Using active study techniques increases students’ test grades.
Every parent has made this face. It is a complex, contorted combination: part indigestion, an attempt to do long division mentally, a flash of white anger, mixed with stark realization all converging on your face in a split second. What causes this odd yet all too familiar sensation and expression on parents’ faces? When your child tells you he studied for his test and still got a 65! It results in resting test face.
The good news is that your child was at least attempting to study. The bad news was that she was clearly using ineffective test preparation strategies. The best news is that there are many effective study techniques that your child can use to prepare for her next test.
Think of the strategies as Tums and anxiety medication wrapped into one antidote that will help replace that awful look mentioned above with one of pride and awe and a desire to share the result on social media.
Set the Stage for Success
Before a student even gets to a test, are they using the study cycle? The study cycle, developed by Frank Christ, breaks down the different parts of studying: previewing, attending class, reviewing, studying, and checking your understanding. Your child ought to be creating a routine that includes each distinct segment of the study cycle. Students who skip steps in the learning cycle tend to lose valuable opportunities to practice class concepts and use multiple modalities for learning.
In addition to following the study cycle, is your child getting enough sleep? A study revealed a positive relationship between grades and the amount of sleep a student gets. This is not just the night before a test, but sleeping properly over the course of time.
Ineffective Test Preparation Techniques
Now that your child is employing the study cycle and getting enough sleep, let’s move onto test preparations strategies.
Many students think they are studying by reading over notes or perusing the teacher-supplied study guide. In reality these, along with others, are actually ineffective!
Other ineffective techniques include:
- studying for one long period of time
- studying a single subject for a long period of time repeating phrases over and over
- reading and rereading a text
- reviewing notes
- blasting Black Sabbath while reading Steinbeck
While good-intentioned, these strategies give the illusion of mastery and perhaps provide your child with that false sense of confidence that often results in the phrase, “I got this,” after you ask if he is ready for his test.
Test Preparation Techniques that Work
The book Make it Stick turns to research to identify proven, effective study techniques. It taps into cognitive psychology to help students become more productive learners. It dispels some of the above mentioned ineffective techniques and in their place recommends “high intensity” study sessions.
Spaced practice
Space out study sessions over several days, keeping each session relatively short. Your child may complain that she will forget the material, but that is the exact point of the strategy. It forces them to truly learn the content. Creating flashcards – an active technique – your child can self-quiz is a great study tool.
Paraphrasing and reflecting
Just like when reading a passage and we zone out or do not follow the author’s intent, we reread and then check our comprehension again. Students who relate what they are learning to previous lessons and ask questions about the material are more engaged and will deepen their understanding. Can they teach the lesson to a younger sibling?
Predict test questions
Act like the teacher and predict the questions you think will be on the test. Teachers have subtle and not so subtle ways of emphasizing what is important during class. If they write it on the board, repeat information or include it in power point, it is important. If they say, “This will be on the test,” then study that material! Write test questions they think will be on the test and then practice answering them.
Silence isn’t golden
Not all students need absolute silence to study. Learn what works for your child. Some students do well with soft music playing in the background (Bach not Black Sabbath), while others prefer working in a public setting such as a library or coffee shop. A study revealed that switching up locations can be effective too. You do not always need to be locked in your room in complete silence.
Study actively
The Learning Center at The University of North Carolina recommends many study strategies that employ active techniques. Among them are creating a student made study guide; saying the information aloud; drawing concept maps or diagrams that explain the material; and make examples that connect the content to your own life. And don’t forget to plan your study sessions. Use a daily planner to map out when you will study leading up to the test.
A final word
If there is a mantra or central theme that you should take away from this article it is Reading is not Studying. Absent of other strategies, that is just what most students do. Look over their notes; read the study guide; glance at the textbook. In most cases, this does not work, and the resulting low grades are the proof. The good news is that there are a slew of highly effective test preparation strategies available to anyone willing to learn.
If your child struggles to consistently perform well on tests, please contact Jennifer Disch at Engage the Brain to discuss how a Learning Specialist may be able to help your child build a toolbox full of highly effective test preparation strategies.