Brecksville-Broadview Heights Middle School Guidan

2005

TIME MANAGEMENT

1. Keep a monthly calendar for long-range assignments.

2. Develop a home study plan. (Work around your life.)

3. Spend time studying each day.

4. When given an assignment, do some work right away.

FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS

1. Read/listen carefully.

2. Ask questions

3. Read all instructions first.

4. Be sure that you understand all terms.

5. Paraphrase directions back to person giving them, if possible.

NOTE-TAKING AND OUTLINING

1. Take notes in ink and write legibly.

2. Learn to abbreviate. (Don't over-abbreviate)

3. Use the dash format if strict outline form is not given. Use the left margin for your question column. Title and date lecture. Place main ideas close to the margin's indent sub-ideas.

4. Concentrate in class; listen long enough to understand what was said, then write it down paraphrasing (in your own words). Watch for teacher's verbal clues and gestures to know what's important. (Check chalkboard each day for clues.)

5. From the textbook, read a section first, then go back and take notes. Decide what the main ideas and sub-ideas are. Don't copy directly from the book.

6. Review notes as soon as possible for clarification. Schedule l/2 hour review each weekend to go over notes from the week. (Write questions in question column and cover notes trying to answer).

MAPPING

1. Learn how to "map"

2. Mapping can be used to vary your note-taking and will help concentration.

3. It can helping preparing for a test with your notes.

4. A good map can cover "twenty" pages of written notes.

TEST TAKING

1. Think up possible test questions, and quiz yourself.

2. Highlight main ideas or key terms in your notes.

3. Try mnemonics (words made out of lists).

4. Answer the question you know first.

5. If there's an answer you are afraid you might forget, do it immediately.

6. Get clues to answers from reading other parts of the test.

7. Budget your time. (Use clock or watch)

8. In true-false tests, long statements are often true. ONLY, NEVER and ALWAYS often indicate the statement is false. OFTEN, SOMETIMES, PROBABLY and USUALLY often indicate the statement is true.

SQ3R

1. Learn the SQ3R method - Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review.

2. Use your questions for a test (SQ3R Question Sheet)

3. Fold back the answers and give yourself a written test.

4. Ask your parents or classmates to quiz you orally using this sheet.

LISTENING

1. Get ready to listen.

2. Concentrate and focus on the teacher. (Use good eye contact.)

3. Ask for a seat change if you cannot concentrate or hear well where you are.

4. Double check with a reliable "study buddy" from class or call him/her in the evening to be sure about assignments if your listening was not good. (or, --- see the teacher after class or after school).