Studying Tips

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When, Where, How to study

Homework

 

  • Routine
  • o Include the child
  • o Same time - same place
  • Space
  • o Free of distractions (tv, people etc)
  • o Soft music may calm the child
  • Study Breaks
  • o No more than 15 minutes on one subject
  • o Take a break every 30 minutes
  • Comfortable
  • o Well structured chair
  • o Good lighting
  • o Uncluttered work space
  • Long term assignments
  • o Split into small segments
  • o Decide when each segment should be complete
  • o Enter on monthly calendar

 

Study Tips

•·        Review within 24 hours - especially content areas

•·        Review daily

•·        Write summaries - especially for content areas

•·        Use humor

•·        Use color

•·        Acronyms (Roy G. Biv) (Please excuse my dear aunt Sally)

•·        Visual aids (drawings, posters, charts, graphs etc.)

•·        Review aloud

Tips for Using Highlighters

 

  • Use highlighters for texts, handouts, and notes
  • Highlight main ideas and key words. Very little should be highlighted, just enough to trigger ideas.
  • Highlight texts only after you have read. Highlighting while reading distracts from the content and too much gets highlighted.

Use one color for one subject and a different color for another subject.

 

 Concept Maps

 

Concept maps are an alternative to making an outline to study information.  The brain remembers ideas as thoughts and relationships, not linear steps or terms.  Concept maps also help students create an image that is more easily recalled than outlined text. 

 

How to Create a Concept Map for a Textbook Chapter or Information for a Test

 

  1. Write the title in the center.  Circle it.
  2. Write headings related to it in circles connected to the center
  3. Write important ideas related to each heading in circles attached to the specific heading.
  4. Use one word or short phrases

 

How to Create a Concept Map for Writing

 

  1. Write the most important word or short phrase or symbol for the center.  Circle it
  2. Write other important concepts related to the first concept in circles connected to the center.
  3. Continue working outward connecting ideas around topics or headings                                                                                                                                        

 

Concept Cards

Note card side 1

 

 

Name/Term/Idea/Vocabulary Word

 

Note card side 2

 

3-5 brief concepts

about the term or idea

  • 1 What
  • 2 How
  • 3 Why

 

(Write in your own words and keep it brief)

Directions:

  1. Purchase several packs of small to medium sized note cards.  (With larger ones, you'll be temped to write too much and won't be able to review them effectively).
  2. Write the name, term concept or vocabulary word on the front side of the card.
  3. On the back side write three to five concepts about the term on the front using your own words.  Answering what, how, and why is a good way to keep the card brief and meaningful.
    1. What?  Define the term in your own words
    2. How?  Think of an example
    3. Why?  Why is this important to the big picture?
  4. Review on your own.  Trade and quiz classmates during group study sessions.

 Concept cards, then, help us to prepare for tests at the higher levels of thinking!

(Source: University of Northern Iowa, Dr. Karen Agee

 

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