Students are told they need to study by parents and teachers, know they need to do it, want to please and perform well- but do not know where to start.
Many times when students have not done well on a test, yet claimed they studied "a lot" - I asked how they studied to hear almost every time, "I looked at the page." No matter how long someone stares at words- they will not jump out and commit themselves into long term memory unless that person was gifted with photographic memory. So- how does one even begin to plan to study?
My first question to students who ask for help is, "What do you like to do outside of school?" Every person is made uniquely by our loving God- which means there is not a "one size fits all" method to studying. There are eight different intelligences, which include: linguistic intelligence, logical-mathematical intelligence, spatial intelligence, bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, musical intelligence, naturalist intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, and intra-personal intelligence. Basically- if you love music, put the information to a song! If you are inter or intra personal then teach the information to someone and talk about it as much as possible- even if it is to your pet or mirror. If you enjoy sports, then try to do specific body movements for each piece of information or at least perform some movement while learning to keep your brain awake and active. Artistic students should draw, paint or animate versus writing words as much as possible. Many times the best method for studying makes students feel silly or like they are a "little kid." So they need encouragement to break out of their shell and make their learning memorable. All the fun activities that elementary or preschool teachers made us do seem silly for older students - but that is where real, long-lasting learning lies!
The second huge factor to studying is actually scheduling time to do it. During our busy lives, we have great intentions, but time can slip away from us when we are running from school to extracurricular activities and making sure everyone eats dinner and gets a shower. Even if the teacher does not schedule homework or practice- it is inevitable that the information will have a test or some sort of assessment in the future. So, plan time EVERY evening to study a little bit with a particular activity instead of trying to cram all the information the night before an exam. For example, if you know you have a test on vocabulary words at the end of every week- plan ways that help you study each evening. On Monday work through finding all the information in the textbook. On Tuesday create picture flashcards for the information you compiled the day before. On Wednesday quiz yourself using the cards you made and create a dance around the living room while picking up each card. On Thursday try to put the information you have learned to a song and teach it to your loving family so you can be confident on Friday to take your test.