More about Studying

By
Lynn K. McMullin

After last week’s BLOG, a young mother emailed me with a follow-up question that might be worth sharing and is significant to students and families from grades 4 or 5 and up. She commented, “Students who are high-performing can have a hard time learning study skills as they get older. Because everything has come so easily to them, they haven't learned how to study and master more challenging material, and it can be daunting.” I’d like to share with you what I shared with her, which is applicable to every child no matter his or her abilities.

First of all, some struggle when the material begins to get harder is healthy for children.  We don't want learning to always be easy and risk-free.  It’s OK for students to attempt to learn something, to not succeed, and to then try something else until they figure out what works for them. Finding our own path to success is part of the learning process. But, frustration to the point of anxiety or shutting down is counter-productive. So let’s build on last week’s research about studying.

The most common technique for studying is some kind of personalized method using these kinds of strategies:

Previewing
First, always preview the "printed pages" before reading.  Studying is not linear, like reading a novel is: read page 1, then page 2, etc.  Students should examine the chapter before reading it.  Pay attention to how the chapter is organized – what parts are likely to be the most difficult? … and the most interesting?  They should read all the titles and sub titles and turn them into questions or observations. For example: If the article or chapter title was "Three Worlds: One Choice,” they might ask what is meant by the phrase ‘three worlds’ (when really there is only one) and whether ‘one choice’ seems positive or negative.  Asking challenging questions makes students want to find out the answers.
Next they should look at all the pictures to understand them, not just glance at them. Read the captions under the pictures. "Why does that monument have such a huge crowd around it?"  "Why are the people all wearing white?"  "In this picture, if there is no grass, how do those goats eat?"  When you’re really trying to understand, there’s no such thing as a dumb question.


Students should look at any charts and graphs and read their captions, trying to understand what they are showing.  Read the "call-out" boxes (areas of text that are larger or in boxes, etc.) and ask questions about what this information might be referring to.Reading
Second, there are a variety of ways to take notes while reading. I use what is called "dialectical journaling." It's easy and it works for me.  A standard notebook with a line dividing the page in half. The page number goes in the margin. I retain all the chapter and subtitles by writing them down.  Below each one, I write my book note on the left; and on the other side of the line, I either reword it in my own words or comment on it on the right.


Students also need to develop three different reading strategies and know which one to apply in different scenarios. There’s study reading, skimming, and scanning.
In study reading, they should slow down!  Try to interact with the author by paying attention and really trying to understand, not passively letting the words wash over them. They might have to read the material more than once… read it aloud in a one foot voice… or, use a ruler to move your eyes down the page… and, they should take notes.Skimming is useful as a pre-reading tool – to get the general idea before beginning reading – and as a reviewing tool to remind yourself what each section was about before summarizing it to yourself.  Scanning helps you find an exact piece of information or quote you’re looking for in material you already have read and understand.


Studying
Finally, when studying. The best thing to do is mix-up modalities.  Students might review and write what they're reviewing on note cards.  Writing and reading simultaneously allows the brain to recreate a memory of writing the information down, which supports the memory of seeing it and is both more permanent and more easily retrieved.  Think of trying to remember someone's phone number.  If you write it down, your brain will recall not just hearing the numbers, or seeing the numbers, but the actual act of writing the numbers on the page. 

Some kids might do better if they speak the information into a tape recorder, or even speak the information to a mirror, than if they simply write it.  It depends on learning style, but mixed modalities help most people.  Students should include strategies such making a set of flashcards, writing new words several times, diagramming something, drawing a flowchart of steps, using pneumonic devices, etc.

I’ll be the first to admit this is the briefest of overviews. I remember the shock of getting a C+ Ancient World History in the first quarter of my freshman year.  But I worked it out.
I’m sure that one of my strategies would have included meeting with the teacher, Mrs. Benway, to get her suggestions. (I was that kind of kid!)  Certainly, meeting with the teacher is always a good idea. 


I found a fabulous website for more information. Check out “How to Study” -- http://www.how-to-study.com/ -- which has study tips and information, categorized by math or language arts, by memorizing or note-taking, and so on.