Parents: Study Tips to Help Your Student

Anytime a student is provided with an assignment or an upcoming tests that requires him or her to study, he or she should have a pencil in hand and be ready to write. The more students write, the more they remember. I do not suggest that you require students to rewrite their notes. Instead, encourage your students to make additional notes as they are memorizing their existing notes.

Have students write down key words or acronyms in the margin that will help them remember or recall information. Students may also want to write notes in the margins.

Some students can use a highlighter to color code information, and they are able to recall all those points that were highlighted in yellow, blue, green, or pink. Do not be afraid to let students color their notes and make them pretty as this may be a tactic that helps students achieve success.

As a teacher, I realize that some of my esteemed colleagues are what I would call “long-winded.” As a result, they get carried away at times in the classroom. These teachers talk and talk and provide way too many notes. I suggest students divide their notes prior to a test and study a certain section of their notes on a particular night. This way they are not overwhelmed prior to the exam.

A really effective study habit is if students take notes in class and then if they go home and study those notes. They will still recall the information, but if they study it shortly after writing it down, they move the information to the forefront of their brains. This prohibits students from having to cram at the last minute; plus, how effective is cramming the night before a test? It's better than nothing, but it does not translate into long-term learning.