Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.
—Thomas Alva Edison

Learner Development

The resources in the Learner Development section address the hard work necessary to reap success and by their nature will overlap. Without a framework of skills for getting things done, “bright”  “smart”, “brilliant”, “intelligent”, and “genius” students will find it difficult to embody the adjectives used to describe them. These skills are vital and efforts to learn them, if begun at a young age, will ensure that very high levels of mastery can be obtained. Even if a later psychological evaluation indicates challenges with executive functioning skills, this framework of skills will create the foundation that makes it easier for any intervention to succeed.

Note-Taking

Study Skills

Test-Taking

Time Management

Self-Advocacy

Organization Skills

Beyond High School

References

Note-Taking

  • Active Reading Guidelines:

    • Use a pen or a pencil, not a highlighter. You will be writing comments as much as pointing out key passages.Highlighting is great for your history textbook, when you have information to memorize. It’s not so great for literature. You’re trying to react to the author’s words, not memorize them. (Note: if your books are library books, or for some other reason you can’t write in them, you should do your best to read actively, either making notes in a separate notebook or using post-it notes. Some students get very creative using tape flags and other fun products made for school supply junkies.) Read More

Study Skills

  • Getting Ready for Midterms and Finals:

    • Here is a checklist to help you get ready for mid-terms or finals.

      1) Gather all of your notes, quizzes and tests for each subject. Put them in chronological order.

      2) Find out from your teacher what the exam will cover.

      3) Go through the concepts you studied in each subject and make a list of what gave you trouble. Read More

  • Active Reading Guidelines:

    • Use a pen or a pencil, not a highlighter. You will be writing comments as much as pointing out key passages.Highlighting is great for your history textbook, when you have information to memorize. It’s not so great for literature. You’re trying to react to the author’s words, not memorize them. (Note: if your books are library books, or for some other reason you can’t write in them, you should do your best to read actively, either making notes in a separate notebook or using post-it notes. Some students get very creative using tape flags and other fun products made for school supply junkies.) Read More

  • Learning for the Test and Beyond:
    • The best time to study for a test is the day a new topic is introduced, so that by the time the assessment is announced half of the preparation is done. You accomplish this by developing questions that help you learn as much as possible about the topic and by setting aside time each day to go over class notes. Read More
Test-Taking
  • Getting Ready for Midterms and Finals:
    • Here is a checklist to help you get ready for mid-terms or finals.

      1) Gather all of your notes, quizzes and tests for each subject. Put them in chronological order.

      2) Find out from your teacher what the exam will cover.

      3) Go through the concepts you studied in each subject and make a list of what gave you trouble. Read More

  • Learning for the Test and Beyond:
    • The best time to study for a test is the day a new topic is introduced, so that by the time the assessment is announced half of the preparation is done. You accomplish this by developing questions that help you learn as much as possible about the topic and by setting aside time each day to go over class notes. Read More
Time Management
  • Time Management:

    • No one is born being effective and efficient: Time Management is a learned skill. As such, it is a skill you will tweak and practice over time. Starting early, then, makes sense.

      To master time management, five ingredients are required:

      1) a routine, or two

      2) a daily to-do list

      3) a calendar

      4) a timepiece

      5) a growing knowledge of your working self

      Read More

Self-Advocacy
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Organization Skills
  • New School Year Tips: 
    • So, you have done your school shopping: Got that new backpack you wanted, and the latest fashion trends are now a part of your wardrobe; Loose-leaf paper, notebooks, pencils, calculator, water bottle. Check. You may have even got a haircut and some new headphones. But are you fully ready for the new school year? Here are some tips to implement during the first week of school to ensure that you have the best possible year academically. Read More
  • Getting Ready for Midterms and Finals:
    • Here is a checklist to help you get ready for mid-terms or finals.

      1) Gather all of your notes, quizzes and tests for each subject. Put them in chronological order.

      2) Find out from your teacher what the exam will cover.

      3) Go through the concepts you studied in each subject and make a list of what gave you trouble. Read More

 

Beyond High School
References
  • Dawson, Peg and Guare, Richard. (2009). Smart But Scattered: The Revolutionary “Executive Skills”Approach to Helping Children Read. New York: Guilford Press. 
  • Dawson, Peg and Guare, Richard. (2010) Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents. (2nd ed.) New York: Guilford Press.
  • Newport, Cal. (2007) How to Become a Straight-A Student. New York: Broadway Books.
  • Robinson, Adam. (1993) What Smart Students Know. New York: Three Rivers Press.