SMART

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Do you think you are “street smart”? This term generally refers to someone who is resourceful, especially on their own. Someone with street smarts most likely can make their way through a large city without getting lost. They’re not easily tricked

or fooled. They can take care of themselves and stay safe. And they have a plan at all times to figure out most situations.Being street smart is an important skill in life. So is being classroom smart. But how can you become classroom smart? How can you make your way through each subject

— no matter how challenging — without becoming lost? How can you stay on top of the lessonsin a way you won’t be tricked or fooled? How can you take care of yourself?

The answer to being classroom smart is the same as for being street smart.You need a plan to keep you on top of things, to protect you from being

tripped up, to keep you on track for success. This “Study Smart” supplement will show you ways to get the plan you need

to succeed. It also will show you another similarity between being street smartand classroom smart: You need to do it on your own. No one can do it for you.

You have to do it yourself. You have to take responsibility.And why not? It’s your survival.

The first thing to beingclassroom smart is toknow your strengthsand know your weaknesses. Everybody is good at some things, andeverybody can improve at other things. The key is taking strengthsand using them to improve weaknesses.

If you were asked to list things you are good at, what would youname? Would your list include basketball, dancing, playing aninstrument, making friends, singing, sewing or maybe drawing?

What about listening, reading, working things out and followingthrough? How about note-taking, writing, studying or taking tests?

Knowing your strengths and weaknesses can make you a betterstudent.

For example, if you understood your teacher’s lesson duringclass, but couldn’t figure out the homework later on, maybe yournote-taking skills can be improved. Or if you were sure you knew allthe answers the night before a big test, but then couldn’t seem toremember during the test, maybe you have test anxiety.

Whatever your weaknesses are, they can be overcome with practice,patience and some tips. But first, let’s learn how you learn.

CreditsThe Newspaper in Education supplement “Study Smart” was created by Hollister Kids for syndication to newspapers nationally to extend the lessons of Hollister’s original “Study Skills” supplement and TeacherGuide. Copyright © 2009 Hollister Kids. All rights reserved..• The illustrator was Adam Lovitz.• The graphic designer was Aaron Sales.• The writer was Emilia Pastina.• The editor was Peter Landry.

Both “Study Skills 2” and the original “Study Skills” are available for NIEthrough the Hollister Kids Web site, www.hollisterkids.com

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Search the newspaper Classified Ads to find a job that best suitsyour learning style – Seeing, Hearing or Doing/Feeling. Write a paragraph describing how your style of learning would be an asset in this job. Then turn to the Help Wanted section in the Classified Ads. Write your own classified ad as if you wereseeking a job. Don’t forget to describe your strengths and yourlearning style.

So what do you do once you havefigured out what your style ofstudying is?

If you have a “seeing style,” uselots of visual aids. Take notes, use cue words and color codes. Findphotos that illustrate subjects. Make charts or maps. Create wordsfrom the first letters of key phrases you need to remember. Draw

pictures that show what you’re studying. If you’re studying bats, sketch how they’d stretch theirwings — or how they’d sleep.

If you have a “hearing style,” use or make tape recordings. Speak aloud when reviewing or reading.Talk to yourself or repeat things out loud to explain how things work. Make up rhymes or songs toremember facts for those bats you’re studying. Find friends with whom to discuss things.

If you have a “doing or feeling style,” get up and walk around your room with your book as youstudy. Physically repeat motions as you memorize important information. Role play or dance outinformation. Act like a character you’re studying. Perform those bat songs you made up!

All people have different personalities,likes and dislikes. People also have different ways to learn.

There’s not a right way or wrong way,just different ways.

Take this Learning Style Challengeand decide the main way you learn.

Seeing?Do you like to watch rather than talk?Do you like to read? Are you a goodspeller? Do you memorize by seeingpictures, newspaper headlines or evenparagraphs in a book? If you do, youlearn best by SEEING.

Hearing?Are you good at remembering whatsomeone says? Would you rather listenthan watch? Do you like to make uprhyming or musical games? If you do,you learn best by HEARING.

Doing/Feeling?Are you a doer? Do you enjoy touchingan object in order to learn about it? Doyou like to build things? Do you like totake something apart and put it backtogether again? If you do, you learnbest by DOING or FEELING.

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‘Word Smart’ — Linguistic IntelligenceGood at telling or writing stories.Loves to read anything and everything — books, magazines, newspapers.Likes word games, such as crossword puzzles, Scrabble, tongue-twisters.Favorite subjects are English, history and social studies.Good at repeating and even understanding information that is spoken.

‘Numbers/Reasoning Smart’ — Logical-Mathematical IntelligenceLoves numbers and can easily add or subtract in your head.Likes to put together and follow “things to do” plan for the day.Likes games such as brain teasers and puzzles that require logical thinking.Favorite subjects are math and science.Likes everything in a logical order, such as clothes arranged by type

or style in a closet.

‘Picture Smart’ — Spatial Intelligence Loves the arts, such as music, drama and painting.Likes to take photographs and even doodling on class assignments.Good at taking things apart and putting them back together.Favorite subjects are art and maybe even geometry.Prefers books with a lot of photographs or drawings.

‘Body Smart’ — Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence Loves sports and physical activities.Likes roller coasters and other thrill rides.Thinks through problems while walking, running or doing another

physical activity.Favorite subjects are Phys. Ed. or lessons that include a craft.Would rather learn something by doing it than reading about it.

‘Music Smart’ — Musical Intelligence Can remember a tune after hearing it only a couple of times.Plays at least one musical instrument.Loves to sing and can even do so on key.Prefers to have music playing in the background while working or playing.Usually is tapping a pencil or even a finger to a musical beat.

‘People Smart’ — Interpersonal Intelligence Loves working as part of a group.Rather play team sports such as basketball or soccer, than individual sports

such as swimming or running.May be called a “social butterfly” and likes going to birthday parties and

other event rather than watching TV alone.Is a leader and likes to show others how to do things.Likes to talk about problems rather than figuring them out yourself.

‘Self Smart’ — Intrapersonal Intelligence Loves to write feelings in a diary or journal.Makes up own mind about things; can’t be talked into something.Likes time to self — thinking, playing a one-person game, reading alone.Thinks about personal strengths and weaknesses.Likes to work on projects by self.

‘Nature Smart’ — Naturalist Intelligence Loves animals and has or would like to have pets.Knows many different types of trees, flowers and plants; likes to grow

things.Likes to know how the body works, such how the heart pumps and the

joints move.Interested in protecting the environment.Likes to learn about planets and stars.

In school and in life, people achieve success in many ways. And sometimes it’s not how smart you are, but HOW you are smart.

Have you ever heard anyone say someone is “people smart” or maybe even “picture smart”?

What they were probably referring to isa theory by a famous Harvard Universityprofessor, Dr. Howard Gardner. In 1983,Dr. Gardner developed the theory ofMultiple Intelligences. This theory sug-gests that there are many ways peopleare smart. Tests for IQ (IntelligenceQuotient) only measures what someoneknows, not what they’re good at.

Go through the list below, and circle the characteristics that best describeyou. Based on the number of characteristics circled, what “intelligence”best fits you? Do you agree?

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In the newspaper, find a “profile” story about someone makingnews locally, nationally, in sports, in business or in entertainment.A profile is an article describing someone’s personality, life,work, etc. From the article, what kind of “intelligence” wouldyou say this person has? If you were assigned a project or home-work assignment with this person, do you think you would workwell with him or her? Why or why not?

Now that you know there are many ways to learn, how do youuse Multiple Intelligences to improve

your study skills?Are you more likely to

learn better if you writedown your thoughts about the material? Wouldusing clay to construct a model help you better

understand how a heart works? If you drew a graph of a word problem,could you figure it out more easily?

Here are some ways to use the strengths of Multiple Intelligences toimprove your study skills.

• If you are People Smart, invite friends over to discuss lessons and materials.Or start an online study chat group.

• If you are Self Smart, keep a journal or Web blog highlighting things youwant to remember from each lesson. When you have a test, you canreview your journal or blog and have key ideas at your fingertips.

• If you are Numbers/Reasoning Smart, create a timeline of events you arestudying, or make charts and graphs to organize material.

• If you are Body Smart, act out scenes from history or literature toremember them, build models or three-dimensional figures.

• If you are Picture Smart, design posters, create comic strips or draw pictures that showcase key information in a visual way.

• If you are Word Smart, write raps, rhymes or poems to sum up key facts even if the rhymes are silly.

• If you are Music Smart, come up with tunes or songs to go with yourrhymes. Or create music mixes of songs that put you in the right moodto study, or get you pumped for the day of a test.

• If you are Nature Smart, compare ideas you need to remember to theway things work in natural habitats. Or think how animal behaviors canhelp you remember human behaviors or personalities.

Now think of the kind of intelligence you have. On a sheet of paper,write three ways you could use your intelligence to help you study, learnand remember things. Compare ideas with those of your classmates.

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Being prepared is always smart. And writingout a study plan is an important part ofbeing prepared. Practice this skill by filling

out the study plan below. Save a copyand complete it the week before

each scheduled test.

Smart SpaceChoose a smart place for you to study.If you like the outdoors (Nature Smart), sit in your backyard on agood weather day. If you work best with others (People Smart),invite some friends over or stay after school with a group toreview notes and quiz each other. But find the right surroundingsthat will allow you to really concentrate on the material and evenenjoy learning.

Smart TimeBe smart with your time. Tackle the subjects that challenge you

the most or are your least favorites first. It’s always fun to havesomething to look forward to. So save your favorite subjects forlast. And don’t forget to take planned breaks. Choose a time togo to the kitchen for a healthy, smart snack. And make sure yournotes are organized and easy to read.

Do you need to seeyou’re accomplishingsomething (Number/Reasoning Smart)?Make a checklist ofeverything you want toaccomplish. Checkingoff completed tasks willmake you feel good!

My Study Plan

Test date: ______________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Subject: ________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Teacher: ________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Test will cover the following chapters and/or lessons: ________________

________________________________________________________________

Areas I feel confident in: __________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Areas I need help in:______________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Questions I need answered: ______________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Tools I need to study (such as textbook, newspaper, Internet, libraryresources):

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

List of chapters and lessons to review: ____________________________

________________________________________________________________

Studying can seem boring, but it’s a lot more interesting if you find a way use yourstrengths to do it. And you should know it’s a skill that can be mastered.

Knowing how you learn and how you are smartcan help you build up your study skills. And this, ofcourse, will help you to be the best learner possible.

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Studying smart is all about knowing yourself and coming up withthe right plan for your style. Having a plan is not only smartwhen it comes time for test taking, however. It’s also smart ineveryday life. Find a story in today’s newspaper about someonewho accomplished something great. Maybe it’s a firefighter whosaved someone from a burning building. Maybe it’s a motherwho helped get a new law passed that could save the lives ofchildren. Or maybe it’s a farmer who sells his products to thecommunity every day. Read the story and write down a problemthe person or group faced before achieving success. What plandid they come up with? What was the outcome?

Here are some more ways to use your study style to yourbest advantage.

Students Who Learn Best by HearingYou may feel as if you don’t need to take notes in class

because you’re good at remembering what is being said.But when it comes time to study, you’ll wish you haddetailed notes.

Here are some strategies for your learning style:Ask your teacher if it is okay to tape record the lesson.After taking notes, read them and record on an audio

cassette to listen to while preparing for a test.Choose a study partner or group and take turns reading

the assignments and notes aloud. Ask each other ques-tions and take turns quizzing one another on the material.But be sure to pair up with other “hearing” learners.

Students Who Learn Best by SeeingYou probably take great notes, but maybe remembering something that was said isn’t

your greatest skill. Here are some tips about using your best skills in order to study well:Not only should you take notes in class, but also take notes from your reading assign-

ments. Writing down what you’ve learned will help you to remember it.If your teacher gives you handouts, rewrite the information so you can better remember it.If you have questions about the assignment or lesson, write down your questions on

paper. When you find the answers, right them down, too.

Students Who Learn Best by DoingOkay, if you’re the hands-on kind of learner, you’re probably wondering how you can

learn history, math or other subjects this way. But don’t worry, here are some tips:Note taking is also very important for manual learners. And so is recopying notes and

lessons. The act of writing down the material is physically doing something, which will helpyou to better remember the information.

Draw a picture. Whether the lesson is about a political leader, an historic invention orhow plants grow, drawing an image will help you to not only understand what is beingtaught but also to remember it.

For math problems, ask your teacher oranother student if you can watch him orher solve the problem. Then you solvethe problem using the same steps.Drawing a diagram can help, too.

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1. Reporters have to listen carefully when they attend press con-ferences. They must be accurate reporting what happened.Hold a mock press conference in your class. Pick one person(or the teacher) to make a mock announcement of some bigstory at your school. An example could be a rally for a teamchampionship or advice about a flu outbreak. Have everyonetake notes on what the speaker says. Then ask questions andtake more notes. Finally, compare what each student heard onthe major points of the mock announcement.

2. Find a story on the front page of the newspaper. Pick a storythat will continue, or “jump” to another page. Now practice theSQ3R skills you read about. List all the things you learned bylooking at the headlines, photos, captions, italic or bold words.

There are ways to make yourself a better reader. One islearning to look over, or “survey,” the text at the start togive yourself the big picture. Another is to recognize all the

information you can learn visually from graphicsand photos.

When reading for information, you may not needto read every single word. And even if you do, youshould teach yourself to read in a way that will savetime and be more effective.

An educator named Francis Robinson came upwith a plan for this called SQRRR or SQ3R, forshort. The letters stand for Survey, Question, Read,Recite and Review.

Those words give you a game plan for readingeffectively for information.

How SQ3R WorksSURVEY means to look quickly over what you haveto read before you start. First thing in your survey,you should read the first paragraph, and the last.The first paragraph introduces the subject, and thelast paragraph gives the author’s conclusion.

Then read the headlines, titles and subtitles.Notice words or phrases that are printed in bold oritalic print (this indicates they are important). Lookat all illustrations, charts, graphs and read the captionsunder them.

Next step is to QUESTION. Ask yourself whatyou already know about the subject. Turn mainheadlines and bold or italic type into questions.

Then you’re ready to READ. You want to answerthe questions you have made from headlines, andany you asked yourself. You want to look for detailsor examples in the text.

Make sure you read the first and last sentences ofeach paragraph. Wherever you can, try makingyour reading visual. If there aren’t photos, graphsor pictures, think what things would look like inyour head.

After you read, you want to RECITE. As you com-plete each section, stop to answer your originalquestions silently or out loud.

Finally, you will want to REVIEW. Scan the differentsections of what you have read, and state the mainpoints. Write a summary, or create your personalstudy sheet while it is still fresh in your mind.

Most of what you study in school is based onreading. You read stories or books. You readspelling or vocabulary words. You read mathproblems or history dates.

Not all reading is alike. Some is reading forpleasure and some is reading for information.Pleasure reading is fun. You read about a movieor a sports star in a magazine, or you read anadventure story.

Reading for information can also be fun and it’san important study skill. But its main purpose is togive you facts and material you will need

to remember later — or the opinions or point of view in a piece of writing.

As you read your books, certain“signal words” give you clueswhen something that follows is important.

Here are some to be alert to: furthermore, besides, many,likewise, in addition, next, therefore, thus, in conclusion,consequently, finally, as a result, for example, specifically,for instance, and such as.

Some words tell you that you are going to hear anopposite view — words like however, yet, nevertheless,still, instead and even though.

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Read the following list of listening techniques. Placea checkmark next to items that apply to you.

• You keep your mind on what is being said.• You catch yourself when your mind begins to

wander.• You keep your mind active and alert, by taking

notes and putting stars next to important points.• You make connections to your own experiences

or life.• You think of examples as the speaker talks. • You think ahead to what may be coming next.• You make sure you’re clear about what is

being said while the speaker is talking.• You think of questions to ask.• You listen to class discussions, and/or

participate.• You pick up on any information that is repeated

and make a note of it.

How many checkmarks did you make in thelist above? If you checked five or more items,you are a good listener. If you checked fewer,you could try some of the techniques toimprove.

Becoming a good listener is one of the most important things you can do to becomeclassroom smart. Listening skills support all the other study skills you need. And listen-

ing skills will help you all through life.Good listening is not just sitting back and letting the

words flow over you. To be a good listener, you need to beactively involved — reacting to whatthe speaker says, thinking of ques-tions, comparing statements to whatyou know from your life, deciding ifyou agree with the opinions beingstated. You also have to know whatworks for you and plan ahead so youget what you need.

Any number of things. It can bewhere you sit — front or back.It can be how comfortable oruncomfortable the chair is. Itcan be how hot, or cool, theroom is. It can be the tone ofvoice or delivery of the speaker.It can be whether there is classdiscussion.

In all the hours you areawake, you are actively listening

The first and last few minutes of any class are the most important. They are the same as the first and lastparagraph of something you read.

The first moments introduce what the class is about. The last moments wrap upthe lesson. The last moments are also when homework assignments areusually given out!

If you have trouble hearing what is said as the class breaks up, make it apoint to take a minute to ask the teacher. It will help you make sure you did

not miss something you were supposed to hear.If you can’t talk to the teacher, make a point to ask a classmate. Arrange to partner with one or two classmates

to be each other’s backup. It’s always smart to have someone watch your back.If your teacher has email or a Web site, use the Internet to follow up.

only about one-third of the time. At other times yourmind may wander. Distractions to good listeninginclude sounds in theroom or outside,being uncomfortable,being tired, or beingupset.

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As you learned on Page 8,being classroom smartbegins with being anactive listener.

In any class, it’s importantto hear and understand

what the teacher is saying. To better remember what the teacher says, youneed to take good notes and ask questions.

You will not need to write everything down. Notes should be the high-lights of what the teacher says — the important points, the subjects onwhich you will be tested later.

Experts, in fact, say you should spend about 80 percent of the time listening, and only about 20 percent writing.

Teachers usually are pretty good about letting you know what’s important.They may say right out: “You need to remember this.” or “You’ll need toknow this later.” When your teachers do this, take advantage of the tip. It’sa gift. Write the information down. Put a star next to it!

Here are some quick tips to improve your note-taking skills:

Blogging, e-mail, Instant Messenger and textmessaging have all shown people easy waysto abbreviate common words and expressions.And abbreviating is an important skill in taking notes.

You probably use abbreviations more thanyou realize. Or you may use acronyms —abbreviations that are formed by using thefirst letter of each word in a phrase. The wordblog itself is an abbreviation for the phrase“Web log.” Here are some other abbrevia-tions, acronyms or symbols you may use oftenwhen you are taking:

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You know how people say there are no stu-pid questions. Well, it’s true. If you don’tunderstand something in class, chances arepretty great that others are thinking the samething. So go ahead and ask your teacher toexplain something in greater detail.

When taking notes, put question marks nextto anything that doesn’t make complete senseto you. If there is no time to ask right then, besure to ask your teacher to go over everythingyou didn’t quite understand at the end ofclass.

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Pair up with a classmate in order to practice your note-takingskills. Ask your partner to choose an article from the newspaperand to pretend he or she is a television news anchor. Your part-ner should read the newspaper story to you, just as an anchorwould. While your partner is reading, take notes. Remember toabbreviate and use symbols and acronyms. Rewrite your notesand read them back to your partner. Did you include all of theimportant information? Did you understand what was read andwhat you wrote? Now, choose another story from the newspa-per and change roles.

After class, rewrite or edit your notes. Change theabbreviations to whole words and get rid of the symbolsand acronyms and replace with the appropriate wordsor phrases. This will not only refresh the lesson taught,but it will also help later on when you review for a test.

It’s important to review your notes quickly. It willhelp you remember things you weren’t able to writedown at the time and give you an opportunity to “fillin the gaps” in any of your notes.

As you rewrite or edit your notes, find all of thequestion marks and make sure you understand thepoints involved. If you haven’t had a chance to askyour teacher, you may look up the information in yourtextbook. Or you may get it by comparing your noteswith a friend’s. Sometimes a classmate can help youunderstand the lesson. And maybe you can help theclassmate, too.

Before class starts the next day, reread your notes. It will helpyou to better understand the next lesson and will remindyou to ask about anything that is still unclear to you.

And don’t forget to come prepared for class by completing all work and reading assignments beforeschool begins.

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In every class you’re going to be tested.Test time is what you prepare for through note-taking, asking questions, studying and organizing yourself.

You know yourself. You know how you learn. You know how you aresmart. But now what?

Relax. Anxiety before a test is normal. It can even improve your con-centration and alertness. But don’t get too anxious and don’t worry.Remember, you’re prepared. Show that confidence.

Here are some ways to relax.Breathe. Take a long, deep breath and hold it. Slowly, release your breath.

Stretch. Reach your arms up high. Stretch your legs out. Move your headand neck slowly. And flex your fingers and wrists.

Visualize. Close your eyes for a few seconds andthink about something happy. Remembering the

ways you are smart will help you to focus. If you’re Music Smart, get the tune of your favorite song in yourhead while thinking about the lessons you studied. If you’re Picture Smart, try to imagine yourself acing thetest. If you’re Word Smart, come up with adjectives to describe how confident you are about the material.

Now that you’ve relaxed, make sure you have everything your teacher requires before getting to class. Areyou supposed to have a pencil, paper, calculator?

Next, it’s on to the test. Here are some things to remember as you begin so you can do your very best:Read through the entire test. It’ll help you come up

with a plan and take away some of the anxiety of notknowing what to expect.

If you come to a question you’re not sure of, makea mark next to it and come back to it. It’s best to firstanswer the questions you are more comfortable with,leaving time for the questions you need to think a littlemore about.

If it’s a multiple-choice test, eliminate the choicesyou know are not right. This will increase your oddsof answering the questions correctly.

If it’s a true/false test, pay close attention to keywords such as “always,” “never” and “every.” Generalwords like those and “all of the above” or “none ofthe above” can throw you off track. But you know theright answer.

For essay questions, read each one carefully andthen begin with the easiest. But before you beginwriting, think it over. Be sure to write in legible, clear,complete sentences. It’s always good to have abeginning, middle and end. Start with stating thequestion and then present your answers. Don’t forgetto include why or how you came up with your conclu-sions. And end the answer by restating your main points.

On math tests, take your time. If you’re stuck,maybe drawing a diagram will help. And don’t forgetto show all your work.

Is it an open book test? If so, make sure you arefamiliar with the book so you can locate materialquickly. If your teacher allows highlighting material inthe book, do so while studying. It’ll help you find theinformation quickly.

Before you turn in your test, check all of your answers.Then smile. You were prepared and you’ve done well.

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Everyone gets nervous. Whether it’s the President of the UnitedStates giving the State of the Union address, an actress accept-ing an Academy Award or a police officer helping someone whohas been injured, all people can have anxiety. Find a story intoday’s newspaper about someone who did something brave.Write a paragraph answering the following questions: Is thereany evidence in the story that this person was nervous? Do youthink this person was nervous? What are ways this person couldhave or may have worked through his or her anxiety?

Where you study for tests and other homework isalmost as important as how you study.

And it certainly affects HOW WELL you study.The first step to studying well is to pick a place

at home that is your “homework spot.” And thesecond step is to study in that place every timeyou need to study.

It’s been proven that kids who have a particularhomework spot in their house study better thanthose who move around to different spots. Andthey do even better if they do their studying atthe same time each day.

It’s like a person who has a job. When a persongoes to the office, he/she behaves in a busi-nesslike manner because of the business setting.

Or think of it this way: A basketball playershooting free throws, or a baseball hitter at theplate, goes to the same spot everytime. The player gets in thesame position he/she knowshas brought success before.

The same is true for study-ing. Make a place for yourselfand use it. You’ll find that itgives you a “comfort zone”that will make your studytime more effective.

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Tests are one way teachers find out how much you have learned.So are long-term projects like term papers. The key to being class-room smart on long-term projects is managing your time.

The secret to good time management is lists, lists, and more lists.In school, it is important to keep an assignment book in which youwrite down everything you have to do, and when. And you needto make sure your assignment book lists all your classes together,so you don’t forget something in one of them.

Each night, when you get home, write any big long-term assign-ments (or tests) on a calendar.

When you get a research project or paper to do over a long periodof time, it is important to write out a plan for doing the project.

When you do this, think small. Plan to do one thing at a time.Finish one step and move on to the next.

If you break a big assignment into small, doable pieces, you canfinish these pieces a little at a time and not feel crushed by a hugeassignment.

Think of it as building a house. You don’t construct everything atonce. One day you pour the foundation, one day you put up theframe. One day you enclose it. One day you roof it. One day youpaint it.

On your project, make out a timeline. Work backwards from thefinal due date. And be sure to mark any dates for early parts to beturned in.

Then break up the chunks of time that are left. Estimate howmuch time it will take to do the reading, and set deadlines for yourself.Set a date for doing a rough draft and a final draft. Set a date tocomplete any illustrations or graphs or artwork.

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Time plays a part in almost every job you will do. Newspaperreporters have deadlines. Restaurant owners have hours forservice. Look through the paper and list 10 jobs from stories,photos and ads. For each write how time is a factor.

You know about strategies on the football field, chess board and video games, but did you know there arestrategies for learning and doing well in school?

Dictionary.com defines “strategy” as “a plan, method, or series of maneuvers or stratagemsfor obtaining a specific goal or result.”

So, let’s finish learning how to be classroom smart by designing a learning strategythat specifically fits your learning style.

You know what kind of student you are and how you are smart.Now come up with a plan to do your best in the classroom.

Pretend you are writing an Internet blog all about you — anexperienced, confident and successful student. You want to share with readers all about your learning styleand the strategies you have come up with that have helped you become the best student possible.

In the space below, tell your readers about the kind of student you are. Describe your type of “intelli-gence.” And take readers step by step through the ways you take notes, study and do your absolute bestto understand and even master a lesson. Finish by comparing blogs with friends and sharing strategies.

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