SKU #400 (Academic Tutor Manual) DNC - 2

O C O Y O NO T PY D O N T C P O O C O Y DO N T PY D O C O PY D O N T O C O PY D O NO T O C P O NO T T O Y D C P O NO T O Y D PY D O NO T C O PY D O NO T CO PY D O NO T CO P C O N
ACADEMIC MANUAL
INSTRUCTOR EDITION
Copyright 2006 StudyPoint, Inc.
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About StudyPoint With the expansion of the education services industry throughout the 1990s, more and more educators and families are embracing the concept of privatized education. This trend has manifested itself in the form of charter schools, independent schools, and educational service companies throughout the world. In the late 1990s, Richard Enos, co-founder of StudyPoint, Inc. was working in Boston with one of the nations large educational service corporations. During this experience, Rich saw a promising niche that was not being lled by the available programs and thought he could do things a little bit better. With a Cornell University classmate and business partner-to-be, Greg Zumas, Rich developed the concept for a service that would deliver private tutoring in study skills, academic subjects, and standardized test preparation to the homes of middle and high school students. This concept became StudyPoint in August of 1999 in the suburbs of Boston, MA. We expanded to our second location in Washington, DC exactly 12 months after opening; since then we have expanded into many other markets. We have helped thousands of students achieve their education goals, and we work with hundreds of wonderful tutors. We continue to grow at an accelerated pace, but our approach to individualized tutoring has never changed. For more information, contact StudyPoint at 1-888-82-TUTOR; or nd us on the web at www.StudyPoint.com. COPYRIGHT 2006 StudyPoint, Inc. Author: Kristen Lefebvre Editor: Erin Bogle All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the owner of the copyright.
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TUTORS NAME: __________________________________ TUTORS EMAIL ADDRESS: __________________________ TUTORS PHONE NUMBER: __________________________
-- Please direct any questions regarding your program to the StudyPoint Ofce at 1-888-82-TUTOR -#400
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HOW TO ACCESS STUDYPOINTS STUDENT PAGE
1. Go to StudyPoints website: www.StudyPoint.com 2. Click on the Tools & Resources tab. 3. The next page will prompt you to enter your username and password. Please enter in the username and password that were provided to you by your Program Manager. This is the same username and password that you will use each time you log into this page. Once you have followed these steps, you will be logged into your personal student page. This page has a variety of features, including: Vocabulary Word of the Day Study Tip of the Week Quote of the Week Personal Event Calendar - Use this feature to track your appointments, assignments, and commitments. Web Resources Zone - You can use this feature to search by subject for helpful websites, information, and worksheets. Online Materials Center - You can use this feature to download and print the study skills resources found in your StudyPoint Manual, including Goal Worksheets, Grade Tracking Sheets, Topic Maps, Calendars, To Do Lists, and more.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION: EFFECTIVE TUTORING SESSIONS
StudyPoint Academic Tutoring The Basics How Does The Tutoring Work? Academic Tutoring Sessions Academic Assessment Learning Styles Assessment Study Skills Assessment Cycle Structure for Tutoring Sessions Set Goals For Session Review Material From Previous Session Introduce New Concepts Reinforce New Concepts How To Create An Effective Tutoring Environment Goals of Tutoring Academic Tutoring Tips Lets Get Started
PAGES I-VIII
III III III IV IV IV IV IV-VI V V V V-VI VI-VIII VI VII-VIII VIII
CHAPTER 1: ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT
PAGES 3-18
StudyPoint Academic Tutoring StudyPoint Academic Assessment StudyPoint Learning Styles Assessment Visual Learners Auditory Learners Kinesthetic Learners StudyPoint Study Skills Assessment
3 4-8 9-15 12-13 13-14 14-15 16-18
CHAPTER 2: GOAL SETTING
Introduction To Goal Setting What Is A Goal? Why Are Goals Important? What Types Of Goals Should I Set? To Sum It Up... The Goal Setting Process What Goals Have You Previously Set? The Goal Setting Process: The Five Step Plan To Sum It Up... Goal Setting Tools
21-23 21 22 23 23 24-27 24 25-26 27 27-45
PAGES 21-45
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Grade Tracking Sheet: Sample Blank Grade Tracking Sheets Goal Worksheet: Sample Blank Goal Worksheets Goal Worksheet: Sample Blank Goal Worksheets Goal Calendar: Sample Blank Goal Calendars 28 29-33 34 35-37 38 39-41 42 43-45
CHAPTER 3: TIME MANAGEMENT
Introduction To Time Management What Is Time Management? Why Is It Important? To Sum It Up... How To Manage Time Important Aspects Of Time Management Your Own Time Use Time Use Assessment: Sample Blank Time Use Assessment Sheets Analyzing Your Time Assessment Analyzing Your Own Time Use Making Your Dead Time More Productive Two Ways To Battle Dead Time Using the Three Ps Prioritizing Planning Performing To Sum It Up... Time Management Tools Tips For Using Your Time Management Tools Blank StudyPoint Weekly Everything Planners Blank StudyPoint Homework Assignment Sheets Blank StudyPoint Monthly Calendars Blank StudyPoint Weekly Calendars
49-50 49 50 50 51 51 51-54 52 53-54 55-57 55 56 57 58-60 58 59 60 60 61-78 62 63-66 67-70 71-74 75-78
PAGES 49-78
CHAPTER 4: ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS
Introduction To Organizational Skills The Elements Of Being Organized Your Study Space Organizing Your Study Space Your Materials Organizing Your Materials
81-84 81 81 81 82 82
PAGES 81-86
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One Binder System Multi Binder System Multi Notebook and Folder System Troubleshooting Organizational Skills To Sum It Up... 83 83-84 84 85 86
CHAPTER 5: NOTE TAKING
Introduction To Note Taking Why Is It Important To Take Notes? What Does It Mean To Take Good Notes? Methods Of Note Taking The Cornell Method The Structure The Sections Who Should Use This Method? Cornell Method: Sample The Outline Method The Structure Who Should Use This Method? Outline Method: Sample The Mapping Method The Structure Who Should Use This Method? Mapping Method: Sample Greater Efciency In Note Taking Note Taking Tips To Sum It Up...
89-90 89 90 91-97 91 91 92 92 93 94 94 94 95 96 96 96 97 98-99 98-99 99
PAGES 89-99
CHAPTER 6: EFFECTIVE READING
Introduction To Effective Reading Why Is Academic Reading Different? Reading Methods The SQ3R Reading Method SQ3R Method: Sample The What, What, Why Reading Method What, What, Why Method: Sample To Sum It Up...
103 103 103-108 104-105 106 107 108 109
PAGES 103-109
CHAPTER 7: TEST PREPARATION
Introduction To Test Preparation Staying On Top Of Your Work Preparing For Tests A Four Step Plan
113 113 114-116
PAGES 113-124
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Step 1: Preparation and Initial Review Step 2: Create Your Study Aids Step 3: Study Step 4: Final Review Creating Study Aids Flashcards Graphic Organizers Cheat Sheets Graphic Organizers: Samples 114 115 115-116 116 117-124 117-118 119 119 120-124
CHAPTER 8: PAPER WRITING
Introduction To Paper Writing Paper Writing A Five Step Process Step 1: Get Organized Step 2: Research, Thesis, and Outline Step 3: Write a Rough Draft Step 4: Write a Second Draft Step 5: Final Edit To Sum It Up...
127 127 128 129-130 131 131 131 132
PAGES 127-132
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EFFECTIVE TUTORING SESSIONS

INTRODUCTION
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STUDYPOINT ACADEMIC TUTORING
Welcome to the world of StudyPoint Academic Tutoring! This introductory chapter will serve to introduce you to the ins and outs of our academic programs and will provide guidance on how to facilitate the most effective tutoring environment for your students. For specics regarding StudyPoint procedures and policies, you should refer to the StudyPoint Tutor Handbook. If there are issues or needs that are not addressed in this manual or the StudyPoint Tutor Handbook, you should always feel free to contact your local Program Manager.
THE BASICS
The rst program offered by StudyPoint was our Study Skills Program. We observed that many students lack the basic skills they need to succeed academically, and without these skills, their grades and condence begin to suffer. Additionally, StudyPoint also offered academic tutoring, which provided support in a specic academic subject. As StudyPoint continued to develop as an organization, we noticed that many students required support in both the development of effective study skills and the understanding of concepts in a specic subject area. This observation has led to the new and improved StudyPoint Academic Tutoring. Our approach is unique in that our tutors provide support in a particular academic area while incorporating the development of study skills into the tutoring sessions.
HOW DOES THE TUTORING WORK?
Parents contact us to enroll their students in an academic tutoring program. All of our tutoring is one-on-one, and is typically done either in the students home or at the students school (school permission required to meet on school grounds). In speaking with the parents, the Program Manager will learn about the students current academic situation, personality, interests, and scheduling needs so that we can make the best tutor match possible. Depending on the students needs, a family can sign up for a 6, 18, 24, or 30 hour block of time. Student and tutor typically meet at least 1 time per week for a 90 minute session. Some students may need to meet more frequently than this, so frequency of sessions is something that will be discussed with the parents to determine a students specic needs. Once you have been assigned to an academic student, you will contact the family to introduce yourself and to arrange for the rst lesson date and time. Thats where this manual will come in handy. It contains tips, guidelines, and resources that you can use during your tutoring sessions to make them as effective for the student as possible. Before we jump into the rst lesson guidelines, lets do a quick review.
Student signs up for a 6, 18, 24, or 30 hour block of tutoring Student and tutor meet at least 1 time per week
Lessons are typically 90 minutes in length (1 hour minimum)
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INTRODUCTION III
ACADEMIC TUTORING SESSIONS
When you and your students meet for the rst time, you will want to spend some time getting to know them and familiarizing yourself with their academic and study skills needs and their extracurricular activities and interests. The rst chapter in this manual will help to facilitate that process. It contains three assessments that you can use to help pinpoint your students needs. Academic Assessment This is a series of questions to help guide a conversation with your student. The questions ask about the students academic history, current academic situation, goals for the tutoring sessions, and interests and activities. Learning Styles Assessment This is a document that the student should ll out. It will take about 10-15 minutes to complete. Once the students learning style has been determined, you and the student can spend some time reviewing the tips for his specic learning style. These strategies and approaches can be incorporated into your tutoring sessions to help make your time together as effective as possible. Study Skills Assessment This is another document that the student should ll out. It will also take about 10-15 minutes to complete. This will help to determine the specic study skills for which support may be needed.
FIRST SESSION Complete Academic Assessment Complete Learning Styles Assessment Complete Study Skills Assessment Use remaining time to work on school work
SET GOALS FOR SESSION
REINFORCE NEW CONCEPTS
CYCLE STRUCTURE FOR TUTORING SESSIONS

INTRODUCE NEW CONCEPTS
REVIEW MATERIAL FROM PREVIOUS SESSION
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INTRODUCTION IV
After your rst lesson, your tutoring sessions should always follow the same general structure, which is pictured on the previous page. By maintaining a set format for your lessons, your student will know what to expect, and you will ensure that concepts are constantly being reviewed and reinforced. Lets take a closer look at the different components of a standard tutoring session.
Set Goals For Session
You want to encourage your students to set goals for themselves. This concept is examined further in the Goal Setting section, but by setting some goals for each session, your students will become more accustomed to doing this on their own. Discuss with the student upcoming assignments, tests, and quizzes. I have math homework due for tomorrow, and we have a test in that class on Friday. Help your student to prioritize tasks. Lets make sure you feel comfortable with the math concepts covered in your homework assignment, and then lets start creating study aids and reviewing for your test on Friday. Set specic goals for what should be accomplished during the session. Lets plan to work through half of your homework assignment, and then you can complete the rest of it on your own after I leave. Lets also plan to create ash cards for the formulas you need to know for your test on Friday so that you can continue to study them the rest of the week. Encourage and congratulate the student when goals are accomplished. Set a plan for any goals that are not accomplished. Great job getting through most of your homework assignment! You really seem to grasp those concepts. As we werent able to create ashcards for all the math formulas, you should plan to nish that after I leave.
Review Material From Previous Session
Because many concepts that students learn build on previous concepts, you always want to make sure that you do a review of any material covered during your previous sessions. For example, if you helped a student prepare for a history test, ask the student how he did on the test, and review any questions that the student answered incorrectly to ensure he now understands the concepts. Likewise, if you and your student worked on quadratic equations at your previous session, do a quick review with the student to make sure that he still feels comfortable with the materials and that he doesnt have any lingering questions. This will be the time when you and your student work toward achieving the goals set at the beginning of the session. Try to incorporate the suggestions from the Learning Styles Assessment and Study Skills Assessment as is appropriate. You can also refer to this manual for specic tips on how to work within specic subject areas. After new concepts have been introduced, you want to ensure that the student has a concrete understanding of how to use and apply these concepts. To reinforce the new information, you and your student can do the following:
Introduce New Concepts
Reinforce New Concepts
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INTRODUCTION V
Complete practice problem sets Create a mini-quiz to complete Complete Chapter Review questions Have your student complete a TeachBack At the end of the session, you and your student should review what has been accomplished and what the student may still need to complete on his own. Help the student to prioritize the remaining tasks and to set timelines for when the assignments should be completed. Remember to congratulate your student on any goals that were set at the beginning of the session that have now been achieved.
HOW TO CREATE AN EFFECTIVE TUTORING ENVIRONMENT
Now that you know the general structure that you should apply to your academic tutoring sessions, lets take a closer look at some of the methods and approaches that you can use to facilitate an effective learning environment for your students.
GOALS OF TUTORING
As a tutor, you are in a unique position when working with your students. Just as you will set goals with your students, it is important for you to keep in mind the goals of a tutor in general.
Personalize Your Instruction
Unlike in a typical classroom setting, with one-on-one tutoring, your sole focus is on your student. Because of that, you need to personalize your instruction to that students specic needs. The assessments that we use will help you to gauge your students strengths and weaknesses, so you should adapt your tutoring content and style to address these areas. You should monitor the students work and adjust your pace and examples to your students specic needs. The same approach may not work for every student, and you should be aware of this so that you can make changes as needed.
Facilitate Independence in Learning
It may seem strange, but one of your goals as a tutor is to help your student get to the point where he will no longer need your assistance. At the start of tutoring, your student may be very dependent on your support and encouragement. As part of your sessions, you should be working with your student to develop the skills that he needs to succeed and excel on his own. Ultimately, your student should gain condence and a feeling of self-reliance. Because of this, much of your time with the student should focus on the process behind the work and not on the quantity of work.
Promote Insights into Learning
As a tutor, you should be encouraging your student to come up with their own insights into the learning process. Often times it is easier to show a student how to do something rather than have him gure out the process on his own. Remember that you are there to support the student in the process but not to do the work for him! Rather than showing the student how to do something, ask the student where he would start. Then support the student as he walks you through the process.
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INTRODUCTION VI
ACADEMIC TUTORING TIPS
Now that you know the basic structure for your tutoring sessions and your goals as a tutor, here are some tips on the characteristics and mannerisms that a tutor should possess to make the sessions as enjoyable and effective for your students as possible. Arrive on time. Set a good example for your student by always being punctual. Show enthusiasm! Your energy will be contagious. If you show excitement about the subject and about working with the student, the student is much more likely to be engaged in the tutoring sessions. Always come prepared. You should always bring all necessary materials and resources with you to your sessions. If you told the student that you would bring a particular book or problem set to work from, be sure to follow through and do this. Be honest. You are not expected to know everything there is to know about a particular subject, so it is much better for you to admit this than to try to work your way through something that you know nothing about. If you are stuck on a particular question or concept, let the student know that you will look into it between your sessions and will come to your next lesson with the explanation. If you tell him you will do this, make sure you follow through on your promise! Be an active listener. You will need to be able to listen closely to what your student is saying to gauge his understanding of certain concepts. Additionally, you will need to listen to your student regarding what methods and approaches will and will not work for him. You do not want to force a particular approach on a student; if the student does not feel involved in the process, he will be more resistant to implementing it. Let the student know that you have heard him, and repeat the information back to the student to conrm your understanding. Here are some good phrases: It sounds to me like... What I hear you saying is... It appears to me what you are saying is... Avoid questions that have a yes or no answer. If a student is reserved or anxious about needing the tutoring, asking questions like Do you understand? or Does that make sense? may encourage the student to respond with yes even if the material is not all clear to him. The best way to ensure a students comprehension is to have the student explain or teach the concept back to you. Have patience! This is one of the most important qualities of a tutor. Your student needs to feel comfortable in the learning environment. If the student feels like you are annoyed because he doesnt know something or because it is taking him time to gure something out, he is likely to become uncomfortable in the tutoring environment. You should avoid a situation like this at all costs. If a student does not understand something as you have explained it, try to come up with an alternative way to explain or introduce the concept. Encourage independent thinking. As discussed earlier, you want to encourage the student to develop his own insights into the subject. Let the student know that the tutoring is a partnership. Both you and the student must put forth an effort in order for the student to benet from the sessions.
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INTRODUCTION VII
Use discretion when dealing with condential information. The details of your tutoring sessions and any information you receive about the student should only be discussed with those involved with the tutoring. This includes the student, the students parents, and your contacts at StudyPoint. The students situation and progress should not be discussed with anyone else unless prior permission is granted by the family. Work with the students coursework and the expectations set by their teachers. If a students teacher has instructed him to organize his materials in a certain way, you should work within these guidelines. Likewise, if a student is expected to solve a math problem in a certain way or to structure a paper in a certain way, be sure that you are following these guidelines. Always ask a student about this before you start to work on specic assignments with them. If the student is unsure about whether there are guidelines or not, check the students class syllabus, notes, and assignment papers. Respect diversity and differences. Remember that you and your students may come from different backgrounds and may have different value systems and lifestyle choices. Be sure to respect these differences.
LETS GET STARTED!
Now that you are familiar with how to structure your tutoring sessions and how to facilitate an effective tutoring environment, lets jump right into it! As mentioned earlier in this section, the rst chapter in this manual contains all of the documents that you will need for your rst tutoring sessions. The remainder of the manual is divided into sections that address specic study skills. You and your student should use this manual as a reference guide as you work through your sessions. Use the manuals Table of Contents to help nd what youre looking for, and as always, if you have questions, please contact your local Program Manager. Good luck with your sessions and happy tutoring!
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INTRODUCTION VIII
ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT
CHAPTER ONE
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STUDYPOINT ACADEMIC TUTORING
Thank you for choosing StudyPoint for your academic tutoring needs! StudyPoint was founded on the belief that an individual never stops learning, and we are pleased to have the opportunity to support you in your journey towards academic success. StudyPoints academic tutoring programs are unique in their capacity to address your subject-specic needs while helping to build and develop your study skills. The following manual will serve as a reference guide for you and your tutor to work from as you progress through your lessons. It contains helpful tips, guidelines, and suggestions on how to develop study skills that will serve you in your current course work and beyond. Though the majority of your time with your tutor will be spent working from your materials from school, you will nd that the information contained in this manual will go hand-in-hand with your school work. As a way for your tutor to learn more about your academic and study skills needs, the rst step in this process is for you and your tutor to complete the StudyPoint Academic Assessment. This will serve to provide your tutor with a comprehensive view of your academic history, current academic situation, and interests and activities. This will take about 30-45 minutes to complete and will be used to help structure your sessions. Note to Tutors: You will nd the StudyPoint Academic Assessment on the following pages. This should be completed during the rst session with your student. You can remove the Assessment pages from your students manual and use these to take notes. This should not be a question and answer session with your student. Rather, you should use these questions to help guide a conversation with your student through which you will gain helpful information about what the student has struggled with in the past, what he is currently struggling with, and how you might best support him. You may not need to use all of the questions, but a variety have been provided to help guide you through the process.
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CHAPTER 1 3
STUDYPOINT ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT
Academic Prole General and Subject Specic
General Academic Prole 1. What courses are your currently taking? How are you doing so far? Course: ____________________ Course: ____________________ Course: ____________________ Course: ____________________ Course: ____________________ Course: ____________________ Course: ____________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ 2. What are your two favorite courses? What do you like about them? 1. 2. 3. What two courses do you dislike the most? Why? 1. 2. 4. What are a few of your best skills as a student? i.e., listening, speaking in front of the class, asking for help, writing? 5. Do you have a favorite teacher(s)? If so, why do you like this teacher(s)? Is there anything in particular that the teacher(s) does that engages you in the class? 6. What is your historic comfort-level/success with: Writing Assignments:__________________________________
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Quantitative Assignments:______________________________ Test-Taking:_________________________________________ Class Participation:____________________________________ Homework Completion:_________________________________ Subject-Specic Academic Prole 1. How long have you been struggling with this subject? 2. What were some of the indications that you were struggling? 3. Has your teacher provided you with any feedback regarding your performance in class? 4. What do you like about the subject? 5. What do you dislike about the subject? 6. What do you like about your teachers teaching style? What do you wish that s/he did differently?
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CHAPTER 1 5
7. What are the course requirements? What factors determine your overall grade in the class? 8. What kinds of tests/quizzes do you have in this class? Multiple-Choice Fill-In-The-Blanks Short Answer Essay Questions Other:___________ Other:___________ Comfort with this type of test? ________ Comfort with this type of test? ________ Comfort with this type of test? ________ Comfort with this type of test? ________ Comfort with this type of test? ________ Comfort with this type of test? ________ 10. Do you participate in class? Do you feel comfortable asking for help when/if you need it? If so, how often do you seek additional help from your teacher? 11. Do you have a class syllabus? If so, can I get a copy of it? 12. What are the specic content areas with which youve had particular difculty? This is a good time to review any homework assignments or class notes that the student has with him/her. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 13. How much effort are you putting into this class? As compared to your other classes?
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14. How would you rate your current level of motivation/condence in this class? 15. What would make the class more enjoyable for you? Goals for the Tutoring What goals are you hoping to achieve through the tutoring sessions? Tangible Goals _____ a specic grade target If this is a goal, what would your target grade be? _____ _____ making the honor roll _____ other: _____ other: _____ other: Abstract Goals _____ development of the following study skills _____ goal-setting _____ getting involved in class and at school _____ time management _____ test-preparation _____ effective reading skills _____ paper-writing skills _____ increased condence _____ increased motivation _____ increased satisfaction or happiness at school _____ development of an interest in the subject _____ increased independence with your learning _____ increased accountability What would you characterize as your top three goals for the tutoring sessions? Discuss with the student realistic time frames for achievement of these goals. 1. 2. 3.
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Personality, Interests, and Scheduling
Affectionate Kind Aggressive Brave Calm Charming Condent Determined Easy-going Energetic Faithful Generous Gentle Hardworking Independent Have the student select any personality traits that s/he feels applies. Lazy Mischievous Moody Playful Optimistic Pessimistic Possessive Proud Quiet Reliable Private Sensitive Serious Sociable Stubborn Is there anything else that you feel is important for me to know about your personality?
Interests/Activities
Please check any interests/activities that apply to the student. Sports: ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ School Clubs: ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ Theatre Band Chorus
Student Government School Newspaper Dance Youth Group After-school job Other:_____________ Other:_____________ Other:_____________ Other:_____________
Is there anything else that you feel is important for me to know about your interests and activities? About your schedule?
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STUDYPOINT LEARNING STYLES ASSESSMENT
Each individual has a preferred way of learning. In order to absorb new information, we must depend on our senses to process that information. Most people tend to use one of their senses more frequently than the others. By determining your particular learning style, you can gain insight into how you best process and retain information so that you can learn more effectively overall. The following is the StudyPoint Learning Styles Assessment. This will take about 10-15 minutes to complete. Please answer the questions to the best of your ability, and then use the scoring information following the assessment to determine your preferred learning style. For each statement below, check any that you feel apply to you. _____ 1. The best way for me to remember something is to picture it in my head. _____ 2. I follow oral directions better than written ones. _____ 3. I would rather listen to a lecture than read a textbook. _____ 4. I am constantly dgeting in class (i.e. tapping my pencil, tapping my foot). _____ 5. I need diagrams, graphs, and maps to be explained to me in order to understand them. _____ 6. I am skilled at making things with my hands. _____ 7. I prefer for information to be presented to me visually (i.e. overhead projector, chalkboard). _____ 8. Before trying to do something that I have never done before, I prefer to see someone else do it rst. _____ 9. I follow written instructions better than oral ones. _____ 10. I usually talk quickly and use my hands to try to communicate what I am trying to say. _____ 11. I nd it difcult to sit still and am always on the move. _____ 12. I like to make notes during class discussions and lectures so that I can review them later. _____ 13. I enjoy participating in class discussions and debates. _____ 14. I remember things best when I write them down several times. _____ 15. To fully understand what a person is saying, I need to watch his body language and facial expressions. _____ 16. I often use musical jingles or other verbal cues to help me remember things.
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_____ 17. I nd that I best learn how to do something when I actively participate. _____ 18. I understand things that I hear better than things that I read. _____ 19. When working on assignments or tasks, I often ignore the directions and just start doing it. _____ 20. I tend to add a lot of pictures, arrows, and other symbols to my notes. _____ 21. When trying to spell a word, I prefer to read it out loud rather than writing it down. _____ 22. When taking a test, I can picture the correct answer in my notes. _____ 23. It is helpful for me when my teacher writes the information on the board while lecturing. _____ 24. I tend to think better when I have the freedom to move around. _____ 25. I remember material best when I am able to summarize it out loud. _____ 26. I nd it difcult to concentrate when other people are talking around me. _____ 27. When I sit near a window in a classroom, I am usually distracted by what is happening outside. _____ 28. I tend to remember more about a subject after listening to my teacher talk about it than from reading about it in my textbook. _____ 29. When I meet someone new, I tend to remember his name rather than his face. _____ 30. I get distracted when my study space is messy and disorganized.
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To determine your particular learning style, add up the number of items you checked for each learning style listed below. If the majority of statements that you checked are listed under Visual Learner, that is your preferred learning style. If the majority of statements that you checked are listed under Auditory Learner, that is your preferred learning style. If the majority of statements that you checked are listed under Kinesthetic Learner, that is your preferred learning style. If you have an even mix of two or more learning styles, you are a Multi-Modal Learner. Once you and your tutor have determined your learning style, you should review the tips and suggestions on the following pages to help guide the structure of your tutoring sessions.
VISUAL LEARNER
AUDITORY LEARNER
Statement Checked? Number 1 7 9 12 14 22 23 8 27 30 Total for Visual =
Statement Checked? Number 2 3 5 16 18 21 25 26 28 29 Total for Auditory =
KINESTHETIC LEARNER
Statement Checked? Number 4 6 10 11 13 15 17 19 20 24 Total for Kinesthetic =
My preferred learning style is ____________________________________
After reading the tips and suggestions for my learning style, I think it would be helpful for me to try the following:
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VISUAL LEARNERS
A Visual Learner Learns Best By:
Taking notes and making lists Reading information to be learned rather than just hearing it Learning from visual aids like books, videotapes, and handouts Seeing a demonstration of an activity before trying it
A Visual Learner Should:
Practice picturing spelling words Write out things so that they can be frequently reviewed Analyze words by breaking them apart and putting them back together Use color-coding when learning new concepts (different colors for different concepts) Outline reading assignments to cover key points and main ideas Use visual aids like charts, maps, and timelines when learning new material Use notes and ashcards to learn and review material Use graphic organizers and diagrams Highlight and underline key phrases and concepts Retype notes to review information. Use different fonts, bold print, italics, and underline or highlight important concepts and facts
Visual Learner Strategies:
MATHEMATICS Use visual aids such as ashcards to memorize formulas Use graph paper to organize math problems and notes Color code math problems according to concepts
READING/LITERATURE Write unknown vocabulary and denitions from readings on ashcards Use ashcards to learn important concepts and then try to picture that card Use charts, graphs, and other visual aids WRITING/SPELLING Use visual study aids rather than spelling the words out loud Write each spelling word several times Try to picture the words in your head and then write them on paper SOCIAL SCIENCES Color code your notes according to the importance of the topic
Facts About The Visual Learner:
Is A Natural At Dressing in a put-together way
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Remembering details of things seen Reading, spelling, and proof reading Remembering the faces of people Quietly taking in surroundings Creating mental images Studying/Reading Characteristics Reads quickly and for pleasure and relaxation Can study for longer periods of time Requires a quiet and organized study space Difculties in School Having to complete an assignment before either seeing or reading directions and examples Working in a noisy environment Tuning out sounds Listening to lectures without visual aids
Source: http://www.cuyamaca.net/eops/DSPS/dspsresources.asp
AUDITORY LEARNERS
An Auditory Learner Learns Best By:
Talking aloud Listening to a lecture rather than reading a textbook Engaging in group activities and discussions Hearing music without words as a background in the learning environment
An Auditory Learner Should:
Choose a seat in the classroom that allows him/her to clearly hear lectures Tape class lectures and summarize that information Practice verbal repetition to learn new words and concepts Read written material aloud Form study groups to discuss material or prepare for upcoming quizzes, mid-terms, or nals Repeat verbal instructions and then write them down Use a nger to avoid skipping words or whole lines while reading
Auditory Learner Strategies:
MATHEMATICS Review math errors to look for consistent patterns State the solution to a math problem out loud before writing it down
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Read word problems orally Follow a sequence when solving a problem: Look at the problem Repeat it out loud Write the answer If the answer is incorrect, repeat the answer out loud READING/LITERATURE Use your nger or a bookmark to avoid skipping lines or words Read orally to reinforce what you read Discuss written material with other students Use word association to remember material WRITING/SPELLING Repeat each word orally with a practice partner When you need to write a paper or essay, brainstorm your ideas orally before writing them down Verbalize your sentences before and after writing them SOCIAL STUDIES Tape lectures and actively participate in class discussions Read written material out loud When learning a list of facts, use rhymes or acronyms as mnemonic devices Repeat instructions for an assignment out loud before writing them down
Facts About The Auditory Learner:
Is A Natural At Speaking without prior preparation Remembering the names of people Working with words and languages Noticing shifts in voice intonation
Studying/Reading Characteristics Enjoys reading plays Stops while reading to talk to self about what is being read Skilled at phonetically sounding out new words Difculties in School Reading quickly Reading silently for extended periods of time Reading and following directions Taking written timed tests Being distracted by sounds Noticing signicant detail
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KINESTHETIC LEARNERS
A Kinesthetic Learner Learns Best By:
Taking a hands-on approach to learning Physical involvement in learning Small group discussions
A Kinesthetic Learner Should:
Study in short blocks of time rather than extended periods Take frequent breaks when studying Stretch legs and move about when studying When writing, jot down words whose spelling youre unsure of, to see if it looks correct Work in study groups Role play Use memory techniques requiring movement Use ash cards
Facts About The Kinesthetic Learner:

Is A Natural At Sports and dance Competitions and challenges Creating things with hands
Studying/Reading Characteristics Reads action-oriented books Prefers books and articles that are short Studies for short periods interspersed with moving around Lays on bed or oor to study
Difculties in School Sitting still; tend to dget and need to move Listening to lectures for more than four minutes at a time Spelling Remembering what is seen or heard - best remembers what is done Talking without physical movement and gestures Sticking with one activity for a long period of time
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STUDYPOINT STUDY SKILLS ASSESSMENT
The following is the StudyPoint Study Skills Assessment. This will take about 10 minutes to complete. Once completed, use the scoring information following the assessment to determine your particular strengths and weaknesses in regards to study skills. This will enable you and your tutor to address these areas during your tutoring sessions. By working to develop strong study skills, you will learn the skills necessary to succeed in school and beyond. For each statement below, check any that you feel apply to you. _____ 1. I spend a lot of time studying, but I dont feel that Im really absorbing the information. _____ 2. I put off studying for a test until the night before the test. _____ 3. I take notes during class, but when I go back to review them, I nd them to be confusing. _____ 4. I cant study for long periods of time without becoming distracted and bored. _____ 5. I get lost in my reading and am unable to identify the main ideas. _____ 6. I typically write my papers the night before they are due. _____ 7. I dont review my class notes throughout the semester. I only do this right before a test. _____ 8. When I get to the end of a page in my textbook, I cant remember what I have just read. _____ 9. I nd it difcult to balance my school work, extracurricular activities, and my social life. _____ 10. I usually study with either the radio or TV turned on. _____ 11. While reading a text, I am unable to pick out the most important points. _____ 12. I tend to lose points on essay tests, even when I feel like I know the material well. _____ 13. I nd it difcult to keep up with all of my reading assignments, so I end up falling behind. _____ 14. When writing papers, I nd it difcult to organize all of my thoughts. _____ 15. I dont have a regular study schedule; I just study whenever I need to. _____ 16. I dont keep track of my commitments in a calendar or organizer. _____ 17. When doing an assigned reading, I rarely take notes. _____ 18. I rarely create an outline for my papers before I start writing the rst draft.
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_____ 19. I tend not to plan out how long my assignments will take to complete, and I end up working for much longer than I had anticipated. _____ 20. I nd it difcult to keep up while taking notes during a lecture. _____ 21. I usually try to study for long periods at a time. _____ 22. I nd it challenging to keep up with all of my day-to-day assignments. _____ 23. I dont regularly track my test and assignment due dates on a master calendar. _____ 24. I typically wait until the night before a test to create my study aids. _____ 25. I rarely use my class notes to create sample test questions to use in preparation for a test. _____ 26. I usually nish my papers the night before they are due, so I dont have time to have someone else proofread them. _____ 27. When reading from a textbook, I dont usually read the review questions and chapter summaries before or after reading the text. _____ 28. Rather than break longer assignments into smaller parts, I try to complete the project all at once. _____ 29. When reading, I dont usually try to restate the main ideas in my own words. _____ 30. I nd it difcult to brainstorm ideas when I am writing a paper.
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To determine your study skills strengths and weaknesses add up the number of items you checked for each study skill listed below. If you have two or more statements checked for a particular study skill, this is an area where you could benet from some study skills support. If you have one or less checked for a particular study skill, this is an area that you are currently handling well. You and your tutor should use this information to help guide and structure your tutoring sessions so that you can work on developing these skills while implementing them into your current school work.
TEST PREPARATION
Statement Checked? Number 1 2 4 7 10 12 21 24 25 Total for Test Prep =
NOTE TAKING
Statement Checked? Number 3 20 Total for Note Taking =
READING SKILLS
Statement Checked? Number 5 8 11 17 27 29 Total for Reading =
PAPER WRITING
TIME MANAGEMENT
Statement Checked? Number 6 14 18 26 30 Total for Paper Writing =
Statement Checked? Number 9 13 15 16 19 22 23 28 Total for Time Management =
After completing the StudyPoint Study Skills Assessment, I have determined that the study skills that I should work on improving are:
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GOAL SETTING
CHAPTER TWO
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INTRODUCTION TO GOAL SETTING
We all have heard this term before and likely many of you know what it means. Typically the hardest part of goal setting is knowing where to start and what to do. Before we discuss the steps for setting goals, lets do a quick review of what goals are, why they are important, and what types of goals should be set.
WHAT IS A GOAL?
A goal is a personal objective or desire.
Goals are the tool we use for deciding what is important to us.
Setting a goal is the first step in the process of achieving our dreams.
What are three things that are important to you? 1. ___________________________________________________________ 2. ___________________________________________________________ 3. ___________________________________________________________
Can you turn each of those into a goal?
Tutor Tips:
Goals are the tool we use for deciding what is important to us. Everyone has dreams and aspirations, but not everyone takes the time to gure out how to fulll them. Setting a goal is the rst step in that process. What is important to you? Family? School? Sports? Friends? Once you know what you want, a goal turns that dream into a concrete personal objective. Have the student record three things that are important to him or her. These need not be academically based. Anything that is important to the student is acceptable. You will use these three items to help illustrate how you can turn desires and dreams into goals. Have the student focus on the large scale, not simple pleasures. You will need to approach this differently with each student, as some are more comfortable than others talking about things like this. For Can you turn each of those into a goal? Let the student feel out this process and learn by experience. Give some guidance, but try to keep it to a minimum. Remember that a goal should be a quantiable or tangible result.
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A goal is something designed to challenge us.
Goals are how we achieve and experience more in life. Goals force us to continually improve upon who we are and what we have done. As a result, they make life more exciting and fullling.
Tutor Tips: Goals are how we achieve and experience more in life. We set as goals achievements that will be difcult to attain, but thrilling to complete. Facing challenges and overcoming them are what build character. The way we learn is by undertaking new activities and gaining experience. Setting goals ensures that you will be continually engaged in this process. Goals force us to improve upon who we are and what we have done.
WHY ARE GOALS IMPORTANT?
Goals make our dreams more attainable.
Goals transform intangible dreams into concrete, achievable realities.
Improvement is the process of taking small steps in the right direction.
Goals make the paths to those dreams more apparent.
To get to any destination in life, you must take all the necessary steps to get there.
If we want to get to step D, we must rst go through steps A, B, and C.
Goals give us ending points...and new beginnings.

By setting a goal, you can gauge your progress.
Having vague ending points makes achieving your goals difcult.
Your new goals can build on the goals that you have already achieved.
Tutor Tips:
Discuss with your student why goals are important in life. Choose an example of a goal (like improving a math grade from a D to a B) to illustrate the three points above. What are the steps in the process? Once that goal is achieved, what new goals could be set?
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WHAT TYPES OF GOALS SHOULD I SET?
Goals can be used for everything in life!
You can use goals in your personal, academic, and professional lives.
For the purpose of this program, we will focus on academic goals.

Academic goals are no different than any other goals. They still require steps and hard work!
Ultimately, you should set daily, weekly, and monthly goals.
Concern yourself with your short-term goals, and youll nd that these are often steps on the path to your longer-term goals.
Tutor Tips:
Any desire can be turned into a goal. You just need to choose a specic task and set a time by which to complete it. The more you use goals, the more you will come to enjoy the benets that you will gain from them.
For the purpose of this program, we will focus on academic goals that is the reason that you are taking this course! Goal setting is something that we will discuss throughout the duration of your tutoring. You should have both short-term and long-term goals. By focusing on your short-term goals, it helps to ensure that your long-term goals will be achieved. For example, if you want to get a B+ in your math class for the term, you should set shorter-term goals to help you achieve that. You may want to set a goal of completing every math homework assignment as a weekly goal, and set a daily goal of studying your math for 15 minutes longer than you typically do each night.
Tutor Tips:
TO SUM IT UP...
What are goals?
Use this time to review and reinforce this information with your student. Rather than have you recap the information, have the student quickly teach it back to you.
Why are they important?
What types of goals should you set?
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THE GOAL SETTING PROCESS
So now youve got the basics of goal setting behind you, and its time to jump into the process behind it all. Whether you realize it or not, you have probably set goals for yourself at one time or another. Having a clear process to follow when setting and working toward your goals can make achieving them that much easier. Lets do a quick brainstorm to review the process that you have previously used when setting goals.
WHAT GOALS HAVE YOU PREVIOUSLY SET?
Use the chart below to brainstorm a goal that you have previously set. Try to think of the steps that you followed when working toward reaching that goal.
Goal:
Tutor Tips:
Help your student to think of a goal that he has previously set and accomplished. For the purpose of this exercise, try to focus on an academic goal. If the student is struggling to think of an academic goal, try to offer some ideas. Examples: setting a grade goal on a test or paper, setting a goal of nishing a paper by a certain date, etc. Have the student write the goal in the center circle. In the boxes, the student should write the different steps taken to reach that goal.
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Based on your previous experience, you probably have a good start on how to set and follow through on goals. Lets take a closer look at the different steps in the goal setting process.
THE GOAL SETTING PROCESS: THE FIVE STEP PLAN

Step 1: Determine your goal.
What do you want to accomplish today? Tomorrow? Next week?
Decide what is important to you!
What are the important factors to consider when determining your goal?
Tutor Tips:
When determining goals, the student should make sure that the goal is something that is important to him. If its not, the student will be less motivated to achieve this goal. With academics, even if the student isnt crazy about a particular subject, if he has the desire to improve his grades, comprehension, etc., he will still be in good shape when setting goals for that class.
Step 2: Write it down.
Be specic! Make it a specic achievement.
Set a time frame for achievement of your goal. Be sure that it is realistic but also challenging.
Tutor Tips:
Goals should always be written down! Writing down goals is a critical step toward making them true objectives that you can strive to attain. Be as specic as possible! Rather than say, I want to do better, a student should say, I want to get a B+ on my next test. When determining the goal, the student should also set a time frame for achieving it so that he has a plan. Finally, the goal should be something that will challenge the student, but is also realistic. Improving a grade in a class from a C to an A in three weeks is probably not realistic. However, setting a goal of achieving a B+ on the next test in that class would be attainable.
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Step 3: Assess your situation.
What skills do I have that will help me to achieve this goal? What are some of the obstacles that I will face? How can I overcome these?
Obstacles typically come in three forms: Habitual, Environmental, and Scheduling
Tutor Tips:
A HABITUAL OBSTACLE is a bad habit that you cant seem to kick or a fear that you cant overcome. If you tend to procrastinate a lot, or if you cant overcome your fear of approaching teachers for extra help, you are dealing with habitual obstacles. An ENVIRONMENTAL OBSTACLE is something in your study space or at school that you just cant seem to avoid. For instance, if you have siblings who constantly interrupt you while you are working, this may make your studying less effective. A SCHEDULING OBSTACLE is exactly as the name implies. These would be events or activities that you need to schedule around to achieve a short-term goal. If you have a test on Friday and some time-consuming obligation on Thursday evening, you are dealing with a scheduling obstacle.
Step 4: Make a plan.
What things will I need to accomplish in order to achieve my goal?
Tutor Tips:
The plan should list all the things that need to be accomplished along the way in order for the student to achieve his goal. The plan should list the steps in the order in which they need to be completed and completion dates should be set for each individual step.
Step 5: Do it!
Get started! Once you have your plan in place, you can start working toward achieving your goal!
TIP: To keep your goals constantly in sight, put them in conspicuous places. For example, you can put a short term goal on a Post It Note and stick it to your bedroom mirror!
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You have now reviewed all the information that you need to know about goals in order to start setting some of your own. On the next few pages, you will nd several different goal setting tools that you and your tutor can use as you continue through your lessons. Depending on the types of goals that you are setting, you may nd certain tools to be more useful than others. Before we give you a quick synopsis of each goal setting tool, lets do a quick review of the information presented in this chapter.
TO SUM IT UP...
Set a time frame to achieve your goals.
Your goals should be challenging, yet realistic.
Develop a plan to reach your goals so that you can complete all necessary steps.
GOAL SETTING TOOLS
Below you will nd a list of and brief explanation for each of the goal setting tools that can be found on the following pages. You and your tutor should try to incorporate these tools into your tutoring sessions so that you have a clear method to set and track your academic goals. If you need additional copies, you can access and print them from the Student Page on the StudyPoint website. See the instructions for accessing the Student Page found at the front of your manual.
Grade Tracking Sheet
If you are working to improve your grades in a particular class or in more than one class, it would be wise for you to begin tracking all the grades that you receive. The Grade Tracking Sheet was developed just for this purpose. Additionally, it allows for you to set grade goals for upcoming assignments so that you can keep track of how you have done compared to your goals.
Goal Worksheets
These are two standard worksheets that you can use to plan for any academic goals that you will be setting. They are broken down to address the ve steps in the goal setting process and are tools that will make keeping your goals in sight that much easier. Two different versions are available so that you can choose the one that you think will work best for you!
Goal Calendar
This is a tool that can be used in conjunction with or separate from the Goal Worksheet. Do you like having visual aids to help you keep track of your goals? If so, this Goal Calendar is designed to allow for that. Once your goal and steps have been set, you can add them to this calendar for easy reference.
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GRADE TRACKING SHEET: SAMPLE
Grade Goal: 80% Assignment: Homework Set 1 Date: 5/4/06 Assignment: Homework Set 2 Date: 5/6/06 Assignment: Quiz Date: 5/8/06 Assignment: Homework Set 3 Date: 5/12/06 Assignment: Test Date: 5/18/06 Assignment: Date: Assignment: Date: Assignment: Date:
Class: Algebra II
Actual Grade: 85%
Grade Goal: 85%
Actual Grade: 82%
Grade Goal: 85%
Actual Grade: 87%
Grade Goal: 87%
Actual Grade: 88%
Grade Goal: 90% Grade Goal:
Actual Grade: 89% Actual Grade:
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Assignment: Grammar Quiz Date: 5/1/06 Assignment: Quiz on Romeo & Juliet Date: 5/10/06 Assignment: Paper on Romeo & Juliet Date: 5/25/06 Assignment: Date: Assignment: Date: Assignment: Date: Assignment: Date: Assignment: Date:
Class: English
Grade Goal: 80%
Actual Grade: 75%
Grade Goal: 85% Grade Goal: B+ Grade Goal:
Actual Grade: 90% Actual Grade: AActual Grade:
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GRADE TRACKING SHEET
Grade Goal: Assignment: Date: Assignment: Date: Assignment: Date: Assignment: Date: Assignment: Date: Assignment: Date: Assignment: Date: Assignment: Date:
Class:
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Class:
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GOAL WORKSHEET: SAMPLE
DUE DATE: May 26th
Goal:
To receive a B+ on my history term paper
Assessment: To achieve this goal I must...
Recognize that I possess these strengths: 1. Good organizational skills to keep all my research materials sorted _____________________________________ 2. Knowledge of how to organize a research paper _____________________________________ 3. Solid grammar skills to edit my paper _____________________________________ AND...
Be aware of these obstacles: 1. I tend to wait until the last minute to start my assignments _____________________________________ 2. I have to share our computer with my brother _____________________________________ 3. I have lacrosse practice or games every evening _____________________________________
Plan: I will achieve my goal by following these steps... 1. Brainstorm ideas for paper topic _____________________________________ 2. Finish research _____________________________________ 3. Complete outline of paper _____________________________________ 4. Complete 1st draft & 1st edit _____________________________________ 5. Complete 2nd draft & 2nd edit _____________________________________ 6. Complete nal draft & nal edit _____________________________________
5/3 Deadline: _______ Deadline: _______ 5/10 Deadline: _______ 5/12 5/18 Deadline: _______ 5/23 Deadline: _______ Deadline: _______ 5/25
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GOAL WORKSHEET
Goal: Assessment: To achieve this goal I must... Recognize that I possess these strengths: 1. _____________________________________ 2. _____________________________________ 3. _____________________________________ AND... Be aware of these obstacles: 1. _____________________________________ 2. _____________________________________ 3. _____________________________________ Plan: I will achieve my goal by following these steps... 1. _____________________________________ 2. _____________________________________ 3. _____________________________________ 4. _____________________________________ 5. _____________________________________ Deadline: _______ Deadline: _______ Deadline: _______ Deadline: _______ Deadline: _______
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GOAL WORKSHEET
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GOAL WORKSHEET
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GOAL WORKSHEET: SAMPLE
Goal:
To receive a B+ on my history term paper
Assessment: To achieve this goal I must...
Use my writing and organizational strengths. I must also develop a plan that will ensure that I complete all necessary steps along the way. This will help me to avoid procrastination.
Plan: I will achieve my goal by following these steps...

Step 1:
Brainstorm ideas for paper topic
Step 2:
Finish research
Deadline: 5/10
Step 3:
Complete outline of paper
Deadline: 5/3
Deadline: 5/12
Step 6:
Complete nal draft & nal edit

Deadline: 5/25
Complete 2nd draft & 2nd edit

Deadline: 5/23
Step 5:
Step 4:
Complete 1st draft & 1st edit
Deadline: 5/18
Final Goal: To receive a B+ on my history term paper
Final Deadline: 5/26
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GOAL WORKSHEET
Goal: Assessment: To achieve this goal I must... Plan: I will achieve my goal by following these steps...
Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: Deadline: Deadline: Deadline: Step 6: Step 5: Step 4: Deadline: Deadline: Deadline:
Final Goal:
Final Deadline:
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GOAL WORKSHEET
Final Goal:
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GOAL WORKSHEET
Final Goal:
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GOAL CALENDAR: SAMPLE
To receive a B+ on my history term paper Goal: ________________________________
May Month: ________________
Receive assignment information
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
E DN
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TH
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FRIDAY
SAT
URDAY
11
12 Deadline to complete paper outline
13
15 Deadline to brainstorm ideas for paper topic 9 10 Deadline to complete research for paper 16 17 Deadline for 1st draft of paper 18 Deadline for 1st edit of paper 24 25 Deadline for nal draft & edit of paper - hand in tomorrow! 30 19 20 22 23 Deadline for 2nd edit of paper
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21 Deadline for 2nd draft of paper
History Term Paper Due!
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GOAL CALENDAR
Goal: ________________________________
Month: ________________
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GOAL CALENDAR
Goal: ________________________________
Month: ________________
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GOAL CALENDAR
Goal: ________________________________
Month: ________________
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TIME MANAGEMENT
CHAPTER THREE
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INTRODUCTION TO TIME MANAGEMENT
Youve probably heard the phrase time management before, but more likely than not, this is probably a skill that you were never actually taught. However, it is probably one of the most valuable skills to learn and apply. With all the assignments, activities, and appointments that you have, learning to manage your time well will help you to keep track of it all.
WHAT IS TIME MANAGEMENT?
One of the most important lessons that were never taught!

Its a skill that everyone is capable of learning.
Its something that should eventually become a habit.
Tutor Tips: You may not have been taught this skill yet, but it is never too late to learn! It is a skill that will benet you for the rest of your life. Once you learn this skill and work it into your regular routine, you will see that managing your time well becomes a habit.
It is a system for using your time more efficiently.
There are only 24 hours in a day, so the only way to get everything done that we want is to have control of our time.
Tutor Tips: With all of the things that need to be accomplished in a 24 hour period (sleeping, attending school, eating, sports, after-school job, homework, etc.), everyone needs a way to keep track of all these things to ensure that you can continue to stay on top of your work and still have time for the activities that you enjoy.
It is a system for managing the details of appointments, assignments, and budgeting time appropriately.
Managing your time means working smarter, not harder.
Tutor Tips: One of the biggest advantages to managing your time is that you will be able to prioritize your tasks and commitments. Learning to use a time management system is about working smarter, not harder. The purpose of it is to make you a more efcient worker so that you actually have MORE time to spend doing the things you love.
The key is to nd ways to be more efcient with your work, so youll have more time for the activities that you enjoy.
Have you ever been taught a system for managing your time?
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WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
It is an essential tool for achieving our goals.
One of the key steps in Goal Setting is making a plan. Time Management organizes all of the steps necessary to achieve your goals.
Tutor Tips: Time Management organizes all of the steps for the various goals that we have laid out, prioritizes them, and then sets out times and deadlines for accomplishing those tasks.
It helps us to lead more efcient and happy lives.
Tutor Tips: By using our Time Management System, youll nd the time to get more out of life. The system eases the stress that you may feel over school and opens up time for doing the things that you may really want to do.
By being more efcient in everything you do, you get better grades in less time and have more free time for the fun stuff.
TO SUM IT UP...
Time Management:
Makes you more efcient.
Isnt an impossible skill to learn.
Is essential for achieving our goals.
Tutor Tips: Have the student quickly teach back to you each of the points in the summary to ensure comprehension.
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HOW TO MANAGE TIME
There are two important aspects of time management. Were going to take a closer look at both of these.
IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF TIME MANAGEMENT
Finding and using the Dead Time in our days.
Dead Time is made up of the small bits of time we spend between other activities.
Why is it important to recognize dead time? What is the difference between dead time and time used inefciently?
Tutor Tips: Dead Time is the time we lose while we move from class to class, wait in line, travel to and from school, etc. It is the time that lies between scheduled events or that suddenly appears because of an unexpected change in our schedules. We all have dead time; the difference is how we deal with it.
Managing the rest of our time.
This involves being as efcient as possible.
Tutor Tips: The foundation of Time Management lies in organizing our various responsibilities into a realistic timeline or schedule. The most common problem people experience, in addition to not utilizing dead time, is using time inefciently. Learning to be more efcient and organized is the crux of Time Management, and well talk more about this later.
YOUR OWN TIME USE
Over the next week, use the Time Use Assessment Sheet on the next page to record everything that you do and how much time you spent doing it. You should try to do this for at least a couple of days so that you can see how one day may differ from another. Do your best to account for all your time on the days that you track.
You and your tutor will use this Time Use Assessment to determine how efciently you are using your time and what you can do to improve that. The more specic that you are, the more helpful this information will be!
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Date:
TIME
12:00-6:00 am 6:00-6:30 am 6:30-7:00 am 7:00-7:30 am 7:30-8:00 am 8:00-8:30 am 8:30-9:00 am 9:00-9:30 am 9:30-10:00 am 10:00-10:30 am 10:30-11:00 am 11:00-11:30 am 11:30-12:00 pm 12:00-12:30 pm 12:30-1:00 pm 1:00-1:30 pm 1:30-2:00 pm 2:00-2:30 pm 2:30-3:00 pm 3:00-3:30 pm 3:30-4:00 pm 4:00-4:30 pm 4:30-5:00 pm 5:00-5:30 pm 5:30-6:00 pm 6:00-6:30 pm 6:30-7:00 pm 7:00-7:30 pm 7:30-8:00 pm 8:00-8:30 pm 8:30-9:00 pm 9:00-9:30 pm 9:30-10:00 pm 10:00-10:30 pm 10:30-11:00 pm 11:00-11:30 pm 11:30-12:00 am
TIME USE ASSESSMENT: SAMPLE

ACTIVITY
Sleeping
TOTAL TIME SPENT

6.5 Hours 1 Hour
DETAILS
Shower, dressing, & breakfast Ride bus to school In classes
30 Minutes 1.5 Hours 1 Hour
Free Period In class Lunch
45 minutes talking to friends 15 minutes computer game
1 Hour
30 Minutes 1.5 Hours
In class
30 Minutes 30 Minutes 1 Hour
Assembly Talking NHS Meeting
Chatted with friends after school
1.5 Hours
Soccer Practice Late bus home Shower Dinner Watched TV Homework
30 Minutes 30 Minutes 30 Minutes 30 Minutes 1 Hour
30 Minutes 30 Minutes 1 Hour
Talked on phone Computer games Studied for math test Talked on phone Wrote English essay Sleeping
30 Minutes 1 Hour
30 Minutes
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TIME USE ASSESSMENT
ACTIVITY
Date:
TIME
TOTAL TIME SPENT
DETAILS
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TIME USE ASSESSMENT
ACTIVITY
Date:
TIME
TOTAL TIME SPENT
DETAILS
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ANALYZING YOUR TIME ASSESSMENT
Now that you have completed your Time Use Assessment, were going to take a look at your sheet to see how youre spending your time and how you might be able to use it more efciently.
ANALYZING YOUR OWN TIME USE
Using your Time Assessment Sheet, record the amount of time you spent on each of the following activities. Hours spent eating:
Hours spent in class:
Hours spent on the phone: Hours spent sleeping:
Hours spent on sports:
Hours of open free time:
Hours spent on extra-curricular activities: Hours spent watching TV:
Other hours:
Hours of Dead Time:
Do you feel that you had enough personal time on each day? If you could save just one hour every day by using your Dead Time more efciently, you would add 7 hours to every week, 30 hours to every month, and 350 hours per year. Thats three full weeks of non-stop free time!
Tutor Tips: As you review the students Time Use Assessment, ask these questions: Where is your Dead Time? Where have you used time inefciently? Which of these times are always on your schedule? Which just came up on this particular day? What are some tasks that you could have completed during these periods?
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WHAT COULD YOU DO TO MAKE YOUR DEAD TIME MORE PRODUCTIVE? Dead Time
Why would these activities be good for Dead Time?
Tutor Tips: The student should quickly brainstorm some ways to utilize Dead Time more effectively. Dont worry about giving them all of the right answers; well do that on the next page. Just ask why he thinks each is a good activity for dead time. Remember to encourage whatever answers the student gives. Anything that can be worked on is an appropriate activity. Have the student explain why each would save him time later on.
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TWO WAYS TO BATTLE DEAD TIME
Use it for small tasks or assignments that can be broken up into smaller pieces.
Some assignments are easy to complete in short increments. Small study aids that dont take long to make can be a huge help.
Carrying ashcards with you is a great way to ensure that you can make your Dead Time productive. The next time you nd yourself waiting in line, pull out your ashcards and start studying. It will pay off come test day.
Tutor Tips: Math homework, which typically entails a certain number of problems per night, is a perfect example of a subject that can be broken down into smaller pieces. If you can nish three problems between classes, a few more on the bus, a couple before dinner, etc., you will probably complete your assignment before you know it! The same is true with reading assignments, problem sets in chemistry, and numerous other subjects. Be creative and nd productive tasks to do during your down time.
Plan for it or plan it out of your schedule.
Whenever possible plan ahead and develop ways to avoid down time. Be prepared by having work with you during the day.
Tutor Tips: If you expect to run into some unexpected down time, and you prepare ahead of time by having some ashcards, homework assignments, etc., you will be able to make these times 100% more productive. Every half-hour of work that you squeeze into your Dead Time is a half-hour you can spend doing something more enjoyable that night.
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USING THE THREE PS
Now that we have discussed how to utilize your Dead Time for completing tasks, it is time to learn how to make the most of the remainder of your day. By following a simple three-step process, you can learn to work more efciently and stay on top of your workload.
PRIORITIZING, PLANNING, AND PERFORMING
PRIORITIZING
Make a list of all the things you have to do. This can include school assignments, chores, sports, and other tasks. Arrange them in order of priority. Urgency vs. Importance.
Tutor Tips: Urgency means how soon something is due or needs to get done. A paper due tomorrow is more urgent than a paper due two days from now. Importance indicates how much value a given assignment or task is worth. A paper that is worth half of your nal grade is more important than a quiz that is only worth 5% of your nal grade. Prioritizing each day should take no more than 10-15 minutes.
Directions: Write out a list of your homework assignments for tonight. Determine the order in which they should be completed based on their urgency and importance.
ASSIGNMENT
PRIORITY
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PLANNING
Make a conservative estimate of how long each task will take. Estimate tonights assignments:
Assignment: Assignment: Assignment: Assignment: Assignment: Assignment: Time: Time: Time: Time: Time: Time:
You should have a good idea of how long homework for each class will take.
Set aside certain times for each of them.
How many hours of work do you have tonight?
Plan out your night according to how many hours you need. Dont forget to include short breaks!
Know yourself!
Knowing when you are the most efcient and least efcient is a must. It allows you to plan around your less energized times.
Tutor Tips: Have the student estimate times for assignments. Estimate time realistically and conservatively. You cant plan without these estimates! Schedule blocks of time, not specic assignments. Breaks should be scheduled to keep you energized to work clearly and efciently. Dont take them too often or get caught up in distractions.
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PERFORMING
As we always say, a great plan is nothing if you dont deliver. Move through your assignments in the best fashion for you.
Tutor Tips: Remind the student that, ultimately, it is up to HIM to do the work! If you make the effort to get started, youll nd that nishing your assignments will be much easier.
TO SUM IT UP...
Prioritizing - what needs to get done and what doesnt?
Planning - when is everything going to get done and how long will this take?
Performing - just get started! No whining, no procrastination!
Tutor Tips: Have the student quickly teach back to you each of the points in the summary to ensure comprehension.
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TIME MANAGEMENT TOOLS
There are a variety of tools and resources that you can use to manage your time. On the next few pages, you will nd several time management tools that we have created. However, we have also listed several other tools that you could use to manage your time. These tools can be purchased at any ofce supply store. In addition to listing the tools themselves, we have also listed some tips and pointers on how you can personalize these tools and make them most effective for your uses. If you need additional copies of the StudyPoint Time Management tools, you can access and print them from the Student Page on the StudyPoint website. See the instructions for accessing the Student Page found at the front of your manual.
Planners
StudyPoint Weekly Everything Planner
This sheet is designed to be used each week to help you to plan and prioritize your assignments and activities. You can print and three-hole punch copies from the Student Page on the StudyPoint website and add these to a binder for easy access. Once you have recorded all of your daily and weekly obligations, you can use the Prioritize section to help you to determine which tasks should be completed rst and approximately how long each task should take you.
School or Calendar Planner
These are the planners that your school may provide you with or that can be purchased from an ofce supply store. If youd feel more comfortable using one of these rather than using the StudyPoint Weekly Everything Planner, we suggest that you invest in one of these right away. When deciding which type of planner to purchase, take a look through it to make sure that it will t your needs. Does it include weekly and monthly calendars? Does it provide enough space for you to write the things that you will need to do each day?
Assignment Sheets
StudyPoint Assignment Sheet
This sheet is designed to be used each week to help you to record and plan for your homework assignments. You can print and three-hole punch copies from the Student Page on the StudyPoint website and add these to a binder for easy access. This can be used in conjunction with the StudyPoint Weekly Everything Planner. You should record any and all homework assignments on your Assignment Sheet throughout the day, and then use your Weekly Everything Planner to determine which assignments should be completed rst, how long each assignment will take, and when you have time in your schedule to complete them.
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Calendars
StudyPoint Monthly Calendar
The StudyPoint Monthly Calendar is designed to provide you with a more long-term view of your upcoming commitments than a daily or weekly planner provides. You can print and three-hole punch copies from the Student Page on the StudyPoint website and add these to a binder for easy access. As the space available to record information for each date is minimal, you should use your monthly calendar to record appointments and due dates but not homework assignments.
StudyPoint Weekly Calendar
The StudyPoint Weekly Calendar can be used in conjunction with the StudyPoint Monthly Calendar, the StudyPoint Everything Planner, and the StudyPoint Assignment Sheet. Its just one more tool that you may nd helpful in managing your time.
Wall Calendars
You may nd it more helpful to have a wall calendar in your study space than to have calendars in your binder or planner. You can purchase a wall calendar at any ofce supply store. There are a variety of kinds, including ip calendars and dry erase calendars, so choose the one that you think would work best for your specic needs.
TIPS FOR USING YOUR TIME MANAGEMENT TOOLS
Color code! You can use different color pens for each type of activity. For example, use blue for all your school obligations and green for all of your sports obligations. This will help you to quickly differentiate different activities.
Record all obligations and appointments on your planner! This should be your Master Calendar so that when you refer to it, you will know exactly where you need to be and when. This will also help you to plan out chunks of time that you can dedicate to certain tasks, like completing your homework. When you receive a new schedule or a new deadline, immediately record this information in your planner. For example, as soon as you receive your soccer practice and game schedule, add this information to your planner so that you can plan any other obligations around this. Use sticky tabs, a highlighter, or stars to emphasize important appointments or deadlines. This will make them more obvious to you and less likely to be forgotten. Carry your planner and calendars with you every day!
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MONTHLY CALENDAR
Month: ________________
W
SUNDAY
ND MO AY
TU
ESDAY
NESDAY ED
TH
URSDAY
FRIDAY
TURDAY SA
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MONTHLY CALENDAR
Month: ________________
W
SUNDAY
ND MO AY
TU
ESDAY
NESDAY ED
TH
URSDAY
FRIDAY
TURDAY SA
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MONTHLY CALENDAR
Month: ________________
W
SUNDAY
ND MO AY
TU
ESDAY
NESDAY ED
TH
URSDAY
FRIDAY
TURDAY SA
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MONTHLY CALENDAR
Month: ________________
W
SUNDAY
ND MO AY
TU
ESDAY
NESDAY ED
TH
URSDAY
FRIDAY
TURDAY SA
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___ MONDAY
THURSDAY ___
___ TUESDAY
FRIDAY ___
O C O Y O NO T PY D O N T MONTH: _________ C DATES: __________ PY D O O C O N T PY D O O C O PY D O N T O C O PY D O NO T O C P O NO T T O Y D C P O NO T O Y D PY D O NO T C O PY D O NO T CO PY D O NO T CO P C O N

Saturday ___ Sunday ___
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___ MONDAY
THURSDAY ___
___ TUESDAY
FRIDAY ___

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___ MONDAY
THURSDAY ___
___ TUESDAY
FRIDAY ___

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___ MONDAY
THURSDAY ___
___ TUESDAY
FRIDAY ___

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ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS
CHAPTER FOUR
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INTRODUCTION TO ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS
Being organized is a struggle for many people. However, having a clear organizational system and following through on it is one of the best ways to stay on top of your assignments. This chapter will address the different elements of organizing yourself and how you can go about accomplishing this. Would you categorize yourself as being disorganized? Well, get ready to change that!
THE ELEMENTS OF BEING ORGANIZED
Your Study Space
Your study space should be the area where you complete the majority of your assignments. What makes a good study space? A study space should be convenient. If its not, youll be less likely to use it.
A study space should be a place that you can use only for studying.
A study space should have all the materials that you will need available. A study space should be an area with few distractions.
A study space should be well lit, just the right temperature, and furnished with a comfortable chair.
Where do you typically study and complete your homework assignments? Does that area satisfy the qualities of a good study space that are listed above?
Organizing Your Study Space
Once you have your study space established, its time to get it organized so that, moving forward, you will be able to be as productive as possible when you work in that space. The rst thing to deal with is supplies. Below is a list of items that would be good to have available in your study space.
Pens and pencils (assorted colors) Pencil sharpener Correction uid and erasers Stapler and staples Tape Scissors Index cards and rings
Paper and binder clips Ruler Calculator Highlighters Sticky notes and sticky tabs Three-hole punch Dictionary
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Now that you know the materials that you should have available, you can go about organizing them and the space around them. How you choose to organize your study space is really your decision. However, you should try to set it up so that the items you need are easily accessible and that items are clearly labeled so that you can nd them when needed. Some suggestions for organizing your study space: Try to keep your supplies as organized as possible so that drawers dont become cluttered and messy. You can purchase an inexpensive desk organizer in which to keep all of these. Keep all of your books, notebooks, binders, and folders for each class together on your shelf. That way when you need to grab your history materials for school, they are all in one place, making it less likely for you to forget something. You can even label the shelves if you so desire. Get rid of any loose papers you have lying around. If you have stacks of papers, sort through them and put them into the appropriate binders or folders. Keep the top of your desk relatively clutter free. This will provide you with ample space to spread out your books and papers when you need to work. Just remember to put everything away when you are done. If you have a wall calendar, hang it near your desk in a place where it is easily visible. That way you will constantly be reminded of any upcoming events or deadlines.
Your Materials
There are a TON of different methods that you can use for organizing your school materials. If your teachers require that you have separate notebooks or binders for each class, you certainly want to follow their requirements. However, you will still be able to use many of the tips and pointers for organizing your materials within your notebooks and binders. The most important thing to remember about organizing your materials is that you need a system that works for you. If you know that having to hole punch papers at the end of each day would be a pain for you and would not be something that you will follow through on, then using a binder system is probably not for you. Just remember to be honest with yourself regarding what will and will not work. The more invested in a particular organizational system that you are, the more likely you are to actually use it.
Organizing Your Materials
On the next few pages are a few of the different organizational systems that you might want to try. Additionally, we have provided some tips and suggestions on how you can make each system as effective for you as possible.
Is your current organizational system working for you? Do you often lose handouts? Do you forget your homework assignments or notebooks at home?
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One Binder System
This system involves keeping all your notes, handouts, tests, quizzes, and papers for all of your classes in one large three-ring binder. This is a good system to use if you tend to forget to bring certain materials with you to school or home from school. Because everything will be in one place, you just have to remember to bring your binder.
How to Organize It...
Divide the binder into sections using tabs. You should have a separate tab for each of your classes. You can organize the tabs in a variety of ways... by the order in which your classes are scheduled alphabetically by the rst letter of the class based on your preference for the class Use whichever order you think will work best for you!
Within the different subject tabs, have a system for organizing your papers. Use this same system for each class. For example, within a subject tab you may want to organize your papers like this... Handouts & Readings Class Notes Study Aids Tests & Quizzes
Class Syllabus
...or you may think that it is better to organize your papers chronologically. If you do this, be sure to put a date on all your notes and handouts so that you can put them in the appropriate place. Again, you should use whichever system you think will work best for you, but once you choose a system, be sure to stick to it!
Multi Binder System
This system involves keeping all your notes, handouts, tests, quizzes, and papers for each class in separate three ring binders. This is a good system to use if you prefer to keep your papers for each class separate or if your teachers require that you have separate binders for each class.
Divide the binder into sections using tabs. For each class, gure out different categories for your papers. For example, in your English class, you may have a class syllabus, reading handouts, grammar handouts, class notes, essays, tests, and quizzes. If so, you can then create tabs for Readings, Grammar,
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Class Notes, and Graded Assignments. Organize your papers within each tab chronologically. That way, your older papers will be in the back of each section, and your newer papers will be toward the front of each section. Remember to date any notes that you take and any handouts that you are given. By keeping your papers organized chronologically, it will make studying for quizzes, tests, midterms, and nals much easier. Use the front and back pockets to store any handouts and papers that you are given during the day that are not three-hole punched. Once you get home, you need to hole punch them and put them in their proper places. You can also use these pockets to store homework assignments that you have completed and need to hand in.
Multi Notebook and Folder System
This system involves having separate spiral-bound notebooks and folders for each of your classes. This is a good system to use if you prefer to keep your papers for each class separate or if your teachers require that you have separate notebooks for each class. This is also a great system to use if your papers are not three-hole punched, and you know that hole punching them yourself is not something that you will be able to do on a consistent basis.
Color code your notebooks and folders. This will make identifying which notebook goes with which folder that much easier.
Use your notebook only to take notes. If youre using this system, all of your loose papers should be stored in your folder. Reserve your notebook solely for taking notes. Remember to put the date at the top of any notes that you take.
Have a system to organize your papers in your folders. This can be something relatively simple, but having even a basic system will make locating any papers that you need that much easier. For example, you can keep your class syllabus, reading assignments, and worksheets in the left pocket. Then you can keep all of your essays, tests, quizzes, and other graded assignments in the right pocket. Put labels on each side of the folder to make following your organizational system that much easier. Keep your class syllabus at the front of your folder and all your other papers chronologically ordered. This will allow for easy access to your syllabus and will also make nding any other papers that you need a snap.
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TROUBLESHOOTING ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS
Being organized doesnt just happen overnight. It is something that you must commit to and follow through on. There are bound to be a few obstacles along the way, so below are a few troubleshooting tips that you can use to help get yourself back on track.
I nd it difcult to only study in one place. I prefer to move around. What can I do?
Some people crave variety and other people cant stay still for too long. If this sounds like you, its OK to have more than one study space or even to move around in your study space while youre working. Just make sure that you still have all your necessary materials with you and that your new study location doesnt have a lot of distractions.
I try to sit down to work in my study space, but I always end up falling asleep. What can I do?
If you nd that your thoughts are wandering or that your eyelids are growing heavy, leave your study area for a few minutes to take a break. For some people its better to work in smaller, more concentrated timeframes interspersed with short breaks. This is perfectly ne. While taking your break you should stretch, grab a snack, or do something thats going to help to reenergize you. Just make sure you dont end up getting distracted. Your breaks should last no longer than 5-10 minutes.
I like to listen to music while I study. Is this OK to do?
It depends on the person. If you are able to listen to music while working and dont nd that it distracts you, then yes, its ne to listen to music while you study. If you are easily distracted by noises while studying, then listening to music while studying is probably not the most effective approach for you.
My school and sports schedule got really busy, and I stopped using my binder/notebook system. What can I do?
First off, dont be too hard on yourself. Its easy to get caught up in everything that you have going on. Rather than get frustrated at yourself for not continuing to use your system, just pick up where you left things off. Set aside an hour or so to get yourself organized again. Put all loose papers in their proper places and clean up your study space so that everything is where it should be. No one is perfect, and youre not expected to be!
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TO SUM IT UP...
Choose an organizational system that will work for you! Choose a study space where you can be comfortable and productive. Organize your class materials using a method that will make nding what you need as easy a process as possible. If you fall behind in keeping organized, dont beat yourself up about it. Just pick up where you left things and start again.
Tutor Tips: This chapter is pretty self-explanatory. If you nd that your student is very disorganized, its probably a good idea to review this chapter with him. Help the student to determine what organizational system would work best for him, and then make a list of any supplies that he will need. You and your student can actually work through the process of organizing his materials at your next session. This is typically a fun exercise to do with your student. If the student does not have time to do that during the lesson, its something that the student can do on his own and that you can follow up with him about. Once an organizational system has been established, you should continue to check in with the student to see how things with it are going. What is working, and what is not working? Remind the student that any new system takes time, so there may be some bumps along the way. If you have any of your own organizational tips and pointers, feel free to share them with your students!
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NOTE TAKING
CHAPTER FIVE
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INTRODUCTION TO NOTE TAKING
Youre probably used to it by now. Pretty much any class and any teacher that you have will require you to take notes in some capacity. Some teachers may make things easy for you and provide an outline of their lectures at the start of each class. However, for those teachers who dont do that, it is essential that you know how to take accurate and comprehensive notes. Thats what this chapter is about. We will deal with taking notes from assigned readings in Chapter 6: Effective Reading, so this chapter will focus on taking notes from lectures. As always, lets start with the basics.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO TAKE NOTES?

There is just too much information to keep it all in your head.
To retain the information in a lecture.
Youll be able to keep all that information in one place.
Tutor Tips: Think of how much information is covered in a single school day, and then try to imagine remembering all of the information in a given week. Youd never be able to remember it all. By taking notes you ensure that you have all of the information you need, and you store it in a single place. This way, when it comes time to review for quizzes and tests, youll have your notes as references.
Your notes are like a textbook that is written by you.

Your words = Your understanding.
Tutor Tips: Your notes should be easier to understand than a text book. The goal of taking notes is to record information from a lecture in a way that is easier for you to understand. By taking notes, you are able to organize the material in a way that is easy for you to follow and comprehend.
You can choose the most important points.
This is the material that your teacher thinks is important.

If your teacher tells you something, its a good idea to listen.
Pay close attention to the points or ideas that your teacher spends the most time on. For some teachers, this is a clue as to what topics will be tested on your next exam.
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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO TAKE GOOD NOTES?
Hearing without listening is useless.
It means being an active listener.
When you are being an active listener, you are not just letting the words ow into your brain, you are pulling them in and trying to make sense of them.
It means making a constant effort to pay attention.
Listening is an active process. It takes effort and practice.
Even if you nd your teacher to be a bit boring, you are going to have papers or tests and nal exams, and you will have to understand the material.
It means thinking!
If you dont make an effort to think about the material as its presented, then you are not listening.
It means having a strong system for recording and organizing information.
Even if you hear everything that your teacher says, it wont do much good unless you have a helpful and efcient system for recording the important points.
Think of a person who you consider to be a good listener? What characteristics does s/he possess? These are the same characteristics that you want to use when listening to lectures.
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METHODS OF NOTE TAKING
Everyone processes information differently, so there is no one note taking method that will always work well for everyone. Additionally, the notes that you have to take in your math class may be very different from the notes that you have to take in your history class. Because of that, we will be introducing several different note taking methods. Take some time to review each method and determine which one you think will best t your needs. You may nd that one method will work well for one class while a different method might work better for another class. Once you establish this, you will need to start using this method for all the notes you take in that class. This will take some practice, but the more you do it, the more skilled you will be at using that method. Remember that your ultimate goal is to ensure that your notes contain all the information that you need to know and that its in a format that is easy for you to understand.
THE CORNELL METHOD
The Cornell Note Taking Method is a note taking system that was developed over 40 years ago at Cornell University. It was developed to help students translate the information in lectures into useful notes that facilitate the learning process. This is one of the most popular note taking systems and has been used by hundreds of thousands of students. The reason for its success lies in the way the notes are organized. Rather than using an entire sheet to record information, students segment the sheet into three sections. One of these sections is for the information, and the other two form a system that allows students to periodically review material as part of the note taking process.
The Structure
Topic:
Date:
The basic structure of the Cornell Method is shown in the gure to the right. As you can see, the bulk of the page is divided into three main sections. Each section serves a distinct purpose. This structure is relatively easy to set up:
Class/Subject:
Cue Column
At the top of the page, write the Topic of the lecture, the Class/Subject in which you are taking notes, and todays Date. Make a line a third of the way in from the left side of the page. Stop about 3 inches from the bottom. Make a horizontal line across the entire sheet about 3 inches from the bottom of the page.
Info Column
Summary Space
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The Sections
There are three main sections in the Cornell Method. Each section is described below. On the next page, you will see examples of the types of information that should be placed in each column.
The Info Column
This is the right hand column of the page. You should record notes on the information given in your classes in this space.
The Cue Column
This is the left hand column of the page. You will put prompts such as key terms, phrases, or questions that are described in the Info Column.
The Summary Space
This is the space at the bottom of the page. You will write a brief summary of that page of notes. Your summary should focus on covering the main points. You should do this at the end of each class or each night when you complete your homework.
Who Should Use This Method?
This method is one that is pretty much useful for every type of student. You will nd that the other note taking methods can be incorporated into the Cornell structure (for example, you can take your notes in the Info Column using an outline format). Though this method will take some getting used to, the preparation is minimal. You can even prepare several pages of your notes ahead of time so that you dont have to do so during class. StudyPoint also provides a blank Cornell Note Taking Method sheet that you can access and print from the Student Page on the StudyPoint website. See the instructions for accessing the Student Page found at the front of this manual. To sum it up, this method is good for: Those who want an organized and structured way for recording notes Those who want their notes to double as study aids Those who want to make note taking as simple and efcient as possible
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Topic: Date: Class/Subject:
Cue Column
Info Column
In this column, you will write anything that can be used as a cue later on. For example:
In this column, you will record the most important information from your teachers lecture. What should you listen for?
Categories - Causes of the Civil War - Photosynthesis Process Questions - What caused the Civil War? - What are the steps in the photosynthesis process? Alerts - Causes of Civil War will denitely be on test! Need to be able to explain 2 in detail. Clarications - Second step in photosynthesis process? Ask teacher!
Main Ideas Knowing the main idea lets you frame the information in the proper context. Think about the Big Picture. Key Terms and Phrases Any word, term, name, or phrase that you hear the teacher repeat or emphasize is probably important. Be sure to write them and their meanings or signicance down. Anything that the teacher writes on the board If your teacher takes the time to write something on the board, then its probably something that youre going to need to know about later. If you have trouble keeping up with your teacher during the lecture, try to use some of these tips: Abbreviate words and use symbols (more to come on this later in the chapter) Use bullets or dashes to show main topics and their subtopics Try to eliminate unnecessary words (like the, a, etc.)
You can then use the categories and questions in this column to help you study. Fold the page so that only the Cue Column shows. Then try to relay as much of the information that you recorded in the Info Column about that category or question.
Summary Space
This space should be used to sum up the notes on this page. Write a brief 2-3 sentence summary List the three main points from the Info Column
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THE OUTLINE METHOD
The Outline Method is a way to structure your notes so that main topics and headings are at the far left of the page and any subtopics that fall under those headings are indented. You may have noticed that we used a form of the outline method when writing this manual. The Outline Method is typically good for notes that are comparing and contrasting different topics. It can also be helpful to use when your topics have numerous subtopics under them. By indenting, you are able to show how topics relate to each other, and these relationships can be easily identied when reviewing your notes. This method can be used on its own, or as mentioned previously, it can also be incorporated into the Cornell Method.
The Structure
Topic:
Date:
Class/Subject:
The basic structure of the Outline Method is shown in the gure to the right.
At the top of the page, write the Topic of the lecture, the Class/Subject in which you are taking notes, and todays Date. On the main portion of the page, the Main Topic information that is most general begins at Subtopic 1 Explanation the left. Subtopic 2 As each topic gets more specic, this Explanation information should be indented to the right. You can use dashes, bullets, letters, or numbers when indenting.
Main Topic Subtopic 1 Explanation Subtopic 2 Explanation
On the next page, you will see an example of the Outline Method and how it should be applied.
This is another method that works well for a variety of students. Youll nd that it probably works best in classes where numerous topics and ideas are covered. It may work less well in your math and some science courses that involve a lot of computations. To sum it up, this method is good for: Those who want an organized and structured way for recording notes Those who prefer to take notes in short words and phrases
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Topic: Political Parties; US Congress Date: 6/1/06 Class/Subject: US History Example 1: Parties of the United States Government Republicans Generally more conservative The Right Wing Democrats Generally more liberal The Left Wing US Legislative Branch House of Representatives At least 1 rep from each state States with larger pops have more reps Senate Two reps from each state, regardless of size Example 2: I. Parties of the United States Government A. Republicans i. Generally more conservative - The Right Wing B. Democrats i. Generally more liberal - The Left Wing II. US Legislative Branch A. House of Representatives i. At least 1 rep from each state ii. States with larger pops have more reps B. Senate i. Two reps from each state, regardless of size
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THE MAPPING METHOD
The Mapping Method is a way to structure your notes so that you have visual aid that relates the facts and ideas from a lecture to the other facts and ideas. Mapping is great for those who need to actively participate in a lecture and for those who like to think critically about the information as they are recording it.
The Structure
Topic:
Date:
The basic structure of the Mapping Method is shown to the right.
Class/Subject:
At the top of the page, write the Topic of the lecture, the Class/Subject in which you are taking notes, and todays Date. Write and circle your Main Topic. Draw lines connecting supporting details and information to the Main Topic. Record additional information under each detail.
Main Topic
Detail
Detail More Info
Detail More Info
On the next page, you will see an example of the Mapping Method and how it should be applied.
This method is great for those students who excel when they have visual aids to use to study. This is also a great method for those who need to actively participate in their learning in order to stay focused. With this method, students can easily add marks and color codes to show relationships. Additionally, the details under the main topics can be covered to serve as study aids and review exercises. To sum it up, this method is good for: Those who learn best when using visual aids Those who prefer to take notes in short words and phrases Those who need to be actively engaged in lectures Those who like to think critically about information as they are recording it
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Topic: Political Parties Date: 6/1/06 Class/Subject: US History
Parties of the US Government
Two Main Parties
Republican Party More conservative The Right Wing
Democratic Party More liberal The Left Wing
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GREATER EFFICIENCY IN NOTE TAKING
Knowing where to put everything is only half of improving your notes. You need to know how to be more efcient and effective at recording what your teacher has to say. This is when you put your new and improved listening skills to work. You have to be careful though, because you dont want to try to write down every single word that the teacher utters. The following are some tips on how to improve the actual notes that you take.
How do you currently write down information? NOTE TAKING TIPS
Tip 1:
Print instead of writing in cursive.
The majority of us write faster in print than in cursive. If youre accustomed to using only cursive, try to use a modied version of printing that looks somewhat like cursive because some letters will be linked together. This will help to increase your speed.
Tip 2:
Use shorter, less grammatically correct sentences.
Since you are the only one who will be reviewing and reading your notes, you need not write grammatically correct sentences. You should do your best to shorten your sentences as much as possible. This will enable you to take notes at a faster speed and will reduce the risk of falling behind. Just make sure that you dont abbreviate the sentences to the point where you are unable to understand what you wrote when you go back to review your notes.
Example:
Your teacher says, There are two types of trees. The rst is the Gymnosperm. This type includes the trees that have seeds not enclosed within the ovary. An example of a Gymnosperm would be a Pine tree. The other type of tree is the Angiosperm. These trees have their seeds enclosed within the ovary. A Maple tree is a good example of an Angiosperm. You write:
Trees - 2 Types Gymnosperm seed not in ovary ex: Pine Angiosperm seed in ovary ex: Maple
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Tip 3: Use abbreviated words or terms.
Try to use abbreviations for words or terms that you use frequently. Remember that you can use either words or symbols as abbreviations. with without because however that is to say example for example and, in addition is, are, equals about, at regarding versus, compared to therefore approximately, about is not
Word or Term
Abbreviation Table
Abbreviation
w/ w/o b/c how. i.e. ex. e.g. +, & = @ re: vs.
Tip 4:
Cut out the articles.
You dont need every single the, a, or an. Leaving them out will make your notes more concise and faster to write.
TO SUM IT UP...
You need to take notes so that you can remember the important concepts.
Choose the note taking method that will work for you and your needs!
Try to use the tips that will make your note taking more efcient.
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EFFECTIVE READING
CHAPTER SIX
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INTRODUCTION TO EFFECTIVE READING
Yes, you already know how to read. However, reading for school can be very different from reading for pleasure. When you read for school, you are expected to comprehend and retain all of that information. Think about how much information you have to retain just when reading one chapter in a text book. Now think about how much information you need to retain when youre tested on several chapters in that text book at a time. Thats a lot of information! In this chapter we will address the two main types of reading that you do in school: textbook reading and ction reading. We will focus on both the reading and retention process.
WHY IS ACADEMIC READING DIFFERENT?

You must understand schoolwork, not just nish it.
You need to retain specic information.
Reading a text book like a novel simply wont work.
Taking notes from the teachers lectures is only half the material.
If your teacher requires you to read the text, youre going to need to know it.
Your teacher will cover the main points during lectures, but there will be other information from the text that you are expected to know.
READING METHODS
As mentioned, were going to take a look at the different reading methods that can be used for the assigned reading you have for school. Before we do, just a few things to note. Currently, you may read your assignments just to get through them. If that is the case, you may nd that the methods we introduce for reading and retention are more time-consuming than your current approach. However, the goal of these methods is to make your reading approach as effective as possible. If you use these methods, youll nd that all the important information you need to know from the text will be right in front of you. That means that when you go to study for quizzes and tests, you wont have to read through the text again. Additionally, youll already have study aids created to work from! So, as you work through the remainder of this chapter, just remember to keep an open mind.
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THE SQ3R READING METHOD
The SQ3R Reading Method is a simple and systematic way to approach your textbook readings. There are ve steps involved in this method, and well go through each one of them. As we do that, well also take a look at the method that you can use to record all of the information that you read so that retention will be that much easier. If youve worked through the Note Taking Chapter, this structure may look familiar. Thats right, it is the Cornell Note Taking Method. If you havent yet worked through the Note Taking Chapter, ip to pages 9193 so that you can learn how to structure your pages to take notes when using the SQ3R Method.
Step 1:
Survey
Read the chapter introduction and summary. Scan the chapter and note the headings.
Class/Subject: Text Page #s: Cue Column
Date:
Step 2:
Question
Use the chapter headings to form questions. Think about: What, Where, When, and Why.
This will make you an active reader!
Record these questions in the Cue Column.
Once you have completed Step 2: Question, you will complete Steps 3-4 for this section or paragraph. After you have Read and Recorded, start a new section of headings and subheadings. This will help to break the reading into manageable parts.
Step 3:
Read
Read a paragraph or two at a time, and pause to answer your questions as you read. Pay attention to key terms, dates, names, and denitions.
Dont forget to read the relevant charts and diagrams!
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Step 4:
Record
Record the answers to the questions from your Cue Column in the Info Column. Record any other information that you think is important to note.
Class/Subject: Text Page #s:
Date:
Info Column
Use the note taking format and tips from the Note Taking Chapter to make your notes as efcient as possible.
Step 5: Review
Class/Subject: Text Page #s:
Date:
Look back at the questions that you asked to make sure that you have answered them. Quickly quiz yourself to check your recall. Write a quick summary (3-5 sentences) of the main points from your notes in the Summary Space.
Summary Space
Now you have a clear structure and approach for reading and recording information from your text books. Flip to the next page to see an example of notes that were taken from a reading using this method!
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Class/Subject: Biology Date: 6/1/06 Text Page #s: Chapter 13: Support & Locomotion; 253-258 What are the advantages of locomotion? Locomotion being able to move oneself locomotion = motile most animals and protists = motile plants motile stationary = sessile ex. corals and adult sponges Advantages easier to get food can nd suitable places to live escape enemies; nd shelter nd mates and reproduce What are the differences between exoskeletons and endoskeletons? Muscles & Skeletons locomotion requires both Exoskeletons skeleton is outside the body encloses soft parts protects the body Endoskeletons made of bone and cartilage located within the body walls does not protect the body as well as exo Locomotion is being able to move oneself. Advantages include: ease in nding food, shelter, mates, and escaping enemies. Muscles and skeletons are required for locomotion. There are two types of skeletons: exo (on the outside) and end (on the inside).
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THE WHAT, WHAT, WHY READING METHOD
The What, What, Why Reading Method is a system that you can use to make the reading and recording of the ction reading that you have to do for school much more efcient. As you read through your books, you should use the method below to record any and all important information. This will make writing your papers and studying for tests quicker and easier. Again, you will be using the structure from the Cornell Method to record your notes.
What is it?
As you read, make a note of any characters and their traits. Also make a note of any important events and their causes.
What does it mean?
Once you have noted the important characters and events, determine what they mean.
Why is it important?
Ask yourself how the characters and events relate to each other. How do the events in the book relate to the books themes?
Think about it: Why would this method be helpful for reading and recording information from ction books?
Flip to the next page to see an example of the types of questions that you can ask when using the What, What, Why Reading Method!
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Class/Subject: Date: Book & Page #s: Use this column to write questions and key words from your reading. Use this column to record the answers to your questions and to note anything else of importance. You should also make a note of any important quotes. Example:
What:
What is it? What happened with it? Where did it happen? Who was involved? When did it happen?
What:
What does it mean? Why did it happen? What are the causes? What are the effects? What will happen next?
Hector! Dearest to me of all my husbands brothers - my husband, Paris, magnicent as a god...he was the one who brought me here to Troy - Oh how I wish Id died before that day! - Helen, page 613 (lines 95-98)
Why:
Why is it important? How do the different elements relate to each other? How does it relate to the books themes?
Use this area to summarize and reect on your reading. This is a great place to draw conclusions.
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TO SUM IT UP...
Your approach to your school reading should be different than your approach to pleasure reading. You need to read to comprehend, not just read to get through it! In order to ensure long term retention, you must takes notes while reading. Use the SQ3R Reading Method for your text book reading and note taking. Use the What, What, Why Reading Method for W W W your ction reading and note taking.
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TEST PREPARATION
CHAPTER SEVEN
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INTRODUCTION TO TEST PREPARATION
How do you currently study for tests? Do you use study aids? Do you create a study plan? This chapter will be dedicated to teaching you a study structure that you can use to study for tests and exams. Additionally, we will also take a look at the different types of study aids that you can create and use. One important thing to remember is that if you are using some of the other methods and tips in this manual, like our Note Taking and Reading Methods, youll already have some of your study aids created when it comes time for you to study. By doing this, you will save yourself a ton of time and energy.
STAYING ON TOP OF YOUR WORK
Start early.
The beginning of each semester is a crucial time for your success the rest of the year. Be sure to get all your supplies early.
Dont wait a few weeks into the year or semester to start doing your homework.
Do your homework!
Make it a habit, and get it all in on time.
It takes time for your brain to fully absorb ideas. Give yourself a chance.
Ask your teachers about the structure of the course.
The more you know about the course, the better prepared you can be.
What else could you be doing to stay on top of your work?
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PREPARING FOR TESTS A FOUR STEP PLAN
How do you currently study for tests? Do you use study aids? Do you create a study plan? This chapter will be dedicated to teaching you a study structure that you can use to study for tests and exams. Additionally, we will also take a look at the different types of study aids that you can create and use. Keep in mind that this study plan should begin about 7 days before your test or exam!
Step 1: Preparations and Initial Review Day 1 - Initial Preparations

You need a plan!
Use your Weekly Everything Planner to schedule your time for each step. You should create a timeline for your test.
Find out what will be covered on the test and what the format will be. Get everything you need gathered.
Make a list of everything you will need to study efciently.
Gather all the materials that you will need. This should include all relevant notes, text books, old quizzes or papers, handouts, review sheets, and graphic organizers.
Day 2 - Initial Review
Read through your notes.
Do this to refamiliarize yourself with the material.
Recite answers to the questions in the Cue Column of your notes. You need to gure out what you do and dont remember.
Create a list of key terms, dates, etc.
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Step 2: Create Your Study Aids Day 3 - Study Aid Creation
Create ashcards. You can use them for vocabulary, dates, terms, formulas, etc. Use one side as the prompt and the other side to list the relevant information. Create graphic organizers. Use these to organize information into visual diagrams. They help you to think structurally about the material. If allowed, create a cheat sheet. These are NOT for cheating! These are like overgrown ashcards with more than one piece of information on them. We will go into more details about how to make effective study aids later in the chapter.
Step 3: Study
Day 4 - Start to Study
Review your study aids during your dead time.
If you are having difculty with any concepts, seek extra help from your teacher.
Days 5 and 6 - Study More
Continue to use your dead time to study.
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Spend one to two hours each night studying using the methods below. Work through your notes. - Quiz yourself on your class and reading notes. - Review charts, diagrams, and weak spots in your understanding. Work through your study aids and review sheets. - Review and quiz yourself on your ashcards, graphic organizers, and review sheets. - If you are unsure of anything, refer to your text book or get help from your teacher. Review old quizzes, HW assignments, and handouts. - Be sure that you understand any problems or questions you missed on the quizzes and homework assignments. Do some practice questions. - For essay tests, think of three possible essay questions and write them out. Answer them in outline format. - If you already have one or all of the essay questions, put together an outline of your answers. You may want to practice writing the essays as well.
Step 4: Final Review
Day 7 - Final Review The Night Before The Exam

Brush up on whatever you think needs the most work.
You should be prepared if you have completed all of the other stages. - Fill in whatever holes remain in your memory. - For essay tests, read through the outlines you made in Step 3.
Go over your key terms sheets and recite the meaning of each. Get a good nights sleep!
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CREATING STUDY AIDS
Remember that if you are taking effective notes from your lectures and readings, youll already have some of your study aids created before its even time for you to start studying! Were going to focus on some of the other study aids that you can create along the way.
If you create study aids for smaller quizzes and tests, save them! Then when you have larger tests and exams, youll already have everything you need to prepare.
Flashcards
Flashcards are some of the most simple and effective study aids that you can create. These can be used for learning pretty much anything! Here are the basic tips that you should follow when creating ashcards:
Use one side as the PROMPT and the other side to write the INFORMATION. Try color coding! This can be helpful when certain words, terms, or events are related. Write all related terms in the same color. This will help you to associate the related terms together. Use a systematic approach when studying them. Continue to study a card until you are certain that you have it memorized. Remember to mix the cards up! Try to remember them from front to back AND back to front.
Below and on the next page, you will nd some sample ashcards for different classes. Math Classes
(Front)
(Back)
Area of a Circle
(Front)
A = r2
(Back)
PEMDAS Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sue
Parenthesis Exponents Multiplication Division Addition Subtraction
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Foreign Language Classes
(Front) (Back)
un guichet
a ticket counter
English Classes
(Front)
(Back) verb
vacillate
sway; totter; uctuate
Science Classes
(Front)
(Back)
ecosystem
a community and the physical environment that it occupies
History Classes
(Front)
(Back)
US Political Parties
Republican & Democrat
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Graphic Organizers
Graphic organizers are good for creating visual aids for information and topics that have multiple relations or subtopics. These study aids can be especially helpful for those individuals who nd it helpful to visualize the information that they have studied. The format of the graphic organizers will make this easier.
On the next few pages, you will nd several examples of different graphic organizers. You should use these as models of what you can create for your own study aids. Youll also be able to print blank copies of these from the Student Page on the StudyPoint website.
Cheat Sheets
This type of study aid is helpful if you prefer to have all of the information that you need to study in one area. The best way to create Cheat Sheets is to use one of the two formats below.
Front of Page
Topic 1 Prompts
Topic 1 Explanations
Use this column to write key words, terms, and phrases.
Use this column to write the denitions and explanations for the words and phrases in the left column.
Topic 2 Prompts
Back of Page
This two column system will enable you to fold your paper in half so that you can quiz yourself!
Topic 3 Prompts
Topic 4 Prompts
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Different
Common
Different
Different
Common
Different
Different
Different
Main Idea
Main Idea
O C O Y O NO T PY D O C P N TCompare and Contrast D O O C O Y N T PY D O O C O PY D O N T O C O PY D O NO T O C P O NO T T O Y D C P O NO T O Y D PY D O NO T C O PY D O NO T CO PY D O NO T CO P C O N

Different Common Different Different Common
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Different
Different
Different
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Cycle A
Cycle D
Subject
Cycle B
O C O Y O NO T PY D O N T CCycle P O O C O Y DO N T PY D O C O PY D O N T O C O PY D O NO T O C P O NO T T O Y D C P O NO T O Y D PY D O NO T C O PY D O NO T CO PY D O NO T CO P C O N
Cycle C
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Cause
Effect
Cause
O C O Y O NO T PY D O C P N T Cause and Effect O O C O Y DO N T PY D O C O PY D O N T O C O PY D O NO T O C P O NO T T O Y D C P O NO T O Y D PY D O NO T C O PY D O NO T CO PY D O NO T CO P C O N

Event Effect Effect
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Cause
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Title, Author
Cr
n
s isi
Re
sol uti o
sce etting/A S
nt
O C O Y O NO T PY D O N T PlotC P Development O O C O Y DO N T PY D O C O PY D O N T O C O PY D O NO T O C P O NO T T O Y D C P O NO T O Y D PY D O NO T C O PY D O NO T CO PY D O NO T CO P C O N
Crisis Resolution
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Setting
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Main Unit
Secondary Unit
Secondary Unit
Secondary Unit
O C O Y O NO T PY D O C P N T Classifying/Analysis D O O C O Y N T PY D O O C O PY D O N T O C O PY D O NO T O C P O NO T T O Y D C P O NO T O Y D PY D O NO T C O PY D O NO T CO PY D O NO T CO P C O N
Component Component Component Component Component Component Component Component Component Component
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Component
Component
Component
Component
Component
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PAPER WRITING
CHAPTER EIGHT
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INTRODUCTION TO PAPER WRITING
Do you often nd yourself starting your writing assignments one or two days before they are due? If so, this chapter is for you. It will walk you through a ve-step process that you can use for all of your writing assignments.
PAPER WRITING A FIVE STEP PROCESS
Were going to give you a quick preview of the ve steps in the paper writing process, and then well take a closer look at each individual step.
Step 1: Get Organized Gather your materials. Set a timeline.
Step 2: Research, Thesis, and Outline Develop the thesis, or argument, for your paper so that you know what you need to research. An outline will help you to plan your argument. Step 3: Write a Rough Draft Place your thoughts on paper. Have someone critique your argument and ideas. Let it sit for a night. Step 4: Write a Second Draft Rework your ideas based on the critiques. Let it sit for another night.
Step 5: Final Edit Reread for stylistic and typographical errors. Print and hand it in!
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STEP 1: GET ORGANIZED
Gather your materials.
Pull together all of your notes and any books that you will need. Get instructions/assignment from the teacher. Find out about: - the question or topic for the paper - how long it should be - if it should be typed - what kind of spacing, notation, and font it should have
Set a timeline.
You should know when your paper is due. Youll need to start well in advance. Use the teachers timeline if you are given one.
1-2 Pages
Step 1
3 Days Before 5 Days Before 8 Days Before 10 Days Before 12 Days Before 15 Days Before
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
1 Day Before 1 Day Before 1 Day Before 2 Days Before 2 Days Before 3 Days Before
2-5 Pages 5-8 Pages
8-12 Pages
12-15 Pages 15+ Pages
Why is it a good idea to start the paper writing process in advance of your due date?
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STEP 2: RESEARCH, THESIS, AND OUTLINE
Research your topic.
You need to nd some information that gives you an idea of the topic. In this initial research, look for the 5 Ws and an H. Your goal is to nd enough information about your topic to form an opinion on it.
Develop your thesis statement.
This is the most important part of any paper. A thesis is the opinion you plan to defend with your argument. Choose a side of the argument or an angle to analyze and you will have a thesis statement. A thesis must be an opinion that you can defend with evidence from the texts and books that you are reading.
Create your outline.
Outlines plan your argument and organize your thoughts. What evidence will you use to defend your thesis? When will you bring up each point? Your outline will help to organize these thoughts. Try to use complete thoughts for each item. There are different ways to organize the information: - Different kinds of information require different forms of organization. - Much of this depends on your personal tastes and style.
Type of Outline
Chronological
Present issues in the order that they occurred.
Description
Compare and Contrast Cause and Effect Importance
Discuss the similarities and differences between two points, ideas, or people.
Discuss each individual action or event as it relates or inuences another. Order the items you will discuss by importance or relevance to your thesis. Treat each time or place as separate headings to be discussed.
Time and Place
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The Outline Structure
Introduction Introduce the thesis statement. Lay out supporting information. Make sure that your argument is crystal clear. Body Make and defend your argument. Lay out all main points and the supporting evidence for each. Indicate in your outline where you will use quotes or references. Conclusion Recap everything that you have talked about in the paper. Wrap up and nalize your thesis statement.
Thesis Statement A. supporting evidence 1 B. supporting evidence 2 C. supporting evidence 3 Supporting evidence 1 paragraph A. subpoint a B. subpoint b C. subpoint c Supporting evidence 2 paragraph A. subpoint d B. subpoint e C. subpoint f Supporting evidence 3 paragraph A. subpoint g B. subpoint h C. subpoint i Conclusion A. recount supporting evidence 1 B. recount supporting evidence 2 C. recount supporting evidence 3 D. wrap up I. II. III. IV. V.
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STEP 3: WRITE A ROUGH DRAFT
Remember that it doesnt have to be perfect. After nishing your rst draft, take a break. Sleep on it.
It is hard to get all of your thoughts onto paper in one sitting. Often we miss major points or dont catch mistakes when we are making them.
Ask your teacher or parent to read over it looking for structural and conceptual errors. Why do you think it is important to go over your work after some time has passed?
STEP 4: WRITE A SECOND DRAFT
Make improvements on the clarity and strength of your argument.

Rework any unclear or weak passages. Listen to the comments of those who read your rst draft.
STEP 5: FINAL EDIT
Run a check to make sure that there are no spelling or grammar errors. Ask yourself these questions as a nal checklist:
Did you run a spell check? Is your paper in the font and line spacing that your teacher asked for? Hint: Teachers know when you increase font or spacing to try to squeeze more length out of your paper than what you really have. Dont do it! Does your paper have a title? Did you cover each point from your outline?
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TO SUM IT UP...
Follow the Five Step Plan when writing your papers. Make sure that you start your papers within plenty of time of the due date. Create a timeline based on the length of the paper. And stick to it! Always, always have someone else edit your paper drafts. They may be able to spot errors that you cant see.
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SKU #400 (Academic Tutor Manual) DNC - 2

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SKU #400 (Academic Tutor Manual) DNC - 2

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O C O Y O NO T PY D O N T C P O O C O Y DO N T PY D O C O PY D O N T O C O PY D O NO T O C P O NO T T O Y D C P O NO T O Y D PY D O NO T C O PY D O NO T CO PY D O NO T CO P C O N

Copyright 2006 StudyPoint, Inc.

III III III IV IV IV IV IV-VI V V V V-VI VI-VIII VI VII-VIII VIII

CHAPTER 1: ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT

3 4-8 9-15 12-13 13-14 14-15 16-18

CHAPTER 2: GOAL SETTING

21-23 21 22 23 23 24-27 24 25-26 27 27-45

CHAPTER 3: TIME MANAGEMENT

CHAPTER 4: ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS

CHAPTER 5: NOTE TAKING

89-90 89 90 91-97 91 91 92 92 93 94 94 94 95 96 96 96 97 98-99 98-99 99

CHAPTER 6: EFFECTIVE READING

103 103 103-108 104-105 106 107 108 109

CHAPTER 7: TEST PREPARATION

113 113 114-116

CHAPTER 8: PAPER WRITING

127 127 128 129-130 131 131 131 132

EFFECTIVE TUTORING SESSIONS

HOW DOES THE TUTORING WORK?

Lessons are typically 90 minutes in length (1 hour minimum)

SET GOALS FOR SESSION

REINFORCE NEW CONCEPTS

CYCLE STRUCTURE FOR TUTORING SESSIONS

REVIEW MATERIAL FROM PREVIOUS SESSION

Set Goals For Session

Review Material From Previous Session

Introduce New Concepts

Reinforce New Concepts

HOW TO CREATE AN EFFECTIVE TUTORING ENVIRONMENT

Personalize Your Instruction

Facilitate Independence in Learning

Promote Insights into Learning

LETS GET STARTED!

Statement Checked? Number 1 7 9 12 14 22 23 8 27 30 Total for Visual =

Statement Checked? Number 2 3 5 16 18 21 25 26 28 29 Total for Auditory =

Statement Checked? Number 4 6 10 11 13 15 17 19 20 24 Total for Kinesthetic =

My preferred learning style is ____________________________________

A Visual Learner Should:

Visual Learner Strategies:

Facts About The Visual Learner:

Is A Natural At Dressing in a put-together way

An Auditory Learner Learns Best By:

An Auditory Learner Should:

Auditory Learner Strategies:

Facts About The Auditory Learner:

A Kinesthetic Learner Should:

Facts About The Kinesthetic Learner:

Statement Checked? Number 1 2 4 7 10 12 21 24 25 Total for Test Prep =

Statement Checked? Number 3 20 Total for Note Taking =

Statement Checked? Number 5 8 11 17 27 29 Total for Reading =

Statement Checked? Number 6 14 18 26 30 Total for Paper Writing =

Statement Checked? Number 9 13 15 16 19 22 23 28 Total for Time Management =

A goal is a personal objective or desire.

Can you turn each of those into a goal?

WHY ARE GOALS IMPORTANT?

Goals make our dreams more attainable.

Goals transform intangible dreams into concrete, achievable realities.

Improvement is the process of taking small steps in the right direction.

Goals make the paths to those dreams more apparent.

If we want to get to step D, we must rst go through steps A, B, and C.

Goals give us ending points...and new beginnings.

Having vague ending points makes achieving your goals difcult.

For the purpose of this program, we will focus on academic goals.