A very successful parent of a student that I tutor told me that he always struggled in school because he never learned how to study or how to find out the important information from texts. I interviewed students from elementary, middle, and high school and discovered that they were never taught how to use or read their textbooks. Although, all textbook go over how they are formatted and useful strategies on how to use them, none of the students I interviewed remember a teacher going over how to use the information - guidelines, samples, or methods to learn.
The reading students are asked to do is amazing complex. Students read instructions, tests, novels, newspapers, websites, and books from the library. They need to recognize all sorts of usual words, make sense of many types of reading, change how fast or slow they read, use strategies, reread, and then remember everything. Who can do all that?
Students could probably use a little help to make reading and learning easier. You need to sit down with your student and look over each textbook. Read the guidelines the textbook provide and be sure your student knows where to find important information. For example, math texts have a section that has vocabulary, formulas, rules, etc. History texts have timelines, etc.
Some basic strategies that work for reading to learn that may be used for all academic subjects are listed below:
Before Reading set a purpose - everything you do in or especially out of school you should use the "Habits of the Mind" to critically read and think about information.
To set a purpose - do a quick survey before reading the assignment. This will help prepare you to read and organize information more easily. Look for the title, headings, words in bold of italic print, graphics, key points, and guiding and review questions.
Make up questions based on your survey. Try to answer your questions, as well as the review questions, while you read.
Takes notes of summarize sections while you read. Summarizing is especially helpful if a section is difficult to understand. Say your summary out loud or write it in your notes. Some students have trouble summarizing and end up rewriting everything thing they read. A good method to use to write summaries is to write down the most important word in each sentence and then the second most important word in each sentence. It's interesting to note that you will discover the most important word you write is a noun, and the second most important is a verb. You will have a list of words called a 'word bank' and from that list write a summary. I use this technique successfully with students as young as third grade and I personally use this strategy all the time. It also helps students store information in long term memory and when they need to write a research paper they won't be tempted to plagiarize (which I don't think students intent to do - they just never learned how to take notes and summarize).
Look up any words you don't understand. Sometimes tricky words make a passage difficult to read; understanding their meaning can make all the difference.
After reading, review any summaries or notes you have written. Test yourself to see if you can answer the review questions and most importantly your questions.
Read a large variety of material. The more you read, the easier and more enjoyable reading will become for you.
There is method called SQ4R that is very effective, and has been around a long, long time-that's because it works! It is similar to the method describe above.
Survey. Before you start, survey the chapter's headings, tables, charts and figures. Read the chapter summary. Conceptualize the content of what you are about to read.
Question. Turn the chapter headings and subheadings into questions. As you read the chapter, imagine which questions might likely turn up on a test.
Read. Quickly read each section of the chapter, one after the other, searching for the answers to your questions. Do new questions pop up?
Recite. At the end of each section, recite your questions. If they weren't answered, go back until they are all answered. Only then should you go on to the next section.
wRite. First write down your questions and then your answers. This process will aid you in remembering what you have read.
Review. What were the main learning points of the chapter? What is the significance of the main points and how they apply to the big picture.
Don't worry about the kind of questions you write, are they good, or whatever, the whole process will help you learn and understand and that's the point. If you are still having difficultly then it is time to get ask for help. Remember that your teachers are there to help you, they want to help you!Your teachers have no way of knowing of what is going on with you if you don't tell. them. If you don't feel comfortable asking questions during class see your teacher during her office hours.
I will write a post soon on how to write questions. I will use examples from the work of students that I'm presently tutoring.
Best,
Debra
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