ICS Learning Strategies handbook

Study Unit

Learning Strategies

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As you progress through your program, you may find your-self wondering about the most effective way to go aboutstudying. In fact, you may already be asking yourself some ofthese questions: How long should I study? How often shouldI study? How can I retain the information I read? What aidsshould I be using?

This study unit gives you all of the information you need todevelop successful learning skillsaction plans to get themost out of the time you spend on your assignments. In thisunit, youll find a variety of different skills and techniques touse as you progress through the program. Because everyonelearns in different ways and at different paces, its up to youto decide which ones are appropriate for youand then touse them regularly.

Studying is a skill. To be proficient at it, you have to practice.You may already have some effective strategies. This unithelps you build on those and gives you additional pointersfor improving the skills you already have.

When you complete this study unit, youll be able to

Explain the advantages of your program

Explain how you can get help during your studies

Describe the study materials youll receive with your pro-gram and how theyre delivered to you

Access our Web site

Explain how to establish a study schedule, organize yourmaterials, and choose an appropriate place to study

Describe the SQ3R study method

Develop a procedure for building your vocabulary as youstudy

Create a set of study notes and tools that you can use throughout your program

Explain a proper procedure for preparing for and takingan examination

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vA GLIMPSE AT YOUR PROGRAM 1

The Advantages 1Bridging the Gap 2Program Design 3Study Materials 3Examinations 6Using Our Web Site 8Delivery of Program Materials 9

STUDY SKILLS 11

Practical Suggestions 11Study Schedules 13How Long Should You Study? 16Where Should You Study? 18Organizing Your Materials and Tools 20Understanding Your Study Style 22

LEARNING SKILLS 27

SQ3R: Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review 27Vocabulary Building 29Completing Self-Checks 33Preparing for Examinations 33Taking Examinations 34

STUDY TECHNIQUES 36

How to Take Notes 36Creating Learning Aids 37Using Mnemonic Devices 38Using Acronyms 39

SELF-CHECK ANSWERS 41

EXAMINATION 43

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1A GLIMPSE AT YOUR PROGRAM

The Advantages

Youre about to begin a program of study right from yourown home. During your program, youll be reading andstudying books just like this one as you improve your educa-tion and work toward finishing your program.

One of the greatest advantages of Penn Fosters programs isthat they enable you to study at your own pace. If yourehaving difficulty with a particular section of material, youdont have to worry about keeping up with the rest of yourclass. You can take your time and study the material untilyou understand it. On the other hand, if you find certainmaterial easy and you understand it quickly, you dont haveto be held back by others in your class. You can move on assoon as you feel comfortable with the material.

Youll also be able to study when you want to and when itsconvenient for you (Figure 1). In a traditional school setting,you must attend classes when theyre scheduled. With theprogram youre about to begin, you can choose when youstudy, based on your work and family schedule and on whenyoure most alert.

Whether youre preparing for a new career, working towardadvancement in your present job, or just taking a course forenjoyment or self-enrichment, this program can provide youwith a method to accomplish your goals without interruptingyour present schedule.

Learning Strategies

Remember to regularlycheck My Courseson your studenthomepage. Yourinstructor may postadditional resourcesthat you can accessto enhance yourlearning experience.

Learning Strategies

Bridging the Gap

As a student in a Penn Foster program, you may be physic-ally separated from your teacher, but you still have one-to-one communication with people at your school. The best wayto find information you need or to communicate with theschool is through the Penn Foster Web site at

http://www.pennfoster.edu

When you log on to this site as a Penn Foster student, youcan take an exam, check your student record, make a payment,use the library, and much more. Youll learn how to log on tothe Web site later in this study unit.

You can also call the school to get the answers you need tocomplete your studies. Although not as fast and as easy asthe Web site, calling Penn Foster can provide answers to cus-tomer service questionsthat is, questions not specificallyrelated to your instructional materials. Most importantly, youcan call Penn Foster and speak to an instructor about yourlessons. If you have a question about something you dontunderstand in your study materials or if you find a particularconcept difficult, instructors can provide guidance and answeryour questions. Your student handbook gives the times thatinstructors are available to answer your questions.

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FIGURE 1Your programallows you the freedomto study when and whereits convenient for you.

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Program Design

Your program is divided into a number of instruction setsthat are available to you as you progress through your stud-ies. You already have access to your first instruction set,which includes all of the materials to get you started.

Your program has been developed so that each new unitbuilds on the material of previous units. Therefore, you muststudy the materials in the order in which theyre listed on theProgram Outline. (Your Program Outline is available on yourMy Courses page. If you havent reviewed it yet, do sobefore proceeding.)

Study Materials

In your program, you may use a variety of different studymaterials, almost all of which are available as PDFs on thePenn Foster Web site. Once you log on to the site, you canaccess any online material in your program. (Note: Youllreceive instructions for logging on to the Web site later in thisstudy unit.)

The following paragraphs present a brief description of eachof the various types of study materials.

Study Unit

A study unit is a short booklet that contains informationrelated to the subject youre studying. The booklet yourereading now is a study unit. At various points throughout aunit, youll be required to stop and complete a self-check totest your understanding of the material youve just read. Youcan check your answers to these quizzes by comparing themto the ones provided at the back of the unit. The self-checksare for your benefit only. You dont have to submit them tothe school for evaluation, and they dont count toward yourgrade in the program. However, we strongly urge you to com-plete each one. Theyre a good review tool, and they help youto identify key concepts in your reading and studying.

When you complete the material in one study unit, you musttake an examination using the Penn Foster online test sys-tem. Most of these examinations consist of multiple-choice

Most of your studymaterials are avail-able as PDFs when youlog in as a student atwww.pennfoster.edu.

Learning Strategies

questions. The test system will grade each examination andlet you know your score. Your grades on the examinationscount toward your final grade.

Study Guide

A study guide is a booklet designed to guide you through aseparate textbook, which you receive as part of your pro-gram. The main purpose of a study guide is to help youunderstand the materials in the textbook. It breaks the text-book content into small blocks of study material, highlightingimportant details and providing explanations of basic con-cepts. The study guide contains introductions to each lessonand assignment, and self-checks similar to those in the studyunits. Note: Whenever you receive a lesson that uses a studyguide and a textbook, you should read the study guide first,study the appropriate chapters or pages in the textbook, andthen take the exam.

There are two elements in every basic study guide:

A complete outline of the course, including a step-by-step guide to what you must do to complete the course

Self-checks that reinforce your learning along the way asyou work through the material

Generally, reading assignments are clustered into relatedgroups called lessons. A course typically has two to sevenlessons. Typically, each lesson consists of anywhere fromtwo to four assignments that include reading assignments in the textbook.

Textbook

A textbook contains material related to the subject yourestudying. Its exactly like the books used in traditional class-rooms. As a student with our school, however, youll receivea study guide to help you through the material in the text-book. When you first encounter a textbook, you may suffer apanic attack. These texts can be daunting: theyre often bigand heavy and full of complex, unfamiliar words. Dont befooled by first appearances. Textbooks arent designed tointimidate you. In fact, you should think of any textbook as

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As you work throughyour program, youllsometimes use a studyunit like the one yourereading now. Unlikestudy guides, theyre notcompanions to textbooks.These study units standalone; they cover a par-ticular topic and haveself-checks and an examto be taken online.


a great resource designed to be your learning companion.One reason textbooks seem overwhelming is that they oftenpresent all of the material an instructor might want to coverin a semester. Remember that textbooks are carefullydesigned to guide you from point A to point B. When yourelax and become familiar with the material in the textbooks,youll often discover that its clear, concise, and easy tounderstand. Textbook authors and editors work hard to pres-ent the necessary information logically and in an easy-to-read format.

Practical Exercise

Another type of booklet you may use during your program iscalled a practical exercise. This type of booklet includes sug-gested activities that are tailored to help you apply the mate-rial youre studying to real-life situations. The suggestedactivities are optional. You dont have to complete them tofinish your program. However, each practical exercise bookletrequires you to complete a multiple-choice examination usingthe Penn Foster online test system. The questions in theexamination cover material youve already learned in previous study units.

Supplement

A supplement is similar to, but smaller than, a study unit. Itdeals with some specific aspect of the program not covered indetail in the study units. Basically, a supplement providesenrichment information. It has no self-checks or examina-

An Infamous Textbook TrapUnknown Words

Its tempting to skip over words you dont understand. Butthats never a good idea. Sometimes, of course, special termswill be highlighted or set off in the text margins. In othercases, there will be lists of key terms at the beginning or theend of a chapter. Later in this study unit, youll find somehelpful tips about what to do with unknown words. Follow thetips about unfamiliar words, or at the very least, jot the worddown for later investigation, but never, never, just skip overit. Youll never learn what it meansand it might just be aword you need to know for a self-check or exam.

Check your MyCourses page oftento see if new materialsare available.

Learning Strategies

tion. In many cases, supplements are available only as anonline document accessed through your My Courses pageon the Web site.

Examinations

As weve already mentioned, each lesson requires one exami-nation that you must complete and submit for evaluation.Each study guide, however, contains several lessons, so youmust complete several exams for each study guide, most ofwhich consist of multiple-choice questions. The examinationsare designed with a particular purpose in mind: Theyreopen-book exercises that help you learn not by just under-standing what youve read, but by knowing where to look forinformation.

Heres an example of a multiple-choice question from acourse.

1. The sentence The rose is the most beautiful flower is anexample of a(n)A. simile. C. fact.B. conflict. D. opinion.

This item offers you four clear choices. You must identify theone best answer, which you can find in the material youvealready studied.

Sometimes youll immediately know the correct answer to aquestion. At other times, youll have to go back to the text tosearch for the correct answer. In fact, our multiple-choiceitems are constructed to encourage you to review the studymaterial to discover the answers. The process of reviewingyour study material for the answer is a form of self-teaching.

Youll use our online test system to take your exams.

Online exam submission is fast and easy. Once you submitthe exam, you immediately receive the results. (Note: To sub-mit an examination online, you must first log on to the Website. Instructions for logging on to the Web site are given nextin this study unit.)

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You cant submit arandomized examfor grading unless youanswer every question.

Occasionally, some subjects require you to submit an exami-nation that must be graded by hand. For example, you mayhave to create a drawing for an art assignment or develop aparagraph for a writing assignment. In most cases, you willbe able to submit these assignments to the school as an elec-tronic file through the exam system. If a hard copy must bemailed to the school, youll receive specific instructions onhow to do so.

Random Exams

In some programs, the multiple-choice exams are random-ized. In other words, each student receives different examquestions in a different order. In addition, the choices ADare also scrambled from exam to exam. All randomizedexams are taken online. If you have randomized exams inyour program, youll see only one exam question at a time.You can answer the questions in the order in which you seethem, or you can skip questions youre unsure of and returnto answer them later. If you cancel an exam and come backto take it another day, youll receive an entirely different setof questions. After you submit your exam, youll see theresults, but you wont be able to see the examination ques-tions themselves.

Proctored Exams (Degree Programs Only)

Along with your lesson exams, the degree programs alsorequire you to take a number of proctored exams. Usuallytheres a proctored exam for each course. Again, the proc-tored exams are open-book, so you arent taking a test cold.

Proctored exams are taken near your home with a qualified proctor whom you recommend. A proctor is a person youselect to be present with you while you take your exam. Yourproctor can be a teacher, a librarian, or any competent busi-ness or professional person you knowsuch as an attorneyor your supervisor at work. Penn Foster College must approveyour choice of proctor.

Proctored exams focus on material presented in the form of short-answer and essay questions. Proctored exams aredrawn from all of the material in a given course. Each

Learning Strategies

exam is evaluated at the school after your proctor has submitted it by mail.

For each course, the grade you earn on the correspondingproctored exam counts as one-third of your final coursegrade, while your average grade on the lesson exams countsas two-thirds of your final course grade.

Using Our Web Site

The Penn Foster Web site is your connection to the school.The site is fast, easy, and a great means of communicationwith the school. As a student in our school, you can accessyour personal student information related to your program ofstudy. You also have access to an extensive online library,Library Services (Figure 2), and best of all, you can submityour examinations through this site.

To log on to the Web site for the first time, go to

http://login.pennfoster.edu

On the screen that appears, click on Create a Login. Thenprovide the information requested and follow the on-screeninstructions. When you complete the login process, youll beregistered in the Web site. To enter the site from then on,simply enter your username and password when prompted to do so.

When you enter the site, youre immediately taken to yourpersonal homepage. On that page is a valuable resource forhelping you get the most from the site. Click on Show MeHow To Use This Page (Figure 3) for a video demonstrationof how to use your homepage. (When you see this feature onany page, click on it for information specific to that page.)

If you plan to use the Web site, you should take some time tobecome familiar with it before you begin your studies. Thenwhen you really need some help or information, youll knowjust where to find it. The Web site is the best and fastestsource of information and service.

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Figure 3Show Me Howto Use This Page Icon

Figure 2Library Services Icon


Delivery of Program Materials

Shortly after you enroll in one of our programs, your firstinstruction set will be available to you. Everything you needto get started is typically available online. As you progressthrough the program, youll be able to access more instruc-tion sets.

Depending on the program in which youre enrolled, you mayreceive physical shipments of books and lesson materials, orthe material may be available only as electronic documentson your My Courses page.

Heres how it works. When you complete and submit a cer-tain number of examinations from one instruction set, yournext instruction set will automatically be available to you.Your progress should never be held up for lack of material to work on.

The remainder of this study unit presents study aids andsuggestions to help you get the most from your program.Before you go on to that material, please take time to complete Self-Check 1.

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Self-Check 1At the end of each section of Learning Strategies, youll be asked to pause and check your understanding of what youve just read by completing a Self-Check exercise.Answering these questions will help you review what youve studied so far. Please com-plete Self-Check 1 now.

Indicate whether the following statements are True or False.

_____ 1. Your program allows you to study at your own pace.

_____ 2. Penn Foster must approve the proctor you choose to supervise your proctoredexams.

_____ 3. You must submit your self-check answers to the school for evaluation.

_____ 4. Most examinations in your program consist of multiple-choice questions.

_____ 5. The first time you log on to our Web site, you must register on the site.

Check your answers with those on page 41.


STUDY SKILLS

Practical Suggestions

Different people learn in different ways. Some find noisy areasthe best places to study. Others need complete quiet. Someneed to read out loud to completely understand material.Others prefer to read silently.

The important thing is to find what works for you and thenuse it. Here are a few suggestions you should consider to help your study time to be more productive. Read them carefully. Try different methods. Then use the ones that are right for you.

Find a quiet place where you can focus on the materialyoure reading (Figure 4).

When youre reading new material, pretend youre goingto be quizzed on it. This should help you pay moreattention to what youre reading.

Try to relate the material youre studying to somethingyou already know.

Reinforce your learning by reciting aloud key points andconcepts.

FIGURE 4In a quietplace, you wont be dis-tracted by nearby noisesand movement.

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Highlight your text and take notes as you read.

Explain what youre learning to someone who knowsnothing about the subject.

To keep your mind from wandering to other responsibili-ties, keep a pad of paper on your study area. When youthink of something you want to remember to do (forexample, pay the electric bill or pick up some tomatoesat the grocery store), jot yourself a note.

Dont study during your sleepy times of the day.

Eat properly, get plenty of rest, and exercise regularly.

Find someone with whom you can discuss the text material (Figure 5).

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FIGURE 5Talking tosomeone about your les-sons may help you under-stand confusing areas andmay help you to rememberwhat youve read.


Study Schedules

Schedules put you in control of your time and your life. Ifyou were attending a traditional school, you would have to be present in class at certain times, hand in assignments bytheir due dates, and take examinations when the teacherscheduled them. Since you dont have a schedule set up by a teacher or school official, you must create your own sched-ule so you can stay on track with your goals.

As we mentioned before, one of the advantages of your pro-gram is being able to study at your own pace and on yourown schedule. And youre the only one who knows what thatschedule should be like.

Monthly Schedule

Start with the big picture. Do you have a target date for completing your program? If not, you should set a realisticgoal of when you would like to graduate. Buy or make a cal-endar with squares large enough to write in the informationyou need to remember. Set a deadline for completing eachlesson assignment in a subject, and mark that date on yourcalendar. Thats the day you should submit the examinationfor the lesson.

Keep your calendar on your desk, on the wall near yourdesk, or in some other place where youll see it every day.

Weekly Schedule

To make your schedule a little more manageable, break downyour monthly schedule into weekly segments. Each weekcontains 168 hours. To plan your week, use a chart like theone in Figure 6 to estimate the number of hours you spendeach week on certain activities.

After youve completed the chart, subtract your total from 168.Your answer is the number of free hours you have each week.Is it more than you need for your studies? If so, great. Justdecide how many of those hours youre going to devote toyour education. If you dont have enough free hours for your studies, you may have to make some changes in yourlifestyle. For example, suppose you indicate that you watch

Schedules makeyour life easier,not harder, becausethey help you organ-ize your time.

Learning Strategies

television 25 hours each week. You may decide to eliminatean hour or more of television every day and devote that timeto your studying.

To help you analyze your allotment of time, ask yourselfquestions like theseand then answer them honestly:

1. On what activity do I spend the most time?

2. On what activity do I spend the least time?

3. Do I spend too much time on any one activity?

4. Do I need to spend more time on any activity?

5. Does the amount of time I spend studying produce theresults I want?

6. Overall, am I satisfied with the way I spend my time?Why or why not?

7. If I could make some changes, what would they be?

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Hours Spent

Activity per Week

1. Working _______

2. Sleeping _______

3. Dressing, showering, and so on _______

4. Eating _______

5. Traveling to and from work _______

6. Shopping, cooking, and preparing meals _______

7. Studying _______

8. Watching TV _______

9. Engaging in leisure activities _______

10. Caring for family _______

11. Cleaning and doing laundry _______

12. Socializing _______

13. Other _______

Total hours spent _______

FIGURE 6Fill in theblanks with the number ofhours you spend on eachactivity every week.


Schedules make your life easier, not harder, because theyhelp you organize your time. A well-organized and plannedschedule can in a sense add hours to your day.

If you find that your weekly schedule isnt working, try com-pleting the chart in Figure 7. Transfer the numbers fromFigure 6 into the Estimated Time column in Figure 7.

Then, on a separate piece of paper, keep track of the actualhours you spend on the activities during the next week.Write down the actual hours as you spend them. Dont put itoff until later in the day, because its easy to forget the cor-rect amounts by then. When the week is over, total the timesfor each activity and complete the chart in Figure 7.

Estimated ActualActivity Time Time

1. Working _______ _______

2. Sleeping _______ _______

3. Dressing, showering, and so on _______ _______

4. Eating _______ _______

5. Traveling to and from work _______ _______

6. Shopping, cooking, and preparing meals _______ _______

7. Studying _______ _______

8. Watching TV _______ _______

9. Engaging in leisure activities _______ _______

10. Caring for family _______ _______

11. Cleaning and doing laundry _______ _______

12. Socializing _______ _______

13. Other _______ _______

Total hours spent _______ _______

FIGURE 7Comparison Chart for Weekly Activities

Learning Strategies

Once youve filled in the chart in Figure 7, list those activities in which you spent more time than you originally estimated.Then list the activities in which you spent less time than you estimated.How can you use this information to revise your weekly schedule?

How Long Should You Study?

Consider these three important points when planning the amount oftime you study during one sitting:

You dont have to study for hours at a time to be effective.

If your daily schedule is such that you can spend only a shorttime studying, thats okay. In fact, youll probably benefit more by studying every day for one hour than you would by studying for several hours once a week. You must decide what works best

for you in terms of your schedule forother activities and in terms of your own preferences.

You need to take breaks from inten-sive study.

Regular breaks can help you stay on task and focused. Set limits for yourself. In general, you should try to schedule study times of one to two hours. When you notice youre becoming bored, distracted, or tired, take a break. Give yourself 10 min-utes to stretch, walk around, or get a snack (Figure 8).

In the beginning, set a time limit of 45 minutes. Study for that length of time, take a 10-minute break, and then go back to your studies. Youll be surprised how refreshed you feel after just a quick break to increase your concentration. Walking and stretching exercises are good ways to spend your break time.

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FIGURE 8A short break to have a snack or takea short walk or jog may help you to stay focusedon your studies.


Each person is different in terms of how long he or shecan focus on information in a text.

Although weve given you some guidelines, theyre onlysuggestions. Because youre a unique individual, withunique abilities and a unique lifestyle, you must decidefor yourself the best time and the amount of time thatsappropriate for you.

At the end of each study time, take a few minutes to planyour next session. In that way, when you begin to studyagain, youll know exactly where you ended and what youhave to accomplish next. Suppose you study on Monday and youre unable to study again until Friday. You may not remember where you were and how much you had read.Making a list of things to do in your next session can save a lot of time.

You might also find it helpful to make a list of things to dooutside your study time. These things may include itemsrelated to your program and items related to other dailyactivities. For example, heres one students daily list of things to do:

1. Return reference book to library.

2. Look for book recommended by author of study unit.

3. Pick up milk, eggs, tomatoes, and cheese.

4. Pick up clothes at dry cleaners.

5. Spend one hour studying program materials.

For these lists, you can use something as simple as a pieceof scrap paper or something more elaborate like a daily plan-ner or appointment book available in most drugstores orbookstores (Figure 9). The important thing is to use them tohelp you plan your time in the best possible way.

Learning Strategies

Where Should You Study?

Your study place doesnt have to be elaborate. A desk orsmall table in your bedroom or guest room will do. Its not agood idea to study in bed, however. That location may be alittle too comfortable, and youll find yourself falling asleep.

If possible, use your study area only for studying. Try to keepyour study area separate from the areas where you take careof other responsibilities, like paying bills and managinghousehold expenses. For one thing, you may get distractedfrom your studies by thinking about the electric bill. Foranother, you may lose phone bills or other important papersamong your textbooks and notes.

If you can, avoid high-traffic areas such as the kitchen orfamily room where you may be distracted and interrupted byfamily members. Find a study area away from the noise of thetelevision and childrens play. If you dont have a bedroom orspare room to use for study, choose the quietest corner of thefamily room or living room, and arrange your desk so youre

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FIGURE 9For you, asheet of scrap paper or anotepad may be sufficientfor a daily to-do list.Others may prefer a moreformal daily planner likethe one shown in thelower half of this illustra-tion. If a purchased plan-ner motivates you toschedule your time andstay on schedule, itsworth the purchase price.


facing the wall. You can create a simple desk by placing alarge board over milk crates, cinderblocks, or even two-draw-er filing cabinets. Make sure you have an adequate lightsource over your deska floor lamp, an overhead light, or adesk lampto illuminate the material youre working on.

If you have a family, let them know that studying is like a joband that you need quiet time to do your work. Schedule aregular time for studying at home and make it a routine.Soon your family will get used to the idea that when youre inyour study place, youre unavailable except for an emergency.Let your family know how long you plan to study. Tell themyoull be unavailable for that period of time. Then stick to it.If your children know when youll be available to listen, read,or play, theyre more likely to be patient and understanding.

Better yet, arrange to study when your children are asleep or when no one is at home. If your children are very young,study during their naptime or after theyve gone to bed atnight. If youre a morning person, get up an hour earlier thananyone else in the family and study then. An hour of concen-trated work early in the morning can sometimes be morevaluable than two hours late at night when youre tired.

The telephone can be a tremendous distraction. If you havevoice mail, let the caller leave a message. If the phone reallybecomes a problem, turn off the phone during the time thatyoure studying (Figure 10).

FIGURE 10Dont let the tele-phone become a problem for you.If you find that your study timeis interrupted by the telephone,turn it off during that time.

Learning Strategies

Experiment with yourown study area. If youfind you study best withmusic in the back-ground, by all means useit as a study aid. If youfind that backgroundnoise, such as the televi-sion, radio, or stereo, is a distraction, find a quietplace to do your study-ing. Youre in control ofhow and when youstudy, and its up to youto learn how you studybest.

If youre unable to studyat home, consider yourlocal public or universitylibrary. Plan your timecarefully and take allyour necessary studymaterials with you. Youshould be able to find aquiet, well-lighted study space at your public library (Figure 11).Most libraries have evening and weekend hours that may coincidewith your study schedule. The feature that makes libraries a per-fect study area is their atmosphere. Most of the people there are reading and spending time quietly.

Organizing Your Materials and Tools

Organizing your study time is an important key to successfullycompleting your program. However, organizing your study materi-als and tools is equally as important. In fact, the two go hand inhand. If you dont have a regular study time that you stick to, hav-ing neatly organized materials wont help you very much. On theother hand, if you have to spend the first part of your study timeorganizing your materials or looking for lost papers and tools, yourstudy schedule will be of little value.

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FIGURE 11A library may be just the place foryou to study. Its quiet, youll have no inter-ruptions, and you have lots of reference mate-rials on hand if you need them.


Though well concentrate here on smaller supplies, youshould plan to either have a computer or have easy access toone as you work through your program. Youll use a comput-er to do tasks such as writing papers, searching the Internetfor research material, and submitting exams. If you dontown one, your local library should have computers availablefor you to use.

Keep all of your materials in one convenient place. A sturdycardboard box or plastic crate is a good storage place foryour study units, study guides, textbooks, other programmaterials, and any correspondence related to your program.

To make the most of your time, make sure your study placehas everything you need to get the job done. Here are somestandard items you should keep at your desk or table:

Ballpoint pens (Felt-tip markers tend to bleed throughpaper.)

Pencils

Highlighters to mark important items or passages inyour text

Lined notebook paper

Copy or printer paper

Three-ring binder, notebooks, or folders

Dictionary

Good desk lamp

Use the notebook paper for jotting down important points,things you want to read more about, questions for yourinstructor, and so on. Use the copy or printer paper to makesketches or diagrams, if appropriate, or to print informationyou locate on the Internet.

Before you begin to study the materials related to your pro-gram, determine how youre going to keep track of your notesand other important papers. Ideally, you should create a separate folder for each subject. Label the folder with the titleof the subject, and keep all related papers in the folder.

Learning Strategies

A dictionary is an invaluable reference tool for any seriousstudent. If you have a dictionary, keep it handy while yourereading so you can look up the meanings of any unfamiliarwords you encounter in the text. If you dont have one, youshould purchase a good pocket dictionary to use throughoutyour program.

If you have access to the Internet, you can use online dic-tionaries. For example, go to http:\\www.m-w.com. Enter aword in the dictionary box near the top center of the screenand click the search icon.

Your study units carefully define and explain all new termsrelating to the subject youre studying. However, you mayencounter a general term thats unfamiliar to you. Get intothe habit of looking up each word you dont understand.Consider starting a notebook specifically for vocabularywords. Review it occasionally, and make a deliberate effort to use the words in your conversations. (Youll be readingmore about vocabulary notebooks in the next section of this study unit.)

Finally, make sure you have adequate lighting at your studyarea. Without proper lighting, you may become tired quickly,and you may find yourself rereading passages before youfully understand them.

Understanding Your Study Style

Perhaps its been a while since youve had to think aboutstudying. It might be even longer since youve thought abouthow you study. Before beginning your program of study, youshould have a good understanding of your present studystyle. Do you learn a lot from talking with other people? Areyou good at taking things apart and putting them backtogether? Do you pace back and forth while youre thinking?These and many other traits can show you what learningstyles you presently use. A learning style is a combination ofthe ways in which you process, absorb, and retain informa-tion in a setting that best supports you in your learning.

Take a few moments to respond to the statements in thequiz in Figure 12, which will help you determine how youbest learn. While a short quiz like this cant pinpoint perfect-ly how you learn, it can provide insights into how you see

22

yourself and the learning process. Although this isnt a scientif-ic assessment, this quiz tells you something about how you liketo learn.

Remember that its possible to have strong scores in more thanone learning style. Thats okay; it means you learn in severaldifferent ways. Use this quiz to assess your strengths and takeadvantage of every technique that helps you to learn.

Check yes or no beside each of the following statements to reflect howyou learn.

YES NO

1. I learn a lot from listening to instructors andother knowledgeable people. ______ ______

2. I figure things out best by trial and error. ______ ______

3. Books are easy for me to learn from. ______ ______

4. Give me a map and I can find my way. ______ ______

5. I like to have directions explained to me orally. ______ ______

6. I can often assemble something I just bought without looking at the instructions. ______ ______

7. I learn a lot from discussions. ______ ______

8. Id rather watch an expert first and then try a new skill. ______ ______

9. The best way for me to learn how something works is to take it apart and put it back together. ______ ______

10. I can remember most of what is said in classes and meetings without taking notes. ______ ______

11. In school, the classes in which I did best involvedphysical activity. ______ ______

12. Diagrams and drawings help me understand new concepts. ______ ______

A yes answer to questions 1, 5, 7, and 10 indicates that you learn by hearing infor-mation; youre a good listener, or a strong auditory learner.

A yes answer to questions 3, 4, 8, and 12 indicates that you learn by reading, watch-ing, and studying diagrams; youre a strong visual learner.

A yes answer to questions 2, 6, 9, and 11 indicates that you learn by doing things;youre a strong kinesthetic learner.


FIGURE 12Learning Style Quiz

Learning Strategies

Auditory Learners

An auditory learner learns by listening. If youre an auditorylearner, you may be able to hear a piece of music once andthen be able to sing it by yourself. However, you may becomebored by reading a text and taking notes. If youre an auditorylearner, you should find friends to study with, so you canask questions and discuss the text (Figure 13). Or, if youstudy alone, you can reinforce your learning by reciting keyconcepts aloud or recording them and listening to it later.You could also paraphraseor put in your own wordswhatyouve learned, and teach it to a friend or family member.

Visual Learners

A visual learner learns by reading. If youre a visual learner,you learn best by reading a text or by looking at a chart, agraph, or a map. You might not do as well in a chemistry labor on a geology field trip. You need to take notes on what youhear in a lecture or what you read in a book. If you go on afield trip or do some other hands-on activity, you shouldmake notes and read them later.

24

FIGURE 13You may learnwell by discussing the materialwith someone else.


Kinesthetic Learners

A kinesthetic learner learns by doing. For example, if youre akinesthetic learner, youre probably good at puzzles, or youmay be able to assemble a childs toy without looking at theinstructions. If youre a strong kinesthetic learner, you maybe frustrated with lectures where youre expected to sit andlisten. You may also find it difficult to sit still and read for longperiods of time. If you do, you should make up activities thathelp you learn. Active reading, which includes highlightingyour text as you read and taking good notes while listening,will use your kinesthetic strengths. These habits utilize yourkinesthetic strengths by giving you something to do whilereading and listening. Another task that might help you is tomake flash cards with key concepts on them. Use the flashcards to study when you arent at your desk. (Well be dis-cussing such study aids later in this unit.) If youre a kines-thetic learner, you can enhance your learning by findingpractical ways to apply the new things youve learned.

The learning style quiz youve just completed illustrates howyou prefer to learn. Once you know how you like to study,you can use this information to adapt your behavior. The aimof this study unit is to help you develop study skills bystrengthening the ones you have or learning new ones.

In the next section of this study unit, youre going to examinesome specific suggestions on how you can make your studytime more profitable. Before you go on to that section, pleasecomplete Self-Check 2.


Self-Check 21. When should you plan what you want to accomplish in your next study session?

__________________________________________________________________________

2. Where should you keep the calendar you use for scheduling your time?

__________________________________________________________________________

3. True or False? Breaks during study times tend to interrupt your train of thought.

4. True or False? Some people study better if they have some background noise.

5. What is one advantage of studying at the library?

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________


Challenge Exercise

Have you thought about the time youre going to spend on studying the materialsin your program? Have you established a schedule for yourself? Why not takesome time to complete the chart in Figure 6. Doing so will help you get off on theright foot in your studies.


LEARNING SKILLS

In this section, youre going to examine some specific sugges-tions on how you can make your study time more valuable.Not every method will be appropriate for your study habits.Choose those that you think will help you, or adapt some tofit your needs. Ignore those that you feel wont contribute toyour understanding of the materials.

SQ3R: Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review

SQ3R was developed in 1941 by Francis P. Robinson of OhioState University. Its an old system, but it still works. Millionsof students have successfully used this system, or a variationof it, to improve their reading and studying. SQ3R stands forSurvey, Question, Read, Recite, Review. Lets take a look ateach one of these elements.

Survey

The purpose of the survey step in SQ3R is to help youbecome familiar with your textbook organization. To surveymaterial youre about to read, look quickly at the followingtypes of features:

Titles and other headings

Illustrations, photos, charts, and graphs

Text printed in highlighted boxes

Boldface and italic type

Self-check questions

Summary, if appropriate

Scanning these features will give you a good idea of whattopics youre about to study.

Question

The next step in the SQ3R method is question. This steprequires you to leaf through the pages youre about to readand turn the headings into questions. Doing this helps direct

Learning Strategies

your reading and your thinking. Then, as you read and studythe material, you can look for answers to your questions. Forexample, look at the first few headings at the beginning ofthis study unit. Heres how you can turn them into questions:

What are the advantages of my program?

What is the gap and how can I bridge it?

How is my program designed?

What study materials will I be using?

What kind of examinations will I have to take?

The better your questions are, the better will be your under-standing of the material.

Read

Begin to read the material slowly and carefully, one sectionat a time. Dont worry about how long it takes. As you read,look for answers to the questions youve just asked. Highlightthings you want to remember, make notes in the margins,and look up any words you dont understand. If youve completed the first two steps (survey and question), thematerial should seem familiar to you. Youre prepared to read the new material more efficiently. You have an idea ofthe information youre required to learn and youre able toread with clearer intent. You know why youre reading a section and what to focus on.

Use a highlighter or a ballpoint pen to mark important points.If you use a highlighter, choose a light color, like yellow orpink, which wont bleed through the page. Dont use a pencil.A pencil with a sharp point may tear the page, and a markmade with a dull pencil point will smudge and fade.

Underline or highlight only important words or phrases. Tryto avoid marking entire sentences. If you highlight too manythings, nothing will stand out when youre reviewing, andyour highlighting will be meaningless.

Specifically, mark definitions, examples, names, dates, andevents. Also, mark principles, rules, and characteristics.Highlight words in boldface or italics. These are terms theauthor is emphasizing and wants you to remember.

28


Recite

Every time you come to a new heading in the text, stop andrepeat, either silently or aloud, the main points of what youvejust read. Recite it from memory or refer to your marginalnotes or the information youve highlighted. If you have trou-ble with this step, reread the section until it becomes clear toyou. Reciting the material in your own words is a tremendousaid to learning. It makes it easier to retain the information.

Review

Review any material you read as soon as you can. Review itagain before you complete a self-check and again before youprepare for the examination. This part of SQ3R helps to keepinformation fresh in your mind.

One way to review is to resurvey the material youve read. Orgo over the notes youve made to see if they still make sense.Reread any passages that youve underlined or highlighted.

Another method you can use in the review step is to go backover the questions you developed for each heading. See if youcan answer them. If not, look back and refresh your memoryabout that particular topic. Then continue with your reviewuntil youre satisfied that you know the material well.

Vocabulary Building

Create a Vocabulary Notebook

Earlier in this study unit, we talked about building a specialvocabulary notebook for each unfamiliar word you find inyour reading. As you read your textbook, stop and look upthe meaning of each word you dont know, and make a pagefor it in your vocabulary notebook. Your vocabulary notebookis an important study tool.

When you find words in the text that are printed in boldfaceor italic, include them in your vocabulary notebook.

Learning Strategies

You may decide to create two separate vocabulary notebooks,one for terms relating specifically to a particular subject ofyour program and one for general vocabulary terms (Figure 14). Heres a good procedure to follow for increasingyour vocabulary:

1. As you read, whether its the newspaper, a magazine, anovel, or your textbooks, stop and write down every wordyou dont know.

2. Below the word, copy the phrase or sentence thatcontains the word.

3. Look for context clues. (This method is explained next.)

4. Look up the word in a dictionary and write down its definition.

5. Use the new word to write a sentence of your own.

6. Review the words periodically as your list grows.

7. Make it a point to use the word in your daily conversa-tions. After you use it a few times, it will be part of yourspeaking vocabulary.

Context Clues

Sometimes you can read the sentence around an unfamiliarword and get an idea of what it means. Before you look up aword in the dictionary, try to determine its meaning on yourown. Lets take a look at the word metacognition. You mightbe able to guess from the contextthat is, the surroundingwordswhat metacognition means. From the words around

30

FIGURE 14Dont skip over unfamiliar words. Take thetime to write them in yourvocabulary notebook alongwith their definitions.


it, you can get the idea that metacognition has to do withknowledge. As you read the following paragraph, youll findthat the definition is actually given before you find the word.

Scientists who study the brain have discovered thatour brains work in such a way that they connect newinformation with previously stored knowledge. Thatis, we learn by connecting new information with whatwe already know. This process is called metacognition.

Therefore, metacognition means to learn by connecting whatwere learning with what we already know.

The clues you get from these sentences about the meaning ofa word are called context clues. You cant always determinethe meaning of a word from its context. However, you canoften get a good idea of what it means by carefully readingthe sentence that contains the word and maybe a sentenceor two before and after the word. Try it the next time youencounter an unfamiliar word. Then look the word up in adictionary to see if youre correct.

Prefixes and Suffixes

Another way to get a clue to the meaning of new words is to understand prefixes and suffixes. A prefix comes at thebeginning of a word. Being familiar with the meaning of prefixes helps you to decipher the meaning of words. Forexample, the prefixes im-, in-, and un- mean not. Here aresome words that contain these prefixes, along with the meaning of the words:

impolite not politeimproper not properindefinite not definiteinhuman not humanunimportant not importantunnecessary not necessary

The prefix re- means again. Some examples of words begin-ning with this prefix are

reappear appear againrecopy copy againrepack pack again

Learning Strategies

A suffix comes at the end of a word. One common suffix is -ly. When this suffix is added to a word, it changes the wordinto an adverb that means in a specified manner. Study thefollowing words that end in -ly:

slowly in a slow mannerkindly in a kind mannertenderly in a tender manner

The suffix -like means having the characteristics of. Here aresome examples of words ending in this suffix:

catlike having the characteristics of a catchildlike having the characteristics of a childbulblike having the characteristics of a bulb

When you see an unfamiliar word in anything you read, checkto see if it contains a prefix or a suffix. If you know themeaning of part of the word, you may be able to decipher the meaning of it all.

Dictionary

A dictionary will probably be your most important referencetool for this program or any other program you may take.Whenever you begin to use a new dictionary, survey it tobecome familiar with what it has to offer you. Most diction-aries include

The pronunciation of the word

The part of speech of the word (noun, verb, adjective,adverb, pronoun, conjunction, or exclamation)

The etymology, or history, of the word

The date the word first appeared in English

The definition of the word

Get to know your dictionary and use it. A dictionary is muchmore than a place to look up the meanings of words youdont know. Its one of your most important study tools.

32

Visit Library Servicesfrom your MyCourses page foraccess to the onlinedictionaries. Links tothese resources can befound in the VirtualReference Room.


Completing Self-Checks

At the end of each section in your study guide and studyunits, youll find self-checks. These quizzes are designed totest you on the material youve just read. Dont skip overthese checks. If you go on without completely understandingwhat youve read, you may become more confused.

Before you complete any self-check, review the notes youvemade in the margins and the material youve highlighted.Reread any notes youve made.

When youre confident that youve grasped the material inthat section of the study unit, take out a clean sheet of paperand write the answers to the self-check questions. By writingthe answers on a separate sheet of paper, you can take thequiz again when youre preparing for the examination.

When you finish a self-check, compare your answers withthose provided at the end of the study unit. If you make amistake on any question, go back to the page in the studyunit where that particular material is covered. Reread thematerial until youre sure you understand it. Dont go on tothe next section until you thoroughly understand the mate-rial in the section youre working on.

As a final review of the material, you may wish to locate theanswer to each self-check question and highlight it in thestudy unit. This process is an important way to focus onwhat you need to know.

Preparing for Examinations

If you follow the suggestions in this study unit, you shouldhave no difficulty reviewing the material for an examination.Use these tools, along with the answers to the Self-Checks,to prepare for the exam. Remember: The examination is anopen-book test, which is designed as an additional learningtool. However, this doesnt mean that you shouldnt prepare.Familiarity with and understanding of the text material willmake taking the examination that much easier (Figure 15).

Learning Strategies

Taking Examinations

Read the directions carefully and be sure to follow themexactly. While taking the examination, maintain a positiveattitude. If you feel negative thoughts creeping in, say toyourself, Ive studied hard and Im doing fine.

When youre finished with all of the questions, check yourwork carefully. If youre still not sure about any question,locate the material in the study guide, study unit, or text-book that explains the topic. Reread the material to see ifyouve selected the correct response. Change an answer onlyif youre absolutely sure your first answer is wrong. Double-check to make sure youve answered all the questions.

When you feel certain youve done the best you can, submityour examination to the school. Remember: Using our Website allows you to see your exam results immediately.

In the final section of this study unit, youre going to examinesome techniques to keep track of your studies. Before you goon to that section, please complete Self-Check 3.

34

FIGURE 15No sweat! Youveread, youve reviewed, andyoure ready!


Self-Check 31. What is meant by SQ3R?

__________________________________________________________________________

2. Why should you highlight boldface and italicized words as you read them in yourtext?

__________________________________________________________________________

3. List three things a dictionary tells you about a word.

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

4. True or False? Metacognition means that you learn best by connecting what yourelearning to what you already know.

5. True or False? A suffix comes at the beginning of a word.


Learning Strategies

STUDY TECHNIQUES

How to Take Notes

Weve mentioned making marginal comments in your text,underlining or highlighting important words or phrases, andtaking notes. Lets look at each of these in more detail.

Marking Your Textbook

Underlining or highlighting important text and annotatingmaking explanatory comments in your text or notebookaretechniques to improve your concentration. They focus yourattention on the task of reading.

Marking your study guide, study unit, or textbook is anessential part of any study system. It improves your retentionand reception of information.

Its best to read one section at a time, pausing to write asummary of the section in the margin before moving on. Useyour own words when you make notes in your textbook or inyour notebook. Choose some symbols or abbreviations youcan use to designate what type of note it is (Figure 16).

Underline or highlight important words or phrases only, notentire sentences. Your highlighted textbook with annotationswritten in the margin is an important study tool. An activereader highlights and makes notes in the text. As an activereader, youll learn more from your reading than if you readwithout using these study techniques.

36

Remember: If youuse a highlighter to mark definitions ofterms, examples,names, dates, andevents, choose a colorthat wont bleedthrough the page. Otheritems you should markinclude principles, rules,and characteristics.

Abbreviation Meaning

DEF definition

EX example

* (asterisk) an important point

1, 2, 3, and so on indicate that sequence matters

FIGURE 16Use definitions or symbols that are meaningful to you to mark significant places in your text.


Taking Notes and Creating a Notebook

After youve highlighted important information in your text-book, you should go back and copy down highlighted infor-mation into your notebook. For example, for the section ofthis text on Reading the Material, you should write downSQ3R stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review.You should then write in your own words a summary of what the text says about SQ3R and about how to survey a section of text.

You should also copy down the textbook heading and pagenumber for each section, and paraphrase that section inyour notebook. Then, under each heading in your notebookwrite a short paraphrase (a summary in your own words) ofwhat the textbook says. You should also write down keyterms and their definitions. If there are charts or diagrams,you should copy them into your notes. This will be discussednext in the section called Creating Learning Aids.

Creating Learning Aids

After youve carefully read and marked your textbook andcreated your notebook, you should consider other learningaids. One useful learning aid is a flash card. Flash cards arevery useful for learning vocabulary words and key concepts(Figure 17). Take an index card, on one side write the wordor concept you want to remember; on the other side, write

FIGURE 17Some people findflash cards very useful whenmemorizing material.

Learning Strategies

its definition or explanation. For example, you could make a card for SQ3R. On one side of the card, write SQ3R; on the other side, write Survey, Question, Read, Recite,Review.

Keep your flash cards together with a rubber band or a largeclip and store them with your other study tools. Pull themout any time you have a few extra minutesfor example,while youre waiting for an appointment or when your child is at practice.

A flip chart is another study tool you can use. To make a flipchart, fold a piece of notebook paper in half vertically. Unfoldthe paper and youll now have two columns. Write an impor-tant word or a key concept from your text on the left-handside of the paper. Across from the word write the definition.Skip a line and write a second word or key concept on theleft side of the paper, and write its definition on the rightside. For example, you could write the term kinestheticlearner on the left side of the page and its meaning on theright-hand side of the paper: a person who learns by doing.

You can now quiz yourself by refolding the chart. Look at theword and ask yourself the definition. Just flip the chart openand check to see if youre correct. Go down the entire list,until you remember all of the definitions. Use your flip chartthe opposite way also: Read the definition and see if you canremember the word.

Both of these tools will help you retain information andimprove your chances of success.

Using Mnemonic Devices

Mnemonic devices are tricks, games, or rhymes that help youremember things. You probably already know some that youlearned as a child. For example, In 1492, Columbus sailedthe ocean blue or Thirty days hath September, April, June,and November. For most people, songs and rhymes are aneasy way to remember information.

38


Using Acronyms

An acronym is a word formed by the first letters of otherwords. SQ3R is an acronym that we looked at earlier. Itdoesnt spell a word by itself, but it makes a memory tool.

Quiz yourself now: What does SQ3R stand for? Anotheracronym you may know is UNICEF, which stands for UnitedNations International Childrens Emergency Fund.

You may be able to create acronyms for information you needto learn in your classes. For example, one student in a science class wanted to remember the parts of an atom:proton, electron, and neutron. The three letters that begineach word, P, E, N, spell a word, PEN, which the studentused as a memory cue. Heres another example: The GreatLakes of the United States are Huron, Ontario, Michigan,Erie, and Superior. Their names can be remembered byusing the acronym HOMES.

Its time now to put to use some of the things youve learnedin this study unit. First complete Self-Check 4. Then reviewthe entire unit in preparation for the examination.

Good luck and much success in your studies.


Self-Check 41. How can you use flash cards to help prepare for an exam?

__________________________________________________________________________

2. What is an acronym?

__________________________________________________________________________

3. How do making annotations in your textbook help you study?

__________________________________________________________________________

4. True or False? You can use flash cards only to learn new vocabulary words.

5. True or False? Mnemonic devices help you remember important points by usingsongs or rhymes.


Self-Check Answers 41

Self-Check 11. True

2. True

3. False

4. True

5. True

Self-Check 21. At the end of each study session, plan what you intend

to do in the next session.

2. Keep your calendar some place where youll see it every day.

3. False

4. True

5. Youll have a quiet atmosphere in which to study, andyoull be with other people who are reading and/orstudying. In a library, you have a lot of reference materials available at your fingertips.

Self-Check 31. Survey, question, read, recite, review

2. Boldface and italicized words are the key terms theauthor wants you to remember.

3. For each entry, most dictionaries give the pronuncia-tion, part of speech, etymology, date the word firstappeared in English, and the definition.

4. True

5. False

Answers

Answers

Self-Check Answers42

Self-Check 41. To review facts, concepts, and vocabulary words you still

have trouble remembering

2. An acronym is a word formed by the first letters of otherwords, which can be used to create an association forstudying.

3. Annotating in your textbook helps you focus your atten-tion on the task of reading.

4. False

5. True

Examination 43

Examinatio

nExaminatio

nLearning Strategies

When you feel confident that you have mastered the material in thisstudy unit, go to http://www.takeexamsonline.com and submit youranswers online. If you dont have access to the Internet, you canphone in or mail in your exam. Submit your answers for this examina-tion as soon as you complete it. Do not wait until another examina-tion is ready.

Questions 115: Select the one best answer to each question.

1. The best way for you to communicate with the school is throughA. U.S. mail.B. telephone.C. the Penn Foster Web site.D. email.

2. While reading your study materials, what items should youmark by highlighting or underlining?A. Every sentence under the section headingB. Definitions, important events, and rulesC. Just graphs and chartsD. Only the words you understand

3. What is one advantage of the program youre just beginning?A. You can interact with other students.B. You dont have any homework.C. You dont have to take any examinations.D. You can study when its convenient for you.

EXAMINATION NUMBER:

05002900Whichever method you use in submitting your exam

answers to the school, you must use the number above.

For the quickest test results, go to http://www.takeexamsonline.com

Examination44

4. Once youve registered in the Penn Foster Web site, what information must you supply to enter the site from then on?A. Social Security number and Student ID numberB. Username and passwordC. Social Security number and passwordD. Username and Student ID number

5. Which one of the following actions should become an importantpart of your study schedule?A. Eliminating the activity in which you spend the most timeB. Taking regular breaks from your studies to keep focusedC. Finding out what works for others and then following the

exact same scheduleD. Studying only in large blocks of time at one sitting

6. Which one of the following study materials contains self-checks?A. SupplementB. Practical exerciseC. Graded projectD. Study unit

7. Youve started using the SQ3R method of learning. After survey-ing a reading assignment, you go to the next step, which isquestion. What does this step involve?A. Asking yourself why youre taking the courseB. Asking yourself how the material relates to your friends lifeC. Reading the headings and turning them into questionsD. Reviewing the self-check questions and looking for the

answers without reading the study material

8. What is paraphrasing?A. Copying an authors writing into your notebookB. Prereading the headings, table of contents, and list of

objectivesC. Making an outline of important headings in each sectionD. Using your own words to restate what an author has said

9. Kinesthetic learners best learn information byA. reading a book in a library.B. listening to a recording.C. participating in a hands-on workshop.D. attending lectures.

Examination 45

10. What is an acronym?A. A word formed by the first letters of other words.B. Letters that come at the beginning of a word to alter the

meaning.C. Letters that come at the end of a word to alter the meaning.D. A trick or rhyme to help you remember what youve studied.

11. Which one of the following prefixes means again?A. reB. imC. inD. un

12. Suppose you encounter an unfamiliar word as youre reading.One way to figure out the meaning of this word is toA. look at the context of the word.B. use prereading.C. survey the section of material.D. use metacognition.

13. Metacognition refers toA. the ability to test well.B. attaching new material to what you already know.C. any activity you do before you begin to read.D. the origin of English words from Greek or Latin roots.

14. Use a dictionary toA. find the history, date first used, and meaning of a word.B. find the words you need to express your idea.C. create study guides.D. organize your time.

15. What is a mnemonic?A. A method to improve your schedulingB. A trick, game, or rhyme to help you remember somethingC. The technique of reviewing while you exerciseD. Learning while you sleep

Documents

ICS Learning Strategies handbook