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Getting ready for the new school year involves more than purchasing new tennis shoes, pencils, and notebooks. You also want to know your student is academically prepared. Studies have shown that learning study habits significantly improves students’ performance.

An understanding that good grades does not completely rely on intelligence has evolved over the years, starting with work Harvard University researchers have done. They found that students who were very bright (otherwise they could not have gotten into Harvard) were not succeeding. In researching why the students were not thriving, they found that these students had not developed good study habits. Psychologist Bill Perry worked with these failing undergraduates on study skills. The result is that today, Harvard has an estimated 97% graduation rate, far above most postsecondary institutions.*

What we have learned over time is that Study Skills do dramatically impact grades. Dr. Smethurst of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia found that failing freshman and sophomore students could go from being on probation one semester to being on the Dean’s list the next semester by learning how to study. He has replicated this phenomenon by helping students do well at other universities and with students from 5th grade through high school. It empowers students to give them the skills they need to succeed.

The beginning of the school year is a good time to be sure your student has the skills s/he needs. One way to think about it is do they have the skills in the areas of organizing ‘time’, ‘material,’ and ‘ideas.’ Does the student have a planner or a PDA to help him/her organize time? Does he/she know how to use it and how to begin scheduling in the most important things first? Does he/she know how to break down a large project, such as writing a research paper, into weeks and hours? Is there an awareness of scheduling in a balanced life including time for relaxation and fun?

Students also need to manage their materials. What does their work area look like at home? Do they have a well-lighted desk space with a place for storing materials such as pens, markers, paper, scissors, stapler, hole punch, and tape? Is there a plug-in for the computer if they have a laptop or a scheduled time that they can use the family computer? How is the organization of your student’s backpack? They could color-code their classes, assigning color pocket folders and spiral back notebooks to each class so handouts and assignments are easily filed and found.

Finally, spend time on organizing ideas. Some students may have organized their time and their materials, but have no idea on how to start a writing assignment or prepare for a test. Sit down with your child and help him/her put the writing assignments and tests on their calendar, and then help him/her organize how to break up the written assignment into small, manageable units.

A research paper can be divided into weeks, starting with simply brainstorming the topic and what a student wants to say about that topic, then the second week reading and note taking, followed by writing a rough draft the third week. This is accomplished by sequencing ideas according to time or order of importance and including an introduction and conclusion to the essay. Planning for revising and editing will result in a final copy the student will be proud to hand in to his/her teacher.

Be ready for the start of this school year and think about the study skills your student needs. Learning good study skills by considering the time needed, the materials to be gathered and the way to organize ideas into a manageable, logical manner will help your student succeed in school this fall. As Drs. Smethurst and Luckie said, “It’s as if you could, by practice, make yourself smart.”

The Reading Center is offering a course this fall teaching study skills to students grades 7-9. Class begins September 27, 2012, and meets on Tuesdays through December 6, 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. Limited scholarships are available, and registrations are required to participate in the class.

To register, contact the Reading Center at 288-5271 or download the registration form at http://www.thereadingcenter.org/WhatWeDo/StudySkills.aspx 

About the Reading Center

The Reading Center is a non-profit organization that has been helping struggling students learn to read since 1951. A United Way partner agency, the Reading Center provides educational testing, one-on-one Educational Therapy and summer Best of Basics program for children. The Reading Center also teaches adults in a multi-sensory, structured approach to teach reading through Basic and Advanced Institutes and training for school teachers. In 2010, the Reading Center provided 8,700 lessons to 147 students one-on-one, 70 children were tested for reading disabilities, 123 were screened, and 50 educators and parents were trained. $55,000 in scholarships were provided to 69 children whose families could not afford the cost of testing and tutoring.