3 Step Formula for Every
Study Guide Template
Should you be providing a study guide to your students?
The short answer, is yes.
But there are 2 major objections I usually hear from teachers:
I don’t want to give away my test.
I totally get it. None of us want to teach to the test but none of us want our students to be unprepared for the test, either.
If we must give a test, then we want it to tell the truth about what our students know and understand. That’s not going to happen if we just give students a copy or version of the test ahead of time... is it?
Why bother. My students won’t use it to study anyways.
Is another common response to giving study guides. I definitely understand that frustration. Why put in the work to create a study guide if your students aren’t going to take the time to use it? Our time is valuable and we don’t want to waste it.
But here’s the thing that many of us middle school teachers forget...
Many students don’t use the study guide simply because they don’t know how. In fact, many middle school students don’t know how to study at all.
Many students have never needed to study before reaching middle school. And once they realize they need to study, students struggle to understand that they don’t know how to study, and are usually too embarrassed to ask for help in learning how.
That’s where we, as middle school teachers, come in. It’s essential that we take the time to teach our students how to study, and that includes teaching them how to use our study guide.
In this post, I’m going to share with you my 3 step formula for every study guide template. Every teacher can use this, in any subject area. This formula is the key to providing a quality study guide that won’t give away your test and provide guidance for students when studying.
The short answer, is yes.
But there are 2 major objections I usually hear from teachers:
I don’t want to give away my test.
I totally get it. None of us want to teach to the test but none of us want our students to be unprepared for the test, either.
If we must give a test, then we want it to tell the truth about what our students know and understand. That’s not going to happen if we just give students a copy or version of the test ahead of time... is it?
Why bother. My students won’t use it to study anyways.
Is another common response to giving study guides. I definitely understand that frustration. Why put in the work to create a study guide if your students aren’t going to take the time to use it? Our time is valuable and we don’t want to waste it.
But here’s the thing that many of us middle school teachers forget...
Many students don’t use the study guide simply because they don’t know how. In fact, many middle school students don’t know how to study at all.
Many students have never needed to study before reaching middle school. And once they realize they need to study, students struggle to understand that they don’t know how to study, and are usually too embarrassed to ask for help in learning how.
That’s where we, as middle school teachers, come in. It’s essential that we take the time to teach our students how to study, and that includes teaching them how to use our study guide.
In this post, I’m going to share with you my 3 step formula for every study guide template. Every teacher can use this, in any subject area. This formula is the key to providing a quality study guide that won’t give away your test and provide guidance for students when studying.
Benefits of Study Guides
Student: What’s going to be on the test?
Your Answer: Everything we’ve discussed the last 3 weeks.
There is no statement that will fill your students with anticipatory test anxiety that this statement – no matter how true it may be!
The biggest benefit to providing a quality study guide for students is that it will go a long way to alleviate unnecessary test anxiety.
Ideally, your study guide should be made before you even start teaching your unit.
An effective unit of instruction involves planning out main objectives, key vocabulary, and skills students will learn to perform.
When your unit is already planned out, creating a study guide becomes easier than ever.
Your Answer: Everything we’ve discussed the last 3 weeks.
There is no statement that will fill your students with anticipatory test anxiety that this statement – no matter how true it may be!
The biggest benefit to providing a quality study guide for students is that it will go a long way to alleviate unnecessary test anxiety.
Ideally, your study guide should be made before you even start teaching your unit.
An effective unit of instruction involves planning out main objectives, key vocabulary, and skills students will learn to perform.
When your unit is already planned out, creating a study guide becomes easier than ever.
3 Step Formula for Every
Study Guide Template
STEP ONE: Key Vocabulary Words – I hope I hope I hope you do vocabulary work in your classroom. Regardless of the subject you teach, understanding key vocabulary terms is the only way to help your students learn and understand larger concepts.
STEP TWO: Main Ideas, Concepts, or Events – Most likely when you were doing your lesson planning, you organized your unit by identifying the main concepts you wanted to teach. Ideally, these are the same major concepts that are on your test. It only makes sense to provide these main ideas to your students too.
STEP THREE: Specific Skills – Is there something specific you will ask your students to do on their test? Read a map? Use a timeline? Write an essay? Use a particular formula? Tell your students what skills you expect from them!
Just providing these three simple things are not going to give away your test. But they are going to make a big difference in the confidence of your students.
Don't Forget...
Once you have provided the study guide to your students, take the time to show them how to use it as a study tool.
How do they learn the vocabulary, understand the main objectives, and practice the skills you will be testing?
Ideally, you have been doing this in your classes every day. I’m not just talking about teaching your lessons, but actually including active study strategies in your class activities.
Need some ideas? Check out this FREE student cheat sheet of study strategies that will work for any subject area OR these subject specific study strategies that will get your students on the right track to studying.
How do they learn the vocabulary, understand the main objectives, and practice the skills you will be testing?
Ideally, you have been doing this in your classes every day. I’m not just talking about teaching your lessons, but actually including active study strategies in your class activities.
Need some ideas? Check out this FREE student cheat sheet of study strategies that will work for any subject area OR these subject specific study strategies that will get your students on the right track to studying.
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Welcome! I'm Hillary Midgley, a veteran 6th grade teacher.
I create educational materials and develop curriculum for other teachers. I specialize in teaching students how to learn through my Study Skills Curriculum. I have established fundamental classroom systems and structures for teachers to help them streamline their classroom. And my passion is teaching ancient history through engaging activities with foundations in academic skills. Here you will find resources on all of these topics and more. Learn more about me here.
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