Studying Habits and Learning to Learn

A few years back I gave a series of seminars for parents in Turunç, the town where I lived, back then. Here is a handout I prepared.

 

Why is it Important to Learn How to Learn?

We need to keep learning throughout our lives. We learn even while we think we are not. We acquire knowledge, skills and behaviors to fulfill our needs, to increase our effectiveness, to adapt better to the circumstances, to realize our full potential. We learn, for example:

• to live without a loved one that we’ve lost,
• to connect with a new neighbor who’s just moved next door,
• to adopt the behavior and skills expected from us at work (like establishing positive communication with customers),
• to tell our child’s teachers about a problem they’ve encountered in school without adopting a blaming tone,
• to use our time efficiently and to maintain a brave and cheerful disposition when we are out of work,
• to overcome difficulties that we haven’t even dreamed of while raising our children, and so much more.

Looking closely, you may notice that developing these skills also means becoming a successful, popular, productive person in life. If we realize and develop our learning capacity, we can help our children learn in turn.

“The illiterate of the 21^st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
Alvin Toffler (Rethinking the Future)

We desire our children to grow into people who’ve learned how to learn. The must be able to seek out and find information and use it to generate the knowledge required in new situations and put it to use in their lives. Also they must be able to adapt to changes in society and sometimes even initiate and lead those changes.

Stages of Learning

The desire to learn is a prerequisite of learning. When there is no desire, neither teachers nor books will be of any use. Learning doesn’t simply take place in the classroom or sitting at a desk, it happens solely in the person’s brain and on a completely individual level. Therefore it would be fair to say that the word “teacher” puts it wrong. Teachers are guides who try and make it easy for students to learn, they cannot be those who “teach” because one cannot be taught but can only learn on their own. The responsibility of learning is born by the learner.  We need to admit, though, that the qualities of the person helping someone to learn are very important in activating the learner’s learning skills. We see that students put more effort towards and succeed better in the subjects taught by teachers that they like, and also have your child’s best interest at heart.

‘You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.’
English proverb

Let’s discuss the stages of learning with some examples:

• Acquiring informationis the first stage of learning; starting with observation and perception. This is the stage where information transfer occurs: What we consume, do, and think affects our learning capacity. Wholesome, natural foods; foods rich in Omega-3 such as fish and walnuts; exercise; and positive thinking increase interneural communication. Refined foods and foods that contain sugar and additives damage our skeletal system and all our organs including our brain, and compromise our immune system.
• Understandingis the stage where we interpret the information we’ve acquired by comparing it to our experience and observations: Our neighbor who consumes a lot of soda has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer (having 2 sodas a week increases cancer risk by 40%). Paul, who always gets straight A’s, is never ill, while our son is on antibiotics all the time and never seems to get a break from fever, bronchitis, and cough. I’ve never seen Paul eat junk food, he likes fresh and dried fruit and nuts. My uncle has a sweet tooth, he’s got diabetes, they tell him he’ll die and he still keeps eating. He hasn’t been able to adapt himself and his values to the requirements of the time; his family is unhappy, his children have problems.
• At the stage of knowledge utilization we act on, apply and test the knowledge we’ve acquired and understood: I’ve decided stop buying such food products. I advise my family and friends about this issue and try and help them to take the right decisions for themselves.
• Projection stage is where we associate our knowledge with new circumstances:If what we consume affects our health and our learning capacity, it must affect our psychology as well. Then I can try and help my temperamental husband, my jealous sister-in-law, my mother-in-law watch their choices of food to overcome our psychological difficulties and rough times in the family. I can at least tell them, and offer them healthy foods and drinks when they come to our house.

Studying Mistakes and Methods that Boost Efficiency

If your child spends hours studying but ends up getting poor results, they may have adopted one, or more, of these habits:

Are they studying in reclined positions in bed or on a sofa? Are they in a crowded place, or while the TV is on? Is their studying place variable? Is it untidy? Are there too many distractions around, such as posters? Are they tired, hungry or, even, too full? They may be falling into reveries. Do they know why they are learning, and how to motivate themselves? They may have the tendency to memorize rather than understand. They may be lacking in time management skills. They may be getting caught in negative thoughts.

To help them make the most of the time they spend studying, I suggest you read the following carefully and you search out the details on sources such as strategies for learning and kidshealth with your child so they might adapt their study system accordingly. The Internet offers access to many valuable resources you can use free of charge and in the comfort of your home. Use them. Here are some keyword suggestions for a web search:

Setting goals; learning how to code; how to prepare for exams; note-taking techniques; making good use of your time; planned study; study tactics; reading fast and efficiently; active listening; research techniques; narrative skills; writing skills; memory, attention and concentration; problem solving; mental visualization, etc.

Some practical suggestions you can put to use at once:

• Know that the responsibility of success lies with your child, so help them to understand the important part they play in their own learning.
• Steer your child to decide in advance which subjects they will study, at what time, where and from what resources; and to stick to their plan without putting it off. They need to start with the subjects they find most difficult when their brain is well rested, they may divide up the work into parts and extend it over the week if necessary.
• Let them work at the same spot every time, and try and keep them from pursuing other activities at that spot.
• If they find they are caught up in daydreaming while studying and cannot help it, suggest to them that they leave the desk and come back when they’re finished dreaming.
• Encourage them to put off fun and pleasing activities until after having finished studying.
• Explain to them why they would be more successful by spending less time studying if they review and repeat what they have learned. Unless a repetition method is used, 50% of the learning is lost within the first 20 minutes, 70% within the hour and 80% within the day. Therefore better and more permanent learning can be achieved by preparing in advance for the lessons, asking questions, taking notes, participating actively in the lessons, and repeating the subjects within the first hours of learning and again later on.
• Let them rest their brain by taking 10-minute breaks after every 35 to 40 minutes of work.
• Diversifying math and non-math subjects will prevent fatigue and boredom and increase efficiency.
• Help them relate the work they do today with their future and take a step towards getting to know themselves and setting their goals.

Also, you can show your child how they can tackle the topic they are trying to learn with figures, illustrations, graphics and similar visual aids. Crayons allow for creative and rational functions to support each other. You can divide the subject into meaningful parts and demonstrate the relationships between various parts visually.

It helps to find examples that illustrate the subject and to establish relationships between different facets of objects and phenomena that can be easily retained, such as memorizing the colors of the rainbow with the word VIBGYOR. Sometimes you can find personal codes to remember things, for example to remember that Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492, I might say that I met my friend Chris when I was 14, and he was born in ’92.

Our Individual Learning Style

Perception is the first stage in learning. The more actively our five senses participate in the process of learning, the more effective and permanent is the result. We all perceive the world and express ourselves through our visual, auditory and kinesthetic senses, which may prevail to various extents. For example, people with a dominant sense of vision think fast, and speak loudly and rapidly; they are given to generalize; they can perform several tasks simultaneously; they need to see to learn and decide; they emphasize images and colors in their speech; they are interested in drawing, painting, visual arts, mathematics and physics. A teacher who makes use of visual materials facilitates learning for such students.

Those with a stronger auditory sense emphasize logical flow; they go from one thing to another in order of sequence; they won’t take up a new task before finishing the one at hand; they set great store by words and listen to their inner voice. They remember by sound, their speech is rhythmic and melodic; their areas of interest cover language, writing, theatre, music, education and speech; they may rock or sway while standing. If you are one of these people listen well while the teacher talks. Talk to yourself out loud when learning new information, if that’s not possible move your lips without uttering the words. Make up stories about what you’ve learned and tell them to your family. If you cannot find anyone to tell, tell your pet if you have one, write and recite poems and songs about the subject. It doesn’t matter, too much, who you tell, but the act of speaking about what you’ve learned helps recall as well as understanding.

Those with a dominant kinesthetic sense (sense of touch) need time thinking; they speak slowly; they want to know what is going to be done; they learn by doing; they want to touch and try the products they will buy; they remember by feelings; they speak slowly and quietly, using words of emotion; their areas of interest include games and sports, hand crafts and dance; their stance is relaxed and loose.

“Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember;

involve me and I’ll understand.”

This Chinese proverb refers to a learner whose strongest sense is kinesthetic, second strongest is sight and third and weakest sense is hearing. Whichever our dominant sense be, involvement usually enhances interest, connection and memorization.

Don’t Let Your Mistakes Overshadow Your Good Choices!

There are many factors that determine academic achievement. Some of these are about the qualities of the schools and teachers. Many are about the home and family environment and family attitudes. Our children are born with a certain genetic potential, but as parents we have a great effect on what they actually become. Let’s not be mad at our child for not doing their work; let’s instead focus our energy on finding out and ensuring the physical and emotional conditions under which they’d enjoy learning.

Let’s examine how we should approach our children to help them grow into confident, responsible individuals.

Do we give them responsibility? We cannot give our children a sense of responsibility by preaching, or the opposite, by letting them run loose. As parents, we need to have the courage to step back a little and let things happen. Our children will learn by taking responsibility and suffering the consequences, or reaping the rewards, of their actions. We must make a point of letting them bear the consequences of irresponsibility; we should let them get a bad mark if they forgot to bring their homework to school. We should support them to make their own choices, in view of their age, in matters that concern them, such as helping with the household chores, planning their time and activities, deciding what to wear or what to eat.

Do we resort to verbal or physical violence? If you are used to scolding, yelling at, insulting, cursing or hitting your child, or engage in similar behavior, you should know that today this may be considered child abuse. A child whose actions are limited through violence becomes desensitized in time and more violence will be required to create the same effect. I’m sure you would be able to exert better control on yourself if you knew the long-term effects of abuse on your child; which may include developmental disorders, sleep disorders, alcohol or drug abuse, depression, anxiety, panic disorder, increase in criminal or violent behavior, self-mutilation, suicidal tendency, and a tendency to use the same type of behavior toward their offspring in turn.

Do we set a good example?  We must be aware of own behavior while we approach our child’s behavior and choices critically. If we do something ourselves that we don’t want them to do, such as, let’s say, swearing, and find it acceptable, that is a double standard. You’ll get better results if you approach your child saying, “Come, let’s lose this bad habit together.” Let’s be open to learning, adapting to new circumstances, and establishing good relationships with the people around us, so that our children can be open and creative too.

“What’s inside the pitcher is what leaks out.”
Rumi

Learning Disabilities

If your child experiences any of the problems I will be explaining below in detail, you have to consult a specialist and then talk to their school teacher to inform them of the recommendations of you consultant. The parents, the consultant and the teacher will communicate and work as a team to try and create a learning environment suitable to the special needs of the child. I would like to underline that you are your child’s specialist. Do not trust any expert unconditionally. Gather information from various sources, evaluate what you’ve learned critically and assess your child accordingly.

Dyslexia is a learning disability characterized by serious trouble with acquiring and using listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, and mathematical skills. It’s not a disorder but a difference in the mental processes concerning reading. Individuals with dyslexia may have above average intelligence levels. The fact that none of the children with dyslexia show a complete likeness to each other makes it difficult to diagnose the condition. The most prominent characteristic is that these children show a lower reading level than their peers with the same age and intelligence level due to differences in mental development. As a matter of fact, dyslexia is often diagnosed when the child starts to learn to read and write. If your child experiences the following problems, you should see a specialist without delay:

• Difficulty learning and remembering written words, and writing.
• Delayed or inadequate speech for their age; difficulty understanding and finding the right words.
• Skipping words while reading.
• Persistently confusing the letters b and d, p and q and the numbers 6 and 9.
• Perceiving the letters or digits in words or numbers in incorrect order or backwards, for example confusing E with 3; 12 with 21; or “tap” with “pat.”
• Confusing the sounds of syllables, interchanging the consonants, and making frequent spelling mistakes.
• Difficulties with direction (up and down, left and right etc.) and time (before, after, yesterday, tomorrow etc.) concepts.
• Awkward and clumsy utilization of the hands.

There are things that the teacher can do in the class environment for the children who experience such problems, like avoiding asking the child to read aloud or testing them orally. These children develop a negative self image because of insensible attitudes towards them and their school life becomes a nightmare. They feel worthless, awkward, and stupid. They really need to be heard and understood. It helps them to know that they are in fact intelligent but need more time to learn than others and that they will get there slowly but surely.

Hyperactivity and attention deficit: Almost 70% of the children with Attention Deficit Syndrome also suffer from hyperactivity. They are usually fidgety and some part of their body is in constant motion. They cannot sit still. They will forget and lose their belongings. They act impetuously, they are not organized. They will start a new job before finishing the one at hand. They can be meddling and exasperating. They cannot wait for their turn. They will blurt out the answers before waiting for the questions to be asked. They will take chances without thinking. They find ordinary activities “boring”. 30% of the children with attention deficit disorder do not have hyperactivity and are usually quiet, sleepy and overemotional; they may be easily overlooked as they create little trouble other than poor school performance. Their main difficulty is the lack of focus and concentration.

If your child is different from other children of his age in any of the following ways, you would do well to discuss their behaviors with a specialist:

• If they don’t pay attention to questions and instructions appropriate for their age and are easily distracted,
• If they miss out the details,
• If they do or think other things in class instead of listening to and participating in the class activity,
• If they have difficulty copying a long text or problem on the blackboard into their notebook,
• If they forget quickly what they’ve learned,
• If they can’t stop fidgeting,
• If they don’t feel sleepy till late at night,
• If they make a mess of the objects around them and try to take things that belong to others.

The condition where both behavior traits are seen together is called Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder. To help these children adapt to school environment, socialize and learn, we psychologists can:

• Organize special training programs and activities,
• Provide behavioral training both for you as parents and for your children,
• Support the treatment with medication if necessary.

Unless these measures are taken, we can predict your child will suffer learning problems leading to academic difficulties, behavioral problems and discipline issues due to attention deficit. Children with ADHD who are not approached properly and given appropriate training are often perceived as lazy, unsuccessful, naughty, mischievous, careless and the like. It’s up to you to enlighten the people around you and get the required help.

Test anxiety is extreme stress experienced before or during exams, hindering the utilization of the knowledge effectively during the exam and causing poor results. A normal level of anxiety will help us get motivated, take decisions, produce energy toward these decisions and boost our performance using this energy. However, an extreme level of anxiety will prevent a person from using their energy efficiently and focusing their attention and energy on the job at hand. They would be unable to use their potential to the full and attain the desired performance level.

Students who experience test anxiety have difficulty planning their work, thinking straight, concentrating, and remembering what they’ve studied. In cases where the level of anxiety has a serious negative effect on success, you should get help from a specialist.

What We Can Do to Enhance Brain Development

Happiness helps children’s brain development. Happiness doesn’t mean being able to do whatever one wants. Children raised without limits will experience inner chaos and confusion.

Let’s make sure to encourage our children to play sports. Physical activity boosts the body’s immune system and enhances skeletal and brain development. Sports also teach the children to follow rules, team work and many other skills. Students who engage in sportive activities are usually more confident, they are better in setting themselves goals and in studying efficiently.

Let’s explain to our children the detrimental effects of junk food (crisps, chocolate, candy, soda, ready-made fruit juice), and try our best to stop them from consuming too much, if any, of it. Junk food depletes the vitamins and minerals in the body and compromises the immune system. Children who consume junk food fall ill more often and recovery is more difficult. Going to school or to work without breakfast is an impediment to concentration. In addition to breakfast, children need to eat every four or five hours during school time to keep their brain functioning at optimal level. Foods such as walnuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, and iron-rich, dark green leafy vegetables such as broccoli and legumes have a positive effect on attention and motivation. Children should be encouraged to consume raw vegetables and fruit, especially orange juice and spinach, to avoid folic acid deficiency which causes forgetfulness, fatigue and irritability.

Try and introduce whole grains into your life; white flour has no nutritional value. Strawberries, yoghurt and Omega-3-rich salmon are good for the memory. Grape juice helps boost problem solving skills. Beans brighten the intelligence. Red and orange colored vegetables, especially carrots, help protect brain health. Cabbage helps stress-free learning. Ginger and cumin trigger creativity (1 table spoon of cumin per cup). Seafood, pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, and grains are rich in zinc, which bolsters up interneural communication and thus facilitates the reflection of knowledge.

You As A Community Leader

Your family and friends, and your spouse will learn these from you. Knowledge brings power. I recommend you use this power to share rather than to dominate or talk down to others. If you start to scorn people for knowing less than you do, you’ll make them feel bad about themselves and you will lose your popularity, and it means that you are not using your knowledge effectively, that real learning hasn’t been achieved.

Pick your words and construct your sentences carefully, always keeping in mind that a human being needs to feel good to be able to learn.

Do not try to talk to everyone, make sure the people you engage in conversation with about these matters have an open consciousness and are interested in learning and becoming better persons, or the interaction will bring you down and your own development will suffer. You must, however,  share this information with your family members in a timely and constructive manner, regardless of their level of consciousness, as it benefits both you and your family in the long term. Let’s embrace the quotes below and be humble:

“In my walks, every man I meet is my superior in some way, and in that I learn from him.”
Emerson

“No matter how much you know, what you say is only as much as the listener can understand.”
Rumi

Please share your thoughts, experiences, questions and feedback in the comments section below.

under the photo: “The illiterate of the 21^st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
Alvin Toffler (Rethinking the Future)

Randen Pederson
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) via flickr