Study Skill Review

Week of:  February 24-28, 2014

Theme:  Study Skills Review

 

     Date               Announcements            Greeting             Sharing                 Activity

Tuesday 2/25/14 a.m.	Today we review the Study Skills we’ve learned so far	n/a	How was everyone’s Winter Break??	Informal Review of Skills (see attached)
Tuesday p.m.	n/a	Choose a group favorite	n/a	Race to Summa  Cum Laude J
Wed 2/26/14	Grade-Level Meetings	n/a	n/a	n/a
Thursday 2/27/14	One-on-One Advisor/Advisee Meetings	n/a	n/a	Advisors & Advisees discuss students’ academic & behavioral progress
Friday 2/28/14	No School	n/a	n/a	n/a

 

Tuesday  – a.m.

 

Using the attached handouts of the study skills learned heretofore, informally quiz advisees about the methods taught thus far.

Tuesday -- p.m.

 Review Game: 

Advisees are divided up into two groups.  [Advisors determine whether to divide the groups or whether to allow team captains to choose their teams.]

 

Advisees from both teams take turns going to the white board to try to answer questions the fastest.  For example, Joe and Josephine go to the white board.  The Advisor asks, “What does R.A.T. stand for?”  The advisee who writes down the answer first, wins a point for his or her team. 

 

Looking through the notes, advisors formulate questions and challenges specific to their group’s learning experiences. 

 

Example questions could be:

“List as many of the 6 steps of R.A.T. as you are able.  Double points for the team who can list all 6.”

“The ‘K’ in K.I.M. stands for what?”

“K.I.M.”  stands for what?

“K.I.M.” the word “kerfluffle”

“What are three ways an auditory learner can study for a test?”

 

NOTE:  Although advisees are NOT allowed to shout out answers to their teammates, they may cheer on their teammates.

  

Study Skills:  

 

A.  Read Around the Text (R.A.T.)

 

1. Look closely at all the pictures.

 

2. Read all of the captions.

 

3. Look at any maps, charts, and graphs.

 

4. Read all the titles and headings.

 

5. Read the first and last line of each ¶.

 

6. Now ask yourself questions so you have a reason to read.

 

B.  K.I.M. Vocabulary Technique

[Excerpted from “Middle School High Five” Program….]

 

Background:

·   This vocabulary activity does not rely on the use of a dictionary right away.  We know that when students are sent to a dictionary to look up an unknown word, they often choose the shortest definition to read, which is not necessarily the correct one.

·   Also, dictionary “language” is not always student-friendly and some students have difficulty comprehending the formal definition.

·   Instead, rely on a group discussion of new words eliciting prior knowledge of that students might already have.

·   Refer to the context in which the word is found.

·   Use prefixes, roots and suffixes to help predict the word’s meaning.

·   Lastly, consult the dictionary to validate student predictions and to clarify meaning.

 

Using the K.I.M. Strips:

·   The K.I.M. Strip is easy for students to navigate. 

·   “K” stands for the key word and students simply record the vocab word to be learned. 

·   “I” stands for important information.  Encourage students to record what they have learned about the key word in “their own words.”

·   “M” stands for memory clue or mnemonic.  Ask students to draw something to help them remember the meaning of the word.   Sometimes drawing weird connections helps the brain to remember new information longer. 

·   An example is with the word defeat.  A student might actually draw a foot stomping out something to show it winning.  The silly connection with an oversized foot can be a useful memory aid. 

·   Another idea is to add color cues since they can serve as a strong memory link.

 

K (K=Key Word)	I (I=Information/Definition)	M (M=MemoryClue/Picture)
Your Sentence:

 

C.  Note-Taking Tips

 

1.        Notes are for the MAIN IDEAS only. 

-          no need for full sentences

-          Don’t write down everything that you read or hear. Be alert and attentive to the main points. Concentrate on the "meat" of the subject and forget the trimmings.

 

2.   Omit descriptions and full explanations. Keep your notes short and to the point. Condense your material so you can grasp it rapidly.

 

3.   INDENTATION indicates importance/new sections and points.

 

4.   Don’t worry about missing a point. Leave space and try to pick up the material you miss at a later date, either through reading, questioning, or common sense.

 

5.   Review your notes periodically. This is the only way to achieve lasting memory.

 

6.   Have a uniform system of punctuation and abbreviation that will make sense to you. Use a skeleton outline, and show importance by indenting. Leave lots of white space for later additions.

-          Arrow indicates a main idea or section heading.

-          Underline means a section title (helps you track back to your text if you need more information later.

-          Highlight main terms and vocabulary.

7. When the instructor says, "this is important" get it exactly and * (mark it). Listen for hints that instructors give as to what will be on tests.
8.  Don’t erase a mistake and don’t black it out completely. Draw a single line through it. This saves time and you may discover later that you want the mistake.
9. Abbreviate – Shortcuts, such as abbreviations, are alternatives to writing everything longhand. Abbreviate only if you will be able to understand your won symbols when you go back to study your notes. Be constantly on the lookout for new and useful abbreviations and symbols to shorten your writing time. This will also increase your listening time.

Commonly Used Symbols and Abbreviations:

&	and
No. or #	number
=	equal to, is the same as
b/4	before
ref.	reference
w/	with
>	greater than
<	less than
i.e.,	that is
vs.	versus, as opposed to
e.g.,	for example
etc.	et cetera
Q.	question
b/c	because
w/o	without

*From "*How to Succeed in College" by Gerow & Lyng and "Study Skills: A Student’s Guide for Survival" by Carman & Adams, Jr.

http://www1.chapman.edu/arc/goodnotes.html

D.  Study Tips & Test-Prep Skills

Students with better study methods and strategies score higher on their exams.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

E.  Study Groups

 

Jigsaw in 10 Easy Steps

 

The jigsaw classroom is very simple to use. If you're a teacher, just follow these steps:

 

       Divide students into 5- or 6-person jigsaw groups. The groups should be diverse in terms of gender, ethnicity, race, and ability.


       Appoint one student from each group as the leader. Initially, this person should be the most mature student in the group.


       Divide the day's lesson into 5-6 segments. For example, if you want history students to learn about Eleanor Roosevelt, you might divide a short biography of her into stand-alone segments on: (1) Her childhood, (2) Her family life with Franklin and their children, (3) Her life after Franklin contracted polio, (4) Her work in the White House as First Lady, and (5) Her life and work after Franklin's death.


       Assign each student to learn one segment, making sure students have direct access only to their own segment.


       Give students time to read over their segment at least twice and become familiar with it. There is no need for them to memorize it.


       Form temporary "expert groups" by having one student from each jigsaw group join other students assigned to the same segment. Give students in these expert groups time to discuss the main points of their segment and to rehearse the presentations they will make to their jigsaw group. 


       Bring the students back into their jigsaw groups.


       Ask each student to present her or his segment to the group. Encourage others in the group to ask questions for clarification.


       Float from group to group, observing the process. If any group is having trouble (e.g., a member is dominating or disruptive), make an appropriate intervention. Eventually, it's best for the group leader to handle this task. Leaders can be trained by whispering an instruction on how to intervene, until the leader gets the hang of it.


     At the end of the session, give a quiz on the material so that students quickly come to realize that these sessions are not just fun and games but really count.