13 Effective Study Tips for Middle Schoolers

One of the biggest academic challenges I see from students who are new to middle school is not knowing how to study.


​In elementary school, many students are accustomed to coming to class, doing the work, and performing just fine on tests.  Once they reach middle school, many of them experience a bit of a reality check.  They may do well on the first major test because it’s a new school year and everyone is on top of their game.  But as second quarter approaches, academics become progressively more challenging, and true habits of students shine through, many test scores take a tumble.
 
Once students realize they need to study, they don’t necessarily know how to study.  Many think looking through their textbook is studying.  I have heard students say “I studied last night for over an hour!” yet when I ask them a few key questions, they do not remember the answers.
 
In this post, I’m going to share with you 13 easy strategies you can model with your students to help them learn how to study.

​#1 Flashcards
Make flashcards with your students and model how to use them to practice key vocabulary and main ideas.

​#2 Pair Students to Quiz Each Other
Model for students how to ask key questions and practice answering them.

​#3 Read Class Notes and then Summarize!
Model for students how to read through information and then write a summary using their own words to describe what was learned.

​#4 Read Notes Out Loud
Allow students to read their notes out loud so they can absorb each piece as they hear it.

​#5 Organize Materials
Provide students with an organizational structure so they don’t have to search for their materials when it’s study time.

​#6 Outline or Mind Map Key Ideas
Model for students how to ideas connect together by creating an outline or mind map.

​#7 Self-Quizzing
Model for students how to quiz themselves – a helpful skill when they don’t have a study partner.
Teach them how to learn while you teach your content.
You don't need a separate elective to build stronger students. My Study Skills Framework gives you the tools to integrate note-taking, reading, and organization into your daily lessons without losing a minute of instruction time.

​#8 Rewrite Main Ideas
Write out the explanation of main ideas repeatedly until it can be done without referring to other materials.

​#9 Use Graded Work
Model for students how to use old graded worksheets and quizzes as a practice test by covering answers and using them to check work.

​#10 Use Mistakes
Look over graded worksheets and quizzes and fix any errors that may have been made.

​#11 Use the Study Guide
Model for students how to use the study guide to identify the main ideas, key vocabulary words, and skills that are to be demonstrated on the test.

​#12 Teach It!
Have students teach a concept to someone else. Encourage students to teach what they know to anyone who will listen, including their pets!

​#13 Ask Questions
Encourage students to research and ask questions about ideas that are confusing to them.


​Ready to Roll Materials
These are simple, but effective strategies that you can teach to your students. But remember you can’t just tell students to do these tasks... You must model for them how to do it, then give them opportunities to practice doing it in your class.  Only then will they have the skill and confidence to study with these strategies independently.
 
It can be extremely helpful to provide this list to your students to keep in their binders. This way, they have a cheat sheet to reference when they aren’t sure where to start with studying.
 
You can click here and download my student cheat sheet for FREE!
 
One of the biggest challenges with teaching students how to study is finding the time to do it.  Many schedules just don’t allow for mini lessons about study skills.
 
The next best thing, is learning how to integrate study skills into your daily curriculum. Trust me when I tell you, that you can do this without losing instruction time!
 
If you’re interested to know more, check out my FREE Strategies that will get you started with study skill integration.


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Teaching with Textbooks | Teach Like Midgley

​I’m Hillary Midgley, and I help teachers move students from academic struggle to total confidence with a 9-week study skills framework that actually works. New here? Start with the Framework.