It's hard to believe that testing is here. Tomorrow Texas students begin their first round of testing. My 7th graders will be taking the Writing TAKS, which includes writing a composition and finding grammar errors in selected pieces of literature. Besides putting in their best efforts, I'm hoping that they'll remember to do a few more things:
1. go to bed 1/2 hour early.
2. eat a healthy breakfast.
3. drink plenty of water (a dehydrated brain doesn't function properly).
4. do all the easy questions first.
5. do all the difficult questions last.
6. do their best on each question, as if it is the only question on the test.
I wish you all the best!
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Hello, Denver!
Here we are in Denver, Colorado. It's a beautiful city with old and new architecture and a wonderful view of the mountains. Mom and I toured the city on foot and were pleasantly surprised by the pedestrian-friendly planning.
Have you ever been made aware of an upcoming test and your first thought is something like - "Great! I have a week before I have to start studying."? Well, what you just did was decide that instead of making it easy and pain-free, you're going to stress yourself out and bring on misery. Not a good plan. Look at it this way, if you were an athlete, would you wait until the night before a competition to practice? Of course not.
So here's a tip to get yourself ready for your test:
Every day, from the time you find out about your test until the night before, tell your parents 3 cool things you learned, 3 useless things you learned, 3 important things you learned, or 3 pieces of trivia about what you learned. What happens while you're doing this is that 1. your brain is recalling information, 2. you're providing details, 3. you're finding out what you don't know and still need to study, and 4. you naturally begin to question and wonder about what you're saying. All of this is studying, and it doesn't take up much time or cause you too much pain.
Remember, knowledge is one thing no one can take away from you.
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach.com
@gmail.com
Have you ever been made aware of an upcoming test and your first thought is something like - "Great! I have a week before I have to start studying."? Well, what you just did was decide that instead of making it easy and pain-free, you're going to stress yourself out and bring on misery. Not a good plan. Look at it this way, if you were an athlete, would you wait until the night before a competition to practice? Of course not.
So here's a tip to get yourself ready for your test:
Every day, from the time you find out about your test until the night before, tell your parents 3 cool things you learned, 3 useless things you learned, 3 important things you learned, or 3 pieces of trivia about what you learned. What happens while you're doing this is that 1. your brain is recalling information, 2. you're providing details, 3. you're finding out what you don't know and still need to study, and 4. you naturally begin to question and wonder about what you're saying. All of this is studying, and it doesn't take up much time or cause you too much pain.
Remember, knowledge is one thing no one can take away from you.
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach.com
@gmail.com
Saturday, January 16, 2010
The Exams are coming! What do I do?
I hope that you all have found your return to school a potitive one. It took me a good week to adjust to waking up early and staying focused all day long. But now I'm back in the swing of things and thinking about the state exams that begin in February, in Texas at least.
It's never too early to begin studying for the exams. Many schools have already begun their after school tutoring programs, and if you're like me, you will need the extra help in at least one area--but don't fret! It's all good.
There are many easy things you can do to prepare yourself and take advantage of the time you have left. Here's one:
Always, always, ALWAYS let your teacher know when you don't understand something. Yeah, it can make you feel dumb when it seems like everyone else knows what she's talking about or when classmates start laughing or making comments, but I guarantee you, you have at least 3 of those classmates who are as confused as you are.
Check back for another tip!
If you need effective, interesting study strategies, ask me about my book - The Study Coach's Easy Study Manual!
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach.com
@gmail.com
It's never too early to begin studying for the exams. Many schools have already begun their after school tutoring programs, and if you're like me, you will need the extra help in at least one area--but don't fret! It's all good.
There are many easy things you can do to prepare yourself and take advantage of the time you have left. Here's one:
Always, always, ALWAYS let your teacher know when you don't understand something. Yeah, it can make you feel dumb when it seems like everyone else knows what she's talking about or when classmates start laughing or making comments, but I guarantee you, you have at least 3 of those classmates who are as confused as you are.
Check back for another tip!
If you need effective, interesting study strategies, ask me about my book - The Study Coach's Easy Study Manual!
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach.com
@gmail.com
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Mind Games
For the next few weeks, many students are on vacation. They will be watching TV and movies, playing video games, listening to their mp3s and spending a lot of time online. With all of the relaxation that is bound to occur, their minds are going to get out of the practice of thinking. Like typical students on break, they will take every available minute to veg out, which can make the return to classes in January a bit hairy.
Being connected to something electronic is not the only way to relax. Why not try some of the activities listed below:
crosswords
word searches
sudoku
puzzles
crafts
cards
reading
board games
All of these activities are relaxing yet keep the mind moving. If students veg out for too long, all the hard-earned knowledge gained the first semester will start to dwindle away. To keep it fresh and make the transition back to class in January less stressful, it's important to keep the mind moving.
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach.com
@gmail.com
Being connected to something electronic is not the only way to relax. Why not try some of the activities listed below:
crosswords
word searches
sudoku
puzzles
crafts
cards
reading
board games
All of these activities are relaxing yet keep the mind moving. If students veg out for too long, all the hard-earned knowledge gained the first semester will start to dwindle away. To keep it fresh and make the transition back to class in January less stressful, it's important to keep the mind moving.
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach.com
@gmail.com
Sunday, December 13, 2009
We're Going to Denver!
Hello, Everyone!
The Study Coach's Easy Study Manual is ready for print! Its debut will be February 4, 2010, in Denver, Colorado, at the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) annual national conference. I will be presenting the activities in the book to educators from all over the country. If you see me there, please stop me to say hello.
In the mean time, continue with your studying and keep contacting me with your questions.
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach.com
@gmail.com
The Study Coach's Easy Study Manual is ready for print! Its debut will be February 4, 2010, in Denver, Colorado, at the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) annual national conference. I will be presenting the activities in the book to educators from all over the country. If you see me there, please stop me to say hello.
In the mean time, continue with your studying and keep contacting me with your questions.
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach.com
@gmail.com
Monday, December 7, 2009
WELCOME!
Welcome to Lora the Study Coach blog! The purpose of this blog is to help those of you who need to learn but have a hard time doing so. Readers can write in to request study methods for themselves, their children, their students—whomever!
As a high school student, my Bs didn’t come naturally. They took a lot of effort and time to earn. What kept me from failing, what made me successful, was my ability to discover HOW I learned. There are so many of you out there, reading this blog right now, who are struggling with your studies, who are tired of studying so hard with few rewards, who have given up studying because your past efforts have been fruitless.
Well, I’m here for YOU! I know that you’re smart and capable of earning better grades—you just haven’t found the methods that are right for you. I won’t make any promises, but I will tell you that a little of the right effort every day will yield good results and take you where you want to be.
With that said, I invite you to tell me your study needs and woes, and together we’ll work on getting the results you want. What the heck—it’s free and it can’t hurt!
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach.com
@gmail.com
As a high school student, my Bs didn’t come naturally. They took a lot of effort and time to earn. What kept me from failing, what made me successful, was my ability to discover HOW I learned. There are so many of you out there, reading this blog right now, who are struggling with your studies, who are tired of studying so hard with few rewards, who have given up studying because your past efforts have been fruitless.
Well, I’m here for YOU! I know that you’re smart and capable of earning better grades—you just haven’t found the methods that are right for you. I won’t make any promises, but I will tell you that a little of the right effort every day will yield good results and take you where you want to be.
With that said, I invite you to tell me your study needs and woes, and together we’ll work on getting the results you want. What the heck—it’s free and it can’t hurt!
Signed,
Lora the Study Coach.com
@gmail.com
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