Strategies for Academic Success

1. Strategies for Academic Success Lanier Middle School Student Services Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit. - Artistotle

2. Your middle school student… • Middle school students are full of contrasts. • They can think abstractly but are willing to try new things. • They yearn for independence but can still find childlike wonder in the world. • They’re serious one minute, silly the next. If we want more students to succeed, we must begin to focus more attention and time on building students’ capacity to improve their own future. – Southern Regional Education Board

3. Self-discipline & Academics • Recent studies by psychologists have shown that self-discipline is key to academic success. • A study of eighth-graders found that self-discipline was strongly associated with marking period and final GPAs. • less frequently absent • did more hours of homework • spent less time watching television • began their homework earlier in the day compared to children with low self-discipline.

4. The Six Habits of SuccessHSTW and MMGW • Build and maintain productive relationships with peers and adults. • Organize, manage time, and develop study skills. • Develop strong reading and writing skills. • Develop strong mathematical skills. • Set goals and make plans to reach them. • Access resources needed to achieve goals.

5. #1 - Productive relationships • Consistently and actively works toward group goals • Sensitive to the feelings and learning needs of all group members • Willingly accepts and fulfills an individual role within the group • Consistently and actively contributes knowledge, opinions and skills • Values the knowledge, opinions and skills of all group members and encourages their contributions • Helps the group to identify necessary changes and encourages group action for change

6. #2 – Organization & time management Planner should be used for a variety of purposes: • Write down assignments • Track appointments • Describe goals and plans • Record grades • Show how time is spent • Chart assignments • Track habits • Keep locker and backpack neat. • Maintain class organizational system • Utilize extra time productively Encourage your child to use their agenda book to record school assignments and plan ahead for long-term projects. Request to see what they are working on and what is coming up that is due.

7. #2 - Study Skills • Turn off the TV set, silence the cell phone, no video games and limit internet activity. • Make it a house rule. These can all be time-consuming distractions that draw your child away from the task at hand – homework! • Designate a quiet well-lit spot for studying. • Avoid places with distractions, such as people coming and going. • Establish a routine that allows for balanced leisure activities. • Focus on one thing at a time. • Allow more time for homework than you think you will need.

8. Note Taking Review notes shortly after a lecture • Develop study questions and identify main ideas. • Fill in details for clarity. • Look up and add the definitions of new words/terminology. • Identify information that is unclear and/or questions that need to be answered. • Add symbols to highlight important ideas and key words. • Delete irrelevant information. • Review the overall organization of the material; rewrite for clarity, as needed. • Write a summary of the significant ideas. Use the speaker’s style to identify important points • Listen for important points that might be emphasized when the speaker: Keep up with the speaker • Write only the important ideas such as names, places, dates, events, examples, terms, definitions, causes, effects, evaluations, cross references: make it brief, but clear. Be alert to the speaker’s stance • Some lecturers attempt to persuade, as well as inform, listeners; when applicable, note ideas/references /opinions that provide insight into the speaker’s point of view.

9. #3 – Reading Skills • Show your child what reading has to offer. • Find a type of book that intrigues or interests your child. • Make reading material easily available. • Encourage reading for reading's sake. • SAT question of the day www.collegeboard.com • Make it a family affair! • The Lanier family is reading for 20 minutes during silent sustained reading every Tuesday and Thursday.

10. #3 – Writing Skills ENCOURAGE WRITING • Exchange Post-it® notes with your children. • Ask children to put their wishes and wants into writing and to suggest how they may work toward or contribute to getting what they want. • Help children create a family newsletter or website to share with family members near and far. • Make writing practical and useful in everyday life • Ask children to find a "golden line" in their reading—a sentence that especially attracts them and makes them aware of what clever or colorful writing looks like. • Write letters to their future selves.

11. #4 – Math Skills • Do assigned homework & practice skills • Helps learned skill taught during class, take notes on any questions • Encourage them to communicate with the teacher • Follow up with teacher on questions from HW • Learn how to approach math problems • Review the material • Make sure they understand the words • Your child should put special or new terms into their own words. If they can explain something, they are more likely to understand it. • Prepare for tests • Write a summary of what will be on test: describe each problem type, the steps in solving the problem, and do an example

12. #5 – Set Goals Students who have developed solid goals for the future, take their academic studies more seriously. S = Specific, in order to reach a goal, the goal must be detailed. M = Measurable, you need to have a way of knowing that you have reached your goal. A = Action-oriented, what is your action plan to reach your goal? R = Realistic, is your goal doable? T = Timely, give yourself enough time but not too much time

13. #6 - Access Resources • Blackboard • Pride Time – Mon -Thurs 40 minute block of time designated for intervention. • After school – Monday, Wednesday and Thursday are late bus days. Your child can let a teacher know ahead of time they need some additional assistance and teachers will establish a time with your child to come in. • Homework club – Monday, Wednesday and Thursday after school in the library. • SOAR – weekly positive reinforcement for students who have A’s, B’s and C’s, all work completed and 80+ passport points. • Tutor –Ask your child’s counselor for outside resources if this is an option you wish to pursue. Mandate that your child utilize available resources at school to help them succeed.

14. Motivation 6 Beliefs of Motivation: • All students can learn given the tools to do so. • Repeated failure teaches students to be unmotivated. Success reinforces success. • Everyone has the need to feel competent and influence events in their own lives. Motivation increases if these needs are met. • Mastering challenging tasks improves self-concept. • Classrooms need to be safe places to take risks in order for learning to take place. • Motivation increases if adults treat students respectfully.

15. Help your child’s success • Provide a good place to study • Help your child set academic goals • Use rewards and consequences • Attend all parent programs • Insist on daily attendance • See all interim reports and report cards • Keep in touch with the teacher – discuss accomplishments and setbacks • Help with time management • Deal effectively with homework • Encourage independent problem solving • Listen • Monitor activities and jobs • Encourage a healthy lifestyle • Encourage positive activities • Be aware and be informed • Set limits and boundaries • Focus success on effort, improvement and personal progress • Help your child see him/herself as the beneficiary of doing well in school • Give praise and positive reinforcements for success

16. If your child isn’t succeeding? Symptoms of academic underachievement Possible causes • Repeated failure to complete school or homework assignments on time. • Academic performance is below the student’s intelligence. • Heightened anxiety that interferes with student’s performance during tests. • Depression and low self-esteem that contribute to academic underachievement. • Poor organization or study skills that contribute to academic underachievement. • Lack of self-discipline. Depression or low self-esteem. • Power struggle. • Passive aggressiveness. • Exposed to chaotic environment. • Has become lazy. Has repeated school failures. • Poor study skills.

17. We’re here to help! • Rebecca Aguilar, Director of Student Services • Mitch Kamins – Cavaliers & Patriots • Latoya Kosh – Hornets & Hokies • Kathryn Crump Teague – Captains & Highlanders • Dayle Ranallo – Eagles & Spartans • Christi Campbell – Transition Counselor