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Following each title is a letter or combination of letters C, S, and O. These letters indicate the area(s) of skill addressed by the intervention or resource; C= Classroom, S= Study, and/or O= Organizational. 

 

1.     22 Science Backed Study Tips to Ace a Test (S & O)

 

Study Tips Guide

Availability: Free Online

 

This website provides a descriptive list of 22 study tips; most of which are empirically based and include direct links to their research. In addition to selecting a counseling approach, it is also important to make sure that the information you provide students with is supported by research and appropriate for their needs. I found this list to be particularly interesting because it uses friendly wording that would be enticing for middle to high school students. You could distribute this resource as a psychoeducational tool for students in grades 6-12, as a resource for yourself to find strategies for students in grades K-12, and/or as an organizational tool, or checklist, for students to easily track and monitor their strategy use (can be scaffold to work with any grade). You might also disseminate this resource to teachers/parents so that they might help structure their students’/child’s studying time with the introduction of new study habits. This resource is appropriate for both individual and group counseling.

 

2.     Counseling Strategies That Work! Evidence-based Interventions for School Counselors (C, S, & O)

 

Parsons, R. D. (2007). Counseling strategies that work! Evidence-based interventions for School Counselors. West Chester, PA: Pearson.

Availability: Print (ISBN 0205445586), $102.00

 

This counseling book provides a collection of evidence-based strategies intended to target the everyday issues school counselors face. The section of particular relevance to this toolkit would be Section One- Assisting Students Navigate Academic Demands. The chapters included in this section are, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Interventions for Student Distractibility, Inattentiveness, and Time on Task, Disruptive Behavior: Tantrums, Out-of-Seat, and Clowning, Dishonesty: Cheating and Stealing, Low Self-efficacy and Motivational Issues, Task Completion and Homework Issues. Each chapter includes an introduction to the nature of the problem, several sample interventions, one detailed intervention, and a section illustrating case studies from the field. The description of the book notes that it provides a new perspective on treatment selection and can be used as a graduate school text or in professional daily practice. Depending on the intervention chosen, interventions and techniques from this book can be used with all grade levels and in both individual and group counseling.

 

 

3.     Communicating Lesson Learning Objectives (C, S, & O)

 

Beyda, S. D., Zentall, S. S., & Ferko, D. K. (2002). The relationship between teacher practices and the task-appropriate and social behavior of students with behavioral disorders. Behaviorial Disorders, 27, 236-255.

Found on Intervention Central

Availability: Free Online

 

This article suggests that communicating general lesson overviews can help enhance a students' ability to focus and retain information. "Teachers can help students to retain the key points of a lesson by previewing the important learning objectives, labeling important points during the lesson, and reviewing those points at the close of the instructional session. Open the lesson by telling students what they will be learning that day and the materials that they will need to accomplish the lesson. During the lesson, emphasize important information that students should write into their class notes. At the end of the lesson, briefly review the central points again to improve student retention" (Intervention Central). This strategy can be practiced with individual students, small groups, and/or with the whole-class. The primary purpose behind this teaching strategy is to provide students with the structure necessary to help students organize, prioritize, and practice recall of the lesson's content. Delivering instruction in this framework helps model effective note taking skills and can help improve the efficiency of a student's study habits. This strategy would be particularly helpful for students who have difficulty monitoring and managing their attention. As a counselor you might recommend this intervention to teachers in need of assistance with lesson structuring and/or teachers of students who struggle with shifting attention and/or retaining information. This intervention can be used with all grade levels.

 

 

4.     School-Wide Strategies for Study Skills/Organization (C, S, & O)

 

Intervention Central: School-Wide Strategies for Study Skills/Organization

Availability: Free Online

 

This website provides a descriptive list of research-based strategies for school-wide approaches to enhanching students' study skills and organization. These strategies are ideal for working with the middle to high school student population. "As students transition to middle and high school, they are expected to depend less on the teacher to manage their instruction and to put increasing energy into becoming self-managing learners. But students must master essential study and organizational skills before they can function as independent learners" (Intervention Central). The objectives of these interventions include:

• breaking class and homework assignments into subtasks. 

• using time efficiently to complete assignments.

• learning to save graded papers and handouts.

• regularly reviewing class notes and course readings. 

• practicing effective study techniques.

A uniqe aspect of this online resource is that all of the interventions can be applied on an individual to whole-school basis. Depending upon the size of your audience, these interventions can be recommended to parents (individual), teachers (small group and class-wide), and administrators (school-wide). These interventions were structured to accommodate the needs of students in grades 6-12.

 

 

5.     A Parent’s Guide to Good Study Habits (S & O)

 

North Dakota Department of Public Instruction Handout

Availability: Free Online

 

The North Dakota Department of Pubilc Instruction created a tips and strategies guide aimed at helping parents structure and facilitate positive study habits in the home setting. This handout encourages parents to set up study routines and provides examples of how this can be done. This resource ties in the importance of setting regular schedules, having a regular study area, asking direct questions, snacking healthy, and reviewing work. Connecting the home and school study environments with these pointers can help students who struggle with time management and/or maintaining focus when studying. Starting this process can be slightly overwhelming for parents so this handout can help minimize this difficulty and guide their decisions. The high level of parental involvement with these strategies suggests that it caters to younger students (grades K-6). However, dependending on the particular situation (i.e., concept(s), difficulty of task, child's level of independence) these strategies and level of parental involvement can be scaffolded to meet the needs of any student (K-12). As a counselor you could include these strategies in a home-school behavior contract and/or have weekly check-ins to discuss a student's academic progress and the effectiveness of his/her new study structure. This resource can be disseminated to all parents.

 

6.     Testbusters Program (C & S)

 

Beidel, D. C., Turner, S. M., & Taylor-Ferreira, J. C. (1999). Teaching study skills and test-taking strategies to elementary school students: The testbusters program. Behavior Modification, 23, 630-646.

Manual (Optional): Beidel, D.C., & Taylor-Ferreira, J.C. (1996). Testbusters: Study smarter not harder. Mt. Pleasant, SC: Turndel.

 

Testbusters is an 11-week study skills and test-taking program for elementary and middle school students in grades 4-7.  The purpose of this program is to reduce student test anxiety and related social-evaluative concerns. This program includes study skills training, behavioral contracting, and test-taking strategies instruction. A 1999 pilot study conducted by Beidel, Turner, and Taylor-Ferreira found that the program decreased students' general levels of test anxiety and self-ratings of distress when taking a test. Additionally, the overall GPAs of these students improved significantly. The six steps of this program involve assessing the student's current study behaviors, instruction on how to establish good and consistent study habits, creation of a behavioral contract, specific study method instruction, test-taking strategy instruction, and monitoring of academic progress. This intervention can be conducted in an individual or group format. Teacher training is recommended and an optional manual is available for this program.

 

 

7.     The Master Filing System for Paper (C, S, & O)

 

Newhall, P. W. (2008). Organizational skills for students with learning disabilities: The master filing system for paper. Adapted from Study Skills: Research-Based Teaching Strategies. Prides Crossing, MA: Landmark School, 21-22.

Availability: Free Online

 

The Master Filing System for paper is a strategy developed by the Landmark School's Outreach Program and was adapted from Study Skills: Research-Based Teaching Strategies. It was created as a structure to help students with learning disabilities and/or executive functioning challenges organize their materials for logical and quick referencing. The Master Filing System involves the use of a primary, or "master", binder or folder plus file. The master binder would include using dividers for each class, plastic page protectors, loseleaf paper, and a basic three-hole puncher that can be secured by the three-ring binder. The folder plus file approach would involve color coordinated folders for each class and a large accordian file/hanging file system to hold work that cannot be stored and transported in the slimmer folders. Each divider section, folder pocket, and/or file has a specific purpose and should be used consistently as such. It is important to introduce this system thoroughly and model how it works by using an example of a completed Master Filing System. Students may need assistance with organizing their work into logical categories and creating a systematic method for material storage. Keys to this process involve mastery of routine through guided practice and the regular cleaning out binders or folders after test or unit completion. This intervention is typically used with individuals or in small groups. The examples in the article relate to middle and high school concepts, however this intervention can be adapted to meet the needs of any grade level (K-12).

 

 

8.     Visual Supports for Learning (C & O)

 

 

 

Blagojevic, B., Louge, M. E., Bennett-Armistead, V. S., Taylor, B., & Neal, E. (2008). Take a look! Visual supports for learning. Teaching Young Children, 4, 10-13.

Visual Templates: www.ccids.umaine.edu/resources/ec/visual-supports

Additional Resource: http://www.pbisworld.com/tier-2/individual-visual-schedules/

Availability: Free Online

 

The National Association for the Education of Young Children published an article about using visual supports as a learning intervention. In addition to helping students learn through the use of specific routines, examples, and verbal explinations, the use of visual supports such as photos, drawings, objects, gestures, and print and environmental cues, can be especially helpful for students with disabilities and/or those who are learning English. This form of intervention is ideal for students who have difficulty understanding or keeping up with verbal instructions in the classroom or at home. It is common to see visual supports for scheduling and organization purposes in the pre-literate primary grades (K-2). However, these aids can be used in any grade for which a visual representation of a schedule or a new vocabulary term would be helpful. This article details various ways you can incorporate visual learning into a classroom, why you would want to consider using visual learning aids, pointers to keep in mind when creating these supports, and how to introduce them to your students. Visual supports for learning can be used with individual students (e.g., a picture based daily schedule for a new 4th grade student who cannot yet communicate in English) to whole classes (e.g., student pictures to identify specific cubbies in a  pre-literate kindergarten classroom). 

 

 

9.     Focus on Sleep (S)

 

 

Alohola, P., & Polo-Kantola, P. (2007). Sleep deprivation: Impact on cognitive performance. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 3, 553-567.

Availability: Free Online

 

Research has found that sleep deprivation has a negative effect on cognitive performance. Alohola and Polo-Kantola (2007) suggest that our ability to retain new information is greatly weakened when we experience a lack of sleep. Therefore, ensuring that students are getting the proper amount of quality sleep per night is particularly important when expecting them to pay attention, actively learn, study, retain content knowledge, and perform well on tests. It is important that counselors share this knowledge with parents and teachers because issues involving lack of sleep or sleep deprivation can and should be addressed. Difficulty with sleep has been found to affect a child's social, behaviorial, emotional, and/or academic performance. As a counselor you should inquire about a child's quality, duration, and pattern of sleep if a he or she seems to be struggling in any of these areas. 

 

 

10.    Take 10! (C & S)

 

 

Take 10! Theoretical Background

Availability: Order Online for $82.00 per grade level Activity Kit (Activity Kit Binder includes: 39+ activity cards, 50+ copyable worksheets, tracking posters, stickers, teacher resources, and teacher/student assessments.) You can also request a Take10! quote by using the link at the  bottom of their website page.

 

Take 10! is an evidence-based program from the Research Foundation of the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI). This program incorporates grade-specific activities (K-5) linked to core curriculum objectives for math, science, language arts, social studies, and character education in 10-minute segments. During a typical 7 hour school day there could be up 6 different 10-minute activity breaks that involve a physical activity and paired activity worksheet (both provided in the kit). Each activity card includes beginner, intermediate, and advance degrees of activity complexity. The teacher can identify which level would be appropriate for his or her students and then scaffold the lesson to meet their needs. This program is designed to be implemented in a whole class setting. Brain-based learning is the program's primary theoretical basis and suggests that whole-body and cross-lateral movements can stimulate the prefrontal cortex, or the area of the brain used in general learning and problem solving.

 

Additional Evidence Supporting School-Based Physical Activity and Academic Performance:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010). The association between school based physical activity, including physical education, and academic performance. U. S. Department of Health and Human Services: Atlanta, GA.