Study Skills Group Tohickon Middle School Christine S. Intern Counselor Fall 2007
SCREENING PROCESS 1. You are here because at the beginning of the year you checked off study skills on a survey asking about groups you would be interested in joining. 2. As an intern counselor here at Tohickon, I am starting a study skills group that will meet during resource on Tuesdays. The group will start meeting after Thanksgiving and it will probably run until winter break. It may continue after break, but someone else will be running it. 3. In the group, you will learn more about important study skills like time management, organization, setting goals, test-taking, and other topics generated by group members. It is also a good place to talk about your feelings about school and to hang out with kids who are dealing with the same issues. 4. In a group, all members are expected to talk and share their experiences. Is this something you would be willing to do? 5. Everything that you hear in a group is private and you must promise not to share what you hear from a group member with anyone. You could tell your parents what you said, but you should not tell them what another group member said. Would you have a problem with this? 6. A member of a group is expected to try to help other members of the group. Would you be willing to help others who are in the group? 7. The group will meet ten times and you will be expected to be present and on time at all of the group meetings. Is this something you would be willing to do? 8. In a group, everyone is expected to talk and not interrupt someone who is talking. Can you agree to this? 9. There are rules in a group that everyone is expected to follow. I will recommend some of these rules and other rules will be developed by the group. Do you think you ll be able to follow the rules of the group? 10. Do you have any questions? Does this sound like something you would be interested in? 11. Distribute permission forms and survey.
SESSION 1: Introductions, Rules, and Setting Goals 1. Review the purpose of the group. 2. Icebreaker: Everyone says who you are and two things you want to get out of the group. 3. Discussion: Reiterate the things students stated they wanted to gain from group and link them to each other and talk about helping each other reach our goals for group. 4. Group Rules: Everyone has input as to what the rules should be and everyone has to agree on them. However, the rules should include the following: a. Everything that is said in a group session will be kept confidential. This means that nothing that I hear will be discussed with people who are not in this group. b. Respect what other people say. Everyone is entitled to their feelings and opinions. c. I will take my turn and let everyone have a chance to talk. d. I will be supportive of every member of the group. e. I have the right to pass, or not comment, on things that are discussed. f. I agree to be on time and attend every session of the group. g. I will not talk about members who are absent or students who are not members of this group. 5. Activity: Study Skills Checklist a. Students will complete the checklist in order to identify strengths and weaknesses. This will help them set appropriate goals. b. How did it feel to take fill out this checklist? c. What did you learn about yourself? 6. Discussion: Students will discuss the difference between long-term and short-term goals. 7. Activity: Goal Worksheet a. Think about your answers on the checklist. What are some things you do well? What things do you think you want to change? b. Use this worksheet to help you set some goals and how you will reach them. i. Review worksheet. Answer questions. 8. Closure: a. Summarize the session. 9. Homework: a. Make one step toward that goal (i.e. ask a teacher for help, hand in at least half your assignments). b. Distribute and explain parent letter and membership contract. c. Bring your binders next week!
SESSION 2: Organization and Time Management 1. Welcome members. Have someone summarize what happened during the last session. 2. Collect any paperwork and hand out folders. 3. Follow up on goals. a. Have each member review their goal and share one thing they did to get it accomplished. b. Ask new members to share their goals. 4. Read the following paragraph: a. No matter how hard he tries, Eric is always behind in his school work. Every night, after dinner, he goes to his room to study and do his homework. However, something always seems to happen. His phone might ring, and he ends up talking to a friend for an hour; or he starts watching TV; or he discovers he forgot to bring home the textbook he needs. Before he realizes, it is 11:30pm and time to go to sleep. He knows he should go to sleep earlier because he is always tired; but he just never seems to be able to get enough rest. b. What are some of the problems you noticed in Eric s story? c. What kinds of things could he have done differently? 5. Discuss organization (organizing materials and organizing time) 6. Activity: Organize Binder a. Each student will bring their binder to the session. b. Compare a messy binder to organized demo binder. c. Using a demonstration binder and a binder checklist, students will organize their binders. 7. Activity: Time Management a. Complete time management questionnaire. b. Lead discussion: i. What would they change? ii. What would they keep the same? iii. When do you waste the most time? iv. Where should they spend more time? 8. Closing: Recap of session. a. Today we talked about how to organize your stuff and your time. b. Homework: For homework, I would like for each of you to create a study schedule. i. Distribute schedule worksheet for homework.
SESSON 3: Learning Styles, Test-Taking, Reflection, and Evaluation 1. Welcome members. Have someone summarize what happened during the last session. 2. Collect any paperwork. 3. Follow up on goals. a. Have each member review their goal and share one thing they did to get it accomplished. b. Ask one member to share his or her study schedule. i. Members can provide feedback. 4. Provide students with an overview of the session: learning styles, studying and test-taking strategies, reflection, and evaluation. 5. Learning Styles: One of the best ways to do better in school is to know how you learn best. a. What do you think is your learning style? Are you more visual, auditory, or kinesthetic (you like to physically do something to learn)? b. Today you are going to find out what your learning style is and some ways to study that will complement your style. i. Have students turn to folder with inventory. Give students 5 minutes to complete it and then review it. ii. Discuss whether or not the studying recommendations seem to fit. 1. What can you do to help you learn better? 6. Strategies: Knowing your learning style can really help you when you are studying, but there are some other strategies you can use when you are studying. a. Brainstorm different ways to study for a test or quiz. i. Focus on studying for a social studies or reading test. ii. Focus on essay tests vs. multiple choice vs. vocab vs. math iii. Write them on the board. b. Tips for Studying Worksheet: Those are some great ideas! Turn to the page in your folder titled TIPS FOR STUDYING. Read through these tips and review the ones the group just came up with, which ones do you think you would use when you study? Pick at least 5. i. Have each group member share their favorite tips. ii. Follow up and ask them when they would use them. c. We don t have enough time, but the last couple pages of your folder include some specific strategies for studying for different kinds of tests. 7. It has been great having you in this group. All of you have set some great goals and I know that you will be able to reach them if you continue to use the skills we ve talked about in the past few weeks. Before you go, I would like to get some feedback about the group. I have a short evaluation I would like you to fill out. When you are finished you can put it in this folder. You do not have to put your name on the evaluation. 8. Thank you again for such a great group. Good luck in the future. If you ever need to talk one-onone, they can make an appointment with the secretary in the guidance office.
MEMBERS AND ATTENDANCE 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. NAME GRAD E HR 11/27 12/4 12/11
GROUP EVALUATION It is important to learn how effective this group counseling has been. Please answer each of the following questions with your honest opinion. You will not be asked to sign you name to this evaluation. Just answer yes or no. 1. Were the group sessions interesting? 2. Has being in this group been helpful to you? 3. Have your grades improved since being in this group? 4. Have you received help from your teachers? 5. Have your parents been encouraging you to do better in school? 6. If you feel the group has helped you, do you feel you will continue to make progress? 7. Were you pleased with the group leader? 8. Were the group members helpful to you? 9. Would you recommend this group to a friend who needs to do better in school? What did you like most about this group experience? If there was something you did not like about this group experience, what was it? If there are changes that you feel should be made the next time this topic is offered to a group, what are they?
Dear Parent or Guardian, My name is Miss Christine S., an intern counselor at Tohickon Middle School who will be running a study skills group with your child. I wanted to make you aware that your child is enrolled in this group, which will meet every Tuesday for 3 sessions from November 27 through December 11 th. In this group we will discuss not only how to study but we will learn how to plan, organize, and manage time to meet with success. It is important for your child to identify the areas they may need to strengthen; therefore goal setting is a very big part of this whole process. Today we worked on making realistic goals. Please talk with your child about these discussions and look over any paperwork that comes home. Your interest and involvement in this process will be a great encouragement to your child. Thank you for your support, Christine S. Intern Counselor (267) 893-3311
Statement of Commitment 1. I understand that everything that is said in a group session will be kept confidential. This means that nothing that I hear will be discussed with people who are not in this group. 2. I will respect what other people say. There will be no put-downs or namecalling. 3. I believe that everyone is entitled to their feelings and opinions. 4. I will not interrupt a member who is speaking. I will take my turn and let everyone have a chance to talk. 5. I will be supportive of every member of the group 6. I have the right to pass, or not comment, on things that are discussed. 7. I agree to be on time and attend every session of the group. 8. I will not talk about members who are absent or students who are not members of this group. As a member of this group, I agree to follow all of these rules. Signed Date:
Binder Contents Checklist If your teacher does not have a specific way that they would like you to organize your binder for their class, you should use this checklist to keep yourself organized. Necessary Binder Contents: Good quality, 3-ring binder Colored tab dividers (a separate section in your binder for each class) Zipper pouch to store supplies (3-hole punched heavy duty zip-lock bags also work) Two or more pens Two or more pencils Filler/notebook paper Assignment logs for each academic course Agenda book Suggested Binder Contents: One or two folders for papers with no holes punched in it One or more colored highlighter pens Notebook dictionary and/or thesaurus Calculator Six-inch ruler 3-ring binder hole puncher Your binder should be organized in the following manner: Binder front cover Plastic supply holder Assignment book Dividers for each class in the same order as your schedule Each separate class should include: your class outline (this was probably given to you on the first day of school, your assignment log) Each section can be divided further into classwork/notes, homework, and quizzes/tests Extra blank paper Folders for each class (preferably color-coded) All papers should include your name, date, class, and topic discussed. Try to color code your binder, folders, and notebooks. For example, all of your social studies stuff could be blue or all of your math stuff could be red.
Assignment Log Keep track of all test grades, classwork, and homework assignments using this log in order to monitor your progress in each course. Description of Assignment Type of Assignment (HW, CW, Test) Date Assigned Due Date Did I Turn It In? Assignment Value (points possible, etc) My Score
Time Management Questionnaire I think I spend: hours minutes a day getting ready for school. hours minutes a day at school. hours minutes a day in trying to organize my day. hours minutes a day eating. hours minutes a day sleeping. hours minutes a day watching television. hours minutes a day exercising or playing a sport. hours minutes a day playing video games. hours minutes a day reading. hours minutes a day on the phone, IM, chat, or email. hours minutes a day on homework and studying. hours minutes a day on unnecessary interruptions or wasting time. hours minutes a day helping out at home. hours minutes a day working or doing volunteer work. hours minutes TOTAL How much free time do I have left over? What might I have overestimated? Underestimated? On which activities should I spend less time? On which activities should I spend more time?
Making a Schedule Make a schedule for how you will spend your free time before school, after school, and in the evenings. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you make your schedule. 1. Find a balance in your schedule. Include time for eating, fun, chores, and school work. 2. Set your bedtime first and build the rest of your schedule around that. 3. In scheduling time for homework and studying, find times that work best for you times when you will be the most well-rested and efficient. 4. Don t short change study time. Studying is important. Remember that you need to avoid putting things off and you need to avoid doing things at the last minute. 5. Don t forget to schedule some short breaks during your study time. 6. During the study time on your schedule, list exactly what you will be working on whenever possible. If you have a project due, you might write Go to library to do some research. 7. Make a new schedule each week so you can update and change what needs to be done. 8. Be realistic. Allow enough time for each item on your schedule. 9. Allow for some flexibility in your schedule. Be prepared for the unexpected. Suggested Daily Study Schedule: When you arrive home from school: 1. Leave all school material at study area. 2. Take a short break (30 minutes at most). a. Get a snack b. Relax 3. Go to study area a. Update calendar and check for future assignments b. Punch holes in handouts c. Make sure names and dates are on all papers d. File all loose papers e. Open notebook to each class in order f. Do the required assignment (check when finished) Home study guidelines: Read at least 15 minutes Monday through Thursday. Follow this procedure on weekends: Study 2 hours (at least) at one time Use block schedule o 50 minutes-study o 15 minutes-break o 15 minutes-study
My Schedule for the Week of Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 5:00 6:00 7:00 SCHOOL SCHOOL SCHOOL SCHOOL SCHOOL SCHOOL 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00
Learning Styles My learning style is Visual Learners: use visual materials such as pictures, charts, maps, graphs, etc. have a clear view of your teachers when they are speaking so you can see their body language and facial expression use colour to highlight important points in text take notes or ask your teacher to provide handouts illustrate your ideas as a picture or brainstorming bubble before writing them down write a story and illustrate it use multi-media (e.g. computers, videos, and filmstrips) study in a quiet place away from verbal disturbances read illustrated books visualize information as a picture to aid memorization Auditory Learners: participate in class discussions/debates make speeches and presentations use a tape recorder during lectures instead of taking notes read text out aloud create musical jingles to aid memorization create mnemonics to aid memorization discuss your ideas verbally dictate to someone while they write down your thoughts use verbal analogies, and story telling to demonstrate your point Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners take frequent study breaks move around to learn new things (e.g. read while on an exercise bike, mold a piece of clay to learn a new concept) work at a standing position chew gum while studying use bright colors to highlight reading material dress up your work space with posters if you wish, listen to music while you study skim through reading material to get a rough idea what it is about before settling down to read it in detail.
What's Your Learning Style For these questions, choose the first answer that comes to mind and click on a,b, or c. Don't spend too much time thinking about any one question. 1. When you study for a test, would you rather a) read notes, read headings in a book, and look at diagrams and illustrations. b) have someone ask you questions, or repeat facts silently to yourself. c) write things out on index cards and make models or diagrams. 2. Which of these do you do when you listen to music? a) daydream (see things that go with the music) b) hum along c) move with the music, tap your foot, etc. 3. When you work at solving a problem do you a) make a list, organize the steps, and check them off as they are done b) make a few phone calls and talk to friends or experts c) make a model of the problem or walk through all the steps in your mind 4. When you read for fun, do you prefer a) a travel book with a lot of pictures in it b) a mystery book with a lot of conversation in it c) a book where you answer questions and solve problems 5. To learn how a computer works, would you rather a) watch a movie about it b) listen to someone explain it c) take the computer apart and try to figure it out for yourself 6. You have just entered a science museum, what will you do first? a) look around and find a map showing the locations of the various exhibits b) talk to a museum guide and ask about exhibits c) go into the first exhibit that looks interesting, and read directions later 7. What kind of restaurant would you rather not go to? a) one with the lights too bright b) one with the music too loud c) one with uncomfortable chairs 8. Would you rather go to a) an art class b) a music class c) an exercise class 9. Which are you most likely to do when you are happy? a) grin b) shout with joy c) jump for joy 10. If you were at a party, what would you be most likely to remember the next day? a) the faces of the people there, but not the names b) the names but not the faces c) the things you did and said while you were there
11. When you see the word "d - o - g", what do you do first? a) think of a picture of a particular dog b) say the word "dog" to yourself silently c) sense the feeling of being with a dog (petting it, running with it, etc.) 12. When you tell a story, would you rather a) write it b) tell it out loud c) act it out 13. What is most distracting for you when you are trying to concentrate? a) visual distractions b) noises c) other sensations like, hunger, tight shoes, or worry 14. What are you most likely to do when you are angry? a) scowl b) shout or "blow up" c) stomp off and slam doors 15. When you aren't sure how to spell a word, which of these are you most likely to do? a) write it out to see if it looks right b) sound it out c) write it out to see if it feels right 16. Which are you most likely to do when standing in a long line at the movies? a) look at posters advertising other movies b) talk to the person next to you c) tap your foot or move around in some other way
Total your a's, b's, and c's Three Different Learning Styles If you scored mostly a's you may have a visual learning style. You learn by seeing and looking. Visual Learners take numerous detailed notes tend to sit in the front are usually neat and clean often close their eyes to visualize or remember something find something to watch if they are bored like to see what they are learning benefit from illustrations and presentations that use color are attracted to written or spoken language rich in imagery prefer stimuli to be isolated from auditory and kinesthetic distraction find passive surroundings ideal If you scored mostly b's, you may have an auditory learning style. You learn by hearing and listening. Auditory Learners sit where they can hear but needn't pay attention to what is happening in front may not coordinate colors or clothes, but can explain why they are wearing what they are wearing and why hum or talk to themselves or others when bored acquire knowledge by reading aloud remember by verbalizing lessons to themselves (if they don't they have difficulty reading maps or diagrams or handling conceptual assignments like mathematics). If you had mostly c's, you may have a kinesthetic learning style. You learn by touching and doing. Kinesthetic Learners need to be active and take frequent breaks speak with their hands and with gestures remember what was done, but have difficulty recalling what was said or seen find reasons to tinker or move when bored rely on what they can directly experience or perform activities such as cooking, construction, engineering and art help them perceive and learn enjoy field trips and tasks that involve manipulating materials sit near the door or someplace else where they can easily get up and move around are uncomfortable in classrooms where they lack opportunities for hands-on experience communicate by touching and appreciate physically expressed encouragement, such as a pat on the back
Tips for Studying Familiarize your self with the test. Ask how long it will be and what kind of questions will be on it. Find out what concepts are most important, which chapters to study and what you will be expected to do on the test-write an essay, answer multiple choice questions, complete a chart, etc. Look over all the work to be done and schedule time to do it. Stick to your schedule and routines. Avoid the escape syndrome. If you find yourself worrying or talking about what needs to be done instead of doing it, relax for a few minutes and rethink what you are doing, check your priorities and if necessary refine your study plan and then start working. Read or skim and take notes on the material you have not yet read. Set time limits and stick to them. Emphasize key material and concentrate on understanding the ideas. Ask yourself questions about the material or have someone else do this. Review the material out loud. Self-testing at the end of each section can increase recall even without reviewing later. Review actively. Put together your notes, items from the book and other information you have about the material. Use charting, outlining, making tables or even writing summaries. Perhaps create summary sheets for each major concept and make them meaningful to you. Practice doing what you will be doing on the test. Anticipate test questions by asking, If I were making up this test I might ask and then answer your own question. Consider studying with other well-prepared students. Studying together can clarify any gaps in what you know. Go over study guides and old assignments. Mark and study only what you don t know. When reading, jot down 2-3 important facts about each section. Write information you need to know on index cards. This is especially useful for key terms, names, places, and vocabulary. Always do the hardest assignments first. Take breaks every 45 minutes to an hour. Breaks should be 10-20 minutes long. When a teacher says something is important, make a note of it by drawing a star next to the information in your notes. Make up your own practice test. This is really helpful for math. Make up a song or drawing to help you remember information. Songs are great for remembering steps or processes. Ask someone to quiz you. Highlight your notes. Use graphic organizers.