Study Skills for Grades 6-8

Before you read the story...take a quick look at the questions. They tell you what to look for as you read! If you see a new word, use the words around it as clues. They will help you figure out what the new word means.

Read all your answer choices before you decide. Sometimes the last choice is best. Cross out silly answer choices to help get you closer to the right answer.

Be able to prove your answers by finding and highlighting information in the story. If you see a name in the passage you can't read, just say your name instead.

Stuck on a hard question? Skip it and move on. Come back to it later if time allows. Use picture clues.

Brain research indicates that by adding color to printed information, the long-term retention increases by 25%. Choose 3 colors of highlighters and use those consistently. –Use green to highlight all vocabulary words.’ –Use pink to highlight the definitions to go with those vocabulary words. –Use blue to highlight all other important facts and dates. This provides an excellent guide for test review.

Read the complete question and the answers. Eliminate the answers you know are incorrect. Look for qualifiers, such as never, always, or all of the above.

Prepare for the test. Nothing can substitute for studying and paying attention in class. Write your answers in simple, telegraphic sentences. Use your common sense when you guess. Spell correctly. Write neatly. It does affect your grade.

Check the points assigned to each question. Divide your time accordingly. Answer every question. You can always add more to a question if you have extra time. Make a brief outline of the question. Pay attention to the key words, such as compare, contrast, criticize, and etc. Use the five paragraph essay. –1 st – State your point. –2 nd – 4 th – Prove your point. –5 th – Summarize your point.

Keep up with your readings and assignments in class. Read the questions carefully. Make good use of time. Don’t over-answer.

Every part of the sentence must be true. Absolute words, such as no, never, none, always, entirely, only, imply that a statement must be true 100% of the time and usually indicates a false answer. Qualifiers, such as sometimes, often, frequently, ordinarily, generally, usually indicates true answers.

Make up stories and write them down. Use the punctuation marks when you read, they make a difference in the meaning. Turn on the closed caption on your TV and turn off the sound.

Read! Read! Read! Read! Read! Read aloud to someone. Read different types of books and magazines. Find out what you like.

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Make word problems a priority. Visualize the word problem in your mind as you work. Learn how to estimate. Make sure the answer makes sense. Rule out outrageous answers. This is called number sense. Learn how to do mental math. Figure out problems in your head. Reading a math book is not like reading a novel. It goes slowly. It may take you 20 minutes to do one problem. Do as many problems as you can until you feel comfortable with the material. Math is a cumulative subject. You really need to understand today’s material to understand tomorrow’s material.

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