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PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING

Before we actually get into the program, learning principles that have evolved over the years need to be reiterated. These specific principles form the foundation upon which this program is built.

1. Learning happens when students feel a sense of satisfaction with what they are learning. Learning matters to them. Learning is a means to accomplish certain purposes - stickers, grades, smiles on teachers faces, parental love and approval, social approbation, the prospect of adult success.

2. Learning happens when students have a sincere desire to remember what is learned.

3. Learning happens when students participate in the learning process and learn by doing. The "cognitive" aspects of learning have to be "done" by the students. This belief is related to the ancient proverb:

I hear and I forget

I see and I remember

I do and I understand.

4. Learning happens when it is related to previously learned material. Thus, we begin to build on our already existing knowledge.

5. Learning happens when individuals become aware of their progress..

6.Learning happens when material is repeated several times. The repetitions are not in the form of meaningless drill, but practice in meaningful situations.

7. Learning happens when students use a combination of the senses. 

PARENT INVOLVEMENT
Various research projects have proven that one of the secrets of super achieving students is the level and amount of parental involvement. From early on parents can instill in their children the love for learning . Parents can set high standards for their children and hold them to these standards. They can encourage their students to do their assignments but not do the work for them. Parents can "talk up" education and the important role it has played in their lives. Parents can show children by their example - turn off the television and read, schedule time for homework, share their experiences.

ACTIVITIES FOR PARENTS WHICH ENCOURAGE THEIR INVOLVEMENT

1. Demonstrate the advantages to be gained from appropriate learning through the playing of commercial or created games. This demonstrates the challenge of learning and the reward of accomplishment.

2. Parents can set excellent role models regarding the value and worth of education. Talk up school. Talk about positive experiences. Provide magazines, books, newspapers and other reading materials in the home. Conduct discussions of local, national, and global news. Be a role model for positive talk rather than purely negative talk concerning school and learning.

3. Establish a time for study - no TV. Either use the time for homework or for reading. Set consistent limits on study time - minimums and occasionally maximums.

4. Provide recreational and leisure outings - museums, zoos, cultural and historical sites. Learning is not restricted to a school environment but to all arenas of life.

5. Encourage on going education - learning is a lifelong process rather than a time limited format.

6. When assisting your child in their studies, remain as unemotional as possible. Remain steadfastly your child's advocate and protector.

7. Fully accept your child as he or she is. Modify your child's behavior but not your child. Please remember your child is not his or her grades.

8. Provide a physical environment conducive to learning.

9. Maintain a family calendar of activities.

10. Affirm your child on a regular basis - catch them doing well and acknowledge it. By using these techniques, parents can greatly influence their youngster 's feelings about themselves and their academic and life pursuits.

11. Help your children make choices through discussion, sharing of experiences and citing examples of good and poor choices that you as parents may have experienced.

12. Help your children schedule time to study for tests and use the appropriate test taking skills.

13. Once the study routine has been established, maintain a consistent schedule to make studying a habit.

14. Good study skills can only be valuable if they are used. TRY THEM.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Allen, Rebecca. You Can Do It, Guide to School Success. Pinellas Park, FL: Worthington Press, 1989. This material helps students decide what school success means to them as well as how to achieve it. This book also shows students how to make friendships and extracurricular activities work for them.

Archer, Naita and Gleason, Mary. Skills for School Success. North Billerica, MA., 1989. Skills for School Success is a four-level teacher directed program designed to teach critical organization skills and study skills systematically to students in the elementary and middle grades. In this program, students are taught skills required for success in the classroom: appropriate school behaviors, organizational skills, specific learning strategies, textbook reference skills, graphic skills and the use of classroom reference materials.

Bleiweiss, Robert. How To Study Workshop. Middletown, CT: Xerox Corporation Publishing, 1969. This booklet describes how to schedule study time and how to prepare assignments. The skills included are: vocabulary and reading comprehension: map, graph, and table reading; organization; interpretation; and use of the library. There are extensive exercises and self-help inventories to enable students to evaluate their progress.

Breasure, Joyce. Nonverbal Communication Skills Handbook. Tampa, FL: Advanced Development Systems, 1982. This book provides readings and exercises in six areas of nonverbal communication namely, use of interpersonal space, touching, the environment, use of time, use of movement and use of language. The terminology used is unique and not only provides a new vocabulary but insight as to ways to  improve communication.

Butler, Kathleen. It's All In Your Mind. Columbia, CT: The Learner's Dimension,1988. This book provides materials designed to allow teachers and students to explore the issues and aspects of learning and thinking skills.

Christ, Frank L. Studying A Textbook. Chicago, IL: Science Research Associates, Inc., 1966. This booklet is a set of exercises in the study of chapters and textbook reading. It is designed primarily for use at the high school level.

Colligan, Louise. Scholastic's A+ Junior Guide to Studying, New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.,1987. This book provides easy tips to show fifth and sixth graders how to take notes, to have a better memory, to face up to a fearsome teacher and to take tests without terror. Several checklists and workbook pages are provided.

Colligan, Louise and Doug. The A+ Guide to Good Grades. New York, NY: Scholastic Book Services, 1979. This "school survival" manual includes tips on note taking, studying, writing a paper test taking, memorizing, and organizing. This book is used primarily with junior and senior high school students.

Green, Lawrence. Study Smarter, Think Smarter. New York, NY: The Center For Applied Research In Education, 1993. This book provides an effective, practical, easy-to-use system and many exercises to help students acquire vital skills. The sequential activities in this book systematically train students to learn, think, and study actively and efficiently. This material addresses a universal concern shared by every teacher: namely, how to help students develop their maximum brain power.

Gruber, Gary. Dr. Gruber's Essential Guide to Test Taking For Kids. New York, NY: William Morrow, 1986. This book was developed to help parents help their children to avoid the emotional shocks resulting from low test scores and from seemingly poor learning potential and low confidence - shocks that can cause substantial and lasting damage to the psychological and educational development of the child. Topics include critical thinking skills, Math test taking techniques, reading comprehension techniques, strategies for reducing test taking anxieties, and fool proof methods for zeroing in on correct answers.

Herber, Harold. Developing Study Skills in Secondary Schools. Newark, DE: International Reading Association, 1965. This text covers the major areas in study skills and provides practical suggestions for teachers. The "how" and "why" of teaching study skills are developed. The title implies that secondary school students are the target of this book, however, intermediate instructors may also find applicable suggestions in this text.

How to Study. Greenfield, MA: Channing L. Bete Inc., 1970. A short, concise approach to all aspects of studying. Students are provided with a quick statement of the needed techniques. This pamphlet is designed for intermediate and junior high school students.

Instructor's Big Book of Study Skills. New York, NY: Instructor Publications, 1983. This book is filled with teacher tested techniques designed to provide a conceptual base and activities for students. All the typical study skills topics such as listening, vocabulary development, critical reading, problem solving, researching, reporting, testing and basic skills for basic subject areas are included. 

Instructor's Big Book of Study Skills Reproducibles. New York, NY: Instructor Publications, 1983. This book provides self-directed learning pages to help students learn how to plan to do a project, how to use the library media center, how to locate information, how to read to gain information, how to interview, how to take notes and how to organize the notes for reporting. Each section contains pages for beginners, including primary students and pages for more advanced learners.

Kranyik, Robert and Shankman, Florence. How to Teach Study Skills. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, Inc.,1963. This book is a presentation of a comprehensive study skills program spanning both the elementary and secondary schools. The authors believe that every student must learn to locate, evaluate, select, organize, communicate, and retain information. This book provides activities and exercises designed to achieve the stated goals.

Lass, Abram. Success in High School. New York, NY: Scholastic Book Services, 1967. This book is an excellent resource for the high school student. The reader is given techniques for studying, taking tests, and getting good grades and improving their reading. Students also are provided with a review of two hundred books every high school student should read.

Lock, Corey. Study Skills. Lafayette, IN: Kappa Delta Pi, 1981. This booklet provides an excellent resource for the conceptual aspects of study skills. Learning principles are presented as well as the methods needed to study efficiently in the content areas and how to take test effectively.

Maiorana, Victor. How to Learn and Study in College. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, Inc., 1980. This resource provides a self-management program for studying that empowers the student and gives him or her total responsibility for the development of their study techniques.

Mannix, Darlene. Be A Better Student. West Nyack, NY: The Center For Applied Research in Education, 1989  This book is a program for students, grades four through nine, who will profit from specific instruction in behavior management as it relates to school situations. The purpose of this program is to: (1) provide students with an overview of basic principles of behavior management, (2) provide examples of school behavior problems and student models who have used behavior management techniques to attack these, (3) provide students with an opportunity to evaluate and discuss the student model's approach to solving the problem, and (4) provide guidelines for students to use behavior management principles to modify their own behavior or problems at school.

McMasters, Dale. How To Study. United States, ESP, Inc., 1979. This series of written lessons teaches students how to make the most of research and study time. It gives explicit instructions for identifying and strengthening a student's individual study skills.

Messina, James J. Personal Values Analysis Handbook. Tampa, FL: Advanced Development Systems, Inc., 1982. This handbook is intended to be used in training in which values and value conflicts are to be analyzed. This book is also set-up for individuals to use for self-directed value clarifying experiences.

Messina, James J. Tools for Communication. Tampa, FL: Advanced Development Systems, Inc., 1987. This book covers the strategies for effective communication. The five chapters explore the components of effective communication: reflective listening, identifying nonverbal cues, responding with understanding, and using effective problem solving techniques.

Messina, James J. Tools for Personal Growth. Tampa, FL: Advanced Development Systems, Inc., 1987. This book covers issues affecting self-esteem and self-worth with strategies for improved self-health.

Moore, George. Success With Study Skills. United States: Walker Publishing Co., 1989. This book contains worksheets addressing commonly accepted study skills topics in the following areas: dictionary skills, reference skills, information gathering, information organizing and alphabetical order. The material is introduced, practiced and reinforced at increasing levels of difficulty appropriate to a curriculum progression from Grade 3 to Grade 6.

Nason, Leslie. You Can Get Better Grades. United States: Better Grades, 1961. This manual is addressed to the student interested improving his grades. Both elementary and high school students will benefit from the chapters presented in this book. Each of the chapters sets forth specific "know how" strategy combined with practical activities.

Ohme, Herman. Learn How to Learn. Los Altos, CA: California Education Plan, 1986. Learning is a skill. This text states that learning can be mastered, improved and perfected by using the right methods and techniques. The book describes the basic study skills and how to acquire, practice and use them so that "learning how to learn" becomes a life long habit. Hands-on exercises, worksheets, and explanations make the process understandable and "user friendly."

Peters, Ruth A. Who's In Charge. Clearwater, FL: Ruth A. Peters, Ph. D., 1989 This booklet is a comprehensive guide for effective study skills training. It is designed for children and adolescents. Such concepts as the use of the daily report card system, consequences both positive and negative and the study buddy system are presented and effectively developed.

Preston, Ralph C. How to Study. Chicago, IL: Science Research Associates, 1967. How to Study is a self-involvement handbook developed for secondary school and college students, as well as for adults in need of streamlining and improving their reading and analytical ability.

Reading and Study Techniques for Academic Subjects. Greenwich, CT: Baldridge Reading Instruction Materials, Inc., 1966. This book is designed to assist the reader to become familiar with many reading and study techniques. The student is also encouraged to combine techniques in a variety of ways to meet the demands of different academic studies.

Reith, Martha C. Study Skills. Scottsdale, Arizona: Remedia Publishing, 1984. This book provides study strategies designed to help students survive in school. Topics include: learning styles, scheduling, notetaking skills and reference tools.

Richardson, I. M. Study Skills. Mahwah, NJ: Troll Associates, 1983. The exercises in this book are designed to help students develop strong research and study skills of all kinds. Each page focuses on one particular skill, such as reading maps, using the library card catalog, or taking notes. Each student is immediately given the opportunity to put the skill to use to obtain information. This procedure assures that each student will completely understand the concept before completing the exercise.

Riskin, Beverly S. Survival Study Skills. Pleasantville, NY: Sunburst Communications, 1983. This program is a set of fifty activity cards designed to help establish good lifelong study habits. This comprehensive step-by-step approach shows how to find, organize, record and use information. The program also outlines a systematic approach to test taking. Students in grades four through nine would benefit most from the use of this program.

Robinson, Francis P. Effective Reading. New York, NY: Harper and Row Publishers, 1962. This book covers a wide range of study skills, the SQRRR method, examination skills concentration, motivation, classroom skills, use of the library, foreign language study, and the remedying of the 3 R's as well as many diagnostic tests and practice exercises.

School Division of the Association of American Publishers, Helping Your Child Succeed In School. New York, NY: Association of American Publishers School Division,1989. This thirty-six page guide was created for parents with children of all ages - preschool through high school, as well as parents-to-be. This booklet offers practical advise on how to help children make the most of their adventure in learning.

Shankman, Florence and Robert Kranyik. How to Teach Reference and Research Skills. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, Inc., 1963. This text provides a formalized approach to the instruction of reference and research skills. The topics include the use of dictionaries, libraries, audio-visual materials and basic research techniques. All of the topics are developed cognitively and practical exercises are also provided.

Smith, Samuel. Best Methods of Study. New York, NY: Barnes and Noble, 1958. This text is designed for the college freshman or high school senior and presents a brief summary of suggestions applicable to their immediate needs.

Staff of the Communication and Learning Center. 125 Ways to Be A Better Student East Moline, IL,1987. This book is a compilation of several years of hands on experience with students in the areas of organization and study skills. This text is intended for students and teachers whose goal is to develop and enhance these skills. The purpose and procedure are given for each skill and numerous practice activities are provided.

Staton, Thomas F. How To Study. Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service, 1959. This book demonstrates to the reader ways to divide their time and direct their efforts to get the greatest amount of learning and memory in the amount of time spent studying.

Tracey, Anne C. How To Study. Cleveland, OH: Modern Curriculum Press, 1970. This book explains simply, clearly and in straight forward language, how you can learn to study. The material cuts across all subjects in the curriculum, selects the basic skills and shows dramatically and visually how each skill is acquired.

Tyler, Vicki. Great Study Tips. Middletown, CT: Weekly Reader Books, 1986. This booklet is designed for intermediate grade level students. Organization skills, homework skills, methods to read a textbook, ways to take a test and specific tips for math and spelling are provided.

Williams, Jamie. The Organization of Study Skills. Dallas, TX: The Polished Apple, 1984. The author feels that children deserve specific training to improve their organizational skills, study skills and study techniques. This book presents the concepts, structures and techniques of studying. This is a "should do" and "how to" book. It tells which study skills should be taught and how to teach them.

Williams, Jamie. The Organization of Study Skills: Teachers' Handbook. Dallas, TX: The Polished Apple, 1985. This handbook describes the concepts and order for teaching a course in organization and study skills. The author believes that organization and study skills should be an integral part of the education of all children at all grade levels and that the responsibility for teaching these skills belongs to all teachers.