Improving Study Skills Family and School Partnerships Communications and Community Outreach Fairfax County Public Schools

Learning Styles Quiz  Before the session begins, take a few minutes to check the items that best describe your child (see the last page).  We will refer back to this later in the session.

Agenda  What are study skills?  Setting goals  Organizing time and space  Learning styles  Matching study strategies to learning styles

Lifelong Learners  Are excited about learning.  Develop habits of study that will help in adult life.  Know their own learning strengths.

What Are Study Skills?  Strategies students use to help them learn: Setting goals Organizing time and space Studying for tests  Can be applied to all subjects.  Learning how to learn.

Setting Goals  Students who set goals are more likely to be successful.  They don’t jump into a project without thinking it through.

Help your student-  Set short-term goals—for each study session.  Set long-term goals—for large projects, final exams.

Organizing Time  Student commits to regular study time based on family schedule and need for breaks and rest.  Student uses the time to read or review even when there is “no homework.”

 Keeps planner for tracking assignments.  Limits distractions during study time.  Balances recreational computer and phone use with study.

Organizing Space  Choose place to study based on student’s need for quiet or for company.  Stock up on supplies needed for assignments.  Some children stay focused better if adult is nearby reading or doing quiet work.

Parent-Child Agreement I, ___________________, am going to make a special effort to use my time and place to study. The place where I will study is: ___________________________________________ The times when I plan to study are flexible, but best times are: MondayTuesday WednesdayThursday Friday Weekend Student’s Signature/Date ___________________ Parent’s Signature/Date ____________________

Matching Learning Styles to Study Strategies  Learning can occur through many different channels.  Each of us has strengths and challenges in learning.  We have preferred ways to learn. Let’s look at three ways to learn or “learning styles.”

Three Channels for Learning Visual Memory Access Kinesthetic Memory Access Auditory Memory Access

Learning styles are developmental- Infants through grade one are kinesthetic. By second grade visual skills are more fine tuned. Auditory skills are stronger by sixth grade.

Learning Styles  Most children are a blend of styles.  How children prefer to learn may differ from how they prefer to show you what they learned.

Visual Learners  Learn best by seeing words in books, on the board, in charts, or in workbooks.  Remember and use information best that they read.  Often close their eyes to visualize or remember.

Visual Learners  Remember faces, rather than names.  Find quiet, passive surrounding ideal.  Are attracted to written or spoken language rich in pictorial imagery.

Implications for Learning  Write down words that they hear.  Take notes.  Look at illustrations, videos.  Use cameras, art supplies, 3-dimensional materials.

Auditory Learners  Learn from hearing words spoken.  May read aloud or subvocalize as they read.  Remember names, tend to forget faces.

Auditory Learners  Remember by verbalizing lessons to themselves.  May have difficulty reading maps or diagrams or handling conceptual assignments like mathematics.  Are adept at discriminating sounds.  Do better in a noisy environment than do visual learners.

Implications for Learning  Rehearse information orally.  Use rhymes, jingles, and auditory repetition through tape recording.  Read directions aloud, or have someone read them aloud.

Kinesthetic Learners  Learn best through experience, touching, manipulating, and moving.  Require a combination of stimuli (manipulating material along with the seeing and hearing)

Kinesthetic Learners  Need to be active and take frequent breaks.  Speak with their hands and with gestures.  Remember what was done, but have difficulty recalling what was said or seen.

Implications for Learning  Keep verbal information short and to the point.  Use practice, play acting, and modeling to prepare for tests.  Allow for physical movement and periodic breaks during tests, while reading, or while composing written assignments.

I like to draw pictures to help me study. I like crossing items off my “To Do” list. I get more work done on my bed by the window. Don’t give me any work to do before 9:00 a.m.! Katie I’ll ask my teacher for a copy of her notes.

Test-taking Strategies  Encourage your child to use the learning channels that work best for him. Turn statements from notes and texts into questions and practice the answers. Draw pictures and icons or make up mnemonics (memory devices). Connect information to real-life experiences.

Test-taking Strategies  If needed, review test material with your child. Survey the chapter to get an overview of the materials covered. Discuss any questions at the end of the chapter. Review class notes.

Test-taking Strategies  Help your child manage study time. Help your child set specific study goals. Plan a short break during studying. Avoid last-minute cramming by encouraging your child to review notes daily.

Test-taking Strategies  Encourage your child to have a positive outlook about the test. Children who are afraid of failing are more likely to become anxious when taking tests and more likely to make mistakes.  Make sure that your child is well-rested, especially the day of a test.

 Don’t judge a child on the basis of a single test score.  Test scores are not perfect measures of what a child can do. Remember that one test is simply one test.

Discussion Discuss in a small group or with a partner:  What is your child’s learning style?  Share the challenges in your home regarding study habits.  Group discussion: Q and A with speaker