
Controlling internal/
external distractions
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27. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
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Areas of focus for study skills
Executive functioning
Personal action plan
A personal action plan is a written step-by-step plan used for goal-setting to
implement a particular strategy for a specific amount of time.
28. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
Executive functioning
Personal action statement
Sample template to use to create a personal action statements:
I will (provide a positive action that will make you a more active learner):
Obstacles that would hinder me from achieving this are:
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29. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
Executive functioning
Personal action statement
Sample template to use to create a personal action statements:
I will overcome these obstacles by:
I will achieve this over this length of time:
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30. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
Executive functioning
Personal action statement
Sample template to use to create a personal action statements:
My reward for this accomplishment will be:
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31. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
Executive functioning
Personal action statements
Sample personal action statement:
• I will reorganize my notes and handouts every Sunday making sure that they
are arranged by subject and date for easy reference. I will place any notes or
handouts that I no longer reference regularly in my Pendaflex for future
reference.
• Obstacles that would hinder me from achieving this are: forgetting to
complete these steps and soccer practice taking up a lot of my time.
• I will overcome these obstacles by setting a reminder on my phone for
Sunday mornings and Sunday evening. This reminder will help me
remember to reorganize my notes, and if soccer practice runs long, I have
another reminder in the evening to get organized before I go to bed.
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32. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
Executive functioning
Personal action statements
Sample personal action statement:
• I will achieve this over the next month. This way I have enough
time to see if these steps will work for me or if I need to make
some adjustments.
• My reward for this accomplishment will be less stress, because I
know where all my study materials are. I will also treat myself to a
movie with friends.
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33. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
Evidence-based study skills
Evidence-based study strategies
Creating
study guides
Recording
information
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Active
listening
Enhancing
memory
34. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
Evidence-based study skills
Evidence-based study strategies
Note taking
Creating
study guides
Maps, charts,
and timelines
Recording
information
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Active
listening
Enhancing
memory
35. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
Evidence-based study skills
Evidence-based study strategies
Recording
information
Active
listening
Enhancing
memory
Note- taking
Creating
study guides
Maps, charts,
and timelines
Highlighting
plus marking
Question
and answer
Study cardsOutlining
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36. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
Evidence-based study skills
Evidence-based study strategies
Selective
listening
Difficult
lectures
Recording
information
Active
listening
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Enhancing
memory
37. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
Evidence-based study skills
Evidence-based study strategies
Recording
information
Active
listening
Enhancing
memory
Text
management
Strengthening
memory
Effective
revision
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Areas of focus for study skills
Evidence-based study skills
Understanding if you understand
It is important that, as students read, they are aware of signs that they are
understanding or are not understanding the material and use strategies to
monitor their comprehension.
39. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
Evidence-based study skills
Understanding if you understand
• Strategy #1: Chunk the reading
Break larger reading assignments into smaller pieces or sections.
• Strategy #2: Create a concept web
Create a web to show how key concepts and ideas are related back
to the main idea.
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40. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
Evidence-based study skills
Understanding if you understand
• Strategy #3: Use guide questions
Before reading, the student can create guide questions based on the titles,
headings, and subheadings of the text.
• Strategy #4: Put it in their own words
When reading, the student should pause and paraphrase what was just read. If
the student was reading historical text, he or she should be able to retell the
significant events sequentially or explain why an event was important.
Studying math? He or she should be able to explain how to solve each problem
step-by-step. If the student was unable to articulate what was read, then he or
she likely does not have a full grasp of the material.
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41. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
Test-taking strategies
Test-taking
Addressing
test anxiety
Rehearsing
for the test
Sitting for
the exam
Preparation
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42. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
Test-taking strategies
Test-taking
Sitting for
the exam
Preparation
Test preview Qualifying words Essay questions
Multiple-choice
questions
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43. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
Test-taking strategies
Before you begin taking a test
Before you test remember the 3S!
Simple steps to take just before starting a test or quiz.
• Supplies
Have the proper supplies like a #2 pencil, if filling in a scantron, or a calculator if
one is permissible.
• Scribble
Quickly scribble needed formulas or notes that may be forgotten.
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44. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
Test-taking strategies
Before you begin taking a test
Before you test remember the 3S!
Simple steps to take just before starting a test or quiz.
• Survey
Quickly look over the test before beginning.
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45. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
Papers and presentations
Essay writing and presentations
Presentations
Research papers
and writing
Presentation
components
Plan, prepare,
practice, & present
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46. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
Papers and presentations
Essay writing and presentations
10 stages to
successful writing
Overcoming
writer’s block
Essay
writing
Presentations
Research papers
and writing
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47. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
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Areas of focus for study skills
Papers and presentations
Planning a presentation
Task: Imagine you have been assigned a presentation for English class. Your
teacher has asked you to think of one way to improve your school and present it
to the class. Plan your presentation using these questions. You will have five
minutes to present your argument.
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Areas of focus for study skills
Papers and presentations
Planning a presentation
What can I expect my audience to know about this topic before I start?
I can expect my audience to be familiar with the common problems at the school.
This would include insufficient student parking, lack of funding for supplies, and
outdated technology in the computer lab.
What will I want them to know when I have finished (the aim of my
presentation)?
I want my audience to understand how my solution will improve insufficient student
parking, and why my solution is feasible.
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Areas of focus for study skills
Papers and presentations
Planning a presentation
How will I get them from where they are to where I want them to be (a
logical structure to your presentation)?
I will begin by identifying the problem and explaining why the problem needs to
be fixed. I will then share my solution, how my solution can be executed, and
why my solution is better than alternative solutions.
What language, tone, and style will be right for this audience?
A more casual tone with conversational language can be used, because I am
speaking to fellow classmates. If I were to later present my solution to school
faculty or members of the Board of Education I would use a more formal tone.
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Areas of focus for study skills
Papers and presentations
Planning a presentation
What arguments and evidence will they understand – and relate to?
I will compare the number of student drivers to the number of available parking
spaces. I will also discuss how the adjacent vacant lot can be paved and used for
additional parking. The lot is already school property, so the cost is minimal.
What audiovisual aids (e.g. photos, charts, diagrams) will help – and will work
with this audience?
I will provide photos of the student parking lot to demonstrate that it is at
capacity and that some cars are illegally parked. I will also include a diagram
showing how the use of the vacant lot could potentially double the number of
student parking spaces.
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Areas of focus for study skills
Papers and presentations
Planning a presentation
How will my audience react to this topic? What will I have to do to get
them to respond positively?
I expect my student audience to agree that student parking is a problem that must be
resolved. When they see there is an easily implementable solution, they will be eager
to see the problem resolved.
What questions might they ask me? What answers will I give?
I will be asked how many parking spaces can be created and what the
cost of paving the lot would be. I will be able to provide both an estimated
number of spaces and an estimated cost.
52. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
College application essay writing
College application essays
Brainstorming Drafting Finalizing
Understanding
the narrative
Choosing your
point of view
Finding
your topic
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53. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
College application essay writing
Brainstorming a topic
Helpful Huntington Hints: Use these strategies to develop topics for your
college application essay. At the start, do not eliminate any idea. Better to have
more than less!
• Strategy #1: Read old journals
• Strategy #2: Look at photo albums
• Strategy #3: Self-interview
• Strategy #4: Create a list
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54. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
College application essay writing
Brainstorming a topic
Helpful Huntington Hints: Use these strategies to develop topics for your
college application essay. At the start, do not eliminate any idea. Better to have
more than less!
• Strategy #1: Read old journals
• Strategy #2: Look at photo albums
• Strategy #3: Self-interview
• Strategy #4: Create a list
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55. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
College application essay writing
College application essays
Brainstorming Drafting Finalizing
Getting your
thoughts on paper
Broad
editing
Developing
personal style
Second
draft
Third
draft
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56. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Areas of focus for study skills
College application essay writing
College application essays
Final touches Pulling it together
Brainstorming Drafting Finalizing
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58. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
Huntington Advanced Study Skills Program
The Huntington Advanced Study Skills Program is a 1:1 tutoring program tailored
for students in 8th grade or higher who want to develop or expand their study
skills. The Huntington Advanced Study Skills Program is formatted to address
several key areas:
• Executive functioning: time management, organization, and goal setting
• Evidence-based study skills: note taking, study guides, memorization,
and recall
• Test preparation and test-taking: reducing anxiety, question types, and time
management
• Papers and presentations: presentation preparation and essay structure
• College application essays: brainstorming, drafting and polishing
• 1:1 individualized instruction: concrete application of skills instructed
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59. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
The truth
about studying
IN SUMMARY
• Re-reading is not an effective study strategy
• Multi-tasking negatively impacts the quality of completed work
• It is better to study in smaller blocks of time with breaks, than to study for long
periods of time
• Taking notes on a computer has both advantages and disadvantages
• Metacognition, awareness and understanding of one’s own learning, is key to
academic success
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60. STUDY SKILLS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND
The truth
about studying
IN SUMMARY
• For students to be successful, they must have the tools to acquire, retrieve,
analyze and communicate information effectively.
• A personal action plan is a written tool used for goal-setting to implement a
particular strategy within a specific amount of time.
• Students can check for understanding by chunking their reading, creating webs,
using guide questions, and paraphrasing.
• Before starting a test, students should make sure to have the proper supplies,
scribble information that they may have forgotten, and survey the test to
determine the number and types of questions.
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Hello, my name is [NAME] and I am the [POSITION] of the Huntington Learning Center in [TOWN].
At Huntington, we work with kindergarteners through adults in phonics, reading, mathematics, study skills, writing, enrichment, and college exam prep. Together, with the schools in our community, our mission is to give every student the best education possible. [ADD SENTENCE ON PERSONAL BACKGROUND]
If you are the parent of a high school or college student who lacks the study skills and strategies to meet and exceed classroom expectations, and you are worried about your child’s academic success, you are in the right place. This workshop is titled, “Tools for Achievement: Study Skills for High School and Beyond.”
Before we begin, I want to make sure to address some housekeeping issues:
The handout is yours to keep. Please feel free to take notes on those pages.
Please feel free to make comments and ask questions throughout the workshop. I will also be available after the workshop to answer questions or discuss specific needs.
High school and college students are presented with challenging course work and must manage a daunting amount of responsibilities each day. If your child does not possess the necessary high-level study skills, he or she will not be able to manage these demands.
In this presentation, we will talk about how your child can develop the study skills needed to achieve success in school and reach his or her full academic potential. We will:
discuss the importance of studying
address some common misconceptions about studying
discuss the relationship between self-awareness and learning
examine different areas of study skills and strategies for each area
Lastly, we will discuss how Huntington can help you and your student.
Let’s begin by discussing the importance of study skills.
Turn to page 3 in your workbook.
Studying is more than memorizing information. In order to study effectively, a student must be able to:
isolate important information from study materials
recall important information quickly
evaluate information by relating it to other concepts and information previously learned
effectively relay that information
Having effective study skills impacts more than a student’s ability to perform well on tests. Study skills affect your child’s ability to:
manage deadlines and coursework effectively
stay organized
record and remember information
read actively by questioning what is being read and relating it back to previously learned information
Effective study skills also help students to:
manage test anxiety
use strategies while taking an exam
write well-written essays and reports
produce and deliver presentations
Without these skills, students are not equipped to meet the academic expectations they face each day.
There are many misconceptions about studying. Let’s take a moment to look at some of the most popularly held beliefs about what it means to study.
I am going to read aloud some statements about studying, and I want each of you to think about whether each statement is true or false.
Turn to page 4 in your workbook.
True or false- Rereading a textbook and/or notes, while time consuming, ensures deeper comprehension and long-term retention of information.
This statement is false.
Re-reading information is a passive activity, and does not yield good results. When studying requires a moderate amount of effort, by creating an outline for example, students achieve a deeper understanding of material thereby improving long-term retention of the information studied.
Desired difficulty can also be achieved by having your child study and recall information over the course of several days and asking your child to create his or her own studying materials such as flashcards or outlines.
True or false- Multi-tasking allows students to complete work more successfully and efficiently.
This statement is false.
Research has shown that multi-tasking actually has an adverse effect on performance.
For example, a study was conducted at George Mason University in April of 2014. During the study, students were given three one-minute interruptions while outlining an essay, three one-minute interruptions while writing an essay, or no interruptions at all.
Each of the essays was evaluated by the College Board using a 6-point scale.
So what did the study show?
90% of the students who were interrupted, either while outlining or writing their essay, produced work of a lower quality than the students who were not interrupted.
Additionally, students who were interrupted wrote fewer words than students who were not interrupted. After further analysis, the reduction in word count seemed to be the result of the interruptions affecting the students’ thought process. Because the students lost their train of thought, they failed to fully develop their ideas.
Now, take a moment to think about your child’s studying environment. Is it noisy? Is your child interrupted by either their cell phone or perhaps their sibling?
Where your child studies can be just as important as how your child studies.
Turn to page 5 in your workbook.
True or false- The longer that a student studies the better he or she will do on a test.
This statement is false.
Studying for long stretches of time is ineffective. All of us have a threshold for how long we are able to maintain concentration. After studying for long periods of time, students become fatigued which leads to poor retention of the material being studied.
Instead, students should study in blocks of time with breaks between each block. This will allow the student to avoid fatigue, and it provides the student with the opportunity to self-test what they have already studied.
True or false- Taking notes on a computer is better than taking notes by hand.
This statement is true and false.
There are advantages and disadvantages to taking notes on a computer. For example, taking notes on a computer allows a student to edit and reorganize notes quickly, but it is easy for the student to become distracted by programs like Twitter and Skype.
Additionally, research suggests that using laptops to take notes may impair learning.
In several studies, students who took notes on laptops performed worse on conceptual questions than students who took notes longhand. Research suggests this is because laptop note takers tended to write out lectures verbatim rather than processing information and recording the information into their own words.
Now that we have looked at some common misconceptions about studying, let’s take a moment to discuss a key traits effective learners possess.
Turn to page 6 in your workbook.
Metacognition is key to student achievement and it is an important trait that successful learners possess.
Simply put, metacognition is thinking about thinking. Students that study effectively are able to do so partially because they have an understanding of how they learn, and what studying approaches work best for them.
Metacognition can be broken down into three types.
The first type can be described as strategic knowledge. If your child possesses strategic knowledge, it means that he or she knows general strategies that can be used for different tasks.
The second type of metacognition pertains to knowledge about cognitive tasks. This means that your child has an understanding of when to apply a given strategy. For example, flashcards might work well for studying scientific terminology, but they would not be the best strategy to use when studying chapters from a novel.
The last type of metacognition is self-knowledge. If your child possesses self-knowledge then he or she has an awareness of which study strategies work best for him or her, and which are not as effective.
Now that we have discussed the importance of metacognition, let’s begin to explore the different areas of study skills.
Study skills is a series of skills that can be broken into five different categories which are:
Executive functioning
Evidence-based study skills
Test-taking strategies
Papers and presentations
College application essay writing
Let’s take some time to explore what each of these areas address and look at strategies from each area that your child can apply to his or her work.
Turn to page 7 in your workbook.
The first area that we are going to look at is executive functioning.
Executive functioning is essentially self-management. Executive functioning skills:
enable students to plan and set goals
be organized
remember instructions
juggle multiple tasks successfully
One key component of executive functioning is organizational skills. Students must be able to create a work environment conducive to learning as well as have methods of organizing digital information.
Executive functioning skills also includes time management.
Students with strong time management skills are able to:
create schedules
overcome procrastination
balance their obligations.
At Huntington, students are taught strategies to enhance their goal setting skills.
We do this by encouraging students to be active learners who take the initiative to reflect upon and apply what they are learning instead of passive learners who do not take control of their learning and do not go beyond what instructors say or request.
We also:
help students to demonstrate drive, fortitude, and responsibility
teach students to use different methods of goal setting including personal action statements and learning contracts
We also empower students to maximize their productivity. We do this by:
helping students to recognize what type of learner they are and providing study strategies geared towards their learning preferences
teaching students to adapt to teachers’ different instructional styles
providing students with methods for managing procrastination
Let’s take a moment to look at one of the ways students can develop their goal setting abilities.
In order to set attainable and actionable goals, students can create personal action plans.
A personal action plan is a written, step-by-step plan used to implement a particular strategy for a specific action plan.
By creating and evaluating personal action statements, student can improve how they approach different learning tasks.
Let’s take a moment to look at a sample template that a student can use to create a personal action statement.
The first portion of the template asks the student to identify the action they are going to take in order to improve their studying.
The next portion asks the student to anticipate obstacles that would hinder success. Examples of obstacles might include a busy schedule due to extra-curricular obligations, or not having the appropriate materials needed.
Once the student has identified the obstacles he or she could face, the student must think of how to overcome the obstacles.
Next, the student is asked to determine how long he or she is going to implement the action.
This is an important part of the plan. Students need to ensure that they implement a strategy long enough to see results, and then at the end of that period, they need to reflect on whether or not the strategy was helpful.
Finally, the student must identify a reward to implementing the action. This could be something as simple as an extra half-hour of TV time or catching a movie with friends.
Here is an example of a completed personal action statement.
You can see that the example begins by identifying the action he is going to take: “I will reorganize my notes and handouts every Sunday making sure that they are arranged by subject and date for easy reference. I will place any notes or handouts that I no longer reference regularly in my accordion folder for future reference.”
Next, the student identifies possible obstacles: “Obstacles that would hinder me from achieving this are: forgetting to complete these steps and soccer practice taking up a lot of my time.”
The student identifies a solution to these potential obstacles saying: “I will overcome these obstacles by setting a reminder on my phone for Sunday morning and Sunday evening. This reminder will help me remember to reorganize my notes, and if soccer practice runs long, I have another reminder in the evening to get organized before I go to bed.”
The student identifies how long he or she is going to implement the strategy saying that the student will use the approach for a month.
Again, it is important that students give a strategy enough time before evaluating it so that it can be judged properly.
Lastly, the student identifies what the reward will be at the end of the month.
Turn to page 8 in your workbook.
Let’s take a look at another important area of study skills: evidence-based study skills.
The term evidence-based means that these strategies have been proven effective through educational research or metrics of school, teacher, and student performance.
At Huntington, we break these skills into three areas: recording information, active listening, and enhancing memory.
Before a student can record information gathered from online research, he or she needs to know if that information is accurate. At Huntington, we help students learn how to evaluate internet sources to determine if a site is trustworthy and provides valid information.
In order for students to be able to record information effectively, they must also have different methods recording information including:
note taking
outlining
creating concept maps, diagrams, charts, and timelines
Students also need to be comfortable creating study guides out of these items.
So often, students do not know how to create their own study guides other than re-writing notes.
Students with strong study skills are able to use a variety of methods to create effective study guides that are far more efficient than copying information over and over again.
These methods include:
highlighting and marking to connect ideas and thoughts
creating question and answer guides
creating outlines
making study cards
In addition to gathering information from text, students must be able to actively listen.
This means that students are able to isolate and record important information given in presentations, speeches, and lectures.
Successful students are able to use verbal cues and non-verbal cues from their instructors to know when to record information.
Verbal cues from an instructor might include:
slowing down or pausing while speaking
repeating information
speaking more loudly
Non-verbal clues might include:
pointing
using hand gestures
It is also imperative that students are able to recall what they have learned and are able to connect new information with previously learned material.
To do this, we:
teach students ways to use text to remember key information
teach memorization techniques such as mnemonics
teach how to go back and revise or edit what they have learned to be able to retrieve thoughts and information faster
So often, students simply try to read text over and over in the hopes of trying to just remember what is written on the page instead of understanding what is written.
This is no way to learn. How can a student recall and explain information on a test that the student doesn’t understand? The answer is that they can’t.
This is why students must be able to monitor their comprehension of material as they are learning.
Here are some simple strategies every student can use to monitor their own understanding.
Chunk reading assignments: Break reading into pieces or sections. Not only will this help maintain focus and concentration, it will allow your child to test whether or not he or she can rephrase what was read and reflect on signs that he or she does not understand the material.
Create a concept web: While reading, your child can create a web to show how key concepts and ideas are related back to the main ideas of the passage. If your child is unsure of how ideas and concepts are connected, then he or she does not fully understand the material.
Use guide questions: Before reading, your child can create guide questions based on the titles, headings, and subheadings of the text. If your child is unable to answer the questions after reading the text, he or she did not fully comprehend what was read.
Put it in their own words: When reading, your child should pause and paraphrase what was just read. If your child was reading historical text, he or she should be able to retell the significant events sequentially or explain why an event was important. Studying math? He or she should be able to explain how to solve each problem step-by-step. If your child was unable to articulate what was read, then he or she likely does not have a full grasp of the material.
Turn to page 9 in your workbook.
The next set of study skills strong students possess is test-taking skills.
It is important that students have developed skills so that they can tackle difficult assessments confidently and successfully.
One of the ways students can develop their test-taking skills is by gaining skills to prepare for the exam itself. These skills include strategies to manage test anxiety and ways to rehearse for the test.
Students also need skills that help them when they are sitting for an exam.
These skills include previewing the test to see what types of questions they need to answer, and which questions are worth the most points. This lets students plan their time so that they do not run out of time.
Students with strong test-taking skills are also able to hone in on key or “qualifying” words like “all” “none” or “every” to help them answer tricky questions.
Lastly, students must have effective ways to approach multiple-choice questions as well as open-ended and essay questions.
Let’s take a moment to look at a simple test-taking strategy your child can use before every test.
Before the test, your child should remember the 3S! This means:
Supplies: Your child should have the proper supplies needed. This could include items like a #2 pencil or calculator. Your child should also have a watch to keep track of time.
Scribble: You child should quickly scribble needed formulas or notes that may be forgotten. Not only will this prevent your child from forgetting the information, but the student won’t be preoccupied trying to remember these details and can focus on the test itself.
The last “S” stands for survey. Students should quickly look over the test before beginning to see how many questions there are. Are there multiple-choice questions or open-ended questions? Are some questions worth more than others? Are some questions easier than others? Students should use this information to formulate a plan of attack.
Turn to page 10 in your workbook.
Students are assessed in a variety of ways. In addition to taking tests, students also demonstrate their knowledge of a topic by writing essays or conducting presentations.
Because of this, students must have the tools needed to write effectively, and produce and conduct quality presentations.
Students need to understand the different components needed to conduct a quality presentation, and be able to plan, prepare, practice and present their information effectively.
In order for students to write papers that fully reflect their knowledge of a topic, they need tools to overcome writer’s block, and should be able to apply the 10 stages of successful writing including drafting and revising.
So often, students are assigned a presentation and don’t know where to begin. This is why Huntington teaches students how to plan their presentation by asking themselves a series of questions.
Let’s take a look at the following example that we provide students to help guide them through this process.
[Read slide]
Here are two questions that students should ask themselves as they begin- What can I expect my audience to know about this topic before I start? What will I want them to know when I have finished (what is the aim of my presentation)?
By understanding what the audience is expected to know, it allows the student to provide necessary background information so that the audience is not confused. Additionally, by establishing the goal of the presentation, students give themselves a focus to develop the presentation around.
This student has decided to write about how increasing student parking would benefit the school.
Let’s look at the sample responses the student provided to these questions. [Read slide.]
Now that the student has determined the audience’s prior knowledge of the topic and the goal of the presentation, the student is able to ask additional questions that will impact the structure of the presentation.
The next question asks, “How will I get them (the audience) from where they are to where I want them to be?
The student answers saying, “I will begin by identifying the problem and explaining why the problem needs to be fixed. I will then share my solution, how my solution can be executed, and why my solution is better than alternative solutions.”
Now the student has constructed the sequence the presentations will follow.
The following questions asks, “What language, tone, and style will be right for this audience?” This is an importation part of the planning process. Just as the way a student speaks to his friends versus his teachers is different, so is the way information is presented depending on the audience.
In this example, the student responds by saying, “A more casual tone with conversational language can be used, because I am speaking to fellow classmates. If I were to later present my solution to school faculty or members of the Board of Education I would use a more formal tone.”
Now that the structure and tone for the presentation have been established, the student is able to begin reflecting on how information will be presented.
The next question asks, “What arguments and evidence will they understand – and relate to?” It is important that the right information is presented in an impactful way.
Here, the student answers saying, “I will compare the number of student drivers to the number of available parking spaces. I will also discuss how the adjacent vacant can be paved and used for additional parking. The lot is already school property, so the cost is minimal.”
Next, the student must think about what visual aids to use to help present the information. The student says, “I will provide photos of the student parking lot to demonstrate that it is at capacity and that some cars are illegally parked. I will also include a diagram showing how the use of the vacant lot could potentially double the number of student parking spaces.”
Now the student is ready to think about the conclusion to the presentation.
First, the student needs to think about how the audience will respond to the topic and how to have the audience react positively.
In this example, the students says, “I expect my student audience to agree that student parking is a problem that must be resolved. When they see there is an easily implementable solution, they will be eager to see the problem resolved.”
Finally, the student must be prepared to answer questions. Often, this is an area that students either forget about, or do nor prepare for at all. By proactively thinking about the questions that may be asked, students are better equipped to end a presentation on a strong note.
In this example, the student responds saying, “I will be asked how many parking spaces can be created and what the cost of paving the lot would be. I will be able to provide both an estimated number of spaces and an estimated cost.”
By asking a series of eight questions students are able to plan out a presentation from start to finish so that the presentation is structured and effective.
Turn to page 11 in your workbook.
The final area of study skills pertains to college application essays.
Many students attend Huntington to prepare for the SAT and ACT. The scores of these tests are an important part of the college application process. But, much like a student’s g.p.a., these scores are just numbers and do nothing to help students make a personal impact on admissions counselors.
That is why a student’s application essay is so important. It provides students with the opportunity to make a personal connection to the admissions team. It also provides another means of demonstrating a student’s writing abilities.
In order to write a strong application essay, students must be adept at the brainstorming process by understanding what a narrative essay is, possessing different methods for gathering ideas, selecting the point of view that best fits the topic.
Let’s look at some different strategies your student can use to brainstorm ideas for his or her college application essay.
Strategy #1: Read old journals
If the student ever kept a diary or journal, now would be a great time to take a trip down memory lane and reread old entries. This may help the student to remember an experience that would work well as part of the essay.
Strategy #2: Look at photo albums
This is another great way to remember an experience to use in the essay.
Both of these strategies will not only help a student to think of an idea, but will likely remind the student of important details that can be used to add depth to the essay.
Strategy #3: Self-interview. The student creates interview questions and answers them. For many students this is a great way to brainstorm. Sample questions might be:
Who has been your biggest inspiration?
What are your proudest accomplishments?
If you could change something about yourself what would it be?
Strategy #4: Create a list. The student looks for key words within the essay topic. For example, if the topic is to write about a time that the student experienced failure, the key word would be failure. The student would write that word on a blank piece of paper, and write down anything that comes to mind while thinking about the word.
Each of these four strategies is a different way to brainstorm that goes beyond merely sitting and thinking, hoping an idea comes to mind.
Once the student selects a topic, it is time to begin the drafting process.
While some students try to just write a single draft of their essay, strong students know that multiple drafts are needed in order to refine and craft a well-written piece.
Lastly, students need to polish their essays so that the final product is one they can truly be proud of.
At Huntington, we understand the important role study skills play in student success, and we realize that many students are not taught these skills in school.
That is why Huntington developed the Advanced Study Skills Program.
The Huntington Advanced Study Skills Program is a 1:1 tutoring program tailored for students in 8th grade or higher who want to develop or expand their study skills
In the program, we target the key areas discussed in the presentation today including executive functioning, evidence-based study skills, test preparation and test-taking, writing papers and presentations, and preparing college application essays.
Instruction is conducted on a 1:1 basis, and homework is assigned to provide concrete application of the skills instructed.
Let’s take a moment to recap some of the important points from this presentation.
Re-reading is not an effective study strategy.
Multi-tasking negatively impacts the quality of completed work.
It is better to study in smaller blocks of time with breaks, than to study for long periods of time.
Taking notes on a computer has both advantages and disadvantages.
Meta-cognition, awareness and understanding of one’s own learning, is key to academic success.
For students to be successful, they must have the tools to acquire, retrieve, analyze and communicate information effectively.
A personal action plan is a written tool used for goal-setting to implement a particular strategy within a specific amount of time.
Students can check for understanding by chunking their reading, creating webs, using guide questions, and paraphrasing,
Before starting a test, students should make sure to have the proper supplies, scribble information that they may have forgotten, and survey the test to determine the number and types of questions.
