Top Study Skills For Middle School Students
Imagine all of the middle school students in the world. Now, imagine all of the wonder and even knowledge contained within the imaginations and minds of each of them. They all have their own individual concepts, questions, capabilities, etc. Each of these helps to form their future. What will the future hold? That can depend largely on the knowledge and imagination of each child.
As far as knowledge goes, there are some basic skills that every child should master in order to make the most of their capabilities, thereby ensuring a successful future. Here, we’re going to examine five of the study skills considered most essential for any middle school student.
Research Skills – Build a Foundation
Consider the near future of your middle school child. Now think about all the projects and research papers that will be required through high school and college. They may be called upon to present material, prepare persuasive arguments, complete laboratory work, write papers, and research numerous projects. If you help your child develop research skills early on, it will be much easier for them down the line. Assist them in determining important information and utilizing valuable reference skills. They will need to learn not only how to find information but how to compile it for use in presentations, projects, and papers.
Development of a Study Schedule
The idea of managing all of the tests, quizzes, projects, and assignments throughout the school year may be overwhelming for your child. Work with your child to create a master schedule from their course schedules and syllabi. Help your child better understand that the ability to plan ahead is essential for success. To provide lots of time for all coursework necessary, work together with your child to create a weekly and monthly study schedule.
The Art of Taking Notes
Particularly in high school and college, taking notes is a critically essential study skill. Practicing and refining this skill can be accomplished in middle school. Take a look at the courses your child will be expected to complete this year and help teach them specific notetaking skills.
Organizing Materials
Essential organizational skills are not possessed by the majority of middle school students. It can be difficult for them to organize assignments, schedules, and materials. To figure out and maintain an efficient organizational system tailored to the current year’s schoolwork, you’ll need to work closely with your child. To help your child get and stay organized, provide them with necessary tools like assignment planners, folders, binders, etc.
Studying and the Best Time to Do So
Because each student is unique, what works for you, what works for others, and what the “experts” say will work may not be a good fit for your child. To see which is most effective, experiment with various study times. First, upon arriving home from school, try having your child sit down to immediately complete school tasks and homework. Next, possibly after dinner, switch to a later study/homework time. If you don’t achieve success with either of these, to find a study block that may be more beneficial, you may need to evaluate your family’s daily schedule.
Is your child having problems with one or more of the above described study skills, or with one or more subjects in school? At JEI Learning Center®, we can help boost not only the learning capacity of your child but their self-confidence and feeling of self-worth, as a result. Contact one of our knowledgeable representatives today if you’d like to find out more about our self-learning method. To find a JEI Learning Center® near you, click here.
