Study Skills for Life Success: Turn Your Child into a Super Student in 30 Hours

By Jacques De Villiers

Learners who attempt tertiary studies are often not equipped for the study challenges facing them at that level. School leavers behavioral patterns are, however, so well established that efforts to teach them how to study once they start with their tertiary studies are often fruitless.

This program requires the active input of a facilitator, who might be a teacher, a parent, or anybody with an interest in the development of a child. If you are not prepared to spend time preparing or building relationships, then this program is not for you.

Please be aware that this program aims to teach principles and not tricks. I was also not trying to promote any specific learning philosophy or approach. I do believe, though, that any child who masters the principles taught in this program will be a better student and a better person who will remain teachable through life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Sep 18, 2013
• ISBN: 9781491876367

Jacques De Villiers

Jacques de Villiers holds qualifications in philosophy, human resource management, education and training, work-study, and marketing management. He is an expert in the field of postschool education with a passion for workplace-training interventions and is an accomplished writer of educational material. He was the chairperson of two local union branches, a member of two school governing bodies, and a league-winning chess coach. He is currently a branch chairperson of the South African National Sunday School Association and has been a leader in his local church for more than fifteen years. Jacques is married to Tersia, and they have two adult children. “It is my mission to utilize my gifts, abilities, passions, and experiences to the benefit of my family, my community, and my country, and to the glory of the Lord.”

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CONTENTS

General Instructions To Facilitators

Session 1: Introduction—The Study Process

Session 2: Introduction—Develop A Positive Study Attitude

Session 3: Effective Planning—Roles, Appointments, And Priorities

Session 4: Effective Planning—Time Utilisation

Session 5: Effective Planning—Homework And Study

Session 6: Effective Planning—Creating A Favourable Study Environment

Session 7: Effective Observation—Passive Listening

Session 8: Effective Observation—Active Listening

Session 9: Effective Observation—Note Taking

Session 10: Effective Observation—Reading Habits

Session 11: Effective Observation—Reading Speed

Session 12: Effective Observation—Reading Technique

Session 13: Cognitive Skills—Summaries (Identification And Organisation)

Session 14: Cognitive Skills—Summaries (Classification And Presentation)

Session 15: Cognitive Skills—Effective Questioning

Session 16: Cognitive Skills—Creativity

Sessions 17 & 18: Cognitive Skills—High-Level Thinking Skills

Session 19: Memory Techniques—Forgetting

Session 20: Memory Techniques—Writing It Out

Session 21: Memory Techniques—Visualisation

Session 22: Memory Techniques—Memory Keys

Session 23: Memory Techniques—Hook Systems

Session 24: Memory Techniques—Linking And Diagrams

Session 25: Revision And Examination—Exam Stress

Session 26: Revision And Examination—Planning

Session 27: Revision And Examination—Question Identification

Session 28: Revision And Examination—Vocabulary

Session 29: Revision And Examination—Numeracy

Session 30: Revision And Examination—Spelling And Essays

About The Author

About The Book

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO FACILITATORS

First Preparation Phase

Read through this book at least once and complete all activities before attempting to facilitate the course.

Second Preparation Phase

Prepare for each individual session before you take a child through it. On average, only fifteen minutes preparation time is required per session. The expected preparation time as well as the time to be spent on each section is indicated by the Time Frame at the beginning of each session.

Please make sure that you have the needed stationary ready before the start of each session. It is advisable that each child has a file in which to keep the completed worksheets. Children will need at least a pencil and eraser to complete each activity.

Facilitating the Course

Each session in this book will take about forty-five minutes to complete.

Let the children read through the Information paragraph and help them to reflect on the information for about fifteen minutes. Then facilitate the completion of the thirty-minute Activity. Please note that some sessions has more than one activity. When a session has more than one activity, the completion of all the activities in that session should still take only about thirty minutes

Facilitator Rights and Responsibilities

When you purchase this book, you are licensed to take up to ten individual children through the program. As some of the exercises work better with a small group than with an individual, it is better to do some sessions with a small group. You are allowed to make no more than ten copies of each worksheet.

You are not allowed to use this manual for commercial gain. If you do want to use the manual for commercial gain, please contact the author to purchase a sub-contractor’s license.

SESSION 1:

INTRODUCTION—THE STUDY PROCESS

Aims

• The children understand the study process.

• The children are introduced to mental key notes.

• The children identify their existing study habits and study attitudes.

Timeframe

Preparation

Facilitator: Read through the information and become familiar with the content of Activity 1.

Children: They will need their files, pencils, and erasers.

Encourage children to complete all activities in pencil, as they often make mistakes or change their minds about answers.

Information

The study process can be divided into four phases, depending on when the learning activities in each phase take place.

• Phase 1 learning activities that take place before class.

• Phase 2 learning activities that take place during class.

• Phase 3 learning activities that take place shortly after class.

• Phase 4 learning activities that take place before the exam.

The learning activities can be memorised by using the following mental key notes:

• Phases 1 and 2: Before and during class

o Good students PLAN before and during class.

o Plan, Listen Attentively, and take Notes.

• Phase 3: Shortly after class

o Good students work according to a ROSTER at home.

o Read Objectively, Summarise, Think, Exercise, and Remember

• Phase 4: Before the exam

o Good students can RAP any exam.

o Revise and Apply

The following list of good study habits was adapted from Culbertson’s Academic Success Strategies from the website http://home.snu.edu/~hculbert/success.htm and corresponds to the learning activities explained above.

• Before Class

o Read through the work you will be doing in class.

• During Class

o Attend class.

o Ask questions and participate in discussions.

o Follow the teacher’s instructions.

o Know what you are supposed to study and how the questions will be asked.

o Confirm your understanding of the work with the teacher.

• Shortly after Class

o Do work that’s in arrears before the next class (including incomplete work and corrections).

o Do your homework neatly and completely.

o Do your homework thoughtfully and critically.

o Revise your homework before you study or complete assignments.

o Complete your assignments before the due date and hand them in on time.

• Before the Exam

o Join a study group.

o Start learning in time for tests and exams.

o Discuss assignments and concepts with your classmates.

o Explain the work to each other.

Students who perform badly at school often assume that other children are smarter than they are, but the truth is that natural brain power has little to do with scholastic achievement. It is more likely that the high achievers have already mastered more of the learning activities than their peers.

This program will help you to plan better, listen better, and take good notes. It will also improve your reading and teach you how to summarize work, how to think more effectively, and how to memorise work that you’ve studied. Lastly, it will teach you to revise and how to rap for an exam.

Activities

Facilitate the completion of Activity 1.

• Prompt the children to move on to the next question if they get stuck on any one question.

• Remind them that there are no wrong or right answers in the pre-test and that you will not discriminate against anybody based on his or her answer.

Activity 1: Pre-Test

Answer only Yes or No to the following statements.