SOAR Binder System/Study Skills

One of the biggest frustrations of teachers and parents is that students have difficulty with keeping track of assignments, finding completed work, keeping their folders and book bags in order.

We adopting this program to transform this........into this - see picture below!!

We need your help with your child's organization so that they can concentrate on the study skills aspect of this program. Please help your child by reviewing the following:

1. Checking the backpack for loose papers.

2. The front pocket is only for important papers that the teacher has asked them to place there.

3. Establish a home filling system. Students will periodically clean out their binders and will need to file them at home!

4. Students should be using their planner daily. They are given time in class to write in their planners their assignments. If you see that your child is not using their planner, please contact your child's homeroom teacher.

Why did we choose to implement this study skills program?

According to the Department of Education:

·         40% of US students are required to take a remedial college course.

·         66% of US high school HONOR students fall behind in college.

·         50% of US college students drop out before completing a degree in college.

In April, 2009, Ohio State University published a study confirming the dramatic impact study skills can have on college graduation rates.

According to the study:

·         45% – the increased likelihood that “struggling” high school students would graduate from college if they were taught study skills .

·         600% – the increased likelihood that “average” high school students would graduate from college if they were taught study skills in Middle and High School!

Most students are naturally stronger in some subject areas than others. It’s commonplace for a student to be strong in language arts and social studies and weak in math and science or vice versa. Fortunately, learning foundational study skills can help students excel in all areas of the curriculum. Students enrolled in an effective study system will quickly find that although the subject matter being learned varies from class to class, the same effective, research-backed study skills can be applied to every content area, resulting in success across the board.

If you’ve ever seen a student struggling over a concept or trying their best to figure out how to study for an exam, you know it can be a pretty pitiful site. It’s difficult to see a student try so hard and still fail to pass a test or master a subject. Many students who put forth this amount of effort and still fail time and time again get so frustrated that they simply give up and stop trying altogether. The problem in these cases is clearly not a lack of effort. Instead, the problem lies in the fact that many students simply aren’t aware of effective study methods that could enable them to learn the material in a fraction of the time while allowing them to improve grades in every subject matter.