Gloria Frender - Learning to Learn: Strengthening Study Skills and Brain Power

I hear and I forget;

I see and I remember;

I do and I understand.

Chinese Proverb

For Nylene and Clark, my parents who gave me self-confidence and a love for learning. For Dean, Kevin, and Kim, my family who continue to give me support and love.

Designed by Marta Drayton

Edited by Charlotte Bosarge

Cover illustration by Shutterstock

Print Edition ISBN 978-1-62950-000-3

E-book Editions ISBN 978-1-62950-001-0 (PDF)

ISBN 978-1-62950-046-1 (EPUB)

ISBN 978-1-62950-047-8 (Mobi)

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Copyright 1990, 2004, 2005, 2010 by Incentive Publications. All rights reserved.

Pages labeled with the statement Copyright 2014 World Book, Inc./Incentive Publications, Chicago, IL are intended for reproduction. Permission is hereby granted to the purchaser of one copy of LEARNING TO LEARN, REVISED EDITION to reproduce these pages in sufficient quantities only for meeting the purchasers own noncommercial educational needs.

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Printed in the United States of America by Sheridan Books, Inc., Chelsea, Michigan 1st printing October 2013

Set a purpose.

Use active learning time wisely.

Concentrate on only one task at a time.

Commit yourself to learning.

Evaluate learning styles.

Schedule appropriate study times.

Summarize often.

Fully intend to remember.

Understand assignments.

List priorities.

Set realistic goals.

Think positively.

Use rewards.

Decide to become an independent learner.

You can use your learning style to your advantage.

Survey textbooks before reading.

Keep up with daily assignments.

Improve your memory mnemonics.

Listen actively in class.

Learn to organize everything.

Study successful test-taking strategies.

Students of all abilities are often at risk when it comes to using successful learning strategies. Learning how to learnapplying successful techniquesis like mountain climbing with a backpack equipped with appropriate tools.

Throughout life, we are always facing new and challenging mountains, and we depend upon the tools we carry with us to help us reach the top and attain our goals. It is vital for us to stock our backpacks with both the right background experiences and the tools to achieve a successful ascent. Most students forgo learning basic climbing skills or carefully gathering learning tools because they dont feel the need for them. But then, when the mountain finally looms before them, they often cannot begin to climb (much less scale) the peak. They are lost.

For many, the big mountain appears overwhelming and the climb hopeless. They begin to doubt their abilities, intelligence, and capabilities for learning.

Some potential climbers have natural ability and do not bother with extended practice, essential equipment, and critical experience. They may succeed for a while, but they usually become lost when they need this combination of resources the most. All too often, students find themselves suddenly facing the stressful predicament of acquiring unfamiliar learning skills and content simultaneously. They find themselves out on a ledge with no tools to help them.

Learning and practicing good, useful, and appropriate study skills builds self-confidence so that when faced with the challenge, students can successfully conquer their own mountains. It is vital they learn how to learn along with what they learn. Learning to learn is one of the most basic and important lifelong skills we can acquire. Our lives of learning are filled with hills and mountains. Its simply not enough to know what to climb; we must also know how to climb.

Learning to Learn is a book intended for students, teachers, parents, and anyone who wants a hands-on guide and reference for learning how to learn. This book is not a book simply to readit is a book to use, write in, and tear apart. It is an interactive book filled with practical hints, methods, tips, procedures, resources, and tools that will help students succeed in school and in life. Care has been taken to omit any educational jargon and to present the material in a straightforward manner.

The format of organized step-by-step procedures has been broken down into manageable blocks that can apply across the content areas. Throughout the book, the main concepts are stressed with a positive attitude, a feeling of accomplishment and self-worth, and a sense of humor. Good ideas are easy to find, digest, and put to immediate use.

Begin today to fill those backpacks with terrific lifelong learning skills and climb any learning mountain with confidence!

Learning to Learn is a timely companion for teachers, parents, and students building the foundation of high-quality education through Common Core State Standards. At heart, this book is about giving students the tools to gain and internalize skills and deepen knowledge.

This is a rich resource for learning the Common Core State Standards. The strategies and procedures taught here are just what students need to move toward the mastery of the more rigorous standards. The focus here is on

• critical thinking
• deep reading
• attending to precision
• interpreting content
• independent learning
• reading for meaning
• taking problems apart
• integrating knowledge
• engaging with learning
• persevering in solving problems
• finding and explaining supporting details
• following inquiry steps to solve problems
• summarizing texts and concepts
• responsibility for learning
• comparing texts and solutions
• analyzing texts, positions, arguments, problems
• digging deep for understanding
• finding, processing, and integrating information

Learning to Learn provides strong support for:

• CCSS College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading, Grades K-12
• CCSS College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing, Grades K-12