I don’t give out a lot of homework if any to my students. I believe that children should have time to recharge, spend time with family, and participate in extracurricular activities. If I’m doing my part right my students should be going home mentally exhausted. I want them to return the next day relaxed and ready to learn. With that being said I do encourage students to study for upcoming assessments. Studying is an imperative learning skill that I just assumed students knew how to do. But that wasn’t the case. My students didn’t know how to study so I had to teach them.
This is important for you and your students. If you expect your students to study then you need to provide them with dates for their upcoming assessments. I provide at least three days notice for quizzes and one week’s notice for tests. My students know that sometimes assessments get pushed back, but for the most part I stick to the schedule.
Train your students to follow a schedule as well. Teach them to divide the material they need to review into short study sessions rather than cramming everything into the next night before. I suggest studying for 15-20 minutes each night in the days leading up to an assessment.
Students need to have a place to keep important dates such as tests, deadlines for projects, and activities that are important to them. I want Johnny to understand that if he has a science test on Friday, but has soccer practice on Thursday night that runs late he needs to schedule another time for studying.
Mnemonic devices are tricks that help you memorize something. Teach your students about creating songs, pictures, acronyms, rhymes, and silly sentences to help them remember important information.
Show your students that creating flashcards, study guides, and their own tests are some ways to help review material. It is a proven fact that writing something down will help one retain the information.
Inform students of the resources available to them. Websites like Quizlet and Khan Academy offer practice questions and mini assessments for studying. Encourage students to seek out your help if they need assistance.
My How to Study Reference Flipbook is perfect for students to reference throughout the year to help them with their study skills!