Monday, May 7, 2012


Classroom Questions

Amy C. Brualdi,
ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation

In 1912, Stevens stated that approximately eighty percent of a teacher's school day was spent asking questions to students. More contemporary research on teacher questioning behaviors and patterns indicate that this has not changed. Teachers today ask between 300-400 questions each day (Leven and Long, 1981).

Teachers ask questions for several reasons (from Morgan and Saxton, 1991):

  • the act of asking questions helps teachers keep students actively involved in lessons;
  • while answering questions, students have the opportunity to openly express their ideas and thoughts;
  • questioning students enables other students to hear different explanations of the material by their peers;
  • asking questions helps teachers to pace their lessons and moderate student behavior; and
  • questioning students helps teachers to evaluate student learning and revise their lessons as necessary.

As one may deduce, questioning is one of the most popular modes of teaching. For thousands of years, teachers have known that it is possible to transfer factual knowledge and conceptual understanding through the process of asking questions. Unfortunately, although the act of asking questions has the potential to greatly facilitate the learning process, it also has the capacity to turn a child off to learning if done incorrectly. The purpose of this digest is to provide teachers with information on what types of question and questioning behaviors can facilitate the learning process as well as what types of questions are ineffective.

What is a Good Question?

In order to teach well, it is widely believed that one must be able to question well. Asking good questions fosters interaction between the teacher and his/her students. Rosenshine (1971) found that large amounts of student-teacher interaction promotes student achievement. Thus, one can surmise that good questions fosters student understanding. However, it is important to know that not all questions achieve this.

Teachers spend most of their time asking low-level cognitive questions (Wilen, 1991). These questions concentrate on factual information that can be memorized (ex. What year did the Civil War begin? or Who wrote Great Expectations?). It is widely believed that this type of question can limit students by not helping them to acquire a deep, elaborate understanding of the subject matter.

High-level-cognitive questions can be defined as questions that requires students to use higher order thinking or reasoning skills. By using these skills, students do not remember only factual knowledge. Instead, they use their knowledge to problem solve, to analyze, and to evaluate. It is popularly believed that this type of question reveals the most about whether or not a student has truly grasped a concept. This is because a student needs to have a deep understanding of the topic in order to answer this type of question. Teachers do not use high-level-cognitive questions with the same amount of frequency as they do with low-level-cognitive questions. Ellis (1993) claims that many teachers do rely on low-level cognitive questions in order to avoid a slow-paced lesson, keep the attention of the students, and maintain control of the classroom.

Arends (1994) argues that many of the findings concerning the effects of using lower-level-cognitive versus higher-level-cognitive questions has been inconclusive. While some studies and popular belief favor asking high-level-cognitive, other studies reveal the positive effects of asking low-level cognitive questions. Gall (1984), for example, cited that "emphasis on fact questions is more effective for promoting young disadvantaged children's achievement, which primarily involves mastery of basic skills; and emphasis on higher cognitive questions is more effective for students of average and high ability. . ." (p. 41). Nevertheless, other studies do not reveal any difference in achievement between students whose teachers use mostly high level questions and those whose teachers ask mainly low level questions (Arends, 1994; Wilen, 1991). Therefore, although teachers should ask a combination of low-level-cognitive and high-level-cognitive questions, they must determine the needs of their students in order to know which sort of balance between the two types of questions needs to be made in order to foster student understanding and achievement.

How to ask questions that foster student achievement

In a research review on questioning techniques, Wilen and Clegg (1986) suggest teachers employ the following research supported practices to foster higher student achievement:

  • phrase questions clearly;
  • ask questions of primarily an academic nature
  • allow three to five seconds of wait time after asking a question before requesting a student's response, particularly when high-cognitive level questions are asked;
  • encourage students to respond in some way to each question asked;
  • balance responses from volunteering and nonvolunteering students;
  • elicit a high percentage of correct responses from students and assist with incorrect responses;
  • probe students' responses to have them clarify ideas, support a point of view, or extend their thinking;
  • acknowledge correct responses from students and use praise specifically and discriminately. (p. 23)
  •  

What is a Bad Question?

When children are hesitant to admit that they do not understand a concept, teachers often try to encourage them to ask questions by assuring them that their questions will neither be stupid or bad. Teachers frequently say that all questions have some merit and can contribute to the collective understanding of the class. However, the same theory does not apply to teachers. The content of the questions and the manner in which teachers ask them determines whether or not they are effective. Some mistakes that teachers make during the question and answer process include the following: asking vague questions (ex. What did you think of the story that we just read?), asking trick questions, and asking questions that may be too abstract for children of their age (ex. asking a kindergarten class the following question: How can it be 1:00 P.M. in Connecticut but 6:00 P.M. in the United Kingdom at the same moment?)

When questions such as those mentioned are asked, students will usually not know how to respond and may answer the questions incorrectly. Thus, their feelings of failure may cause them to be more hesitant to participate in class (Chuska, 1995), evoke some negative attitudes towards learning, and hinder the creation of a supportive classroom environment.

Conclusion

Sanders (1966) stated, "Good questions recognize the wide possibilities of thought and are built around varying forms of thinking. Good questions are directed toward learning and evaluative thinking rather than determining what has been learned in a narrow sense" (p. ix). With this in mind, teachers must be sure that they have a clear purpose for their questions rather than just determining what knowledge is known. This type of question planning results in designing questions that can expand student's knowledge and encourage them to think creatively.


HomeWork Policy


Philosophy:


The foundation of the High Schools That Work (HSTW) philosophy is based upon the belief that improving the rigor and relevance of the curriculum and improving relationships will increase student achievement and promote citizenship. In order to achieve these goals, Lancaster High School is requiring homework across the curriculum.

Homework is defined as any assignment that is completed during non-classroom time. These assignments should introduce, reinforce, extend and/or enrich class work.

Homework is a necessary extension of the school day and an important part of a student’s educational experience. Homework encourages self-discipline, positive self-esteem and an interest in learning. Homework also promotes the Lancaster High School-Home- Community relationship, as parents, teachers and community supporters are involved with students in completing assignments.

Purpose:




1. Strengthen skills already taught.
2. Extend learning time.
3. Provide enrichment opportunities.
4. Promote creativity, responsibility, and independence.
5. Develop good work and study habits.
Listen to this video please :)






Types of Homework:




1. Preparation homework – given to prepare students for upcoming lessons.
2. Practice – given to reinforce lessons already taught.
3. Enrichment – given to provide challenging learning opportunities for extension and enrichment of the lesson.

Parent(s)’/Guardian(s)’ Responsibilities:




1. Provide a suitable study atmosphere that is quiet, well lighted and periodically supervised.
2. Emphasize the value and importance of homework.
3. Support the school in its efforts to emphasize the importance of homework.
4. Encourage and praise students as they complete homework assignments.
5. Expect daily assignments and check to make sure that students are completing them.
6. Insist on adherence to deadlines. (Review progress on long-term assignments).
7. Show interest in the homework but do not do the work for the students.
8. Maintain the home/school connection via calls, emails and conferences.
9. Encourage reading for pleasure as well as above and beyond regular homework assignments.

Students’ Responsibilities:


1. Complete homework assignments to the best of their ability. Assignments should be neat and on time.
2. Request help with homework if needed.



Teachers’ Responsibilities:


1. Assign a minimum of one homework assessment per week (minimum of four homework grades per grading period) with feedback given to students. (Assignments can be graded for accuracy and/or effort)
2. Return homework to students in a timely manner.
3. Do not assign homework as “punishment”.



Expected Time Ranges:


1. Expect one-half hour (30 minutes) of homework per class each night. This is not meant to be a minimum or maximum. Individual students will need varying amounts of time to complete assignments.
2. Assign a minimum of two assignments/projects per semester in which students are required to do research, presentations and/or writing. These assignments should be graded and included in the overall average that the student receives for that class grade.


*Assignments are dictated by IEP requirements

. http://lhs.lancasterscschools.org/www/lcsdschools_lhs/site/hosting/Parents/HW%20Policy.pdf

Five Steps to Using Your Textbook to Build a More Dynamic Conversation Class



Five Steps to Using Your Textbook to Build a More Dynamic Conversation Class
Stephen B. Ryan When students hear the words, "turn to page 15 in your textbook", they probably feel like it's going to be just another boring English lesson. This doesn't have to be true; however, if we use our textbooks as a tool for providing a way of making the students assume more responsibility, thus making the class more interactive.
With the recent emphasis on learner centered communicative methodology, a textbook can provide what is missing - specific language goals and reassurance for learners. A communicative methodology is more effective if there are specific mini-language goals set for students to accomplish. A textbook will usually provide these goals but is often not a motivational source for students. A communicative methodology, on the other hand, offers students motivational tasks but is also a "set of principles loosely bundled together" for no specific purpose other than speaking English (Van Lier 1988:72). I believe that students learn better if they understand what is expected of them and what or how much they can experiment with everyday tasks. Thus, a well textbook offers students classroom stability by letting them know what is going to be expected of them as well as integrating motivating communicative pair-work.
Here is a 5-step methodology which has been successfully used. In the proposed methodology, there is an attempt to simply describe an interactive way of teaching via a textbook where the teacher slowly relinquishes control by giving students more responsibility so when it comes time for the communicative task pair-work, learners are able to speak more accurately and confidently.
Step 1 - One Quick Question
As you take attendance, tell students that they must acknowledge their presence by asking one quick question based on the previous lesson as a review. So for example, if we were studying the conversation strategy of, "Have you ever....../ When did you last......." Students would begin the class practicing this one particular conversation tactic.
Example:
o S: Have you ever spoken English?
o T: Yes, I have.
Repetition is vital for these students particularly since they have the class 4 times a week for 40 to 45 minutes. Repetition does not have to be boring for students but can be made learner-centered.
Step 2 - Assigning New Partners Every Lesson
Next, after having completed the roll call and answering these student review questions, class is officially started by putting students randomly in pairs. You can do this by having each student choose from a stack of cards labeled 1A, 2A, 3A etc. and...1B, 2B, 3B etc. Thus, if a student's card reads 1A her partner is the 1B cardholder. If there are 20 students there will be 10 pairs. Students then pair off and sit facing each other.By randomly assigning students to a new partner every lesson, the class is more dynamic and perhaps more significantly, after a few weeks the class, as whole, becomes familiar with each other which builds a supportive, relaxed speaking atmosphere. Students also seem to really enjoy having the control to "choose" their partner by taking a card number.
Step 3 - Dialogue Practice
When students are seated facing each other in pairs, they listen to the example conversation in the textbook as a class and then practice saying or repeating problematic words for pronunciation. Now is the time to practice any problematic phrases or cultural concepts or for any pre-teaching of difficult structures.
Step 4 - Creating a Variation of the Dialogue.
Next, students are told they must change the conversation by substituting words in the dialogue.
Once students have decided which words to substitute, they are given about 10 minutes to memorize the dialogue depending on difficulty. After 10 minutes, student pairs are asked to "volunteer" to perform their conversation. I say "volunteer" because students are told that they do not have to do the conversation if they don't want to, but if they do "volunteer", each student will receive a "+" for the day. This way students receive a daily mark which gives an accurate record of their willingness to participate in addition to motivating them to try harder without direct teacher induced pressure. When students have finished "performing" their memorized mini-conversations, they are ready to move on to a related listening exercise.
Step 5 - Communicative Pair Work
Up to this point, students have been studying one kind of communicative strategy via a controlled conversation memorization and listening drills. Now they are adequately prepared to assume all responsibility by trying it by themselves via a pair-work communicative task. They now have the opportunity to speak freely in English but are also sufficiently empowered to do so. The teacher, by walking around evaluating each pair, can easily decide where problems reside and correct them or decide to follow up the pair-work with additional question-answer practice between student and teacher.
Conclusion
Students need more than just one kind of classroom methodology. They also benefit from a variety of classroom activities such as short classroom videos, oral presentations or computer lab days. These types of extra activities can be integrated within the week-to-week class curriculum and provide an additional motivational source from the usual routine.
Repeatedly using this 5 step methodology, the classroom becomes a place where students know what is expected of them while keeping the class interactive and interesting. The method can maintain student motivation and give students more confidence by slowly relinquishing teacher control while giving them more classroom responsibility. Finally, students are empowered to succeed and feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of each lesson.

Teaching Moments - Top 10 Ways to Motivate Your Student


Teaching Moments - Top 10 Ways to Motivate Your Student

As the new school year begins, parents play a pivotal role in their child’s success. Here are 10 tips for motivating your student from GoalSettingforStudents.com.

1. Stress "I’ll Make It Happen" words. Encourage your child to use positive, motivating words like yes, I can, and I will.
2. Minimize "Bummer Words." Avoid using negative or limiting language in discussions with your children. Some of the most common bummer words include no, can’t, won’t, never, maybe, and if.
3. Do the Basketball Shuffle with your child. Play the Basketball Shuffle to encourage independence and responsibility. Write "It’s in your court NOW" on a basketball, and place it in the kitchen or family room to emphasize how the entire family gets the school year off to a good start. Then "pass" the ball to your child to show how he or she is now responsible. Your child can "pass" it back when they need help. The basketball becomes a fun, visual and practical way to emphasize your child’s role in his or her education.
4. Thank You, Ben Franklin. Ben Franklin used the following process week after week for fifty-seven years and claimed it made him a better and happier man. Develop thirteen character traits you and your child want to work on together. Consider honesty, fairness, self-control, order, sincerity, responsibility, self-respect, and kindness to others. Each week select one character trait, and, as a family, work to improve this trait. Provide rewards to the family member who shows the most improvement. Continue the process until you complete all thirteen weeks of character traits.
5. Stress the Importance of Goal Setting. Sit down with your child and set goals for the school year. According to John Bishop, author of the workbook, Goal Setting for Students®, "Students will take more personal ownership for their education when they learn how to set and achieve goals and how to use these principles in the classroom. They will embrace your efforts to help them succeed."
6. Accountability is a Two-Way Street. Both parents and students need to be accountable for a child’s success in school. As adults, parents have to model responsible behavior for their children. Did you promise to volunteer at school, or help with the latest class project? Make sure you follow through.
7. Answer the "BIG" Question. At least three times per week have your child write down the following question, "Did I give my best effort to today’s activities?" and record their answer. If their answer is "yes," reward them. If their answer is "no," have them list two things they will do tomorrow to improve their effort. Writing this question on paper (instead of just discussing it) will imprint the words in their minds.
8. Help Them Manage Their Time. Have a family meeting to discuss the weekly schedule. At the beginning of the school year, it is easy to sign up for too many activities, events and committees. How many activities will each child participate in? When will you have dinner together as a family? When will homework be done? What chores are each family member responsible for and when will they be done? Create a family calendar in a centralized location to keep everyone aware of the day’s activities.
9. Make it easy to study. Create a study area that fits your child’s personality. Do they work best at a desk in a quiet area of their room? Or is the dining room table a better place to work? Does music distract them, or help them focus? Help your child determine the best way to study. Fill a tackle box with commonly used school supplies and keep it stocked. Prevent last-minute runs to the discount store by keeping poster board, extra notebooks, paper and other supplies on hand.
10. Define success—in your child’s eyes. Help your child define what success means to them. Bishop says, "Children need to know that success takes time; success takes planning and a strong desire; success takes setting and achieving goals; success involves helping others. Students need to know it’s their achievement, not ours."

With a few simple steps, parents can get their children off to a good start for the new school year.
Ever wonder how much your child could accomplish? Use The Goal Setting for Students® workbook by John Bishop to teach your child to set and achieve goals and become responsible for their own success.

Helping Slow Learners


Characteristics of slow learners:
1. Functions at ability but significantly below grade level.
2. Is prone to immature interpersonal relationships.
3. Has difficulty following multi-step directions.
4. Lives in the present and does not have long range goals.
5. Has few internal strategies (i.e. organizational skills, difficulty transferring, and generalizing information.)
6. Scores consistently low on achievement tests.
7. Works well with "hands-on" material (i.e. labs, manipulative, activities.)
8. Has a poor self-image.
9. Works on all tasks slowly.
10. Masters skills slowly; some skills may not be mastered at all.

Working with Slow Learners:
1. Reduce distractions by providing a quiet, private place to work.
2. Emphasize strengths. Use lots of praise and reinforcement frequently.
3. Make lessons short. Limit the working time and have several short work periods rather than one long one.
4. Add variety to the academic routine. Do active things and use educational games, puzzles, and other techniques as much as possible.
5. Work on material that is somewhat challenging but allows success. Work that is too hard or too easy is a turn-off.
6. Make learning fun and comfortable. Your positive attitude is very important.
7. Encourage your child to talk to you. Ask what he did in school. Ask what was the best part of his/her day. Ask questions about the TV shows he/she watches. Talk about what he/she has heard, done, and plans to do. Communicate with your students.
8. Go over his/her daily work to reinforce the learning. Slower learners need repetition.
9. Provide meaningful, concrete activities rather than abstract.
10. Give short specific directions and have your child repeat them back to you.
11. READ! Set an example by reading yourself. Read to your child and have your child read to you.
12. Work closely with the teacher to help strengthen academic areas that are weak in school.
13. Stress the importance of education.
14. Encourage your child to explore areas of interest to him/her. Career opportunities often come from these interests.
15. (Source: Material supplied by University of Central Florida, School Psychology/Counselor Education Programs--Dr. Carl Balado.)

Teacher to teacher, slow learner questions

Punctuation is everything

 

An English professor wrote these words

"A woman without her man is nothing"

on the chalkboard and asked his students to punctuate it correctly.

All of the males in the class wrote: "A woman, without her man, is nothing."
All the females in the class wrote: "A woman: without her, man is nothing."

Message for Students

 





  1. Parents and teachers want you to succeed, but you have to help them!


  2. Teachers are educating you on science, math or English, and they are doing much more. In collaboration with your parents, they are teaching you about life, how to get along with others, how to communicate effectively, how to take responsibility, how to handle stress, and how to believe in yourself.


  3. Successful people know it is important to help others.
The Goal Setting for Students® book teaches students

Five Steps to Using Your Textbook to Build a More Dynamic Conversation Class



When students hear the words, "turn to page 15 in your textbook", they probably feel like it's going to be just another boring English lesson. This doesn't have to be true; however, if we use our textbooks as a tool for providing a way of making the students assume more responsibility, thus making the class more interactive.
With the recent emphasis on learner centered communicative methodology, a textbook can provide what is missing - specific language goals and reassurance for learners. A communicative methodology is more effective if there are specific mini-language goals set for students to accomplish. A textbook will usually provide these goals but is often not a motivational source for students. A communicative methodology, on the other hand, offers students motivational tasks but is also a "set of principles loosely bundled together" for no specific purpose other than speaking English (Van Lier 1988:72). I believe that students learn better if they understand what is expected of them and what or how much they can experiment with everyday tasks. Thus, a well textbook offers students classroom stability by letting them know what is going to be expected of them as well as integrating motivating communicative pair-work.
Here is a 5-step methodology which has been successfully used. In the proposed methodology, there is an attempt to simply describe an interactive way of teaching via a textbook where the teacher slowly relinquishes control by giving students more responsibility so when it comes time for the communicative task pair-work, learners are able to speak more accurately and confidently.

Step 1 - One Quick QuestionAs you take attendance, tell students that they must acknowledge their presence by asking one quick question based on the previous lesson as a review. So for example, if we were studying the conversation strategy of, "Have you ever....../ When did you last......." Students would begin the class practicing this one particular conversation tactic.
Example:
o S: Have you ever spoken English?
o T: Yes, I have.
Repetition is vital for these students particularly since they have the class 4 times a week for 40 to 45 minutes. Repetition does not have to be boring for students but can be made learner-centered.

Step 2 - Assigning New Partners Every Lesson
Next, after having completed the roll call and answering these student review questions, class is officially started by putting students randomly in pairs. You can do this by having each student choose from a stack of cards labeled 1A, 2A, 3A etc. and...1B, 2B, 3B etc. Thus, if a student's card reads 1A her partner is the 1B cardholder. If there are 20 students there will be 10 pairs. Students then pair off and sit facing each other.By randomly assigning students to a new partner every lesson, the class is more dynamic and perhaps more significantly, after a few weeks the class, as whole, becomes familiar with each other which builds a supportive, relaxed speaking atmosphere. Students also seem to really enjoy having the control to "choose" their partner by taking a card number.

Step 3 - Dialogue PracticeWhen students are seated facing each other in pairs, they listen to the example conversation in the textbook as a class and then practice saying or repeating problematic words for pronunciation. Now is the time to practice any problematic phrases or cultural concepts or for any pre-teaching of difficult structures.

Step 4 - Creating a Variation of the Dialogue.Next, students are told they must change the conversation by substituting words in the dialogue.
Once students have decided which words to substitute, they are given about 10 minutes to memorize the dialogue depending on difficulty. After 10 minutes, student pairs are asked to "volunteer" to perform their conversation. I say "volunteer" because students are told that they do not have to do the conversation if they don't want to, but if they do "volunteer", each student will receive a "+" for the day. This way students receive a daily mark which gives an accurate record of their willingness to participate in addition to motivating them to try harder without direct teacher induced pressure. When students have finished "performing" their memorized mini-conversations, they are ready to move on to a related listening exercise.

Step 5 - Communicative Pair WorkUp to this point, students have been studying one kind of communicative strategy via a controlled conversation memorization and listening drills. Now they are adequately prepared to assume all responsibility by trying it by themselves via a pair-work communicative task. They now have the opportunity to speak freely in English but are also sufficiently empowered to do so. The teacher, by walking around evaluating each pair, can easily decide where problems reside and correct them or decide to follow up the pair-work with additional question-answer practice between student and teacher.
Conclusion
Students need more than just one kind of classroom methodology. They also benefit from a variety of classroom activities such as short classroom videos, oral presentations or computer lab days. These types of extra activities can be integrated within the week-to-week class curriculum and provide an additional motivational source from the usual routine.
Repeatedly using this 5 step methodology, the classroom becomes a place where students know what is expected of them while keeping the class interactive and interesting. The method can maintain student motivation and give students more confidence by slowly relinquishing teacher control while giving them more classroom responsibility. Finally, students are empowered to succeed and feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of each lesson.
By Stephen B. Ryan

Learning styles

 





Kinesthetic Style: Being a kinesthetic learner, learns best through physical movement. Total Physical Response (TPR) activities, in which the children respond physically to the teacher's commands, are most appropriate for children .TPR include forming ABC shapes with the body, actions like running, jumping, or touching things the teacher calls out. Songs with movement such as 'Hokey Pokey' and 'Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes' can also be considered TPR.
Personality: Overly energetic, Hiroki is the kind of student who just won't sit still. He's always happy, smiling, laughing, playing with the other children, climbing under the table, and making funny noises!

Visual Style: learns best from illustrations and text. She's at her best chorusing vocabulary from flashcards and playing games such as Quick Flash and Slow Peek with the picture cards. She also loves the textbook and has started to recognize written words.
Personality: The smart kid learns quicker than the other children in her class. She's always the first to answer questions, and usually wins all the games - to the frustration of the other kids! However, Naoko gets annoyed easily, particulary with Hiroki, and she often complains about him, hoping the teacher will punish him. She also likes to point out everyone's mistakes, making them feel stupid.

Auditory Style: learns through songs, chants and story-telling. Although she doesn't always dance to the songs, she sings along and even sings when there's no music playing! She picks up on repetitive English quickly - particularly if it's chanted. For example, "Do you like apples? Yes, I do. Yes, I do. Yummy, Yummy, Yummy. No, I don't, No, I don't. Yuck!"
Personality: Quiet and shy. Every class has a quiet kid and fits the bill. She does answer questions with some pressing, but her voice is so quiet you can barely hear her over the other children. She's sometimes reluctant to join in TPR activities and takes forever to complete any writing or drawing exercise. She's a lovely girl though - no trouble whatsoever... except when she cries, she just sits their with tears streaming down her face, usually caused by the other children picking on her or being too physical around her.

Tactile Style: learns best by touching things, preferably objects as opposed to flashcards. Give them some plastic food, blocks, or even crayons and he's away!
Personality: Generally happy but easily upset. While she'll laugh and copy she is often picked on. Taichi is a bit slow, and his English is the lowest level in the class. She quickly forgets vocabulary taught through flashcards, and struggles with using crayons. Taichi also gets upset easily. Maybe she has a blue chair but wants a green one, or perhaps the air conditioning is too cold for her. There's always something troubling her.

Those are some examples of students. NOW!!! Measure them to your students :)

Study Strategies for our dear students

 




Many school students face the challenge of learning how to study. Unlike reading for pleasure, studying is a deliberate learning activity that requires students to acquire, process, organize, and remember new information.
Teachers can show students how to "study by doing." This means learning how to study as active learners—discussing ideas with classmates, reformulating information on graphic organizers, and predicting essay questions.
Students who are actively engaged in studying are more likely to be engaged in their learning, retain information they learn, and apply their knowledge to other areas.
"To study is not easy, Because to study is to create and re-create and not to repeat what others say."Freire & Macado, 1987, p. 77
Many students need direct instruction from their teachers to develop active study:1. Teachers can help students develop strategies by being explicit about what a strategy involves and offering a rationale for why and how the strategy works.
2. In addition, teachers can model study strategies while simultaneously explaining what they are doing.
3. Teachers should guide students to practice and apply strategies to authentic tasks.
4. Feedback from and debriefing with peers or the teacher help students identify what is working and what needs to be strengthened.
Listening:Improving students' ability to listen is a good first step for cultivating strong study strategies.
These techniques encourage students to become active listeners by having them evaluate what they hear and interact with the speaker.
TQLR Listening Process:TQLR (Tune in, Question, Listen, Review) can help students improve their listening skills—whether they are listening to a lecture, story, or conversation.
The four steps of TQLR are:
1. Tune in: Have students prepare by tuning their mind to what they are about to hear.

2. Question: Ask students to formulate questions on what to listen for. "Who, what, when, and where" are good questions to start with.

3. Listen: Encourage students to think while they listen.

4. Review: Have students review what they heard, answer questions, and consider areas that were not clear.
Taking Notes :Both teachers and researchers have observed the need to provide students with direct instruction for taking notes—extracting relevant information and recording that information in useful ways. The most effective instruction provides students with an explanation of the importance of note-taking and is sustained over a significant period of time.

Two Column Note-Taking System:Also called the "PUNS," "Cornell," or "Pauk" method. PUNS, a research-based note-taking system, encourages students to review their notes immediately after a lesson and pull out key words from them.

The steps are:
1. Record—Ask students to record notes on the right side of a sheet of loose-leaf paper, leaving a 3-inch margin on the left. Outlines can help students identify main topics. Have students leave space where they need more information.
2. Organize—Soon after the lecture, students should summarize the text by writing key words inside the left margin. Students should also add any information they missed during the lecture.
3. Study—Students should review their notes by reciting information they know and looking at the key words. Students can also use key words to create study questions.
Using Think-Aloud :The purpose of a think-aloud is to capture the student's thinking about the text during the reading process. The teacher selects a piece of text to model the strategy to the students. While reading the text aloud, the teacher asks herself questions such as, "Why did this author say that? Maybe if I keep reading I will find out." .
Remembering:Developing effective strategies for memorizing can help students tremendously throughout the course of their studies.
Using Graphic Organizers :Graphic organizers are excellent tools for helping students connect ideas and see relationships between different pieces of information. The goal is for students to expand their knowledge by understanding the material in their own way. Graphic organizers can be used for a variety of purposes, such as eliciting prior knowledge, demonstrating a sequence of events, and comparing and contrasting.