Learning Tips for Students
by: Dev Sri

Long ago, there was a time, when parents told children to read slowly and loudly to understand everything they read.

A lot of things have changed. Today's children have bigger syllabi to learn. Now, learning experts and teachers ask students to read faster and grasp important points.

Here are a few tips for students who have a lot to learn, but very little time.

Make a Timetable

Your timetable should have separate time for eating, playing games, exercise, reading newspaper and study materials. You should not only make a timetable, but also should stick to it.

Give priority to leisure and games in the afternoon, but separate early morning time for studies. Make sure you read all the class notes before you go to bed.

While allotting time to different subjects, allot more time to difficult subjects. You need only less time for the subjects that are easier for you to learn.

Taking Notes

Taking notes is an important part of learning. You need to take lecture notes (classroom notes) and notes from your textbook.

- Go through the lessons on the day before your teacher would teach it in the class. This gives you an idea of what to expect.

- Write down important ideas as bullet points. One word or a phrase is enough to include an idea.

- Give prominence to important ideas by underlining them in your notes. - Leave lot of space in each face of paper. This will help you add new points later.

- Organize your notes into separate files. Each subject should have a different file. Label the outer page of the file with name of the subject and your teacher. You should also neatly organize each file according to chapters and topics.

- Read the notes (important points) in the night, before going to bed. Read only once. This helps you memorize the lessons clearly.

- While taking notes from a book, label the name of the book and author. Also, note the page number next to your notes. It makes it easy for you to refer to the book three or six months later.

Reading Techniques

You need to read fast and grasp more things. Here are some pointers to fast reading.

- Note the name of the book and its author in the reading log.

- Take a quick look from cover to cover to identify the important chapters.

- Take a quick look over the chapter, identify the important points, and note them down.

- Read the lesson fast. To increase the speed of learning, pass your eyes through the top of the letters and not through the centre. For example, while reading, pass your eyes through the area where the dot above the letter i appears and not through the loop of the letter o.

- Don't take notes while reading.

- Don't go back to read a word or a sentence. If you don't get the idea of the subject, you can come back to the sentence after you finish reading the chapter. Never look up a dictionary while in the middle of reading a chapter. Refer dictionary only if you don't automatically understand the meaning of a word after finishing the paragraph and the chapter.

- Note down the points you remember. Now check if you have taken all the important points, with another fast reading.

How to increase memory

Try to understand completely what you read or hear.

Repeat what you hear or read in your mind.

Make notes of what you learn at school or read from books. A single word can help you remember a whole idea.

Give number to the points.

Don't try to bring to memory all the things you have learned. Learn the technique of bringing to memory one thing at a time.

How to increase concentration

Mental concentration is important to memory and better learning.

Stick to your reading timetable. You should separate a specific place and specific time of the day for reading.

Sit erect. It increases your concentration.

Don't allow disturbances like phone calls, music etc while reading.

Concentrate on the lessons you read. Don't think about the next book you have to read while you are reading a book. A better way is to make an order of the books and lessons to read and arrange them in order before you start reading.

Immediately after reading a paragraph, try to recall the idea from that paragraph. This helps you concentrate more on your reading.

Ideal conditions for reading/learning

A silent location that you don't use for sleeping, eating or leisure purposes is the most ideal condition for reading.

Install a fluorescent tube light in the reading room. This helps mild light to fall evenly all over the room. Don't sit in the darkness while reading. If you use table lamp, arrange it towards your left if you are a right-hander.

Arrange the papers, pencils, boards and books on the table before you start reading.

Never try to read while you are tired or ill.

Eat healthy food rich in carbohydrates, proteins and fibres. Replace fast food, pizza, burger, chocolates, ice creams, etc with fresh fruits, whole grain food items (like chapatti), milk, fruit juices, etc.

Exercise daily. Swimming, cycling and jogging are good for students. Practise yoga. It increases concentration and willpower.

Don't watch TV. Instead, play some games in the outdoors. While TV makes you dumb, the games make you smarter.

Read lot of books. Read classic stories, fables (like Aesop fables, Panchatantra stories, etc), etc. Don't spend too much time on comic cartoons.

Homeschool Curriculum - How Do I Choose?
by: Heidi Johnson


Homeschool Curriculum - How Do I Choose?

The availability of home school curriculum can be a blessing and a curse. There are many books and programs to choose from, but trying to choose can be quite overwhelming. There are a few basic thoughts you need to look into to try to help keep you from getting too frustrated in trying to choose what you will use.

1. Consider learning style - Look at how you and your child learn best. Do they like workbooks, creating notebooks, acting out a story. Knowing yours and your child’s learning style can help reduce the amount of “wrong” curriculum that you purchase. If you have a clear picture of how everyone in your home learns best, then you can choose books or curriculum accordingly. This can save money and frustration in the long run.

2. Look at many types of curriculum - This can be overwhelming too, but if you go into it just browsing you can gain a lot of knowledge about what is available to you. You can go to home school conventions, used curriculum fairs or have the curriculum sent to you by using “Curriculum Fair in a Box.” A variety of sample curriculum is sent to you and you can browse over it in the comfort of your own home in your own time.

3. Plan Ahead - Think about what you want your child to learn or know at the beginning of a school year. Or better yet, if pray and ask God to guide you in what He thinks your child should learn this year. You can take a sheet of paper and list subjects across the top and the names of your children along the side. As you are looking at or thinking about what your child needs, you can jot that down in the proper column for each child. You might have many items under each subject for each child. Once you have written down all your options, then you can circle those that you feel are most important. Then when you go to look at books or resources to use, you will have narrowed down what you need to look for.

Choosing books, curriculum, and resources to use in a school year doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task. If you know how your child learns best, know what is available, and focus on what you want to accomplish for that year you can save yourself quite a bit of frustration.

Personal Development: the 2nd Pillar of Success & Fulfillment
by: Vauna Byrd



In a recent article, I spoke of the five pillars of success and fulfillment that, if worked on every day will lead you along the path toward your desires and ultimately bring you to achieving success in your goals and more happiness in life. The five pillars are Daily Meditation with Visualization, Personal Development, Income Producing Activity, Masterminding with Leaders, and Expectation of Leadership. Here I’d like to share what I’ve been learning about Personal Development.

There are a lot of Self Help books out there. And there are a lot of programs that can help you improve the things you desire to improve about yourself. But as you’re standing in the book store looking at the rows of shelves filled with books that want to help you, how do you know which will benefit you the most? I’m pretty sure your time is precious and as much as you would like to read every book there that would be unlikely or even impossible. Like I said, there are a lot of resources out there and I’m not here to tell you which to use. But I will share what has benefited me.

First of all, tend to your spirit. Whether or not you are spiritual or religious your spirit is who you are deep down inside at the core. You are the only one who truly can feed your spirit, that core of who you are. Of course, others can do things that help to feed your spirit and that is important. But ultimately, you must love yourself and believe in yourself before you can truly and fully accept the love and belief of others. And imagine the freedom that comes when you are content enough with yourself that when criticism or unkindness comes your way you can say to yourself, “that is their opinion (or problem) and I like myself regardless”.

You must put away those things that someone told you that you were not good at, whether it was once or throughout your life. Once you believe in yourself you will find that you have power within you that no one and nothing can squelch.

But how does one believe in one’s self? This has to come from within, so what does a person who’s always suffered from a lack of self esteem or self worth do?

First of all, you must know that, among other things, you are special. You are amazing. You are good. And you are these things because you are YOU. You are a child of God and when no one else loves or understands you, HE does. If you don’t believe in God, you must understand and truly believe that you have worth! You have worth and you deserve happiness because you are YOU! You are special, amazing, and good. If you doubt any of these things, then make the change required to fully believe in your goodness.

Second, set small attainable goals that you can succeed at. As you acquire more belief in your capability, set larger attainable goals with a plan to attain them and follow your plan. As you experience small successes followed by larger successes and combine those with a belief that you have personal worth, your belief of your worth will be replaced by knowledge and, if you continually set new goals for yourself with a plan you follow to achieve those goals you will find that the beliefs that limit or hold you back will fall away and you will begin to see your own greatness. Become the person you want to be instead of hoping that something in your circumstances would change. Every day we must seek to better ourselves. It is not enough to desire to be a better person. We must act on that desire by identifying what we would like to change and come up with a plan (and follow it) to see the change. Start small and always continue in your quest for personal betterment. You will be astounded by the person you see yourself become.

Utilize the power of your subconscious mind. Did you know that the non-conscious mind controls 96-98% of our actions? Our beliefs become our reality. If you don’t believe this, try changing some of your beliefs and see if your reality changes along with it.

Try this one: Are you being told that the economy sucks? Sure we’re in a recession, just as all things fluctuate. But can you see it as an opportunity or are you manifesting that it must really be bad? First of all, see the great abundance around you; as you do you will see more and more. Be grateful that you have food to eat and a roof over your head. Be grateful to live in a country that economic downturns don’t mean starvation or living with a large family in a one room hut. Be grateful for a vehicle to drive and fuel to put in that vehicle. Consider that much of the world travels by foot or on an animal. The current economy is ideal for the entrepreneur. When your company is being downsized, see it as an opportunity. With the right tools and training, combined with motivation and determination, YOU could be the one offering countless others a career and financial security.

Take a look at your beliefs. Take a look at what you are looking for around you. Look for some good in the people you can’t stand and don’t be surprised when you find it. What about the beliefs that limit you and hold you back? Honestly examine these. You can change your beliefs to improve your reality. Look at the world as what you wish it was, not what you are afraid it might be. And your reality will become that the world is much more of what you are looking for in it.

In my view, what personal development really comes down to is a desire and willingness to change ourselves. I can’t change anyone but me. I can’t control what others do but I can take responsibility for myself instead of blaming my circumstances. I have witnessed the power that comes from seizing control of my own life instead of remaining a victim of my circumstances. Personal freedom and contentment comes when you truly learn to let go of the world around you and take control of yourself and your own life. Like I said, there are a lot of books and programs out there and I couldn’t possibly sum them up here. But be willing to acknowledge the changes you need in yourself. Be willing to identify and look at what you don’t like about yourself. You are capable of change. Everyone is. Is there such thing as constructive criticism? All criticism hurts. But instead of getting defensive, take a step back and ask yourself, “Is there some basis for this?” If there is, be willing to acknowledge it and then be willing to see if you can change it. We all make mistakes. The happiest people around are most likely those who learn from their mistakes instead of living in denial of them and repeating them over and over.

As you seek to improve yourself and therefore your life by becoming a student of personal development be sure to tend to your spirit (the core of who you are), believe in yourself by recognizing your worth as well as setting attainable goals, utilize the power of your subconscious mind, focus on the positive, live in a state of gratitude, and be willing to acknowledge and change your own inadequacies. As you do these things you will find that you open yourself to a whole new world, a world of happiness, contentment, personal power, and achievement.

In addition to becoming a student of Personal Development, you will find an even greater sense of fulfillment and see phenomenal success in life as you combine your personal growth with Daily Meditation & Visualization, Income Producing Activity, Masterminding with Leaders, and Expectation of Leadership.

©2009 Vauna Byrd

Strategies To Help You And Your Child Survive Homework
by: Linda Bress Silbert, Ph.D. And Alvin J. Silbert, Ed.D.

Is homework wreaking havoc in your home? If the answer is YES, then finding the real causes behind the homework problems, and taking steps to resolve them, will improve both school success and family harmony.

How do we know? Homework is the single biggest issue affecting home life, according to many of the parents who bring their children to us at STRONG Learning Centers®.

Here are the ten most common causes of homework problems, along with suggestions to help you resolve them.

1. THE HOMEWORK IS TOO DIFFICULT.

If the homework is continuously too difficult, with everything that entails, then a child will try to avoid it. Look into the cause. Begin by having a conversation with the teacher. If the problem is class-wide, hopefully the teacher will evaluate and adjust the nature of his or her homework assignments. If the problem is limited to your child, she may require additional help from the teacher after school, from you, from a sibling, from a teenager you hire, or from a tutor. If this fails to resolve the issue, then a reevaluation of the type of class, or course level, or teaching vs. learning style, or school may be in order.

On the other hand, the cause of the problem may be a disability: physical, learning and/or attentional. Your child may have difficulty in such areas as: hearing, seeing, reading, processing language, or writing, or she may have ADD or ADHD. If the problem is one of these, sometimes it is easy to resolve. For example, corrective glasses can easily resolve some seeing issues and behavioral therapy and/or possibly medication might help AD/HD, the newer term for the disorder. In many cases, consulting teachers, counselors, or specialists in the appropriate field, might be in order.

Note: If you suspect AD/HD, a valuable resource is CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder organization). For information on the learning disability (LD) issue in general, contact the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA).

2. THE HOMEWORK IS TOO CONFUSING.

When children chronically complain that assignments or directions are confusing, they are likely to become frustrated and/or anxious, eventually avoiding such assignments. Parents usually respond to these children by asking, "Weren't you listening?" Or "Just read the directions!" The children were listening or reading, but they may not have been able to process the information.

In this case, the cause may be reading comprehension and/or language processing problems. You may need to seek the help of teachers or a learning specialist to help your child learn strategies she can use to overcome or compensate for her disability. For example, she may need to put the words into pictures or graphic organizers. Children who become confused due to problems with language processing, do better when they can see things visually.

And, regardless of who is working with them, be sure they remain actively involved. Children (and adults too) are notorious for shaking their heads "yes" when asked "Do you understand?" even when they don't understand. Sometimes they are just yessing you and sometimes they think they understand. However, when you ask them to explain or discuss what you were just talking about, they realize that they really don’t understand.

If neither of these areas are the cause of the problem, then you may need to investigate why your child continues to complain. If it turns out it is simply a ploy to get you to do the work with him, then you need to address the reason for that behavior. But wait – before you get annoyed, remember what it was like for you when you were a child. Homework isn't always fun, and sometimes it's nice to have a little company. Your child may simply want your company during homework time. Wow! How's that for the ultimate compliment?

3. THE HOMEWORK IS TOO LOW-QUALITY OR TOO BORING. Sometimes homework assignments are low-quality boring busywork and children will avoid them simply because they don't want to do them. Unfortunately, one of life's little lessons that children need to learn is that sometimes we simply have to do boring things. If, however, every assignment appears to be dull, too easy, or too low-quality, you may need to talk to your child's teacher to determine the purpose of the assignments. Many teachers do not realize how some of the assignments are coming across to the children; chances are they will appreciate the feedback and adjust the work as appropriate.

4. THE CHILD IS DISORGANIZED.

He brings home the book and forgets the assignment. He brings home the assignment and forgets the book. Or he forgets the assignment and the book. Does this sound familiar? If so, it sounds like you've got yourself a disorganized child. The same is true for children who can’t judge time or can't manage their time. They may have the best intentions to get the homework done, but somehow it gets lost in their time-maze. It is so difficult for disorganized children to get their homework done that some of them would rather lie, insisting that there is no homework, than be criticized and punished. If poor organizational skills seems to be the issue, there are many books and articles that offer great strategies to help the disorganized child. See, for example, pp 123-127 in Why Bad Grades Happen to Good Kids.

5. THE HOMEWORK IS TOO INTRUSIVE.

It's a fact; homework cuts into playtime. So what's the problem? The problem is that in some cases homework time creeps up to the point of consuming the home lives of the children and sometimes that of the family as well. Besides the obvious down side, this may be harmful to children's intellectual development. Their brains are developing and they need to use all parts, and good quality play provides opportunities to use the "far corners" of the brain that might otherwise remain fallow. So, it turns out that children need to play. Surprisingly, brain research indicates that occasional boredom is good, too, as it forces children to think of things to do — that is, to use their brains to create. So if homework time seems to have taken over your home, work out a schedule with your child so that he doesn't have to lie in order to play.

6. TOO MUCH PARENT INVOLVEMENT.

Some parents are overly involved in their child's homework. Here are the three most common types, all of whom tend to drive their children toward lying and deception. If any of these describe you, then work to change your behavior.

A. The "perfectionist parents." Perfectionists demand picture-perfect-homework. Their children hate to let them see their homework papers out of fear that they will judge the work unworthy, tear it up, and make them do it again. Besides being tedious and time demanding, in these extreme cases it is downright disrespectful of the child.

B. The "helicopter parents." These parents hover over their children, making sure that every "t" is crossed and every "i" is dotted. They think they're being helpful, but here's the problem: By not giving their children any breathing room, they are delivering the tacit message that their children are not capable of doing the work themselves. Not only does this harm their self-esteem, but it also denies them the opportunity of taking responsibility for their own work.

C. The "Pandora parents." The children of Pandora parents tend to deny the existence of any homework they don't understand because asking Mom or Dad even the simplest question is tantamount to opening Pandora's box. Their well-meaning parents can't contain their enthusiasm and turn what would ordinary require a short answer into a long-winded treatise on some esoteric detail.

7. THE CHILD IS UNMOTIVATED. Most children don't want to do homework. But while they may put up quite a fuss, somehow they manage to get the work done. If they don't, motivation may not be the problem; they may appear unmotivated, but this may be a convincing protective screen they've set up to mask a larger issue. For example, many children appear unmotivated when in fact they avoid homework to protect their egos. How's that? Because these children erroneously equate failure with stupidity. Their logic is as follows: If they try and fail, it is a reflection of their intelligence. If they don't try and fail, it is not a reflection of their intelligence; it is due to lack of motivation or irresponsibility. These labels they can live with; the label "stupid," they can't!

8. TOO MUCH HOMEWORK. Many kids simply cannot keep up with the projects, tests, quizzes, reading and other assignments they are given. Here is a general guide for the typical amount of time children should be expected to spend on homework each school day. Grades K-2, about 10-20 minutes. Grades 3-6, about 30-60 minutes. Grades 7-12 will vary considerably, depending on subjects, projects due, tests, etc., but a reasonable average is about two hours, with more on weekends, as needed, for major projects and exams. If your child spends considerably more than this on homework, look into the cause. Begin by having a conversation with the teacher. If the problem is class-wide, hopefully the teacher will make adjustments. If the problem is limited to your child because your child works slowly, or has other issues discussed in this section, talk to his teacher and see what can be done to modify his assignments.

9. IT'S TOO NOISY. Many kids complain that they can't concentrate at home. Their siblings are running around, TVs and music systems are blaring, someone's on the phone, people are fighting, the dog is barking, the baby is crying. I don't know about you, but I need quiet to do work that requires thinking. Closed bedroom doors don't help much, as the muffled sounds of chaos always manage to get through. Here is an idealistic solution. Even if it can't be carried out fully, at least it is something to aim for. As a family, consider designating a block of time as quiet time. Normal living continues, but more quietly than usual. Kids can use the time to do homework; parents can read, balance the checkbook, and write e-mails; those who have time to watch television can do so with headphones or the sound turned low. Sometimes quiet sounds pretty good, doesn't it?

10. THE CHILD IS TOO ALONE. Some children are lonely when required to do homework in their rooms, and don't work efficiently in that setting. Some need continuous support and direction. That is, they need someone to help them stay on task or to provide a little assistance when they get stuck. If required to work alone in their rooms, these are the kids who emerge three hours later with little or nothing accomplished. Both groups of children tend to prefer doing homework on the kitchen table. This way they have people around them, either for support or company. So, if homework causes chaos in your home, look into the reasons. Once you find them, and do what you need to resolve the problems, you'll be back on the road to school success and family harmony.

(Originally published at the Strong Learning website and reprinted with permission of the authors, Linda Bress Silbert, Ph.D. and Alvin J. Silbert, Ed.D.)