Middle School S.O.S. : S uccess through O rganization and S tudy skills

1. Created by Shari Obrentz Middle School S.O.S.:Success throughOrganization and Study skills October 28, 2009

2. Agenda • Tuning into your Student • Energy cycles (morning larks and night owls) • Attention spans • Learning styles • Motivation • Getting Organized • Supplies • Family and Individual Calendars • School and Activity Planning • Homework Routines • Study Skills • Designing a study environment • Making studying a regularly scheduled activity • Get creative with study techniques • Allowing for Independence and Working Together • Goal Setting • What can your students do alone? • When and how often do you need to step in? • Family Check-in • Resources • Peers, Teachers, Tutors/Coaching • Assistive Technology Created by Shari Obrentz

3. Tuning Into Your Student • Energy Cycles • When does your student have the most energy? • When does your student crash in the evening? • Why do these matter? • Explains why performance in some classes may be better than others • Homework schedules should be worked around these times • Extracurricular activities can increase and decrease energy • Helps minimize cramming and meltdowns Created by Shari Obrentz

4. Tuning Into Your Student • Attention Spans • The “normal” adult attention span is 20-25 minutes. • Young students attentions spans vary- but should and will increase as they grow. • We all “tune in” more at the beginning and end of activities, lectures, assignments. • Creating more beginning and end times may help with attention • Each student is different. You may have to monitor your student to identify attentions spans. Created by Shari Obrentz

5. Tuning Into Your Student • Learning Styles • Younger students should try many different learning techniques to find what works best for different tasks. • By middle school, students will develop some preferred learning styles. • Students can use different techniques for different classes and may have to adapt to different teaching styles or requirements. • Common categories include: • Visual • Auditory • Read/Write • Kinesthetic • VARK Inventory • www.vark-learn.com Created by Shari Obrentz

6. Tuning Into Your Student • Motivation • Working with your students interests will make learning in all subjects easier. • Internal Motivation • Students tend to be more learning than task focused • The grade or reward is not the goal • Students will work harder in certain areas even if they are not performing at the top • External Motivation • Students tend to be more task than learning focused • Students need rewards in order to complete tasks (not always tangible) • Students may look for less challenging ways to complete tasks in order to enhance performance • Use your student’s interests as learning experiences and rewards. Created by Shari Obrentz

7. Getting Organized • Supplies may need to be changed throughout the school year. • The key is to find products that your students enjoy using! • Calendars • Agendas • Notebooks • Folders • Note cards • Pens/Markers/Pencils • If possible, students should have separate binders/folders for each class. Created by Shari Obrentz

8. Getting Organized • Family Calendars • Each family should have a shared calendar that is accessible to everyone. Every family member can have their own color. • Birthdays • Parties • Sporting Events • Vacations • Days off • Student Calendars • Students should also keep track of their own assignments and activities • Homework • Tests • Projects Created by Shari Obrentz

9. Getting Organized • School & Activity Planning • Try not to schedule every minute of every day! • Be mindful of energy clocks and attention spans (especially when organizing around homework time). • Sometimes having no “activity” planned is the best plan. Created by Shari Obrentz

10. Getting Organized • Homework Routines • Select either times of the day or an order of subjects to complete homework. • Try setting time limits to keep students going and not hyper-focusing on one subject. • There is always be something to do, even if there is nothing due (this is not to fill up down time). • Homework Checks • Middle school is a time for students to learn and practice their independence. • Students still need to be accountable and may not be ready for as much independence as they request. • Building in routine check times will help students build their own skills while keeping you in the loop. Created by Shari Obrentz

11. Study Skills • Study Environment • Work with your student to find out where he/she is most comfortable and least distracted. • Consider work space, lighting, access to computer or supplies. • Have a back-up space ready in case the primary space is occupied or not working. Created by Shari Obrentz

12. Study Skills • Studying as an Everyday Activity • Distributed learning is the best way to improve memory and ensure long-term storage. • Practicing some things every day helps will help minimize the stress around quizzes and tests. • Start reviewing “notes” daily (this is a huge skill to learn). • Students will retain up to 80% of information learned if they review it within 24 hours of learning. Created by Shari Obrentz

13. Study Skills • Creative Study Techniques • Relate current school material to personal experiences and interests. • Work different learning strategies into daily studying: • Use art supplies to make flash cards or study sheets • Create songs/poems/mneumonics to memorize vocabulary/formulas • Move around while studying- this is very important for kinesthetic learners • Make up games, drills, or timed activities to practice recall Created by Shari Obrentz

14. Independence & Working Together • Goals must include your student’s input (if the goals are yours, there’s a good chance they will not be reached). • Goals should be S.M.A.R.T: • SPECIFIC • MEASUREABLE • ATTAINABLE • REALISTIC • TIMELY • It takes 30 days to make a new habit (and less than a week to break it). • Have checkpoints in place so that goals can be modified along the way. Created by Shari Obrentz

15. Independence & Working Together • What can your student do alone? • Daily homework • Routine reviews • Starting studying and projects • When should you step in? • Daily Homework Checks • Weekly plans • Review for tests/projects Created by Shari Obrentz

16. Independence & Working Together • Family Check-Ins • A great opportunity to share accomplishments, set or re-set goals. • Keeps everyone accountable for short-term and long-term goals. • Allows family members to support one another. Created by Shari Obrentz

17. Resources • Peers • Assist with accountability (especially if your student forgets to write down assignments or bring materials home) • Model study skills • Promote group learning • Teachers • Provide tutorials • Offer additional study materials/resources • Tutors/Coaches • Support specific course content • Teach skills that can be used across disciplines Created by Shari Obrentz

18. Resources • Assistive Technology • AMAC • http://www.amac.uga.edu/ • Inspiration • http://inspiration.com/ • Kurzweil Educational Systems • http://www.kurzweiledu.com/ • Read/Write Gold • http://www.readwritegold.com • Digital Note cards • http://quizlet.com/ Created by Shari Obrentz

19. Contact Information • Shari Obrentz • sobrentz@hotmail.com • 404.734.8400 Created by Shari Obrentz