Three Middle School Studying Tactics

When a tween moves into middle school there is a change in the accountability and level of academic work expected of the student. Active reading, wider thinking, and studying becomes more integral to the academic performance of your child. Middle school is one of the first times many students find they are having more indepth lessons at school that require studying to understand the material taught in their class and to achieve an “A”. 

Your child will encounter more advanced concepts, with a jump up in the amount of assignments, and higher expectations in the quality of their work. Studying is a skill like any other; it can be taught, honed, and adapted to fit the user. It is important to teach our kids how to study because as they continue in their education, and move into their careers, having the ability to relearn or study provided information helps motivate them to be an educated, self-disciplined and self-motivated adult. 

So, how does one study? Let’s talk about three different interactive ways for middle schools to start studying: Quick Recall, Being the Professional, and Speedrunning Knowledge Check. Each of these categories have a different tactic students can use to relearn material, teach themselves, and re-evaluate lessons they had encountered in the classroom. 

“Quick Recall” is all about having information memorized and able to restate it succinctly. A great way to practice this memorization and recall is by using Flashcards. Whether they are hand written on index cards or typed into a study aid website like Quizlet; these flashcards are a prominent step in studying. Write vocabulary words or dates on one side and the important information or definitions on the other side of the index card. 

Your kid can look at one side of cards in the deck and try to recall what information is written on the other side. Separate the cards between “correctly given answers” and “incorrect or missing info answers” as they go through the deck recalling information. Once through the deck entirely, repeat going through the incorrect/missing information pile until all of the cards can be recalled.  Online games and applications can help your child practice on their own in an engaging way.

“Being the Professional” has a different perspective on learning and relearning information. This study skill is about metacognition, understanding connections in the material and getting to the deeper meaning or nuances of the content. This is done by providing the information to someone else. Let your child be the expert and have them explain the concepts or their thought processes to you while you play the role of the student. 

You can ask questions and pretend to not understand so your child can restate the content and strengthen the learning and neural networks of your student as they continue connecting with the class materials. Another example could be having your child present the materials they are studying to you, a sibling, a grandparent, maybe even friends- similar to a TedTalk. This presentation connects the learning with verbal cues and a deeper understanding of the material. 

"Speedrunning Knowledge Check" might sound like a way to ‘cram’ studying but this trick easily brings awareness to the areas of improvement that can be aided by studying using other means. The exercise is simple, have your kid pick a topic they are studying and get out a blank piece of paper. Set a timer if you would like. Then, have your child write down as much information as is possible without referencing any of their notes or class work about that chosen topic. After they are done writing or the timer stops, have your child review what they wrote, comparing it to their previous classwork. Is the information correct? Where is there a gap in knowledge? 

This method is similar to taking practice tests, but your child is not answering specific questions, instead they are both Being The Professional by accessing and reviewing all their knowledge that they can Quick Recall for studying. This exercise can be done multiple times and compared to see how the knowledge and learning is advancing over time. 

These three tactics are great ways to engage your tween in their own learning while advancing their studying skills. Studying takes a lot of planning, preparations and forethought before a pencil can even touch the page. Learning how to study and understand the importance of organization can make a world of difference in your student’s academic performance. Consider the different methods we have discussed, key points to think about and, if interested, look into having your child join one of our Super Kidz Study Skillz classes. In this class we go over the importance of different aspects of schools like note taking, school bag organization, scheduling, keeping a checklist and more! Good luck to your child as the school year is creeping back up on us. Have some happy and productive studying!