Writer's Choice Grade 11

Unit 27: Study Skills

Overview

Using good study habits means applying whatever strategies you need to fully understand important information. For instance, study at a regular time in a quiet place to build a routine and avoid breaking your concentration with distractions. Before you begin to read or study, preview the materials. Complete difficult or dreaded assignments first, when you have the most energy. Jot down key words and ideas to reinforce them in your mind. Refresh your attention by taking occasional breaks. After you review material on your own, form a study group or ask someone to quiz you.

Note-taking in class is an effective method for improving your recall and comprehension. Good notes condense, or paraphrase, main ideas and important details and show the relationships between the ideas and details.

When you are assigned reading, you should begin by skimming. Skim chapter headings, key terms, photo captions, and chapter summaries to gain a general sense of the material and an overview of main ideas. Then, read in-depth. While reading in-depth, you may want to take two-column notes to record your questions, summaries, and comments for later review. You might also want to judiciously use a highlighting marker to emphasize important points. After you've read for understanding, read critically. When you read critically you make judgments about an idea or an author, analyze the completeness of information, consider the logic of certain conclusions, and evaluate the author's word choices. During later study sessions, scan the reading again for main ideas and supporting details, referring to your two-column notes to answer any questions you may have had.

Create your own graphics or study the graphics that accompany your reading. Graphics can clarify complex relationships, untangle complicated descriptions, and summarize key information. Diagrams, like organizational maps or trees, illustrate the steps in a process or the breakdown of abstract concepts into concrete terms. Tables present several categories of detailed, statistical data. Line graphs show trends, movements, and cycles over a period of time. Bar graphs compare amounts of items, and pie charts show proportions of a whole by visually reflecting the percentages each part represents.