With Zipora Schuck March 21, 2012

1. Study Skills With Zipora Schuck March 21, 2012

2. Our Guest: Zipora Schuck,MA, MS, founded Pathways Consulting Services LLC, an agency that provides professional development trainings to teachers, principals, therapists and parents.  Mrs. Schuck also serves as adjunct faculty member at Mercy College and is a NYS Certified School Psychologist holding a Masters Degrees in Special Education and School Psychology. Previously, Mrs. Schuck was a classroom teacher at P.S. 192 in Brooklyn.  She later assumed the position of Director of the Learning Center at the Bais Rochel School, and currently serves as a bi-weekly educational consultant for the Avir Yaakov Girls School, Bnos Yisroel School, Bais Malka School, Bais Shifra Miriam and UTA.

3. Overview of the Session • Teacher preparation as the corollary • Study skills vs. life skills • Time management skills • Organization skills • Listening skills – note taking – note making • Home study skills • Test taking skills • Core communication skills

4. Session Goals: • to gain practical strategies through which a teacher can facilitate students become more proficient with classroom related study skills. • to understand that these study skills are actually a microcosm of the executive functioning skills adults use every single day.

5. As a teacher, preparation is an integral part of your job. Please answer the following questions: • What supplies do you use when preparing? • Where do you usually prepare? • How long does it take you to prepare?

6. Student Study Skills • Time Management • Organization • Note taking • Studying • Test Taking • Communication • Goal Setting

7. Time Management • Location, location, location • Surveys and Interviews: • Do you study in the same place every time? • Where is it? • Is your work area comfortable? Quiet? Well lit? • Do you have the supplies you need easily available?

8. Time Management • Using a planner • The day-to-day vs. the big events • To-do lists

9. Time Management • Estimating Time Logs • Prioritizing • Study Time • Work Time • Break Time My daughter was up the whole night studying!

10. Organization • It’s about having the right things in the right place at the right time… • Paper management • Like a check without a signature • A time to save and a time to throw • Reference notebook

11. Note Taking • Listening Skills – the precursor • Active listening • Paraphrasing

12. Note Taking • Teacher wait time = Time to condense • Two column note taking • Abbreviate • Text messaging • Symbols • How much does each word cost? • Note taking vs. note making

13. Note Making • Reread and work the notes • Color code with highlighters • Draw pictures of cartoons • Title it • Main idea, subtopic, people, places, definitions

14. Study Skills • Question the notes • Just the facts ma’am: who, what, where, when, why, how? • Connect the dots and write a test question • Sort information by category • Create flashcards as you go • Frequent small review

15. Study Skills • Mnemonics • Memory words -MOSHE • Crazy Phrases – No Fish Can Ride The Bus • Picture Tricks – Auto Man • Visualize • People, location, background, size, smell, taste, sound, objects, color, texture • Create a graphic organizer: Venn diagram, webs, charts

16. Study Skills • Self talk • Record it and listen • Designated study buddy group

17. Test taking skills • Chill out • Deep breathing • Tin soldier vs. wet noodle • Change the venue • Duplicate test • Predict you own grade

18. Test taking strategies • Identify yourself • Race to the finish before leaving the starting gate • Cheat sheet or unloading • A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush –easy questions first • Tips for: • True/false questions • Matching questions • Fill in the blanks • Content specific tests

19. Test taking strategies Tips for true/false questions • Pay close attention to absolute words • Study sentence length • Be on guard for false logic • Consider guessing Tips for matching test questions • Read the list on the right first • Cross it off Tips for fill in the blank questions • Look for links in ideas • Look for context clues • Read the whole sentence • Use common sense

20. Test taking strategies Tips for Math tests • Try to estimate • Draw diagrams to help you think • Rephrase word problems • Show the answer in the correct form • Show all your work • Check your answers

21. Test taking strategies Tips for essay tests • Read and circle key words • Make a brief list of ideas to include • Transfer ideas into introduction, body. Summary • Reread the question and your answer • Edit your work

22. Communication • Eye contact • Personal space • Tone of voice • Non-verbal language • Give and take

23. Goal Setting • Identify • Ladder to success • Monitor • Celebrate

24. Upcoming Hidden Sparks Without Walls Sessions For more information visit: www.hiddensparks.org

25. About Hidden Sparks Hidden Sparks is a non-profit fund whose purpose is to help children with learning differences reach their full potential in school and life. Hidden Sparks develops and supports professional development programs for Jewish day schools to help increase understanding and support for teaching to diverse learners. Guided by a philosophy that by helping schools meet the needs of children with learning and behavioral differences, ultimately all students will benefit. Hidden Sparks’ programs combine professional development in learning and positive behavioral support, guided classroom observation and one on one coaching. The Hidden Sparks model and program is currently in 21 Jewish Day Schools/Yeshivot in New York and 7 in Boston, through a partnership with Gateways: Access to Jewish Education.

26. Contacting Hidden Sparks Contact Zipora Schuck ziporas@optonline.net Contact Hidden Sparks: www.hiddensparks.org margaret@hiddensparks.org (212) 767-7707