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If you have purchased this as part of a special offer make sure

to request the printed version with illustrations and you will

receive a copy if we have sufficient stock.

Copyright © 2008 by Joseph Sgro

Copyright © 2008 by Joseph Sgro

TUTOR HELP

PO Box 4003, Mandurah North,

Western Australia, 6210.

www.tutorhelp.com.au

First edition, 1995, "Study Skills, For

students who will settle only for success,

a simple, easy to read guide."

Second edition, 1996. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be copied in any

way without the approval of Tutor Help.

National Library of Australia

ISBN 0 646 27249 7

STUDY SKILLS

Why do we need study skills ?

Skills are something we develop and not somethingwe are born with. The most important study skillsconcern reading and writing. We use these skills tocommunicate with others.

This book will concentrate on helping you to im-prove the way you learn. The techniques discussedare designed to teach you to work smarter.

Many activities will require you to share your re-

sponse with someone, so be prepared to give eachsection some thought. Whatever you do, relax and

learn!

www.tutorhelp.com.au

INTRODUCTION

ATTITUDE overview p.8

how did we get that attitude? p.10

study habits questionnaire p.11

study habits graph p.15

to help you get started p.17

you choose your mood p.21

self image p.23

goals goals goals p.27

YOUR STUDY ENVIRONMENT overview p.34

your study environmentp.36

create your environmentp.37

YOUR STUDY TIMETABLE overview p.38

your study timetable p.40

how are you using your time? p.41

EQUIPMENT tools of the trade p.47

equip yourself p.48

SKILLS overview p.50

concentrationexercises p. 51

listening p.54

locating information p.57

reading skills p.65

answering the question p.79

revision p.97

BIBLIOGRAPHY p.109

INTRODUCTION

The best way to use the ideas contained in this book is to interact with each of the

pages. By this I mean to think carefully about the major points presented and to express

your thoughts and opinions, after using the techniques presented, in your particular situa-

tion. I encourage you to discuss these ideas with others. Get familiar with the techniques

by teaching them to someone else. Each page can be regarded as a lesson or as a plan of

action to work through.

Progressing through each section provides you with the immediate tools with which to

start experiencing success. I encourage you to look at ways of improving the ideas in this

book. As you work through the book decide to keep what is useful and adapt the ideas to

suit your needs and your purpose.

Do not underestimate the importance of attitude. Ask yourself questions to find out

why you hold certain attitudes and whether those attitudes help you to achieve your

goals. Explore your own attitude to work and the reasons why you hold this attitude. To

help you do this it is a good idea to keep a record of your thoughts and feelings as you

work through each exercise, either by keeping a diary or journal, because things will

come up which need to be aired! This will be useful at some later date to jog your

memory and also to reflect on aspects in your learning.

Part of learning involves venting our fears and our negativity because these are forces

which work against us as we climb the steps of the success ladder. Get the fears and

negatives out and into the open. If you don't wish to discuss your thoughts with some-

one, then use your diary to record your thoughts. If you do experience problems, think of

them as challenges in life. They offer us opportunities to learn more about ourselves and

our world. They are excellent opportunities, if we choose to see them that way.

Lastly, look at setting goals before, during and after you do this programme. What you

would like to achieve can be set out in your diary or journal. Keep these goals in mind.

They will remind you as to why you are doing this work. Remember, setting a purpose

gives us a reason for every task. It directs us to focus our energy. So how would you like

this book to help you? Do you know now what you would like to find out? Do you have

an idea of which skills you need to develop? Write your response to these questions, be-

fore you start working with "Study Skills".

If you wish to give the author feedback on your response to the book, or would like assis-

tance with any part of the book, please send a stamped, return addressed envelope with

your query to: Tutor Help, PO Box 4003, MandurahNorth, Western Australia, 6210.

OVERVIEW of ATTITUDE

ATTITUDE

Past experiences Present experiences

Thinking

↓ ↓

↓

FeelingsFear Confidence

↓

Action

↓

Goals

↓

Avoidance

← →

8

10

Have you ever wondered why you feel and think a certain way towards a particularidea or activity? It may surprise you if you examine your thoughts over a period oftime.

People are very fond of saying things like: "I'm never going to be any good at that",

or "That's just the way I am".

The first response is formed from failing to be successful. Give yourself a fightingchance. Think of each attempt as an experiment. Learning is just a series of ex-

periments. The inventor, Thomas Edison, made thousands of experiments beforehe produced the light globe. So don't give up! Adopt the attitude,"I will succeed if I

really want to". The question is, Do you really want to? No one can help you un-less you are willing to help yourself. All the motivation techniques under the sunwill not be enough to change your attitude!

The answers to the following questions require some thought. Do you expect suc-cess? Do you expect good things to happen in your life? If the answer is no, askyourself, why? The fact that you have made mistakes is not enough proof for hold-ing such an attitude. Will people who fall off bikes ever learn to ride? Putting limitson yourself is like being in a prison - very restricting!

"That's just the way I am". This statement is really saying, "I don't want to change",or "I'm scared to change". You are the only one who can decide this one. Do youwant to change something about yourself? Be assured that if you want to, you

can! Believe it! Have faith in yourself and trust your ability to learn and grow intothe person you would like to be.

The following exercise helps you to look more closely at your attitude to your work.As you progress through the sections, tick the column that best indicates your viewon the statement concerning your study habits, and then complete the study habitsgraph on p.15.

How did we get that attitude?

STUDY HABITS QUESTIONNAIRE

ATTITUDE ( √ ) FREQUENTLY SOMETIMES SELDOM

1. I find getting started is hard.

2. I find I get distracted easily.

3. I avoid work by turning on

television or music.

4. I have to stop work every

few minutes for some reason.

5. I don't like setting goals.

6. I can be successful without

doing any work.

7. Getting up on work days is

hard.

8. I feel uncomfortablewhen

learning new things.

11

TOTAL "SELDOM" √

YOUR STUDY ENVIRONMENT FREQUENTLY SOMETIMES SELDOM

1. I waste time looking for things

I need.

2. I get bothered by family members

or friends when I'm working.

3. The room where I work is stuffy.

4. I prefer to work in a room with

other people.

5. I prefer to work somewhere else

other than at a desk or table.

6. The light where I study is dull.

7. I like to change the place where

I study.

8. I need noise to work.

9. I can't concentratewhere I work.

12

TOTAL "SELDOM" √

EQUIPMENT FREQUENTLY SOMETIMES SELDOM

1. I need to buy pens and other

equipment.

2. I use only one or two files for

storing work.

3. Storing my work is a problem.

4. I need to borrow equipment

from others.

5. I forget to do homework.

6. I have trouble making a study

timetable.

7. I use only my memory to

remember what I need to do.

8. I don't have spare equipment.

13

TOTAL "SELDOM" √

SKILLS FREQUENTLY SOMETIMES SELDOM

1. I find it hard to concentrate.

2. Finding the information I need

is hard.

3. I am a poor listener.

4. Homework has nothing to do

with improving skills.

5. I am a lazy worker.

6. I get poor marks for my

assignments and tests.

7. Remembering information is

hard.

8. Revising what I've learned

is hard.

9. I have trouble understanding

what I read.

10.I have difficulty writing what

I want to say.

14

TOTAL "SELDOM" √

STUDY HABITS GRAPH

ATTITUDE ENVIRONMENT EQUIPMENT SKILLS

After you have totalled the score for the "seldom"

column in each section, you are ready to graph your score for

ATTITUDE, ENVIRONMENT, EQUIPMENT and SKILLS.

Look closely at your bar graph for each area of study habits. Do you see an area thatrequires your immediate attention?? It is up to you to correct your area of weak-ness. Make a plan of action - how will you improve, so that you score high on the

graph for each area?As you progress through the activities you will find plenty ofactions you can take to help you do this.

FAIR

GOOD

POOR1

15

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

10

9

Sometimes we find it very difficult to start. We need something

that will get us into the right frame of mind and to help us focus.

Try this starter.

Breathe deeply through the nose and take the air down to the abdomen.

Concentrate on the abdomen moving as it fills with air. This is a

good way to prepare yourself to begin your work.

BREATHE DEEPLY IN ....... BREATHE OUT all the tension

BREATHE DEEPLY IN....... BREATHE OUT all the tension

BREATHE DEEPLY IN...... BREATHE OUT all the tension

17

RELAX AND LEARN

Prepare to Learn

By breathing deeply your body will be supplied with moreoxygen and in the process all the carbon dioxide, which is use-less to your body, will be expelled, providing you with a moreefficient and relaxed mind-body system.

As you breathe out think of yourself exhaling all the tension inyour body, all your fears and all your worries. Imagine your-

self getting more and more relaxed, and becoming more

and more confident.

BRAINSTORMING FOR IDEAS

A simple way to start is by using brainstorming. It is a great way to get all the

ideas on the page and also to come up with a larger range of ideas. The beauty

of this method is that it doesn't matter whether the idea is going to be used or

not, and it doesn't have to be right.

We are not interested in being right - we are aiming to get a flow of ideas that

we might use. We are not interested in spelling or in writing sentences.Our

purpose when brainstorming is to be creative and to end up with lots of ideas.

Brainstorm Exercise:

Write whatever comes to mind for the next 5 minutes, regarding things you like

to do. Fill the space with your ideas.

Use this method also for problem solving. Write down all possible solutions that

deal with the problem and anything that is related to the problem. Next, select the

most reasonable solutions. In order to select the best answer explore each of the

alternatives and then decide which solution best fits the information available to

you, regarding the problem. You may find that your problem will require further

research. Decide what you need to know and where to look for the answer to your

question.

18

BRAINSTORMING FOR SOLUTIONS

Try this ............What does the following word make you think about?

(Write everything that comes to mind.)

fight

PROBLEM SOLVING........Howtall are you?

If your friend was 30 centimetres taller than you and his friend,

John, was 20 centimetres taller than your friend and you knew thatJohn's father was the same height as your friend, 1.6 metres, workout how tall you are in this problem. (The answer is on the next page.)

What is the most important information in this problem?

Your solution will be the answer that best fits the information in

the problem. Discuss the problem with someone.

19

WHAT DO I KNOW ALREADY?

If you are about to start something new you can use this starter. Writedown what you already know about your topic. Give yourself about 5minutes to do this.

You can then see what you do know and work out what you need to know.

WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW?

Now your research exercise will be to find out what you need to know.How will you find out what you need to know? Turn each keyword orkey idea you have written into a question that you can use to help youexplore the topic.

20

?

Answer for p.19

You are 1.3 metres tall.

Getting started sometimes can be hard work. We have these nega-tive feelings stopping us. They actually disguise the greatest fiend ofall - fear. If we do not start we will not beat these feelings and we willhave the same problem over and over again. The only way is to start.

If you don't choose your mood who is the person who does? The truthis that you do. Repeat this now - I am becoming a good starter. Re-peat it louder and louder. Make positive statements regularly.

Choosing A Happy Mood

Choose a happy mood and think of a time that stands out as being avery happy time for you. Maybe it's the time you won LOTTO. Withthis happy thought, close your eyes and live that happy time again. Gothrough the whole experience in your mind and see yourself having awonderful time. (This should be like watching a movie in which you

are the main star.)

Open your eyes........keep the mood........make up youraction plan......then start. As you complete each step tick off thetask on the list.

21

USE MOTIVATORS LIKE THESE....

I am ready to give my best.

I am filled with purpose and I will succeed.

I am ready to strike at the barriers.

My energy is focussed.

REPEAT

10 times /day

Before talking about "self image" answer

this question: How would you describe

yourself to others?

Spend 2 minutes writing down what

comes to mind.

23

→→→→

Perhaps talking about yourself makes

you a little uncomfortable. You may

be surprised to know that if you re-

peat this activity in a month, or a year,

the things that you feel are true about

your "self " may have changed. This

is because we are not talking about

our true "self ".

We are really reacting to our current

mental image of ourself. Our person-

ality is the outward sign of our inter-

action with our environment, and in-

cludes our habits, attitudes and skills.

Our experiences move us to react in

certain ways, but our behaviour is not

our true self.1

1Maxwell Maltz, Psycho-cybernetics , Prentice-Hall, New York,

1960, pp.124-127.

List your strong points.

List your weaker points.

Personality

24

MISTAKES DON'T

MEAN YOU'RE A

FAILUREHas anyone ever told you that making

mistakes is part of learning? Everyone

would admit that they don't like making

mistakes and that they would rather be

right all the time, but being right all the

time is a luxury that no one has all the

time. Everyone will make mistakes so

join the club!! Lighten up! Things will

get better!

Have you heard people say that you can

learn from your mistakes?

You've been learning from your mistakes

since you were a baby and it's because of

this fact, that you learned how

to walk, as well as many other skills that

you now take for granted.

The worst killer is fear - fear of failure.

If you are scared of failing, you will not

take risks. You might be very safe, but

totally bored. If you want to learn, you

must take risks. If you make a mistake,

use this information to guide you to be

more successful next time.

Imagine you are a missile and you are

zeroing in on your target. You have been

built to be a perfect hit. If you're a little

off course, make some necessary

changes and keep going towards your

target.

*Don't forget to enjoy the journey!

Read the following piece every day and

especially when you are dwelling on the

negatives and failures.

I am not my mistakes. Neither am I my

achievements.My true "self" is not mypersonality - that I can change when-ever I wish.

I am somebody now. I am worthy

now! I am worthwhile without im-proving my skills, my talents, or mylooks. Changes do not improve mytrue self. My true self " is " and alwayswill be, just what it is.

I may choose to make changes so thatI can enjoy the advantages of learningnew skills, habits and attitudes, butmy true self remains unchanged.

I accept myself and I love myself rightnow, simply because I am.

Discuss this short passage

with others.

You might like to ask these follow-ing questions:

*Do you feel happy accepting whatother people think of you?

*Is it important what others think,and why?

*Do we deserve respect because weare human or do we have to earn itfirst?

WHAT IS SELF IMAGE?

The image we have of ourself can have a big influence in our life. Our mental pictureof ourself has been created as a reaction to our many experiences. In some cases thisimage of ourself may be a gloomy one, influenced by the opinions we have about our-self, which are not necessarily true. Are your opinions of yourself negative? If they are,these opinions may cause you to fail. Negative opinions will zap your enthusiasm andmake you talk negatively about yourself and also about others. Look after your image!Keep it positive and healthy like your body.

Do some listening to the way you talk, just to check whether your self image is healthy.

If you're putting yourself down, or other people, STOP! Refuse to talk that way.

Are there things you don't like about your personality? If so it is time for a change!

The problem with our SELF IMAGE is that it can tie us down and we become some-thing we don't want to be. It can give us a false picture of ourselves. This image canstop us achieving success. If we have a healthy image, success is much easier toachieve. Believe in your power.

To increase your chances of success clear your mental image by deciding how youwant to be and by not accepting other people's perception of what you are. Their per-ception can be helpful, but it can also limit you. Take your time. In fact you have a life-time. Think carefully. If you have the right goal which motivates you into action, mak-ing a change is easier. Ask yourself, "why do I want to make a change?" Write down asmany reasons as you can to explain your need to change.

HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE?? ( You may want to choose from the list. )

strong interesting friendly good at concentrating

brave determined helpful humorous

energetic persistent good planner honest

kind accurate responsible reliable

loyal friend fearless good worker trustworthy

25

To act in these ways find out what

you should do.

All that is needed is to act and think in

the way you have chosen and take on a

goal you desire to achieve.

If you choose to be strong, think strong.

If you want to be energetic, act energetic.

It is certain we will become like we think!

What would I be like if I were _________?

Create a picture in your mind to show you what you

would do and what you would say.

Always remember that you are responsible for cre-

ating yourself into the person that you would like to

become. It is totally up to you!

Expect great things to happen in your life.

Next, go out and make them happen!

26

GOALS...GOALS...GOALS

What do you want to achieve more than anything else?

1.

2.

3.

4.

What would you like to achieve during your studies?

1.

2.

3.

4.

Travel Win LOTTO Learn new things Get rich

27

Get a great job

Goals I'd like to achieve in my leisure time.

Goals I'd like to achieve by the time I'm ________yearsof age.

28

Write above and below the line to record your achievements.

Goals give us something to aim at. Without them we would become bored.

The great thing about goals is that they give us direction.

It's important to write your goals on paper. By doing this our mind begins to

come up with suitable plans to help us achieve our goals. Remember, if you

want something to happen, then you'll need to follow your ideas with action.

If you plan the marks you want to get for your subjects, you have a better

chance of getting your wish, because if you're serious about your goal you

will start to move towards your goal by doing something to achieve it.

So make a decision( I want an " A " and I'm going to plan how to get it ).

Plan which actions will help you achieve your goals. Don't put it off till to-

morrow. Do it now! I know what you're thinking. You'll do it tomorrow,

right? Wrong! Now is the best time to start things. Let's get the show on the

road. Now!

birth

e.g. learned to

walk

ACTION IS POWER

29

e . g . w o n

Your Achievements

age

M Start increasing my communicationwith people ...call John.

T Have lunch with someone I don't often see.

W Invite Paula and Ian to lunch on the weekend.

TH Help someone who is having trouble with their work.

F Call over to see Sally.

S Invite someone to go to the movies on Sunday.

S Be more friendly to others around me.

MY ACTION PLAN (an example)

MY GOAL: Make more friends.

DEADLINES

Decide when you will complete each

part of your plan. This time sequence is

important for helping you stick to the

job. Without some decision to do certain

things to achieve your goal, nothing will

happen, and without a deadline for ac-

complishing each step, the desired ac-

tion may not take place.

Time will tick by. Every second gone

is gone forever.

Like the gobble-gobbleof wild turkeys in

the distance. (anonymous)

30

Discuss these three ways of categorizing your goals:

SHORT TERM GOALS

These goals can be achieved over a short period of time e.g. days or weeks.

MEDIUM TERM GOALS

These take more planning time and require an action-orientated approach,

which is ongoing, and may take months of your time.

LONG TERM GOALS

These goals will not be achieved quickly. They require dedication, persever-

ance and persistence. They will involve many little steps over a long period

of time. To be worth the effort your goals should fill you with desire. These

goals are your motivation. If you don't desire the situation, object or event ,

then what is the point?

Perseverance.....Persistence.......Perseverance.....

Persistence...

TASK: Discuss these categories with others.

Group your own goals into short, medium and long term goals.

When we learn about the lives of other people we learn that we all have many

things in common.

READ A BIOGRAPHY

It's worthwhile reading the life story of a famous person to see how they

achieved their goals by persevering and persisting with their dreams. Find

out why they chose their goals.

31

32

START TO PLAN NOW!

Short Term Goal

Medium Term Goal

Use this page to write the goals you would like to work on presently.

Keep in mind your ideas may change over time, so be prepared to

think about your goals regularly.

In order to achieve a goal, a series

of steps need to be completed suc-

cessfully. Completing one step al-

lows you to get one step closer to

your final goal.

Plan how you will achieve your

goal through a step by step ap-

proach.

Long Term Goal

Time SHORT TERM STEPS

days/weeks/months ↓ ↓ ↓ACTIONS

months/years MEDIUM TERM GOALS

goal 1 goal 2 goal 3

↓ ↓ ↓many years LONG TERM GOALS

In this example the goals all lead to the same long term goal.

Achieving a small step is one step closerto your long term goal.

CHOOSING THE STEPS .....AN EXAMPLE

Long Term Goal: To become financially independentby __ years of age.

M e d i u m

Term

GOALS

1. Reduce outgoings.

2. Increase sources of income.

3. Make money to invest.

4. Have a healthy cash reserve for buying when opportunitiesarise.

5. Get good investments, providing a good mixture of growth and in-come.

1. Review spending and in-

come over the past year.

2. Create a budget to control

spending.

3. Use savings to buy invest-

ments.

4. Get an investment advisor.

5. Choose investments that will

give you the return you want

with the risk you can handle.

S h o r t

Term

STEPS

Research what you willneed to do for each step.

6. Borrow only to make money, never to

purchase goods and services.

7. Delay big commitments if possible,

and make frequent reviews of current

spending.

8. Re-invest your profits and capital.

Don't spend profits if you can help it.

33

↑↑↑↑

Spending time to carry out these short term actions will bring you closer to

achieving the medium term goals. They in turn increase the chances of

achieving the long term goal.

The above plan is not a guarantee that you will achieve the above goal.

Please do not send any nasty letters in the case that the above plan does not

work. Instead, consider giving LOTTO a try. The secret is, you must act to

get what you want! and the biggest secret of all is that you must have a

clear picture of what you want.

There is always a price to pay!

STUDY ENVIRONMENT

PhysicalCreative

Fresh air Space

Equipment

Secure

Fun

STUDY ENVIRONMENT OVERVIEW

34

Motivating

Choose to build a stimulating and motivating environment for

yourself, to keep you on track as you continue your life adventure.

Your Study Environment

Where do you work at home?

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING:

1. Do you work in a noisy room?_______

2. Do you work with the radio or television on in

the background?______

3. Do others disturb you while you work?______

4. Do you feel that your study area is uncomfort-

able?_______

5. Do you work in a stuffy room?_______

6. Do you mainly work somewhere other than at a

desk or table?_______

If you answered YES to any of these questions

then some improvements are needed. If your work

area is noisy then find a quiet place, or a quieter

time to do your work. It is stressful to try and pay

attention to more than one thing at a time and un-

realistic to think that you can be more effective in

a noisy environment. Imagine what it would be

like to ride a bike and read a book at the same

time. What would you end up doing?

36

Background Music

The right sound for study

If you were to do some research

into which music will help you

to learn better, you might be

shocked to find that it isn't

heavy metal.

What you would discover is that

baroque music with a tempo of

60 beats per minute, (written be-

tween 1700 and 1750) is consid-

ered the best to use as back-

ground mus ic , whi l e you

study.1

Why?

Experiments using music as a

background to learning have

highlighted that music from the

baroque period, helps the

learner to relax, feel good, and

remain alert, making learning

more effective.

1 Colin Rose, Accelerated Learning, Accelerated Learning Systems Ltd, Bucks, 1989.

37

CREATE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Suggested

Baroque

Composers

Telemann

Vivaldi

Bach

Corelli

Handel

Why Baroque music?

Baroque produces more alpha brain

waves which vibrate at 7- 14 cycles

per second. These produce a calming

effect on the mind and body, and a

more relaxed person, who learns bet-

ter than one who is tense.

Right brain

creative

intuitive

non verbal

visual

conscious

logical

verbal

analytical

The best learning occurs

when both sides of the

brain are involved in learn-

ing. Reading is one activity

which activates more left

brain thinking.

Activities such as music

and art activate more right

brain activity.

reading music

Create your

Environment

Play this music softly in the

background when you are

working.

Conduct your own experi-

ments.

This diagram shows the brain divided into halves. Each half

has particular characteristics and special jobs to do.

Left brain

Switch On the Brain

The right side of the brain is activated

by music. When both sides of the

brain are working together you have

twice the brain power to help you

learn quickly and efficiently.

TIMETABLE

WORK

Leisure

STUDY

Chores

Sleep Rest

Further Reading

HomeworkRevisionJob

38

Timetable Overview

A time to plant, a time to harvest. If you want to har-

vest you'll need to plant.

Entertainment

All goals require planning in order to see them become a reality. If we decide to give

time to achieving our goals and decide an appropriate plan of action, success will

sooner or later be ours. Keep an open mind - if the plan doesn't work, change it or

add to it!

Decide which are your weakest and which are your strongest subjects.

Decide to give more time to your weaker subjects.

When planning your time, first work out what you are doing with that time right now.

Doing this makes it obvious how much time can be wasted doing very little.

The second step is to make time for completing homework, revising ( going over what

you have done ) and reading. Further reading in each subject area prepares the way for

more efficient learning. During writing situations you will be able to use what you have

learned. You can draw on this knowledgeand produce better quality writing.

Further reading leads to betterwriting

Poor writing usually lacks detail anddevelopment of ideas. To producebetter quality writing it's essential tokeep learning, and a good way to dothis is to read more. Reading helpsyou expand your ideas as well asyour vocabulary.

YOUR STUDY TIMETABLE

PLANNING YOUR TIME

Planning a Timetable

1. How are you using time?

2. More time for weak subjects.

3. Divide the time between home-work, revising and further reading.

4. Make sure to create a good bal-ance between work, rest and play.

How are you using your time?

40

HOW ARE YOU USING

YOUR TIME?

In order to see at a glance how you are

managing your time, use the colour key

to show the various ways you use time,

by shading in the time slot on your time-

table, given to that particular activity.

Colour Key

leisure time/rest ........red

chores/work ........grey

study .........blue

Now let's see how you're using your

time. When you turn the page fill in theslots to show the activities you are en-gaged in during those times.

41

So much time and energy is

often wasted because we

procrastinate. We find ex-

cuses to explain why we

can't do something, or we

do something that could be

done at another time. In-

stead of using our time to

achieve our goals we might

indulge in other time wast-

ing activities.

If you give this matter a

few minutes of your think-

ing time you will realize

that you delay doing things

that would be best if they

were done now! Working

out why we put off doing

something, might help us

use our time more effec-

tively.

TIME

4:00

5:00

5:00

6:00

7:008:00

8:00

9:00

9:00

10:00

TUESMON WED THUR FRI SAT

42

On the next page you'll find another timetablewhich should become your study timetable.Make sure to plan for homework, revision, andfurther reading in your content area subjects.The timetable is divided into half hour intervals.

SUN

TIME

4,00

4.30

break

4:45

5:15

break

5:30

6:00

break

6:15

6:45

break

7:00

7:30

break

7:45

8:15

break

8:30

9:00

TM W TH F S

Once you have created your timetable you should experiment with your time intervals.

You might try twenty minute intervals if you find that 30 minutes is too long to concentrate.Also try varying when you work on particular subjects. You may find that a 4 p.m. session

is not as good as a 7 p.m. session, for certain work. Use what you learn along the way tokeep improving your study timetable. Each week create a new one. Your weekly time-table will take into account any new commitments.

43

EQUIPMENT ----- TOOLS OF THE TRADE

Complete the DO YOU USE ____? checklist.

1. DIARY....to record homework, tests and dates________

2. CALENDAR .....to mark important days __________

3. STUDY TIMETABLE......to plan how you use your time________

4. FILING SYSTEM......so you can store your work________

5. A VARIETY OF COLOURS and HIGHLIGHTERS .....to make your work

stand out and for diagrams and notes___________

6. A DICTIONARY.....to look up new words _________

7. PAPER.......you need file paper and paper for memos_______

8. A CLOCK.....to guide you so you give time to all your subjects______

9. A display area.....a place to display timetables, memos to yourself,and a calendar _______

Count your ticks. How did you score?

Write your score in the box. Some people

depend on someone else to have these things.

√

You cannot complete your apprentice-ship without learning to use the tools ofthe trade. Try to think of your apprentice-ship as a time to develop your talents andto learn to use your most valuable tool ofall - your personal PC - your mind.

47

DIARY RULER MANY PENS GLUE PENCILS COLOURS

FILING SYSTEM STUDY TIMETABLE FILES PAPER ERASER

TEXTAS LEAD PENCILS TIMETABLE PENCIL CASE

CALCULATOR DICTIONARY

(Find the words above in the hidden word puzzle.)

D I A R Y N D S T T E X T A S V W X Y Z

L E A D P E E F H Q Y X T S N T I M E T

C S Q S P N C I L S P Y S H L B H P S A

A D R T Y R F N P Q S T P A P E R N T B

L L M U L D I C T I O N A R Y S T E L V

C N O D K M L N O P Q R S P E N C I L S

R U A Y A B I C D E F I L E S F G H I J

U L B T M N N O P Q R S T N R U V X Y Z

L A C I A S G B C D E E F E G A H I K L

E T O M D Y H C M O U P Q R T T S R R N

R E R E F S I J O L O U R S V W X E S S

L B A T G T E M G N U P E N C I L Y R Z

M A N Y P E N S K L M R R S T L C A S E

EQUIP YOURSELF

48

50

SKILLS

Concentration Locating

information

Listening

Reading

Writing

Keywords p.61

Parts of a book p.58

Revision

Preparing a talk p.107

Memory/Recall p.98

Techniques p.102

relationships p.104

diagrams p.105

mnemonics p.102

card system p.106

Exam Techniques p.103

Learning Styles p.101

visual p.101

auditory p.101

kinaesthetic p.101

Previewing p.77

skimming p.75

scanning p.74

prediction p.66

Keywords p.72

Questioning p.79

Reading Speed p.67

Alertness p.55

Active p.56

Purpose p.53

Relaxation p.52

Focussing p.51

main idea p.62

Assignments p.81

Questions p.79

Writing Formats p.87

referencing

p.85

Notemaking p.63

reports p.87

essays p.90

Word Meanings p.69

Paragraphs p.62

Previewing p.59

Notemaking p.63

SKILLS OVERVIEW

Editing p.84

Reviewing p.106

EXERCISE 1. LEARNING TO FOCUS

The first exercise is to focus on your breathing. As you breathe indeeply put all your attention on your breathing. When you exhale,breathe out slowly. When you breathe in again, the air shouldcause your abdomen to rise. If your attention wanders bring itback once again, so that you're focussing on each breath.

EXERCISE 2. FIND A PARTNER

Look at the person next to you and examine their face. Keep looking

and paying attention to the face. Notice as much as you can about the

shape of the face and other facial features.

CONCENTRATION EXERCISES

EXERCISE 3. VISUALIZE ( SEE IT IN YOUR MIND )

Study someone's face or a photograph then close your eyes and pic-ture the face. If it is not clear in your mind don't worry, just keepthinking about the face and it will pop up in your mind. Hold theimage in your mind as long as possible. If it disappears bring itback by thinking back to when you were studying the face.

EXERCISE 4. VISUALIZE THE STORY

After having read a page from a novel close your eyes and visualizeas much as possible of what you have read. Try to see the main ac-tion in your mind. Visualize characters introduced by the writer,what they were wearing and their physical appearance.

51

One of the most necessary skills in life is concentration. Without it you

wouldn't be able to focus long enough to learn new information or improve

other skills. Concentration involves giving all your attention to one thing at a

particular time. It involves becoming focussed and interested. When we con-

centrate we become absorbed in what we are doing. To help you improve

your concentration skill be sure to get rid of all distractions. Without concentra-

tion, achieving your goals will be impossible, so become good at it.

Improving concentration is a worthwhile goal to have. It is easy to train your-

self. Concentration does not involve strain. You should relax first and prepare

yourself to concentrate. Do the breathing exercise mentioned on page 17, so

your body and your mind are relaxed and alive with energy. Be one of the

people who work on increasing their powers of concentration.

TO CONCENTRATE BE ACTIVE

1. LISTEN

2. TAKE NOTES

3. ASK QUESTIONS

4. WATCH THE SPEAKER

5. BE INTERESTED

52

DESIGN YOUR OWN CONCENTRATIONEXERCISE

Pick a task you don't like to do and put your whole mind and heart into it, not somuch because you want to enjoy it, but because you want to become effective andefficient in other activities.

The Buddhist monks do the same. They would say, "Do everything with love". Let'sface it, our negative attitudes have to be kept in check in order to master ourselvesso that we can achieve our goals. To be able to do unpleasant things well, meansthat the more important goals will not appear so difficult, nor what we need to do sounpleasant. Altering our attitude to work is really one of our major hurdles.

While doing your daily chores give each activity your full attention. Youmight like to choose from the activities below:

weeding, sweeping, fixing things, washing dishes

Goal: To increase my effectiveness and concentration.

53

?Is it possible that the skills we develop in one

area of work are useful in another area of

work? Give examples to explain.

Decide who will be partner "A" and who will be partner " B".

Partner B will now introduce himself/herself to partner A. Tell your partner as much

as you can about yourself e.g.: what you like and dislike, and your life goals.

Meanwhile partner A must pay close attention. When speaker B has finished,

speaker A must repeat what B has been saying.

Now, speaker A, it is your turn to talk about yourself and for speaker B to listen and

repeat what you say.

PARTNER "A"& PARTNER "B" ( 2 minutes each )

Another listening activity is presented in the revision sec-tion. You will be asked to record yourself giving a talk andthen assess how well you know your topic. See p.107.

54

Have you ever thought about how much you would miss not being able to communi-

cate with your friends and family? Human beings have a very strong need to com-

municate with others - to share their ideas, a story, or a joke.

Relationships depend a great deal on listening to the other person. By actively lis-

tening rather than talking, the other person learns that we care about them and what

they have to say. Some of us are so busy talking that we have no time to listen and

because of this we miss an opportunity to form better relationships with others.

Improving Relationships through Listening

Become Active when listening

What would others say about your

listening and concentrationskills?

When listening it is a good idea to:

1.Concentrate .........you are in classto exercise your brain power.

2.Think about the topic ......askyourself, "What do I need to know?"

3. Look at the speaker .......helps youkeep awake.

Are you good at these skills??

CONCENTRATION AND LISTENING

55

Open mind ...

4.Predict the next word .....tryguessing what the speaker mightsay next, to help you remain ac-tive.

5.Predict what you will be learn-

ing about ......this gives purpose toyour activity and directs your fo-cus, preparing you for what is tocome.

6.Write down the questions you

will ask .....this will help you andothers who may be too shy to ask.

WHEN LISTENING........

56

7.Make notes .....write down impor-tant points to help you remember.

8.Keep alert .....make sure to getenough sleep the night before.

9.Diet and exercise .....make sure toeat right and exercise your body soyou will have the energy to learn.Make sure to eat lots of fruit and veg-etables and cut down on foods withlots of sugar, fat and salt. Duringbreaks be active get the oxygen intoyour blood.

10.Use good posture .....sit up with astraight back. This helps your brainby not interfering with the supply ofoxygen and will assist you to stayalert.

Make yourself familiar with your Library

This book does not deal with how information is located in the library.The best

method to become familiar with the library is to use it. Enlist the services of the

librarian to help you find the information you require.

Understanding how information is organized in a book will help you to compre-

hend better. Becoming more aware of how to use a book and where to look for

information will save you time.

Non-book Resources

When you are looking for information don't forget to check non-book material

e.g.: video, audio tapes, cd rom etc.

Computers

There is no doubt that being able to use a computer and programme disk informa-

tion is an important part of accessing all the information available. The computer

is a very valuable tool for accessing the technology available. Depending on your

requirements there are many providers who will link you to a network via your

computer, for a fee, giving you access to a world full of information. Information

is growing continually and at a fast rate. This means that quite often it is out of

date in a very short period of time.

Ask your library if they have access to the Internet or whether they have cd rom

information.

57

ACTIVITY: CHOOSE A NON FICTION BOOK

Turn to p.58 and find out whether your book has the

parts listed in the checklist.

TASK:

Make yourself familiar with the library you will be using.

58

USING BOOK RESOURCES

PARTS OF A BOOK

1. PREFACE: the author points out why the book was written and what it's about.

2. INTRODUCTION:explains how to use the book. If you overlooked the introduction

in this book, go back and read it now.

3. TABLE OF CONTENTS: lists the chapters or sections of the book.

4. CHAPTERS: major sections of information are separated. Paragraphing is used to

present most of the information. Other ways of displaying information include: tables,

graphs, pictures, maps and diagrams.

5. GLOSSARY: special words are explained.

6. BIBLIOGRAPHY: the books used to help produce the current book are listed in al-

phabetical order according to the author's surname. This may also include titles of

books for further reading in that area.

7. REFERENCE LIST: the author's first name then surname, title, publication details

and page numbers are given. Each reference is numbered consecutivelyas the reference

is used in the text. References are written at the bottom of the page as footnotes and a

reference list is often included at the end of the chapter or section.

8. APPENDIX: an extra section of information which may be useful. Instead of includ-

ing this information as part of the text, the writer makes it available at the end of the

book for the interested reader.

9. INDEX: an alphabetical list of topics for quick reference.

59

A PREFACE............... A GLOSSARY..............

A BIBLIOGRAPHY............. A REFERENCE LIST.........

AN INTRODUCTION.......... AN APPENDIX...........

A TABLE OF CONTENTS.......... AN INDEX...............

CHAPTERS............

Choose a non fiction book and rehearse your previewing skills. Use the skimming

technique mentioned on p.75 to find out, WHAT IS IT ABOUT? In the long run, pre-

viewing before reading for detail, will save you time and increase your comprehen-

sion. For more on using the preview strategy turn to p.77.

DOES YOUR BOOK HAVE..........?CHECKLIST

√√√√

PREVIEWING

USE THESE STEPS BEFORE READINGFOR DETAIL

Read the introduction.

Skim read through the section.

Read the first sentence of each paragraph.

Look closely at pictures, diagrams, graphs etc.

Read the summary if one is included.

Read the conclusion.

Why do a preview? (a) To decide if the information is useful.

(b) To prepare for what you will read in detail.

(c) To read with greater understanding.

PURPOSE

OF

NOTES

Some subjects require you to remember information

Be creative when making notes. If you make your notes visual and make use of

diagrams it will help you record information and you will remember more. Keep

notes brief and only record necessary information.

Our brain is organizing information all the time and because of this we are able to

remember. Notes should be written in a clear, meaningful way so you will store

the information efficiently. It's a good idea to use colour, headings and sub-

headings. Arrange your notes in a way that will help you to recall the main points

later.

You must take part in what is going on in class in order to make the most of your

time there, first by listening and concentrating, and secondly, by taking notes.

While recording information there is an opportunity to reflect on the topic. Be

active and keep awake at the same time!

To get an idea of how you are going with this skill, turn to your last set of notes

and examine them. Well, how helpful are your notes?

Think of ways you will improve your next effort. Compare your notes with some-

one else. Are they the same? Why is this?

MEMORY

REMAIN ACTIVE

Notemaking should be seen as a helpful learning methodand not as a chore.

In the introduction it was mentioned that keeping a diarywas a means of reflecting on the activities contained inthis book. This could be done by recording your feelings,attitudes, ideas and questions as you progress through theactivities. Below are a couple more reasons to record in-formation.

NOTEMAKING

60

KEYWORDS and KEY IDEAS

Make notes of special subject words and their meanings.

Once you become familiar with the information, list important

words or key ideas. This list can be helpful later when revising.

You can then use your notes to recall information about the topic.

( EXERCISE )

UNDERLINETHE KEYWORDS

"Uncuttable " is the literal meaning of the word atom in ancient Greek.

Leucippus and Democritus introduced the idea of atoms more than 2000

years ago, which opposed the view that the world was composed of air,

earth, fire and water.

Answer on the next page.

61

literal meaning Leucippus, Democritus

atom world......air, earth, fire, water

ancient Greek

Paragraphs

Paragraphs, if written well, should start with the main idea. This is a

sentence stating what the paragraphwill be about. The other sentences

give details and explain the main idea further. You may find that the

main idea is not stated at all in certain paragraphs.

Finish this paragraph.......the first sentence is the main idea.

The thing that I want most is

Use the following main ideas in paragraphs:

* My favourite television programme is_________

* I like my friend_________because___________

* My favourite meal would have to be___________

* The most embarrassing thing that ever happened to

me ____________

Swap paragraphs withsomeone who has com-pleted the same activityand use their paragraphto make notes.

Talk about the result.

* Was it an easy task?

* Explain why you re-

corded certain informa-

tion.

Keywords

62

Sixteen years of age is considered the peak period for fashion modelling,however, the sooner one starts training to become a model, the better. Ageand skin quality seem to go together. As we age our skin begins to lose itsyouthfulness and it's that youthfulness which sells fashion. Ali Roberts hasmany 13 year olds training to become models for the first time. For castingassignments such as movie extras or advertisements there is no ideal age, for

casters of extras need all ages, shapes and sizes.

Write your notes below

MAIN IDEA (topic sentence - tells you what is the paragraphabout)

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

SUPPORTING IDEAS (details, examples and evidence to support the main idea)

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

ACTIVITY : MAKING NOTES

63

check...p.63

MAIN IDEA: *For modelling start young, 16 years peak time.

SUPPORTING IDEAS: *Youthfulnesssells fashion. *13 year olds modelling.

*Movies and adverts - any age,shape, size.

NOW......Let's break up the paragraph further by looking at the various types of sen-

tences and their jobs.

Topic Sentence / Main Idea........(Explains what the paragraph is about) Sixteen

years of age is considered the peak period for fashion modelling, however, the sooner

one starts training to become a model, the better.

Expand and Clarify Main Idea.......(Tells you more about the main idea) Age and

skin quality seem to go together. As we age our skin begins to lose its youthfulness and

it's that youthfulness which sells fashion.

Proof............(Evidence to support main idea) Ali Roberts has many 13 year olds train-

ing to become models for the first time.

Conclusion..........(Finishes off; introduces next paragraph) For casting assignments

such as movie extras or advertisements there is no ideal age, for casters of extras need all

ages, shapes and sizes.

It is useful to analyse paragraphs in this way . Use different texts and see if you canwork out the job of individual sentences in a paragraph.

There are two reasons why this activity is a useful one. Firstly, you will be learningmore about how to improve your own paragraphwriting and secondly, your readingskills will also improve once you recognize how the writer is communicating withyou.

Once you've discovered the job of each paragraph sentence discuss with someonehow the writer leads smoothly into the next paragraph and which words in the con-cluding sentence are used to help link a paragraphwith the one that follows.

64

Change these Headings into Questions

1. Fascinating Fungi _____________________________________________

2. The Shark File ________________________________________________

3. Life in 2027 __________________________________________________

Once you have turned your heading into a question you search the text for the an-

swer to your question. Practise this technique regularly when reading something for

the first time, or when you are reading material to revise for a test.

Whatpurpose will your reading serve?

Decide the reason why you are reading.

Is the reading for pleasure, to study,

or to answer a question?

If you can answer this question then it is possible to adjust your reading

speed to suit the purpose and improve your recall of important details at

the same time.

65

If we know why we are reading it

helps us tune in during the activity.

ACTIVATE the BRAIN

Make guesses, reflect and ask your-

self questions about the piece you arereading.

If you turn headings and subhead-

ings into questions you can set your-self a purpose for reading - you willbe reading to answer the question.This also helps you to understand newinformation.

QUESTION WORDS

HOW?

WHERE?

WHAT?

WHEN?

WHO?

WHICH?

WHY?

ACTIVATE

YOUR

BRAIN

Try this strategy right now!

Select a subject area where youare not very confident and choosea small section.

Firstly, look for headings you can

turn into questions so that you willhave a guide for your reading.Secondly, you can make somepredictions. Prediction involvesmaking guesses about the content.You might ask, what will I learn

by reading this?

66

READ WITH A PURPOSE

The rate at which you read depends on your

purpose and what you are reading. For ex-ample, if you were reading a science text, youwould use a different approach than if youwere reading a novel. Science texts usuallyhave many concepts or ideas to remember andunderstand. This means you may need to gomore slowly in order to comprehend.

( Read to remember for a test )

Living things are a group of objects which havemany common characteristics. All living thingshave life, which means they can carry out activi-ties or processes which allow them to survive.

( science text )

( Read to understand )

He watched the sleek formof Delos' ship on the videoscreens. Then he heard De-los come in through the air-lock. He took off his space-helmet, and smiled grimlyat Qorn.

( novel )

Discuss how you read these examples and in particular how you variedyour speed. Look at how these pieces are written. In which ways are theysimilar and in which ways are they different?

Do the same experiment with passages from different books and thenrecord how reading speed changed and why. Try fiction as well as nonfiction. Which was easier? What is it that helps you to read faster?

Do you find that your eyes pick up one word at a time, or do they

pick up groups of words? Reading speed depends on grabbing more andmore words at a glance.

67

Remember

Speed without comprehension is

as useful as a car without

wheels.

( Read to follow instructions )

Here is the answer - what is thequestion?

The question is: What does theword v i r i l e mean?

The answer is: having mascu-

line strength or vigor.

Frame the question for whichthe following is the answer:

distillery.....

Answer: The place wherewhisky is made.

Question:

Some types of writing, asin the example above, re-quire us to change ourreading speed.

Speed depends

on purpose and

on how familiar

you are with

the topic and the

language used by

the writer.

2. TO PAY INTEREST.

To pay interest on the moneys hereby se-cured at the rate provided in the Sched-ule hereto running from the date or datesstated in the Schedule ( subject always tothe terms of any loan approval letter )and calculated in the manner therein pro-vided.

68

The Language used by the Writer

When we're unfamiliar with a topic, or the vo-

cabulary or sentence structure used by the

writer, we may need to slow down a great deal.

Try reading a portion of a legal contract below

and then discuss your reading experience with

others. Explain how you coped with the lan-

guage.

You can increase your reading speed by

pushing yourself to read fast and often,

and by attending a special speed reading

course.

There are professionals in all walks of life

that will help you with your area of inter-

est. Reading is no exception. There are

courses that show you how to increase

your speed. It is up to you to do your re-

search in this area. Refer also to pp.99-

100.

Reading with a Purpose

Each subject has its own special words. This is one aspect that slows our readingspeed and causes poorer comprehension. To overcome this problem we needways of dealing with our word problems. Give examples of special words in these

subjects:

ART SCIENCE SOCIAL SCIENCE MATHEMATICS

Discuss with others how the same word can have different meanings.Why does this happen?

69

HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT A WORD MEANS?

Simply, we read around

the word, using all the

clues we have in the sen-

tence.

Reading the whole para-graph can also be veryhelpful when searchingfor clues to help youguess. Work out themeaning of the under-lined word in the follow-ing exercises:

Find the meaning of the underlinedword.

Legs, wings, fins, tails and small hairs aresome of the specialized parts used in move-ment.

answer ______________________________

____________________________________

Make use of unwanted garden weeds andother plant material by recycling. The trick isto make the plants rot. The compost can thenbe used in the garden to help grow new plants.

Answer______________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

EXERCISE

All it took was thisman's expression offaith in the individual'spower to meet a chal-lenge and rise above it -and I was fortified.

Answer___________

______________________

______________________

______________________

Find your own special words and place eachchoice in a paragraph of its own. Look in subjecttextbooks for examples. Give the reader clues sothat they can unlock the meaning of the word.

70

TO WORK OUT YOUR WORD

1. Guess. Don't be afraid to have a go.

2. Read the sentence that contains the word anduse word clues in the sentence to help you withthe meaning.

3. Put another word in the place of the newword, then guess its meaning. The word youuse must make sense in that sentence.

4. If all fails locate the word in your dictionary.

→

What does that mean?

See if you can work out these word mean-

ings.

Vehicles pulling horse floats began converging at

the site for a country show. An obviously frus-

trated woman was trying to turn a float around,

manoeuvring it back and forth between a bank on

one side of the road and a ditch on the other.

Traffic came to a halt.

A man got out of his car, walked up to the win-

dow of the truck and said,"Take your time. Ev-

eryone has a bad day now and then."

"You think this is bad?" the woman retorted, "I

forgot the horse!"

Explain the underlined word.

converging___________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

manoeuvring________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

retorted_____________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

In Western Australia, as in most

places, the solution to the prob-

lem is simple. Decide what sort

of fish you are trying to catch,

then think about what it would

feed on naturally.

solution_____________________

______________________________

______________________________

71

COMPREHENDING THE CONTENTWORDS

Reading is a key that opens

the door to knowledge.

The Question

Sometimes the assignment or questionis not read carefully. Read it a fewtimes and make sure you highlight theimportant keywords.

PICK OUT THE

KEYWORDS

Discuss why the bicycle is animportant form of transport insome Asian cities?

KEYWORDS

A___________________

B_____________________

C_____________________

D_____________________

KEYWORDS

When you attempt an assignmentlike this one, you will research thekeywords. Find out all you canabout each keyword. First use thedictionary and other sources toclarify the meaning of each key-word or idea.

By becoming a thoughtful readeryou will be able to pick out the key-words and then begin your search.

*In an exam, don't start a question till you have isolatedthe important keywords and made some notes to guideyou when you're writing.

*Highlight the keywords and examples you will con-sider in your answer.

←←←←

72

FIND THE KEYWORDS

Discuss the following essay introduction with a

friend. Locate and discuss the meanings of the key-

words.

For many years, agricultural activities have fo-

cussed more on obtaining the maximum monetary

value per hectare, as in the production of crops, or

the most economically profitable way of intensively

farming livestock, e.g. cattle, poultry and pigs, with

little understanding of the impact these activities

could potentially have on the environment.

In this essay, I will investigate the sources and

types of pollutants which are derived from agricul-

tural practices in terms of air, soil and water, the

environmental effects and the significance of these

pollutants, and management strategies to control

and minimize their effects. This will be illustrated

through local and overseas examples of agricul-

tural pollution and the control methods used.

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT

THESE KEYWORDS?

agricultural activities

monetary value per hectare

production

crops

profitable

farming livestock

environment

73

PROCESS WORDS

The following words are used in assign-

ments to direct the reader. Find out

what they mean:

analyse

compare

contast

define

discuss

evaluate

examine

explain

justify

review

If the reader is unfamiliar with these

keywords then it's more difficult to pro-

duce satisfactory answers to questions.

How will you discover their meanings?

SCANNING

The first type of reading you might do when searching for

information is called, scanning. This is used for location of topic

information e.g. looking for a keyword. You have used this skill

frequently. The question you will try to answer is, WHERE is the

information I need?

If you look back to p.48, you'll

find an exercise where scan-

ning is used to locate the hid-

den words.

When you search for the word,

look for groups of letters and

not just the first letter. If you

did not complete this activity,

do so now.

In this exercise highlight the fol-

lowing words:

Australia;Thailand;nations; trade;

and geographical.

The emergence of the Asian region as

one of the fastest growing economic

regions in the world has particular

significance for Australia, not only

for its geographical location in the

Asia-Pacific, but also for its com-

parative wealth in raw materials and

manufacturingcapabilities.

With the increased economic wealth

of post-war Japan, South Korea, Tai-

wan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malay-

sia, Indonesia and Thialand, and the

subsequent demand for products as-

sociated with economic development,

Australia is in a good position to con-

tinually improve trade with these na-

tions.

74

More Scanning

SKIMMING

Skimming is a quick form of reading.

When we skim we are trying to answer the question, What is this

about?

You are glancing at the information on the page to answer this ques-tion. Your eyes move in a zig zag pattern down the page. As they do so,your eyes will pick up key ideas from the page.

EXERCISE→Behaviour modification helps to put

food in a new perspective, thereby altering

your eating habits. It involves concretestrategies and helpful tips that give you thetools to change the way you eat, whetheryou've been eating too much food or sim-ply the wrong food.

1.

After skim reading the exercise

record what this paragraph is

about.

_____________________________

_____________________________

_____________________________

_____________________________

_____________________________

2.

Now read the whole paragraphas you would normally.

How close were you in your

prediction?

75

The zig zag line gives you an

idea of the skimming action.

→→→→

Skim the following exercise

The first step in changing eating habits is to become aware of them. After

all, you can't achieve a certain goal if you don't know where you're start-

ing from, or where you're going! Start a diary and keep it for a few days.

Record everything you eat, including approximate portion sizes, time,

who you were with, and how you were feeling.

What was the paragraph about?

Now read the whole paragraph for detail. What was the paragraph

about?

Compare the answers. How close were you the first time to understanding the

meaning?

_____________________________________________________________

76

In order to improve our understanding of the text, it is helpful to learnhow chapters are structured. Facts are presented using various meansand illustrated by using diagrams, maps, tables of information, picturesand graphs. A preview makes you aware of how information is being pre-sented to you and allows you to decide whether the information is suit-able for your purpose. It also helps you to prepare for what you will readin detail.

1. Read the introduction.

2. Read headings and subheadings.

3. Read the main idea sentence.....usually the first sentence.

4. Quickly study tables, pictures, graphs etc.

5. Read the conclusion.

6. Read the summary for the main points (if included).

Read the conclusion: the conclusion revises im-portant points and finishes the passage.

Read the introduction: usually the first paragraphgives you an idea of the passage.

Read for the main idea: first sentence usuallytells you what you will be reading about.

PREVIEWING A CHAPTER

77

When you preview a passage

Reading the Question

*Pick out the keywords.

*Write down what you know about the keywords.

*Decide which keywords need to be researched.

*Use keywords as headings and subheadings to organize your notes.

*Decide how to present your answer.

All written assignments expect that the reader will address the keywords.

Below is an exercise to help you think more about questions.

(Design questions to guide the reader as they read the advertisementbelow.)

*Turn over to the next page for further instructions.

HOLDEN COMPACT

European styling with four doors orfive, the new Holden Compact givesyou plenty of space. With fouruniquely crafted models to choosefrom, never again will small carmean less car.

79

The answer is easy tofind. It is in the sentence.

The question requiresyou to think and searchfor the answer . Thereader must look forclues.

The answer isn't to befound in the passage.Youwill need to use yourknowledge to answer thequestion.

80

Write your examples for these types of

questions below:

The assignment

question

statement

task

Who was the first Australian

Prime Minister?

We are all responsible for polluting our

planet. Discuss this statement.

(a) Draw a map of Australia andshow the location of the capitalcities.

(b) Discuss ways of improvingthe city or town where you live.

(c) Plan how a city of the futuremight look.

81

Discuss the follow-

ing:

What is the purpose

of completing an as-

signment?

What are your feel-

ings towards assign-

ments and why do

you feel this way?

PRESENTATION OF AN ASSIGNMENT

Common Formats Main Features

Reports and research papers factual / objective /descriptive

Essays descriptive / objective / subjective

persuasive

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ESSAYS

AND REPORTS

ESSAYS: argue, persuade and contain a

thesis.

REPORTS: clarify and describe; classify,

generalize, and summarize.

TOPIC EXAMPLES FOR

ESSAYS

Does crime pay?

Analyse and evaluate a book you've read.

Compare and contrast how two writers cre-

ate suspense.

TOPIC EXAMPLES FOR

REPORTS

Write a report on an insect.

Discuss the impact of urban develop-

ment on rivers and ground water.

Define asthma and list its causes and

treatments.

Presentation concerns how we organize the information we wish to present. Firstlywho will be the audience. Next, what are the requirements of the assignment (referto p.79). When your assignment is complete make sure to include a cover sheet withyour name, the assignment topic and any other relevant information.

82

Pretend you have just finished going through the books and you've found the infor-mation you needed. You have written your notes and organized them under specialheadings so you can find ideas quickly, now what ?

Now you need to decide how to present your findings. Usually this is explained andthere is no doubt as to what to do. It's possible that your assignment will require oneof the following formats.

Everyone has at some stage had trouble deciding how to express their ideas. Be content

with getting your ideas on the page first of all and then look at how you can improve the

expression of those ideas. Secondly, think of your effort as a draft. Your work should be

paragraphed and each paragraph should discuss one main idea. All the sentences of

that paragraph talk about one thing. When the topic changes then it's time for a new para-

graph.

Divide your ideas into broad sections and decide how many paragraphs are needed in each

section to express your ideas. The first step is to plan.

Brainstorm your ideas ( write your thoughts concerning the topic ).

Select those ideas you will expand.

Brainstorm these ideas further.

Do your research for specific areas ( address important keywords ).

Make a plan showing the order of your major ideas.

Begin your draft by following the plan ( the introductioncan be written last ).

STEP 1. Plan your work so that you have a few days in-between writing your draft and

editing, if possible. This will give you a fresh perspective on your work. Always give

yourself time so you are not rushed.

STEP 2. Read your assignment aloud and record it. When you play it back, make your

notes on how you are reacting to what you hear. Are there places where your writing is un-

clear? Have you addressed the requirements of the assignment? Do your paragraph ideas

develop in a reasonable sequence, or do they sound out of order? Does your writing flow?

Ask someone to listen to you read your work and make some comments abouthow well you've tackled the task and where the assignment needs further work.

PUTTING YOUR THOUGHTS ON PAPER

83

STARTING YOUR PLAN

WHEN YOUR DRAFT IS COMPLETED

Have you been writing with a particular audience in mind?

Have you used appropriatevocabulary?

Do you think you will be understoodby your reader?

Is the sequence of your ideas logical?

Have you chosen the best way to express your ideas?

Have you attempted to vary your sentences to create interest?

Do you have a mixture of long and short sentences?

Have you answered the question?

Have you used the conventionse.g.: correct punctuation?

Is your work free of spelling errors?

Have you asked someone to proof read it for you?

Do you feel good about what you've achieved?

EDITING

EDITING CHECKLIST

STEP 3. Complete this checklist and make your corrections be-fore you present your good copy.

84

YES

Activity

Choose a piece of writing from work you have completed. At-tempt the same assignment, but this time follow the steps out-lined on pp.83 - 84. You are not allowed to copy the finishedwork.

Before you put away the assignment, copy the requirementsand then begin the task of re-writing.

QUOTATIONS AND REFERENCES

When do we need to use

referencing?

When writing there will be times when we

use the work of others to build a strong de-

fence for our own thesis (what we think).

We need to abide by the conventions for

using the work of others. We separate

quotes from the rest of the text and we add

references where we've paraphrased the

work of others.

Quotations (example)

In the book, Accelerated Learning, Colin

Rose has this to say about relaxing and

breathing exercises prior to study:

At the beginning of each lesson you carry

out a short (2min) relaxation and breath-

ing exercise. This calms your mind and

creates a relaxed body but receptive mind.

It also increases the oxygen supply to the

brain which improves brain function. Ten-

sion inhibits memory and learning, so you

need to get rid of it.1

(note the footnote number at the end)

If the quote was shorter it is included

in the text and enclosed by quotation

marks as follows:

To remember better we should cre-

ate a strong link between the content

and what we know, " Put simply the

more associations and the stronger

they are, the easier it is to remember

and learn."2

Paraphrasing and in-text

referencing (examples)

Given that there is no disease, age is

not responsible for deteriorating

mental ability, but rather the lack of

mental exercise (Rose, 1989, p.20).

Rose (1989, p.21) also goes on to

state how environment is important

in providing the opportunities for in-

tellectual growth.

85

1 Colin Rose, Accelerated Learning, Accelerated Learning

Systems Ltd, Bucks, 1989, pp.188-189.

2 Rose, p.188.

This footnote at the bottom of the page

gives the reader reference information.

Short Quote

A bibliography is a list of the refer-

ences you have used to produce

your work.

The list is presented in alphabetical

order according to the author's sur-

name. We also include the title and

publication details.

For articles, chapters or anthology

items we will include subtitles and

page numbers.

a book...

Marshall, Lorrain A. and Rowland, Frances.A Guide to Learning Independently. Long-man Cheshire Pty Ltd, Melbourne,1981.

86

an article from encyclopedia...

'Habits'. World Book Encyclopedia. 3rd edn,Eds B.W. Sykes and J.F. Snow. World Book,London, 1994.

a journal...

Howard, R. 'Music to Relax'. The Journal of

Music, London, V10, 3, August 1980, pp.20-40.

Study the following examples and

also the bibliography at the end of

the book to give you an idea of how

to do your own. Ask your teachers

how they would like you to refer-

ence your work.

Each time you use other people's

ideas in an assignment, produce a

bibliography to show the resources

you have used.

an article from newspaper...

Neil, T. 'Lots of Thinking'. The West Austra-

lian. Perth, 14 January 1994, p.9.

audio-visual....

Johns, S. 'The Ocean'. Channel Seven, Perth,20 October 1976.

an article from an edited book...

Roberts, N. 'Signs of the Time', in T. Justin(ed.). Our Changing World. Prentice-Hall,New York, 1987.

Divide the three main parts ofthe reference (author, title

and publication details)with fullstops. For referencelists and footnotes use com-mas.

* Titles of references may be underlined instead of using

italics.

* A reference list may be included at the end of each section

or at the end of your work to show all the footnote references.

This may be in addition to your bibliography. Check with

your teacher as to the appropriate referencing.

WHAT DOES A REPORT NEED?

Your best guide to how the report should be written is your teacher or lecturer.

Keep in mind the purpose for writing and decide who will be the audience for

your report, before choosing your format.

A SCIENTIFIC REPORT

People involved in scientific research

would be the most likely people to use

this format. Main features include:

1. A title ...the problem/question.

2. A short overview of the essential in-

formation in the report ( the abstract ).

3. An introduction...explains the prob-

lem or question and the purpose of your

report. You should state your hypoth-

esis.

4. The materials and methods used in

your experiment.

5. The results of your work.

6. A discussion of your results.

7. A conclusion.

8. A reference list is the appropriate

method of citing the references used in

the text of your report.

A CLASS SCIENCE EXPERIMENT

report will include:

1. An introduction stating the hypothesis.

2. A description of the materials and methods

used in the experiment.

3. A discussion of the results of the experiment.

4. A conclusion might be required. If so, form a

statement to highlight the significance of your

findings. You might also suggest other experi-

ments which could be conducted to test the hy-

pothesis further.

You will find that there are varia-tions in reporting formats. Varioussubjects have their own require-ments. Always keep in mind the

purpose of the report and who

will be the audience.

87

AN EXAMPLE OF A RESEARCH REPORT(EnvironmentalBiology)

ABSTRACT:

* Experiment withradish seeds shows effect of light.

* Experiment showed the need for abroad spectrum of light.

INTRODUCTION:

* Discuss importance of light in plantgrowth.

* Discuss research conducted usingdifferent light wavelengthson plants.

* Discuss the purpose of the experi-ment.

METHODS AND MATERI-

ALS:

* The materials used to carry out theexperiment.

* The method used to carry out the ex-periment.

* How light was used in the experi-ment.

RESULTS:

* Compare the plants in the experi-ment.

The plan

* Show results summary in theform of two graphs.

(a) height over time

(b) number of leaves over time

DISCUSSION:

* Explain the growth pattern.

* Explain the colour of the plants.

* Compare the research findingsof others with your own findings.

CONCLUSION:

* Mention what effect light wave-lengths have on plant pigment.

* Make suggestions on furtherexperiments - to find out moreabout the effects of artificial lightwavelengthson plant pigments.

APPENDIX:

Data collected during experimentin table form.

88

89

A BRIEF LOOK AT A SCIENTIFIC REPORT

Light of specific wavelengths causes developmental changesin developing radish seedlings. Experimentation with radishseedlings grown under red, blue and yellow light showed thatabnormal growth patterns resulted from the exclusion of oneor more wavelengths of light. It was found that a broad spec-trum of wavelengthswas required for normal growth.

THE ABSTRACT

A plant's development is regulated throughout its life by light. Almostevery phase of plant development is influenced by light in terms ofquantity and quality. From the developing seedling to the mature fruitbearing plant this influence is seen in the development of stems andleaves and their branching patterns. In this particular experiment, thequality of light is manipulated in terms of its wavelength i.e. colour.Radish seedlings were then grown under these artificial lighting con-ditions.

Although the photoresponsivenessmechanism in plants are many andvaried, studies have shown that a balance of blue and red light is nec-essary for normal plant growth, (Vince-Prue et.al, 1993). Further-more, specific responses to far red and red light have been discovered.For example, seeds will germinate after exposure to red light but iftheir final exposure was far red, they would remain dormant. The basisfor these effects resides in the pigment phytochrome, (Purves, et.al,1992). It is also interesting to note that although photosynthesis pro-vides the energy for plant growth, it does not regulate the pattern ofdevelopment, (Smith,1975). Separate mechanisms have evolved thatallow plants to adapt to the quality of the available light.

*This example should give you a feel for how to use

language to discuss your ideas. Were you able to locate

the idea in the plan as you read the report ?

*Task: Find an introduction that you have written and see if you can

identify the purpose of each paragraph. If you can't then you should focuson writing clear main idea sentences and refer back to page 64.

Instructions

Dur ing the f i r s treading just browsethrough the sections(skim).

During the secondreading use yourhighlighter to iden-tify how the ideas inthe plan, p.88, havebeen expressed inthe text.INTRODUCTION

AN ANALYTICAL, ARGUMENTATIVE

ESSAY NEEDS........

AN INTRODUCTION

Outline what the essay is about, explaining special words you

will use, and provide an answer to the essay topic or question.

THE ARGUMENTS

Each paragraph has a main idea and supporting ideas; support-ing ideas should give examples, explain and present facts re-lated to the main idea.

Each of your arguments should be backed up with sufficientevidence so that it will be convincing.

Your aim will be to persuade the reader that your thesis oropinion is correct.

THE CONCLUSION

In this section of the essay, remind the reader of importantpoints, present the answer again and make sure to includesomething to make the reader think more about the topic.

90

Essay Plans

Before you start to write your essay it is wise to plan.

Plan an outline of what you intend to do as you deal with the

topic. An outline is like a map and it gives you an idea of

where you are going. Below is an example. Complete the out-

line briefly, to remind yourself of your plan of attack - namely,

what you intend to write.

INTRODUCTION

WHAT?

DEFINE

THESIS

91

ARGUMENT 1.

BODY OF ESSAY

ARGUMENT 2.

ARGUMENT 3.

CONCLUSION

92

AN EXAMPLE OF AN ESSAY PLAN

THE PLAN

INTRODUCTION:

* Talk about the book which posed

the idea of a "ringworld" around the

sun.

* Let the reader know what the essay

is about.

Thesis...Point out what the writer

thinks about the idea (not possible).

* Tell the reader the order in which

the arguments will be presented:

(a) raw materials

(b) energy

(c) ecosystem

(d) economic viability

(e) time

Define special terms: "ringworld".

* Why we may need a new place to

live. (Changes on Earth)

This paragraph leads to the next ar-

gument by linking Earth to talk of

natural resources.

ARGUMENT 1. Raw materials:

* Defining "scrith" and its role in making an artifi-

cial world possible.

* Talk about insufficient resources to build this

world.

* Discuss the problem of transportingmaterials.

Link between transport and the next topic, energy.

ARGUMENT 2. Energy:

* Too much energy is needed to make it possible.

Link between too much energy and cost leads to

new argument - economics.

ARGUMENT 3. Economic viability

* The cost of technology is too great.

No link to next argument.

ARGUMENT 4. Ecosystem:

* What an ecosystem requires to work.

* Establishing the carbon cycle.

No link to next idea.

ARGUMENT 5. Time:

* Time taken to build is too long.

* Changes could take place during this time.

CONCLUSION:

Repeat thesis and remind the reader of the argu-

ments. Pose a question to make the reader think.

93

(ENGLISH)

94

USING AN ESSAY PLAN

Below is a portion of the essay. Use the plan to discover the sequence of ideas and how ideas

are developed and linked to the next. See if you can identify what is being discussed and which

argument is being developedas you read the essay.

"The Ringworld" Writer: Mel SgroUse the boxes to label

the section and the

idea being discussed,

by studying the plan.

e.g. introduction

In 1980 a piece of science fiction writing entitled,"Ringworld", came

to light. The author was Larry Niven and the ideas that he presented in

this novel have been the focus of many discussions among the science

fraternity and students ever since. The sequel,"The Ringworld Engi-

neers", continued the story and further developed the ringworld idea.

The construction of an alternative world is scientifically tantalizing,

but is an alternative such as Niven's "ringworld", a feasible idea?

In this essay, it will be shown why the feasibility of building such a

ringworld would be in serious doubt. The discussion will take into ac-

count the requirements of raw materials, energy, ecosystems, eco-

nomic viability, and also the time factor involved in building of a ring-

world. For the purposes of this essay, it will be assumed that only

present day technology is available. The ringworld concept itself will

be based reasonably closely on Niven's "ringworld", but with a twenti-

eth century perspective.

idea:

The "ringworld" is a totally artificial world, containing an atmosphere,

gravity, self-sustaining ecosystems and a defence system against me-

teors. Physically it consists of a landmass in the shape of a ring with a

sun at its centre. Artificial day and night is provided by a system of

"shadow squares". These are literally what the name suggests: a num-

ber of material squares in orbit around the sun casting shadows onto

the landmass. It is kept in a stable orbit around the sun by "attitude

jets". An artificial gravity is produced by spinning the ringworld in its

plane of orbit. The surface of the ringworld has been teraformed, with

specific areas formed like a "map" of Earth, Mars, and other alien

worlds.

idea:

idea:

idea:

Niven's "ringworld" is made of an imaginary structural ma-

terial called "scrith". Scrith is a very dense material with a

"tensile strength on the order of the force that holds atomic

nuclei together"(Niven, 1980). On the ringworld it is basi-

cally used to form the contoured underbelly on which the

landmass and water lie. It truly is a remarkable material but

unfortunately, it is one that does not exist at present.

The Apollo moon landing cost $25 billion U.S. In today's

figures it would be hundreds of billions....

The Ringworld is not only about building a structure in

space. It is also about building an ecological environment.

To do this will require an atmosphere, the establishment of

food chains, ecological processes of oxygen cycles and ni-

trogen cycles, to name but a few. Creation of a breathable at-

mosphere is a major consideration. In effect it is necessary to

control the flow of energy from the sun.

My final argument against the feasibility of building a ring-

world concerns time. More to the point; what will be the

timespan involved in building such a fabulous structure in

space?.........

idea:

idea:

....We conceivably possess the technology that will allow us

to mine the moon but once again there is the problem of the

energy required and also of the cost involved. The costs of

space explorationand travel have not come cheaply.

idea:

95

It can be seen then from the arguments presented, that

building a ringworld according to Niven, is clearly not

feasible. At our current technological level we have no

way of fully implementing such a project. We do not

possess structural materials like "scrith"and we cannot

overcome the demands for energy imposed by such

large scale space construction. The availability of raw

materials is limited to the planet we inhabit and possi-

bly the moon. The cost would truly be "out of this

world" (pardon the pun). Ecologically, we are not yet

ready. Biosphere 1 still needs full understandingso that

past mistakes are not repeated in space. Niven's alterna-

tive world is not totally without merit, for it poses a

dream and a question. After all, where would science

be without these?

idea:

96

The essay and report examples are from the Murdoch University

(Western Australia) Bachelor of Science course and written by

Mel Sgro, as a requirementof the the Foundations Course.

Answer the following:

What is the purpose of revision?

When would you need to revise?

How does relaxation and removing tension help youto improve your recall?

97

MEMORY AND RECALL

RELAXATION

A tense person is not going to learn as well as one who is perfectly

relaxed. Thus the first step is to get in the right frame of mind. It is

suggested that you spend 2 minutes breathing with your eyes closed,

as described on page 17. The goal is to calm your body and your

mind.

Research has discovered that when our heart is beating at 60 beats

per minute we are more likely to produce alpha brainwaves, and in

this state we will be more receptive. This means we will learn better.

The Right Mind

Choose your baroque music with a 60 beats per minute tempo and

record 30-45 minutes worth on a tape that you will use when you are

working. Experiment a little till you find the right tempo. Play the mu-

sic softly as you do the following exercise. Music influences the right

side of the brain and thus affects the emotions. Not all music will work

as well in making you receptive to learning.

STEPS:

*The first step is breathing deeply, so that the abdomen fills with air.

*Next roll the eyes up to the ceiling slowly and as you roll them down

close your eyes and visualize 333. Attempt to see all 3's together.

When you can see all 3's together breathe out.

*Visualize 222. See all 2's together. Now breathe out. Visualize 111.

See all 1's together. Now breathe out.

The combination of music, breathing and visualization will calm your

mind and prepare you to focus on that important job. Open your eyes

and begin. TRY IT !

98

RAPID READING FIRST TIME

PURPOSE: To stop reading word by

word and revise content.

Read this page very fast left to right

down the column stopping only twice on

each line as you go down the page.

When we read we dwell too long on

each word. Resist this by pushing your-

self forward, and not slowing down to

work out the new word or to understand

that idea, for now.

This practice is one you can use often

when meeting a text for the first time.

Push yourself to read faster. As you

move through the text you will pick up

words and ideas. Take special note of

highlighted print. You are skimming

the text. When you get to the bottom of

the page start again on this column.

Do this practice 5 times and then break

for 2 minutes and then do it another ten

times. This is one way to train yourself

to improve your speed. You are also

activating your wonderful PC to get an

overview of the text you are about to

read for detail.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR STEP 1.

1. The first step is a "get to know you strat-

egy." Use the information you pick up to

start making guesses to help you answer the

question, What is this about?

2. Read faster than you are used to doing at

home or in class.

3. Don't read to understand, just to browse.

4. Rest your eyes twice on each line.

5. Regard this as a training page. Practice

this skill in other reading situations, where

you want to become familiar with the text.

6. Skills need frequent rehearsal.

( Use it or lose it! )

7. Do this activity every day on any page of

text. After becoming familiar with this tech-

nique try the next step on the following page.

Your speed depends on your knowledge of

the area you are studying. Poor knowledge

means you will have to adjust your speed

down. The more familiar you are with the

material the faster you can read.

99

100

HIGHLIGHT FOR RECALL

STEP 2. READ FOR DETAIL

Highlight what you think is important as you read. If you can't high-

light the text then write your keywords and ideas on paper.

STEP 3. REVIEW

Read at a slower pace. The review is to help your recall and to check you

have understood.

In the margin you can write your notes or make your diagrams to help

you recall the information. The review is completed at a much slower

speed, as you will be thinking about what you are learning and making

sure you study it in such a way so as to recall it easily next time.

By the end of your review you should have:

(a) keywords and ideas

(b) pictures and diagrams for recall

(c) notes of explanation - main ideas and examples

(don't forget to make use of colours to stimulate your right brain)

STEP 4. TEST TIME

When you are finished, prepare to test yourself by giving a talk using

your notes as a prompt. Re-read the section later to check your accuracy.

101

LEARNING STYLES

How do you learn best? This will be a question for

you to research. The answer is important to you. If you

choose ways to help you learn quickly and efficiently it

will save you time, and time is one of your most pre-

cious resources.

We process information in the following 3 ways: via

our auditory system(we like to hear the new informa-

tion and we talk in our head), our visual system(we like

to see the information in pictures or words and nor-

mally think in pictures) and lastly, via kinaesthetic

means (we learn through being active: through doing,

feeling, tasting and smelling).

To find out which method you use the most, ask your-

self,"How do I like to learn something new?" Listen

also to the way you speak. Do you say things like:

"I like the sound of that", or "That sounds good", or

"It's like music to my ears".

Each of these statements has something to do with

hearing (auditory system). So if you're inclined to use

statements with sound words you might prefer learning

by hearing the new information.

A visual person might overuse words to do with seeing.

For example: "I see your point", or "I see what you

mean", or "I've got the picture".

A kinaesthetic learner might be inclined to make state-

ments with the word "feel". For example: "I feel right

about that",or "Feels good". Naturally these are only

hints as to our preferredway of learning.

LEARNING

STYLE

When you are revising

make sure to use your

preferredstyle.

If it's difficult for you to

work out , use a l l 3

styles.

1. you hear and present

the information orally

2. you read, draw and

picture in your head,

what you wish to learn

3. you become active in

l e a r n i n g b y u s i n g

movement and making

learning more like a

game

SENSORYSYSTEM

auditoryhearspeak

visualseeimagine

kinaestheticfeelact

Sometimes you are expected to remember information by heart.

Our brain stores everything but we sometimes have trouble recalling

that same information.Weshould store it as efficiently as we can.

Try remembering the order of the planets from the sun.

Here they are:

MERCURY.........My

VENUS....................very

EARTH...........................eager

MARS...................................mammal

JUPITER...................................just

SATURN.........................................sat

URANUS...............................................upon

NEPTUNE.....................................................Nigel's

PLUTO...................................................................plant

My very eager mammal just sat upon Nigel's plant.

This technique is called mnemonics. You can make up your own

to remember subject information. You can also make up stories to

remember things.

MEMORY HOOKS

MnemonicOliver Quinton Trades Mementos Of Pleasant Circumstances.

102

Using the technique called mnemonics, see ifyou can invent your own to help you rememberthese tips below, for exam techniques.

Overview

Use reading time to read

carefully through the exam

paper.

Questions Read all questions. High-

light the keywords.

Time Work out how much time

you have for each question.

Marks Find out how many marks

each question is worth.

Order Work out the order in which

you will do the exam ques-

tions.

PlanPlan each question by pre-

paring your key points.

Clarity Write legibly and

show your working

out for mathematical

questions.

Try your own, then look back to

page 102 to compare mnemonics.

103

Repetition helps to make recall

easier. Remembering telephone

numbers is easier if you repeat

them or use them often. This

is a clue to improving our recall

of information.

If repeating in the same way

bores you then find a new way

of repeating: prepare a talk, vi-

sualize the content , hear the

main points in your head etc.

REPEAT

REPEAT

REPEAT

REPEAT

Revision is repeating what we have learned so that we will be able to recall

the content. Make things dramatic when learning. See if you can include

movement and music to help you recall things. For example you could make

up a jingle or use words which have a definite rhythm, to help your recall.

ASSOCIATIONS HELP OUR RECALL

RELATIONSHIPS

When ideas are related it helps to recall information, because we can see the

association or link between bits of information. See if you can work out a re-

lationship between these words.

cardboard silk lycra steel nylon

What do these words have in common? Recall is not the main objective here.

I want you to look for a deeper understanding. Use the relationship to help

you understand the content words.

Aim to build ties between pieces of information. For better recall get the

right brain working too, by making up rhymes, and jingles which can be

sung or spoken to help associate information.

REPETITION

104

DIAGRAMS

Diagrams are pictures and pictures give us information.

Draw a diagram to learn the following:

What is an orbit?

All planets move in an egg-shaped path around the sun. These paths

are referred to as orbits.

105

Create your own card for the following:

Drive by the Numbers

Finding your way to the tourist delights of W.A. is easy - just follow

the numbers.

The numbers identify the State Tourist Drives and Tourist Ways and

can be found at the roadside on the brown shield-shapedsigns.

R.A.C. Road Travel Department has supplies of a free brochure

which lists the drives and ways to help you to plan a tour of the state

for yourself or visitors from interstate or overseas.

Review times:

after 10 minutes

1 day later

1 week later

1 month later

(to review often is best)

Recall depends on how well

you learned the information

in the first place.

Study only one topic per ses-

sion and be sure to have a

break, followed by a review,

to refresh your memory, be-

fore starting another topic.

106

MAKE YOUR CARD SYSTEM

When preparing a speech or talk you can

reduce the information so that it will fit on

a card. To get the quick recall you need,

be brief, include the most important

points and examples only, and REPEAT,

REPEAT, REPEAT and REPEAT.

When revising use the same method.

Write clearly and briefly, using only the

main points to jog your memory. Break

for a short while once you have made

your cards and then read your card

aloud, to rehearse the important content.

Re-read pp.99-100.

P r e v i e w

Text

R e a d

for

Detail

M a k e

your

notes

Reflect - what

do I need to say

Preparing a Talk

→ → →

1. Find out what it is that you want to know.

2. Make your notes by consulting various resources.

3. Tape yourself talking about your topic.

4. Listen to the tape and take notes on those aspects of the talk which require

attention e.g.: voice, confidence,content etc.

5. If you are unhappy with some aspect then see if you can improve it.

A diagram to show the process for preparing your

palm cards for a talk.

Card System

*allows for instant recall..jogs

memory.

*main points and examples are

there for easy rehearsal.

*encourages much reflection so

that the topic is organized in the

speaker's mind - more confi-

dence develops as the speaker

reflects and uses the process.

*easy to store, easy to read sys-

tem of cards will be available

for future reference.

↓

Condense notes on

to a card

↓

Record and Check

listen to your talk←

↓Re-write palm

card

Find out more

(research)

107

Plan your card so that it includes the most important infor-

mation.

You should be able to use your card to give a talk.

Choose any topic you are currently concernedabout.

One possibility is to divide the card down the centre and havefacts on one side and examples on the other.

108

FACTS

Important points

EXAMPLES

To show what you mean

Cook, Ann D. et al. Study Power, A Guide to improved Study Skills.

Study Power Australia, Claremont, 1985.

Hardy, Judy. and Klarwein, Damien. Written Genres in the Secondary School.

Peninsula Region Resource, Department of Education,

Queensland,1990.

Hewett-Gleeson,Michael. Software For The Brain 2. Wrightbooks

Pty Ltd, North Brighton, Victoria, 1991.

Maltz, Maxwell. Psycho-cybernetics. Prentice-Hall Inc, New York, 1960.

Marshall, Lorraine A. and Rowland Frances. A Guide to Learning Independently.

Longman Cheshire Pty Ltd, Melbourne,1981.

Preen, Brian and Townsend, Diana. Brain Lateralisation and Reading Problems.

Summerhill Clinic Monographs,Perth, 1992.

Raison, Glenda and Rivalland, Judith. First Steps Writing Learning

Continuum. Ministry of Education, Perth, 1992.

Rose, Colin. Accelerated Learning. Accelerated Learning Systems Ltd, Bucks,

1989.

109

Study Skills

Copyright Joseph Sgro 1995

National Library of Australia

ISBN 0 646 21715 1

The aim in producing "Study Skills" has been to create an easy to

use resource, which gives guidance as well as encourages interac-

tion. In contrast to the first edition, this book discusses the topic in

greater depth, and caters for those who are interested in continuing

their studies, or going on to further their education.

"Study Skills" is a positive, easy read to read tutor, in which the

user becomes an active participant and is asked to reflect on their

progress. Learning involves reflecting on our experiences, and the

user has plenty of opportunity to do just that, on this guided tour.

"We weren't taught how to study", states the author, Joseph Sgro,

"we were just given our assignments and expected to know how."

Joseph Sgro has been a teacher for 16 years, and has taught in the

primary and secondary school. While a primary teacher, he spe-

cialized in reading education and now works as a consultant in the

area of study skills.

He feels that many teachers still expect the learner to have the tools

to make them independent learners, but in reality this may not be

true. He believes students need to be guided in order to undergo the

personal growth that's needed to take on the challenge to learn and

use more effective techniques. Thus "attitude" becomes a main fo-

cus.