Burnaby North Secondary Study Skills Presentations

Ways to Help Your Child Develop Effective Organizational & Study Skills… Use checklists. Use checklists. Prioritize homework assignments. Prioritize homework assignments. Set a designated study space (No T.V. or internet) Set a designated study space (No T.V. or internet) Set a designated study time. Set a designated study time. Keep an organized notebook (date and name on all work). Keep an organized notebook (date and name on all work). Conduct a weekly clean-up of your binder. Conduct a weekly clean-up of your binder. Create a household schedule. Create a household schedule. Keep a master calendar (include dates and information from school calendar). Keep a master calendar (include dates and information from school calendar). Prepare for the day ahead the night before (do not wait until you are too tired and ready for bed). Prepare for the day ahead the night before (do not wait until you are too tired and ready for bed). Provide necessary support while your child is learning to become more organized. Provide necessary support while your child is learning to become more organized.

How to Nurture a Growing Reader 1. Read with your children at least once every day. 1. Read with your children at least once every day. 2. Make sure they have plenty to read. Take them to the library regularly, and keep books and other reading materials in their reach. 2. Make sure they have plenty to read. Take them to the library regularly, and keep books and other reading materials in their reach. 3. Notice what interests each child, then help find books about those things. 3. Notice what interests each child, then help find books about those things.

How to Nurture a Growing Reader continued… 4. Respect your children’s choices. There’s nothing wrong with series fiction or graphic novels if that’s what keeps a young reader turning the pages. 4. Respect your children’s choices. There’s nothing wrong with series fiction or graphic novels if that’s what keeps a young reader turning the pages. 5. Praise your children’s efforts and newly acquired skills. 5. Praise your children’s efforts and newly acquired skills. 6. Help your children build a personal library. Age appropriate books, new or used, make great gifts and appropriate rewards for reading. Designate a bookcase, shelf or box where your children can keep their books. 6. Help your children build a personal library. Age appropriate books, new or used, make great gifts and appropriate rewards for reading. Designate a bookcase, shelf or box where your children can keep their books.

How to Nurture a Growing Reader continued… 7. Check up on your children’s progress. Listen to them read aloud, read what they write and ask teachers how they’re doing in school. 7. Check up on your children’s progress. Listen to them read aloud, read what they write and ask teachers how they’re doing in school. 8. Go places and do things with your children to build their background knowledge and vocabulary, and to give them a basis for understanding what they read. 8. Go places and do things with your children to build their background knowledge and vocabulary, and to give them a basis for understanding what they read. 9. Tell stories. It’s a fun way to teach values, pass on family history and build your children’s listening and thinking skills. 9. Tell stories. It’s a fun way to teach values, pass on family history and build your children’s listening and thinking skills.

How to Nurture a Growing Reader continued… 10. Be a reading role model. Let your children see you read, and share some interesting things with them that you have read about in books, newspapers or magazines. 10. Be a reading role model. Let your children see you read, and share some interesting things with them that you have read about in books, newspapers or magazines. 11. Continue reading aloud to older children even after they have learned to read by themselves. Read a book as a family. 11. Continue reading aloud to older children even after they have learned to read by themselves. Read a book as a family. 12. Encourage writing along with reading. Encourage your child to keep a journal. 12. Encourage writing along with reading. Encourage your child to keep a journal. 13. Subscribe to a magazine appropriate for teen readers – snowboarding, BMX, National Geographic etc. 13. Subscribe to a magazine appropriate for teen readers – snowboarding, BMX, National Geographic etc.

Difficulty in Starting to Study? Do not impose study preferences on your child. Try the following strategy… Change environments Change environments Have all equipment nearby Have all equipment nearby Create a checklist of tasks to be Create a checklist of tasks to be done done Keep a worry pad Keep a worry pad Set a timer for work and break times Set a timer for work and break times

Trouble Focusing While Studying?  Pick the right environment  Always reduce visual distractions  Try to eliminate noise around you  Prioritize the work to be done  Set a timer  Have someone test you  Teach someone what you have learned  Notice when you are off-task

Finished Studying Already? Your child has been studying for a test for a week…How do you know if they really know the material or not? Have your child create a Study Web of the concepts from the unit to be tested. or or Use his/her Index Cards to test their knowledge of the material.

Study Using Webs How do Concept Maps (Webs) help student studying? Allow students to organize concepts Allow students to organize concepts Identify relationships between concepts. Identify relationships between concepts. Evoke prior knowledge. Evoke prior knowledge. Generate and construct new knowledge. Generate and construct new knowledge.

Web Example

Steps to Webbing Select several concepts from the content material. Select several concepts from the content material. Write each concept on a post-it or small piece of paper. Write each concept on a post-it or small piece of paper. Select an organizing concept or main idea concept to be placed at the top or center of the map. Select an organizing concept or main idea concept to be placed at the top or center of the map. Arrange the other concepts in a distinct hierarchy under the organizing concept. Arrange the other concepts in a distinct hierarchy under the organizing concept. Draw lines between related concepts adding linking words that explain relationships. Draw lines between related concepts adding linking words that explain relationships. Review and reflect. Review and reflect. Read, Reread & Repeat it out loud! Read, Reread & Repeat it out loud!

Index Card Study System An Index card study system is an effective study method because: Gives an accurate perception of how well your child knows the material. Gives an accurate perception of how well your child knows the material. Children are forced to think about the material rather than just looking at it. Children are forced to think about the material rather than just looking at it. Fun study method where children can work together with a parent. Fun study method where children can work together with a parent.

Steps to Index Card Studying Have your child review their class notes & readings frequently. Have your child review their class notes & readings frequently. Generate questions from the material. Be the teacher. Generate questions from the material. Be the teacher. Pay attention to key terms, dates & theories. Pay attention to key terms, dates & theories. Write each question, key term, date, & theory on the back of an index card. Adding colour and drawings can aid in the retrieval of information Write each question, key term, date, & theory on the back of an index card. Adding colour and drawings can aid in the retrieval of information Write the answer, definition, significance, & explanation on the front of the index card. Again, add colour and drawings. Write the answer, definition, significance, & explanation on the front of the index card. Again, add colour and drawings. Shuffle the cards… Shuffle the cards… Provide explanations, definitions, and answers to your index cards. Provide explanations, definitions, and answers to your index cards.

Textbooks Are Great Study Tools… if only my child knew how to use them… Preview the chapter outcomes and make connections to what you already know Preview the chapter outcomes and make connections to what you already know Copy chapter headings and Copy chapter headings and subheadings or turn headings into questions before reading – use a web or index cards As you read, answer your questions and make new connections – use a web As you read, answer your questions and make new connections – use a web Make use of text features like bold words, maps, and graphs Make use of text features like bold words, maps, and graphs Always put information in your own words Always put information in your own words Use stick-it notes directly in your book Use stick-it notes directly in your book Make use of the glossary and index Make use of the glossary and index Use colour and diagrams Use colour and diagrams Teach what you read to someone else Teach what you read to someone else

Helpful Hints Carry index cards or stick it notes everywhere! Carry index cards or stick it notes everywhere! If you can’t explain answers by putting them into your own words… you DON’T know the material well enough. If you can’t explain answers by putting them into your own words… you DON’T know the material well enough. Practice testing. Make games! Practice testing. Make games! Study with someone else. Study with someone else. Play “Why is that important?” Play “Why is that important?”

Memory Tricks Mnemonics are devices and techniques used to improve memory. Mnemonics are devices and techniques used to improve memory. Simple Mnemonics are useful when trying to memorize facts. Simple Mnemonics are useful when trying to memorize facts. Students can memorize simple phrases and the first letter of each word is the same letter that begins a word that they need to remember. Students can memorize simple phrases and the first letter of each word is the same letter that begins a word that they need to remember.

Examples Mnemonics Great lakes Great lakes Some (Lake Superior) Some (Lake Superior) Men (Lake Michigan) Men (Lake Michigan) Hate (Lake Huron) Hate (Lake Huron) Each (Lake Erie) Each (Lake Erie) Other (Lake Ontario) Other (Lake Ontario)

More Memory Tricks Read aloud: Read aloud: Hearing what you are reading can help information stick in your mind. Hearing what you are reading can help information stick in your mind. Visualize: Visualize: Make mental pictures of facts and ideas. Draw real pictures to help remember facts. Make mental pictures of facts and ideas. Draw real pictures to help remember facts. Sing it! - Move it! - Colour it! Sing it! - Move it! - Colour it! Teach it! - Play it! - List it! Teach it! - Play it! - List it! Draw it! Etc. Draw it! Etc.

More Memory Tips Write it down: Write it down: Writing a note to yourself helps you remember an idea, even if you never look at the note again. Writing a note to yourself helps you remember an idea, even if you never look at the note again. Use Daylight: Use Daylight: Encourage students to study their most difficult subjects during daylight hours. Many people can concentrate more effectively during the day. Use multiple modalities (e.g. draw, write a poem or song, use colour, tell a story). Encourage students to study their most difficult subjects during daylight hours. Many people can concentrate more effectively during the day. Use multiple modalities (e.g. draw, write a poem or song, use colour, tell a story).

Helpful Study Websites Math – Math – Science – Science – * * * *

Helpful Study Websites Con’t English – English – Social Studies – Social Studies – ttp://regentsprep.org/Regents/global/themes/change/index.cfm

Helpful Study Websites Con’t For parents – For parents –

If you have questions please contact Ms. Davis or Mr. Genge