Lesson 2
Study Habits and Skills of Successful Students
Introduction: Connecting Your Learning
Certain study skills are statistically proven to increase your comprehension of material and thus, your grades. If you practice and use these strategies, you will improve your reading comprehension, which is critical to passing not just the Reading GED test, but also the Science and Social Studies tests.
Lesson 2 introduces you to the following study skills:
- Note-Taking Skills
- Reading Comprehension Strategies
- Study Habits of Successful Students
- Time Management
"No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance."
- Confucius
| Readings, Resources, and Assignments | |
|---|---|
| Required Readings | |
| Multimedia Resources (optional) |
Time Management Tips Are Really Self-Management Tips! Raise Your Hand Video Blog – Time Management Tips Presentation: "Note-Taking: What Makes Good Notes" Presentation: "Practical Strategies for Each Learning Style" Presentation: "Planner Pages" |
| Required Assignments | What Does SQ4R Stand For? What's YOUR Learning Style? Inventory Time Management Worksheet KWL –Study Habits and Skills See "Assessing Your Learning" for details on each assignment. |
Check Prior Knowledge
Check this out! Which one are you aiming to become?
Are you a successful student or a struggling student?
| Successful Students: | Struggling Students: |
|---|---|
| Execute purposeful decisions to reach their desired goals and life outcomes. | Do not have an action plan and often move from project to project without completion. |
| Actively use planning tools and resources to stay on track with goals. | Live disorganized and do not have set goals. |
| Develop self –discipline and are committed to achieving their goals. | Act impatiently and often quit when their actions do not result in immediate success. |
Focusing Your Learning
Lesson Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
- Describe and apply effective note-taking.
- Describe and apply the SQ4R reading strategy.
- Identify successful study habits.
- Identify your learning style.
- Discover how you spend your time.
- Select one thing you will do to improve your time management.
Approaching the Objectives
To help you prepare for the information contained in Lesson 2 and to help you complete the assessments found in the Assessing Your Learning Section, visit the Key Terms Flashcards link using the terms from this lesson.
Presentation and Practice
To help you understand and internalize the information in this course, you will be using a tool called a KWL sheet. The K stands for "What I Know," the W stands for "What I Want to Know," and the L stands for "What I Learned."
A couple of examples have been completed in the first two columns, but remember to add your own notes to these columns.
Click on the KWL worksheet link and fill out the first two columns. (What I Know and What I Want to Know about study skills, learning styles, time management, and organization)
When you have filled out the first two columns, read "The 10 Habits of Successful Students" article linked below. Be sure to look for the tips that will be especially useful to you in your own life.
The 10 Habits of Successful Students
Note-Taking
Most people don't know how to take notes as they read. They think they need to copy everything in the reading, but they don't. A few simple tricks will help you understand what you are reading, and remember the information.
View the presentation below and take notes on it.
Presentation "Note Taking-What Makes Good Notes?"
SQ4R – Reading Comprehension Strategy
SQ4R will help you to understand what you are reading and help you do it quickly (without needing to reread your textbook/article, etc.). This is critical when taking the timed GED tests.
Although the following video is more than three minutes long, the SQ4R process happens in your head in less than a minute when you have practiced.
Use this worksheet (What Does SQ4R Stand For?) to take notes as you watch the YouTube video below. You will be submitting this worksheet as an assignment later in Lesson 2.
Practice SQ4R using an article.
To read more effectively, try using the SQ4R method. This method has helped thousands of students and others in the world of work read and retain information more easily. To improve your effective reading strategies, read the attached article on Take Personal Responsibility for a Better Life and look at the Active Reading Log Sample to see how to use an Active Reading Log form to utilize the SQ4R method. There is a blank Active Reading Log Form to print out and use for your practice as well.
The skills you have learned so far (note taking and SQ4R) are effective and do yield results, but only if you use them to study. It is challenging to find time, and then to make study time productive. There are a few things you can do, however, that will greatly increase your chances of making the most of your time.
Time Management
Time management is a difficult task for even the most organized person. Most people have many demands on their time, which can make returning to school particularly challenging. Those who understand this up front (and prepare for it) are much more successful.
"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."
- Ben Franklin
The key to managing your time is to think of time as a precious resource that disappears easily, just like money. Just as you have to track your money, you must track your time. View the video below to learn about how to manage your 168 hours per week (24 hours x 7 days).
You may be surprised to find that you have more time than you even knew you had!
Time Management Tips Are Really Self-Management Tips!
Check out the Time Management Worksheet to determine how you are using your 168 hours per week!
Organization
One of the most important things you can do to be a successful student is to stay organized so that you do not lose precious time searching for items you need. Watch the following YouTube video which provides excellent advice on how to make your school experience more pleasant and much less stressful.
Raise Your Hand Video Blog – Time Management Tips
View the "Planner Pages" Presentation to see different ways of organizing your time using planners.
The Three Learning Styles and Learning Style Inventory
People learn in three main ways:
- Visual-seeing something done
- Auditory-hearing something explained
- Kinesthetic-touching and doing – hands on
Some people prefer to learn in one way and learn best that way. Other people prefer a mix of learning styles. Knowing which learning style you prefer can help you choose which classes to take, select how you take them (in person or online) and even which career to pursue. Your learning style can also tell you how to structure your study time.
To find out what your learning style is you will complete a Learning Style Inventory. Use the link below to locate the learning style inventory and answer the questions provided. Once you have answered the questions, click on DETERMINE STYLE at the bottom of the page to discover what type of learner you are.
Complete the Learning Style Inventory.
When you have completed this assignment, go to the following Web site, and review the "Practical Strategies for Each Learning Style" to learn about your specific learning style traits.
Practical Strategies for Each Learning Style
Summarize and Review
KWL Worksheet
Fill in the third column on your KWL worksheet (What I Learned). If necessary, look back at the notes you took for this lesson to find the most important points you want to remember.
Assessing Your Learning
Complete the assignments in the Assessing Your Learning section that follows. Type your answers in the templates provided and upload them in the submit section below each assessment.
-
SQ4R Worksheet: What does SQ4R stand for? Fill in the worksheet and submit it at the link below.
Submit SQ4R Worksheet
- Time Management Worksheet: Fill in this worksheet and submit it at the link below.
Submit Time Management Worksheet
- KWL Worksheet: On the last section of your KWL worksheet, complete the one action step you will take to implement better time management. (Successful Student Tip: Just pick one item. When you have mastered that strategy, pick another, and then another.)
Then, submit your completed KWL worksheet as described in the Summarize and Review section above (Be sure you have filled out: What I Know, What I Want to Know, What I Learned, and One Action Step).
KWL Worksheet: Study Habits and Skills
Submit KWL Worksheet