Study Skills Archives - Page 2 of 5

9 May,2016

How to Memorize SAT Vocabulary and Words

Memorize SAT Vocabulary and Words

It’s important that we expand our SAT vocabulary or use of words, but it’s also essential that we understand the terms as well. A huge factor in scoring well on the SATs is having good vocabulary, knowing the definition and applying the words properly.

The key to learning and how to memorize SAT vocabulary and words is learning to think in pictures. What you’re always going to want to do is to take the word you’re trying to remember and then take the definition of that word and create a picture for both and see those pictures together in one big picture. Below are some constructive ways on how to memorize SAT vocabulary and words.

Here are a few examples of this concept:

Memorize SAT vocabulary and words

Here is a way to help you memorize SAT vocabulary and words. Let’s say the vocabulary word you have to remember is Neophyte, which means beginner. So we take the word neophyte, and we turn that in to a picture. The picture I created is two boxers on their knees and their fighting, “knee fight” for neophyte. The definition for this term is beginner, so we need to turn the word beginner in to a picture and for that, I see a bunch of bumble bees buzzing around and they’re drinking gin.

So now we combine the two pictures together and we see the boxers on their knees fighting each other and the audience surrounding them, are the bees drinking gin. So that is how you would memorize neophyte, as beginner. (Knees fighting= Neophyte) (Bees drinking gin=begin) I chose to memorize the term based on these pictures by using word play, but you can use any picture that is helpful to you. It’s important that you choose a visual that triggers you to memorize that SAT vocabulary and/or word.

Here’s another example:

Memorize SAT Vocabulary and Words

The vocabulary word is consternation, which means anxiety or dismay. Again, create a picture for consternation and another picture for the definition and attach the pictures together. For consternation, picture a convict sitting on the stern of a boat and he is sailing to a new nation. You would take the word consternation and break it down by syllables, Con-stern-nation. Con(convict) on a stern (stern) sailing to a new nation (nation). Now we take the definition of the word, and create a picture for that. Picture the convict and he is overcome with anxiety or dismay as he goes to the new nation. Hence, consternation. Memorizing SAT vocabulary and words can be extremely easy, by connecting a picture of the vocabulary word to a picture of the definition of the word.

Breaking down the word by syllables is an easy way to create a bigger picture and then attaching an emotion to the picture is another way to help you remember vocabulary and words and the definition of the term.

Another example is:

Memorize SAT Vocabulary and words

Using the vocabulary word spurious, which means “possible but probably false.” So we take the word spurious and turn that in to a picture. The visual I am going to use is a spur on a cowboy boot, because I’m from Texas. So now I picture a spur on a cowboy boot for the term spurious. Then I create a picture for things I think are possible but probably false. I picked the Loch Ness Monster or Big Foot. Both are possible, but probably false.

Then I picture the spur from the boot and I attach it to the Loch Ness Monster, maybe it’s flying around the Loch Ness Monster or maybe Big Foot is wearing the cowboy boots. Now attach the word spurious to Loch Ness and Big Foot and you combine them together, so whenever the next time you see the word spurious, you think of spur and that is attached to things that are possible but probably false. Learning to memorize vocabulary and words can be exciting if you use your imagination.

Let’s say the next vocabulary word is ephemeral (uh-fem-mer-roll). The term ephemeral means “short-lived.”

memorize SAT vocabulary and words

Turn the vocabulary word ephemeral in to an action picture. The picture I see, is a female and she’s rolling, so the picture is a female rolling (ephemeral=a female rolling) but she doesn’t roll for a long time and it is “short-lived.” Short lived is the definition of ephemeral.

So if you review these SAT vocabulary and words, you’ll visualize these things and remember what they mean.

This is an easy concept to understand and follow. It will help you remember your SAT vocabulary words but also help to memorize the definition of the term. This helpful tip will be beneficial to you and your study habits. This concept can be applied to almost any thing in your daily life.

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For more tips on how to memorize SAT vocabulary and words click the link below:

http://www.wikihow.com/Memorize-Vocabulary

6 May,2016

How to Memorize your notes

Memorize Your Notes

How to Memorize Your Notes

We are constantly taking notes to help us remember important material, but once we’ve taken those notes, does it mean we’ve really processed the information? Sometimes we find ourselves struggling to remember what was in our notes. Often times we even forget what our notes were.

Here are some easy tips on how to memorize your notes:

Take good notes

Memorize your notes

Take notes like you don’t have a memory system. Be engaged and pay attention in class. Taking thorough and detailed notes can help you to remember your material better. What would be the point of taking notes that are not helpful to you? There have been times we have all tried to just jot down the major points, but when reviewing over the notes, didn’t remember what the major points were.

Do not write everything down, word-for-word, not only is that impossible and stressful, it’s completely unnecessary. However, do make notes within your notes about the main topics. By adding side notes or parentheses, you are breaking down, in detail, the main topic, for your benefit.

Highlighters or Colored Pens

Memorize your notes

Organize your notes by corresponding different colors to different topics or subjects. For example: Assigning the color red to Math, the color blue to Language Arts and the color Green to Science and so forth, will help you to mentally comprehend the material better.

You can divide the colors by the subject or by the different points in one subject. By doing this, you are programming your mind to visualize the words in colors and connecting those colors to the different points.

Ask Questions and Be Engaged

How to memorize your notes

By asking questions and engaging in the learning material, you will also improve your understanding. This is a technique that can be applied even outside of the classroom. The best person to ask is the person teaching you the material. You can hear first hand from the expert himself on everything you would need to know to draw in the information.

It’s essential to you to comprehend what you are learning. By connecting with the teacher, you are granting yourself the knowledge you need to proceed.

Talk to People in Class About the Material

Memorize your notes

Communication is one of the most significant and powerful traits to have in any setting.

For example: When taking a Jujitsu class, you can talk to other classmates about the lesson. You can ask the instructor questions. You can engage with everyone to get better insight and a greater understanding.

Sometimes we view something only in our perspective, by engaging and asking others what they think and how they feel, we broaden our ideas and open up our minds to different view points. By expanding our point of view, not only are we able to see the entire picture, we are able to see many possibilities in different angles, which in turn, helps us to gain knowledge, in general.

Use the Mind Palace Memory Technique

Memorize your notes

This technique is unique in the sense that it turns your notes in to pictures. Humans are programmed to remember things more visually. This strategy has been a successful technique that has been around for 2,500 years and still applies to this day.

The Mind Palace Memory Technique is simply placing your material on to physical objects inside your home.

For example: Pretend you need to memorize the Presidents of the United States, for your History class; pick a room in your house, then pick out 5 pieces of furniture from that room. Lets say the first piece of furniture you picked was your door, and the first president of the United States is President Washington; you visualize a washing machine, because of “wash.” (washing=Washington) Place the vision of the washing machine on the door.

Then your next piece of furniture is a painting, so imagine a dam and the dam is your visual (a dam= Adam). Connect the visual to the second president and attach that visual to your second piece of furniture, which is a painting.

By doing this, when you take a test, you will visualize your room and the five objects you picked in that room and it will automatically trigger your mind to remember the material you have linked to the object. You’ll picture yourself entering that room and looking at the door and remember the washing machine and then it’ll click that number one is President Washington, then you’ll shift over and picture the painting and remember a dam and attach that to President Adam.

Your mind will work faster than your ability to read this entire method.

Having the capability to memorize your notes is a skill that you can apply to your profession as well. Being able to memorize your notes will tremendously enhance how you study and improve the way you process information.

Click the link below for more tips on how to memorize your notes:

http://www.wikihow.com/Memorize-Notes-for-a-Test

5 May,2016

How to Study Better- 10 Tips

Tips on How to Study Better

How to study better

Lets face it, studying is not fun, but it needs to be done. Here are 10 tips on how to study better:

Study 25-50 Minutes Then Take 10-15 Minute Breaks

Study for 25- 50 minutes then during your break, get your blood flowing, step outside and get fresh air or go for a walk, play with your dog, do jumping jacks or push-ups then go back and study for another 25-50 minutes and continue to repeat this pattern until you are finished studying. Taking these study breaks will help your brain process and store information better, which in turn will help you to study better.

how to study better, step 1

Get 6-8 Hours of Sleep After Learning Something

According to Dr. James B. Mass (Author of Sleep for Success) Getting 6-8 hours of sleep after learning something will help you to remember it better than if you had a poor night’s sleep. Sleeping is essential for your brain to function better and more quickly and properly. If you’re sleep deprived, take a 15-30 minute nap before you study, but no longer than 30 minutes. Sleeping more than 30 minutes can cause your body and brain to get thrown off and interrupt your sleeping pattern. Your sleeping routine can affect your study habits tremendously. Following a regular sleeping pattern will help you to study better.

How to study better

Take Notes in Class

To study better, it is important to take notes yourself, don’t copy from others. Copying someone else’s notes is not the same as taking them yourself in class. By taking notes in class, you’re engaging your brain and it will allow you to remember more of the information you’re taking in. Copying someone else’s notes is basically trying to understand their thought process without being present.

How to study Better

Clean Your Mind of All Distractions

Focus on the task at hand by clearing your mind, visualize things as you wish them to be, then focus on your studying. Clearing your mind helps you to shift your attention to your studies. To study better, you need to physically prepare your mind to open up to the learning material. Having a ton of distractions will cause your brain to juggle too many thoughts to process any one thing.

How to study better

Keyword Technique

Choose a word to get your focus back, if your mind drifts, say the keyword until you are refocused. Using this keyword technique helps trigger your mind, causing your brain to get back on track. For example, if you are studying about President Lincoln, the term Lincoln can be your trigger word. Repeat it to yourself, until you are focused again. This is a useful technique to keep you centered on your learning material.

How to study better

Learn The Most Important Ideas First

Recaps and bulleted notes are where you can find most of the important details in an article. These recaps and bulleted notes can usually be found at the beginning of the book as learning objectives or at the end of the book. Remember these ideas, then look for those details whenever you’re studying. Learning the most important things first, can help you to study better, by filtering out the unnecessary details.

How to study better

Familiarize Yourself with the Glossary

See if there is a list of term or glossary or definition at the end of the book, if so, familiarize yourself with the terms or even memorize them. It’ll give you a greater comprehension of the material that you’re studying. It is important to understand what you are learning. By understanding what you are learning, it can make studying the material much easier to follow.

How to study better

Chew Gum As You’re Studying

Chew gum while you are studying, then when you’re taking the test, chew that same flavor of gum during the test. Scientific studies have proven that, this trick will trigger your mind to remember what you were reading and studying, the last time you were chewing that gum. It’s your brain’s way of traveling to what is familiar.

This is similar to looking back at old pictures and remembering how you felt in each of those photos. Seeing those old photos triggers the same feeling you had when they were taken. Chewing the same flavor gum while studying and taking a test follows the same concept.

how to study better

Trick Your Brain into Thinking that What You’re Reading is a Plot to a Movie Script

Sometimes what we’re learning just isn’t that interesting and our minds can not grasp it because we do not have a sincere passion for the material. If you trick your mind to believe it’s a movie or TV show, it’ll excite your mind and help you to pay attention more.

How to study better

Use The Mind Palace Technique

This one is the favorite of all the tips, because it is so helpful with your memory skill as well. The first step is to stand in the front entry way of your home or classroom and pick out 5 important pieces of furniture in that room. Then take the information that you’re learning and visualize it around the classroom.

For example: Pretend you’re taking a Chemistry test and you need to remember the noble gases in the element chart. The first noble gas is Helium, so you take the helium and attach it to the first furniture you picked out. Say the first piece of furniture you picked was the chalkboard, so imagine some balloons all around that board. (Balloons=Helium) So whenever you look at the board, it triggers you to remember the term helium. Then the next noble gas is neon, and the next piece of furniture, you picked was the teacher’s desk. So pretend there’s neon lights wrapped around the teacher’s desk. By connecting these pieces of furniture with the elements in this way, your visual help is all around you. When you see the teacher’s desk, it will trigger the thought of neon. This technique was created to help you utilize your memory ability.

How to study Better

Knowing how to study better will not only save you time, it will help you improve academically, prevent frustration and help your comprehension skills. Using these 10 tips will make you feel more confident in your studies. By applying these study skills, you’ll also develop your own personal approach on how to study better. Study skills are transferable skills that you can take in to your professional life. Knowing how to study better is important to your overall ability.

Click below to read more tips on how to study better.

http://www.wikihow.com/Study

3 May,2016

Remember What You Read: 5 Easy Steps

Remember What You Read With 5 Easy Steps

remember what you read

Highlight/Underline Key Words

Don’t try to memorize what you read. Instead, to remember what you read, highlight, underline or take notes of what is important. Understanding and remembering what is important is essential in furthering your ability to process the information that you read.

For example, if you want to remember what you read about a biography of President Abraham Lincoln and you want to remember that he was born in Kentucky and then became the 16th President. “President Lincoln” and “Kentucky” and “16” would be your key words.

Key words are like bullet points, they are easy to remember and they’re crucial information you would need to know to remember and summarize what you’ve read.

Remember what you read, step 1.

2. Use the Mind Palace Technique

This technique works by creating a map in your head of rooms you’re already familiar with, such as your living room or bedroom. This technique requires you to pick five essential object/furniture in that room, such as a table, bed, TV, etc. and transforming these objects/furniture in to mental “files.”

These objects are your mind palace, which holds the data of the information that you have read in the book. This is a strategic technique used to help remember what you read.

remember what you read

3. Turn Whatever You Want to Remember in to a Picture

If you want to remember what you read about President Abraham Lincoln, you can think of a penny, because President Lincoln is on a penny. Then you want to remember that he was born in Kentucky, so you can think of a derby, and pretend that the penny is racing around the derby. Next you want to remember that he is the 16th president, so you picture a car, because 16 is when you can get a driver’s license.

See these pictures as an animated object, action or emotion. When you can relate your five senses in to an animated object, it will make how to remember what you read, much easier.

For example: When you smell a certain perfume, it triggers you to remember someone who used to wear that perfume. You’re linking the scent of the perfume to the person who wears it. The same concept applies when you link a picture to the object/furniture. The picture would be what is useful to help you remember the key word, linking it to the object/furniture you have chosen to help to trigger that memory.

remember what you read

4. Attach those Pictures to The Objects You Have Picked in Step Number 2.

Adding a visual memory to your object/furniture (refer to step number 2) will allow you to remember what you have read when you mentally visualize those objects.

For example: If the first object/furniture you picked using the Mind Palace Technique, was a table, imagine the penny (Lincoln) riding around in the derby (Kentucky) on the table. Then your second object was the refrigerator, so picture, the penny physically driving the car (16) to the refrigerator. You are attaching President Lincoln to the penny, the derby to the state of Kentucky and “filing” these two objects to the furniture you picked, which was the table.

When you mentally visualize yourself entering said room, upon seeing the table, you remember that President Lincoln is from Kentucky, then you shift your mental thought to the refrigerator and immediately picture the car and remember the number 16, triggering your mind to remember that President Lincoln was the 16th President.

These are the steps to the Mind Palace Technique, you’re using the furniture to store data in your mind palace to remember the details of what you’ve read.

On a computer, you save certain documents in to different files that you have labeled, then when you click on the file, it opens up everything inside that is saved under that file. This is the same idea when you are attaching the picture of the penny to the table. The table being the file and the penny being one of the documents saved under that file.

remember what you read

5. Creating a Mental File for Every 5 Points in Every Chapter

If you want to remember what you read per chapter, break the information in to 5 points in a chapter. Pick 5 objects/furniture in one room, attach the 5 points to that furniture and if you want to remember 10 points in a chapter, pick 5 more objects/furniture in a different room to remember 5 more points. If you want to remember 15 points in one chapter, create a third room and pick 5 objects/furniture from that room. You have now used 3 rooms to remember 15 points in that chapter.

You are segmenting the points by creating different rooms for them, in each chapter.

remember what you read

Using these steps will help you to remember all the details you’ve read. It is important to remember what you read, so you can refer back to the information in the future. Perhaps you need to remember what you read so you can perform better academically.

Remembering what you read is a beneficial skill that will save you time, help you to better understand the author of the book, the characters, if there are any and the content of what you are reading. Remembering what you read can and will enhance your vocabulary, as well as crystallize your ideas and trigger your creative imagination. These easy tips can be applied in almost every thing you read and allow you to grow intellectually.

Here’s another article on how to remember what you read:

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-remember-everything-you-read-2015-9

17 Jun,2015

Learn How to Study – Secrets of Honor Students

Learn how to study and improve grades

There really are ways to improve your study skills and study better.

This is my list of How to Study:

Study for 25-50 minutes and then take a 15-20 minute break. This is a great How to Study tip. When you take the break:
– Go for a walk
– Play with your dog
– Do some exercises
– Get some fresh air
– Get your blood flowing
Get 6-8 hours of sleep the night after you learn something. According to Dr. James Maas: If you get 6-8 hours of sleep the night after you learn something you will remember it better when you wake up. This is because in the 6-8 hour window of sleep your brain will reply what you learned the day before. (If you find yourself sleep deprived take a 15-30 minute nap, no more than 30 minutes before you study)
Take notes in class is such an important how to study tip. It is not as effective if you have someone else take the notes for you.
Clear your mind of all distractions. If there is something that is bothering you visualize the way you would like for it to be before you study to calm your brain and focus on how to study.
The Keyword technique. If you find your mind drifting when you are studying then focus on a keyword in the text and say it over and over until your brain is focused back on that lesson. For example, if you are reading about Lincoln say, ‘Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln,’ over and over until your brain is back on topic.
Learn the most important ideas first. The back of the book, end of each chapter or table of contents will often give you a great idea of the main points to look for when reading
Learn the list of terms in the glossary of any text you are studying
The craziest how to study tip may be to chew gum when you study. Then when you take the test chew the same flavor of gum as when you studied. This could act as an anchor to trigger your brain to think back to what you were studying and help you remember the information
Trick your brain into thinking you are reading something exciting like a movie script. If it is about the history of the United States a great how to study tip would be to pretend it is a script for a tv show or movie that you love.
Learn the Roman Room or Memory Palace techniques. This is my FAVORITE technique for studying. Here is a link for that http://memorise.org/memory-training/memory-mind-palace

27 Feb,2014

Modifying Teaching Style Improves Students’ Learning

All the research and advanced technology today that can scan the brain and it’s activities lead neuroscientists to be certain that the wrinkled cranium is divided into two hemispheres. The right hemisphere is supposed to be used for analytical thinking while the left hemisphere is attributed to creativity. Auditory/sequential learners use the right side of their brain as the most dominant, while Visual/spatial learners favor the left side. This does not necessarily mean that all visual/spatial learners are right handed, or vice-versa, although it could very be true.

Processing of our information relates to how we function in other areas of our lives. The question is – are our teachers structuring their lesson plans toward only one type of learning group while missing the advantages and potential of the other?

Teachers tend to teach concepts in a step-by-step fashion, and practice with repetition, review and timed drills. This type of lesson plan is perfect for the auditory/sequential learner, who usually gets good grades but has to work at memorizing and retaining what they learn. It does not address the visual/spatial learners, who find it hard to learn this way.

What is an Auditory/Sequential Learner?

The auditory/sequential learner is usually comfortable with just one right answer — and does not seek out alternatives. They are detail oriented, and learn how to memorize anything by repetition and step-by-step instructions. They are very aware of time, are influenced by language and what they hear, and analyze details, from simple to complex, and process this information by deduction.

Auditory/sequential students are early bloomers who follow directions well and pay attention to details. They learn to memorize anything by a series of steps or instructions by word. This type of student is well organized and likes a certain structure to life. They excel at memorizing vocabulary words or dates that are offered in a sequence. They also are better at seeing he details of a project as opposed to seeing the overall picture.

What is a Visual/Spatial Learner?

A visual/spatial learner takes in things all at once, seeing the big picture first, and then the details. They think in pictures instead of words. When they learn something they seem to retain it better. They usually have a remarkable ability to memorize a speech, or remembering names and faces.

These students are creatively gifted, usually late bloomers, and enjoy tasks that require more complex thinking — like mathematical equations, chess, constructing massive projects with Legos, and conducting science experiments. They also excel at music, art and drama — and are emotionally sensitive to others.

Visual/spatial thinkers usually are the brightest in the class, but not necessarily the best students. They are also the students most likely to drop out of school out of frustration, and often are classified as “underachievers,” and seen as struggling, or “at risk.” The self-esteem of these students gradually erodes until they drop out because they feel “dumb” for not getting it like the others in class.

A visual/spatial learner can not tell you step-by-step how they came up with the answer to a problem, and will probably not be able to show their work if that is required. Their brain processes information differently than what is normally taught in the classroom. Repetition or sequential drilling will not help them to learn or memorize. They come to their answer to complex questions by first creating a mental picture and relating it to something they already know. Complex tasks are easier than simple ones for a visual/spatial learner, and once they learn something it sticks in their head.

According to Dr. Linda Kreger Silverman, teacher and director of the Gifted Developmental Center (GDC), “We only have two hemispheres, and we are doing an excellent job teaching one of them. We need only become more aware of how to reach the other, and we will have happier students, learning more effectively.”

What is kinesthetic learning?

The other main area of learning is kinesthetically, which means using their body and emotions. Kinesthetic learners are approximately 5% of the population. They need to experience in order to learn, and use their body, emotions and senses to do so. They learn best from hands-on work. It’s all about moving, and you will find students that have been labeled as ADD or ADHD students often classified as kinesthetic learners. They have to keep moving, and are not able to sit for long periods of time to read or just listen. They have to keep busy.

Kinesthetic learners can often be found to be dyslexic. They are also known as do-ers, because the are better at doing activities than sitting and listening to explanations, lists and books.

Which style of learning is best?

It would be ideal if the student were able to cross-train their brain and use all styles of learning. Some students are a combination of all three learning styles, and often excel in more than one area. Neither style is all good or all bad, so a combination of learning techniques is best.

What can teachers do to improve study skills in each of these groups?

Observant teachers have found that very often the visual-spatial learners do the best on IQ and aptitude tests, and the worst. They can blow you away with their ability to visualize the answers rather than take the time to work out a problem. “They are system thinkers who can orchestrate large amounts of information from different domains, but they often miss the details,” says Silverman. By offering hands-on activities to students who are kinesthetic learners you can teach them to focus and calm them down.

Visual/spatial thinkers who have found that have a weakness in the auditory/sequential skills try to conform, but this causes a lot of stress on the student and their attention starts to drop along with their grades.

The auditory/sequential learners understand verbal instructions and step-by-step learning, which is the method most teachers’ use. They do not retain as much, and it takes them longer to understand this way.

For kinesthetic learners, allow them to flourish through writing, crafts, art or some use of physical expression.

Teacher able to identify individual learning styles, and modify how they teach accordingly to encompass all learning styles will be more successful in getting through to their students. If teachers do not learn to modify their teaching styles to encompass both groups some of the best and brightest students will continue to fall through the learning cracks. The above video is an excellent tutorial for teachers and parents, and I highly recommend you watch it.

About the author:

Ron White is a two-time U.S.A. Memory Champion and memory training expert. As a memory keynote speaker he travels the world to speak before large groups or small company seminars, demonstrating his memory skills and teaching others how to improve their memory, and how important a good memory is in all phases of your life. His CDs and memory products are also available online at BrainAthlete.com.

Source:

Hay House – Tapping Into Ultimate Success:

Dr Linda Kreger Silverman — Visual/Spatial Learners: http://www.gifteddevelopment.com/Visual_Spatial_Learner/vsl.htm

Lesley K Sword — Gifted and Creative Services, Australia: http://www.giftedservices.com.au

26 Feb,2014

Are You A Good Test Taker?

Are you one of those people who starts to sweat and hyperventilate just thinking about taking a test? Do you leave the testing room knowing you choked, and that you could have aced that test? You are not alone. Test taking anxiety is a real disorder, and millions of people experience it every time they prepare for a test. As a matter of fact, everyone undergoes some form of test anxiety, but some are more pronounced than others. The symptoms can range from sweaty palms to full blown panic attacks, and memory loss.

Why do some people react so violently to the idea of taking a test? To put it into one word — STRESS. The pressure could come from parents, bosses, or even the person putting pressure on him or her. The symptoms can come out physically, like through sweating or butterflies in the stomach. They also can come out mentally, and manifest themselves through headaches, memory loss or panic attacks.

What would cause such an extreme reaction to test taking? In a word, pressure, either put on by others (like parents) or whether the person puts it on themselves, performance anxiety or test anxiety, as the condition is called, is caused by stress and can come out in physical or mental symptoms — such as butterflies in the stomach, pounding heartbeat or headaches. When it gets to a point where you freeze up or zone out, then you have a problem!

Many children will come home from school with poor test scores, and when parents ask them why they say they don’t know, which angers the parent. Teachers tell parents the child is just not applying him or herself, and this makes the child even more stressed out because they know they understand the material. The child may be suffering from test anxiety.

I have a friend, Sally, who is an extremely smart woman. She once confided in me that she couldn’t take a test if there was any grade involved, or it was important for a job. She told me she could pass a test with flying colors if there was nothing at stake, but when there was a grade involved, or a job she wanted, she would freeze up and forget everything she knew. “Everything just flies out of mind while taking the test,” she says, “even though I was fully prepared and knew the material backwards and forward before going in.”

Perfectionists are the most vulnerable to test anxiety. They put so much pressure on themselves to be the best that the stress blocks the memory. Ironically, this pressure is what stops them from achieving their best. Stress is the biggest drainer of memory.

There are other reasons for test anxiety, such as being unprepared, or not understanding the material in the first place. Not getting enough sleep the night before, or not eating a nutritious breakfast also can contribute.

There are several techniques to help improve memory before taking a test. The more relaxed and prepared you are the better you will do. Here are a few suggestions:

Get Help! If you don’t understand the material ask someone who does to help you. Consult with memory experts or take some memory training courses to help you re-learn how to remember and develop good study habits.
Don’t pull an all-nighter – it won’t help. The better you know the material the easier it is to remember, and the more confident you will feel. You can’t learn in one night what you should have been learning all along. If you don’t understand the subject matter, ask your teacher to explain — or get a tutor. In addition, if you stayed up all night studying you didn’t get the proper rest, so your brain will not be rested enough to hold everything in. Your brain stores memory while you sleep, so it’s best to study and then sleep right away to remember more.
Practice Time Management. Develop good study habits, and learn to improve your study skills. Get organized — put together your room so it is laid out best for you to work. Don’t procrastinate about studying just before a big test.
Turn off all distractions. That means the television, radio, cell phone, etc. You may think you can study better with music in the background, but your brain has to do double duty by trying to listen to the background noises while trying to concentrate and absorb what you are learning.
Sleep 6-8 hours — no more. Studies show people who got enough rest – at least 6-8 hours prior to taking a test, are three times more likely to do better than those who didn’t.
Don’t stuff yourself with sugar beforehand. Food fuels the body, and the mind, so eat a good meal full of protein and no added sugar. Sugar gives you a quick rush, but has a quick decline as well, so you may start off quick from the gate, but your finish leads a lot to be desired. A spike in sugar levels at the beginning of the test will lead to a plummet toward the middle and you need to have sugar levels even throughout the entire test.
Go in with a positive attitude — You can do it! Don’t dwell on what can happen if you don’t pass, concentrate on how great it will be when the test is over and you did. Negative energy brings negative results. Also, don’t worry about your anxiety; it just makes you more stressed.

About the author:

Sources:

Increase Concentration And Recall – Extinguish Test Anxiety: http://www.articlesbase.com/adhd-articles/increase-concentration-and-recall-extinguish-test-anxiety-1906965.html

Study Guides and Strategies website — Overcoming test anxiety: http://www.studygs.net/tstprp8.htm

Teens Health (from Nemours) — Test Anxiety: http://kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/school/test_anxiety.html#

28 Jan,2014

Working With Those Who Have Reading Difficulties

Reading problems will plague a person throughout their life. It carries with it low self-esteem and ridicule, makes others look at you as if you are mentally slow, and can prevent you from getting a driver’s license or a good paying job. Difficulty reading does not mean you are handicapped, it simply means someone has not taken the time with you to teach you how to read so your brain can comprehend the material.

A survey conducted by The National Institutes of Health estimates that the percentage of the general population with learning disorders ranges from 5%—15%. About 80% of these people have some sort of learning disorder have reading disorder, the most common being dyslexia. Dyslexia usually includes problems with spelling and writing as well. Other studies suggest that about 4% of school age children have a reading disorder.

A reading disorder could produce poor comprehension, reversal of words or letters while reading, and difficulty decoding syllables or single words, or the ability to associate letters with specific sounds (phonics). Reading disorders often are inherited, so children with this problem will often have a parent who also suffers from it.

Those with reading problems will often fall behind in school, and usually perform poorly on standardized tests, even though they are often well above average in intelligence. It is a problem that can often go undetected, especially in the past, and those suffering may feel they have to hide their problem. Some adults, especially the extremely bright ones, have been able to get away with disguising their handicap for years, working a menial job and using creative resources to escape being detected. They view a reading problem as something to be ashamed of, and not a malfunction in the brain that can be corrected.

Reading is a complex brain function. Problems in any of these areas could be cause for concern, and a sign to get some professional help:

Difficulty in eye coordination when following printed lines
Spatial orientation to interpret letters and words
Visual Memory that retains the meanings of letters and words by sight
Inability to grasp grammar or sentence structure
Inability to analyze and put things into categories
Associating visual cues and memory with specific sounds

In order to diagnose reading problems a professional examiner must take into account the person’s age, intelligence, educational opportunities, and such cultural factors as whether the language spoken at home is different from the language taught and used at school.

Boys seem to have the most problems, accounting for approximately 60%-80% of children with reading disorders. This could indicate that it is more common in boys, or that girls with reading disabilities are simply not being diagnosed correctly. Diagnosis is complicated by the fact that 20%—55% of children with reading disorder have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a behavioral disorder that aggravates learning difficulties and conduct problems (usually associated with boys).

The American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus have issued a policy statement warning against visual treatments and recommending a cross-disciplinary educational approach that would include:

Phonics based study — based on sound/symbols that break words down into the letters and the sounds associated with them.
Mental associations that stimulate multi senses – visual, auditory and kinesthetic channels. The student sees, feels, and says the sound-symbol association at the same time. (Example: a student may use his/her finger to trace the letter or letter combination while pronouncing the letter or word aloud.)
Repetitive drill and practice through highly structured remediation serves to form necessary associations between sounds and written symbols.

For the most part, those with reading disabilities can be treated successfully, especially if the condition is diagnosed early. In the past, instead of looking to a problem with reading, schools have placed students in remedial or special education, and the problem continued and became worse due to frustration. A support system of family, friends and teachers, will work wonders for improving performance and self-esteem. It is not a disease, nor is it something to be ashamed of. Many famous and successful people have problems reading, and have learned to adapt and overcome them.

About the author:

Sources:

Society for Neuroscience — Reading Failure: http://www.sfn.org/index.aspx?pagename=brainBriefings_reading_failure

Reader’s Digest — The Boy Who Couldn’t Read, September 2005, pgs. 72A-72F.

Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders — Reading Disorder: http://www.minddisorders.com/Py-Z/Reading-disorder.html

11 Nov,2013

Break Old Habits and Learn to Speed Read

We seem to take our ability to read and comprehend what we read for granted, unless we have a learning disability. Something that seems to come naturally was actually a learned behavior, and most of us learned the same way.

Most people read approximately 120 words a minute with good comprehension, and that is comfortable for them. Many don’t see any need to increase their speed, unless they have a lot of material they have to cover in a short period of time. Even if you don’t increase your speed, have you often found yourself having to re-read passages because they didn’t sink in the first time?

Perhaps you heard about speed-reading and dismissed it because you are comfortable with the speed you currently read at. Or you may have dismissed it because you believe speed-reading is a scam. What if I were to tell you that it actually improves your ability to concentrate and comprehend what you read, even if you don’t increase your speed?

That’s right. Speed reading is not just to increase the rate at which you read, but also to help you learn how to read so you can absorb it better. Research supports the claims that those who have taken speed-reading courses or seminars from reputable people actually are able to increase their comprehension and memory, as well as be able to read faster. It is not another pig-in-a-poke.

There are a number of different speed-reading programs available. The type of reading you do (for pleasure, school or research) can dictate the speed you want to learn to read from. Different usage calls for different techniques. Some programs show you how to skim the page and take out the highlights of what is there. With this the emphasis is on speed, and it is fine if you are just reading things that contain a lot of fill (junk).

Other programs have you read the first and last paragraphs of each section, and skim over the middle, believing the most information is at the beginning and end of each paragraph. This may be true, but if you have to know details you will need to read the entire paragraph because the first and last paragraphs are simply summaries.

The best speed-reading courses are built to strengthen your eyes and eye coordination, and help you to eliminate the bad reading habits you learned while growing up. As a child you were probably taught to read one word at a time and sound them out as we go. That works well as we are learning, but many adults still use this process today, although they sound the words out mentally. That takes up a lot of excess time and brainpower.

By training your eyes to take in more area of a page at a time you are able to send more information to your brain to process. You are taking in the whole picture, and what your eyes see they send a signal to your brain. You don’t have to concentrate on each word or letter to visualize the word.

The biggest challenge to anyone learning speed reading is the sub-vocalization, or sounding out the words as you read. Once we realize that we do it we have to train ourselves not to. With speed-reading you retrain your brain by eliminating the processing out loud of every letter or word. Your brain will be learning to recognize only the words important to the material being read without the need to hear them in your head. Only the words that are important to the context of the material become part of the comprehension process. You would be amazed at the speed you will pick up when you stop talking in your head (at 200-300 words a minute) and simply process what you read.

You also eliminate the need to go back and read the material again. You get it the first time!

Speed-reading is not something you will learn overnight. It requires practice, concentration, and the ability to get out of your comfort zone in order to learn a new way to read, until it becomes second nature. Once it is learned you will be amazed at how much more you can read and understand, and how much it has improved their memory skills.

About the Author:

Ron White is a two-time U.S.A. Memory Champion and memory expert. As a memory speaker he travels the world to speak before large groups or small company seminars, demonstrating his memory skills and teaching others how to improve their memory, and how important a good memory is in all phases of your life. His CDs and memory products are also available online at BrainAthlete.com.

Sources:

ArticleBase.com Comprehension and the Art of Speed Reading by Francis Hesse:http://www.articlesbase.com/time-management-articles/comprehension-and-the-art-of-speed-reading-480366.html

Mind Tools — Speed Reading, Learning to Read more efficiently: http://www.mindtools.com/speedrd.html

15 Jun,2012

During Vacation, Get The Jump on College Admissions

If you are worried about making the best impression to admissions offices when you apply to the college of your choice, you may find academic camps during your vacation to be a great asset in getting you noticed and preparing you for you admission tests. It’s a good way to take your vacation time to get a leg up on the competition.

Don’t kid yourself, getting into college is a competition – and the criterion is getting stiffer because more students are competing for less openings. For this reason you need to be the best prepared as you can be. You have to deal with college admission tests, the SAT, and ACT tests, there scholarship to research and apply for. What admissions offices are looking for are students willing to go that extra mile, do the research and find out exactly what each school expects and the correct way to go about applying for it. There are always techniques that can be learned to give you a better score on admission and standardized tests, and amazingly few students will go that extra mile to understand the tricks to help them do better.

The SAT is, for most students, the single most important test in their high school careers. In recent years the SAT has become a greater determinant of admissions and scholarship decisions than ever before. It is a test that is “coachable” on how to get a better grade — through studying the proper categories, understanding how the questions are formatted, following instructions and learning how the test is scored.

Due to the fact that most students don’t attend classes in the summer, it is the best time to take courses to prepare for the SAT, which is usually given in the fall. Because the SAT is mostly a test of skill, and not memorization, it still leaves room for recreation so the student doesn’t feel they are missing their vacation.

One example is Ivy Bound Test Prep.“Ivy Bound’s academic camps allow students to enjoy their vacation while simultaneously helping to build a strong college application,” said Mark Greenstein, founder and lead instructor of Ivy Bound Test Prep. “We see tremendous improvement in SAT scores and academics during our intense vacation camps.”

During school vacation periods Ivy Bound Test Prep offers a variety of academic camps for students in seventh through eleventh grades that feature classes on topics including SAT prep, ACT prep, study skills, public speaking, math, speed reading and economics.

“With just 60-90 minutes a day during vacation college-bound students can see a significant improvement,” said Eugene Hazanove, a senior instructor at Ivy Bound Test Prep.

Their highly qualified teachers are available for tutoring, or instructions to a group. These teachers/coaches regularly take and maintain scores in the upper 2% on SAT, ACT and SAT II tests. They have been successful in getting average improvement scores in Math and Reading of 170.6 points for students in 2010, based on a prior SAT or PSAT score. These results significantly increase the offers for admission and scholarships for their students.

The academics have found that the best results for memory retention comes when students review their course study WITHIN 24 HOURS of learning it. Repetition while the material is still fresh is better for memory retention. Each class has a minimum of 50 hours of home study before test day, and students will be able to pace themselves with a schedule of two solid hours a day, three times a week, over a nine-week period.

Ivy Bound is based in Connecticut, and has tutors available in 23 states and internationally. If you live far from any scheduled location you can organize a group and have an instructor come to almost any meeting place during the summer or fall.

Scholarships are possible for those who qualify, and group rates are also available to save money individually. They even have qualified people available to brainstorm your college admissions essay and help with review and editing.

You can never be too prepared, nor start too early, to get going on preparation for college admission.

About the author:

Ron White is a memory training expert. As a memory keynote speaker he travels the world to speak before large groups or small company seminars, demonstrating his memory skills and teaching others how to improve their memory, and how important a good memory is in all phases of your life.

Source:

Ivy Bound Test Prep: http://www.ivybound.net

Brain Athlete.com – Get an Edge Up in the College Admission Game During School Vacation With Ivy Bound Test Prep’s Academic Camps: http://www.brainathlete.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1521&action=edit