Tag Archive for ‘study skills’

Index cards and tests

 When your disorganized child is taking a test, especially a long one, encourage him to use a 5×7 index card to cover up the test questions below.  As your child answers questions, move the card down to show each question at a time.  Covering up the other questions will make the test seem visually less overwhelming and will help him to focus on one question at a time.

Study Buddies

Get a study buddy! Reviewing the information with a friend is a great technique. The auditory learners will love to discuss and listen to others share information. Sometimes study buddies can help each other by pointing out some material that the other may have missed. The bottom line is that your child will have fun studying. Don’t forget the popcorn!

Brain Dumping

Before your child starts a test, tell her to turn the test over and do some ‘brain dumping”. What? Yes, brain dumping. This strategy instructs the student to write down the information she has been storing in her brain about the test topic before the test. This will reduce the student’s anxiety about remembering certain material for the tests. Explain to your child that by brain dumping, she is giving her memory some free space [...]

Study Breaks

“Ma, just 5 more minutes, the show is almost over!” Break times…moms cringe at the thoughts of bringing their child back to task after a break. Negotiating a realistic break time with your child give him a sense of responsibility in the decision making process. Here are some guidelines I use with my clients
 

Type of Student

Minutes / work session

Minutes/break

Elementary

15

3-5

Elementary school with learning/attention issues

10

3-5

Middle School

20-30

3-5 (a few more if needed)

Preparing for exams- Flash Cards

For some students, final exams are here. A great way to memorize facts, names, dates and foreign language is to use index cards. I always recommend using colored index cards. For example, use pink cards for feminine words and blue cards for the masculine words when studying foreign languages. Using the colored cards will also act as another cue to recall the word. Remember to use a different color for each subject.
A great technique in [...]