How to Encourage and Teach Good Study Habits

Students need to review these study skills in middle school and in junior high as their schedules become more complicated.

 "Not all seventh-graders are well organized," says Ms. Reynolds. "Some don't know how to handle having assignments from different teachers, or remember what they have to do and the books they need. So I spend lots of time on study skills. It would be nice if they had all of that down. But you can bat your head against the wall, or you can teach it." And once you do, she says, "They've got it."

Reinforcing junior high school students' study skills can also reduce what Mr. Cormier, describes as "the biggest problem for kids at this stage (seventh- and eighth-graders) -- cramming."

Many students need to sharpen their study skills still further as they move into high school and find more demands being placed on their time. Many have trouble pacing themselves as they take on more extracurricular activities and accept part-time jobs.

Richard Ruffalo, a New Jersey teacher, encourages his high school biology students to pace themselves by collecting a block of homework assignments at the same time. For example, he may make several assignments on one day, all of which are due 12 days later. Students quickly learn that the assignments must be completed in order to perform satisfactorily on tests given at the end of the 12 days -- and that if they wait until the last minute to begin all of the assignments that their homework grades and test scores will suffer.

Students often imitate the organizing habits of important adults in their lives. Therefore teachers can set an example by being organized themselves. They can let students know that they, too, keep calendars to avoid forgetting things. And they can comment to students as they write down on their own calendar, "April 11 -- bring sombrero to school for Spanish class."