T en Minutes to Better Study Skills - Bonnie Terry Learning

64 Pages·2010·0.96 MB·English

Third
Edition
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BBeetttteerr SSttuuddyy SSkkiillllss
A Fast, Fu n Appr oach to Impr ove
Writing and Study Skills
Secrets to Ta king Notes
Secrets to W riting Pa ragraphs
Secrets to W riting Essays
Also Includes:
Secrets to Te st Ta king
Research Pa per Org anizers
. . . And Much More!
Bonnie Te rr y, M.Ed.
Watch a demonstration for using
Ten Minutes to Better Study Skills
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For The Best Results Using
Ten Minutes to Better Study Skills
READ THIS FIRST

Congratulations on purchasing Ten Minutes to Better Study Skills.

You are now on the path to helping your kids improve their writing, note taking, and
studying. Your students are now on there way to becoming more efficient learners.

First:
Make several copies of the Story/Book Organizer 1, page 14, or Story/Book Organizer 2,
page 15, and the Story Star, page 17. Also make several copies of pages 30 - 31.

Second:
Have your student read a selection aloud. This can be a reader, library book, a social
studies book, or a science book.

I usually use passages any length between 3 to 5 paragraphs. After there is a comfort
level with these shorter selections I will sometimes have the student read a longer story.
Then I might chunk the longer story into sections and we will read 3 - 5 pages and then
take notes from that. Then I progress to chapter books with chapters that are only 3 - 5
pages in length. Then I will have the student read the chapter, usually 3 to 5 pages in
length and then take notes from that.

Third:
After your student reads the selection aloud, have them decide if the selection was one
that had a beginning – middle – end (narrative), or if it was informational (expository).

After that decision, use one of the reproducible forms from Ten Minutes To Better Study
Skills, pages 14, 15, or 17. Give your student a copy of either Story/Book Organizer (the
beginning – middle – end sheet) or the story star, depending on their answer.

Fourth:
Then your student writes notes from what they read. A guideline for note taking is to give
your student 10 minutes to make the best notes they can. Limiting the time to take notes
helps the student learn how to get the important information out of what they read in a
reasonable amount of time.
Extra Tip #1:
If your student is reluctant to write notes because they have never done it before, an easy
way to learn is to start by having them dictate notes to you to write down for them. Then,
have them dictate every other note for you to write for them. After doing this several
times, your student will be able to write notes independently.

Fifth:
On the next day have your student pull their notes out and turn the notes into paragraphs.
Use the reproducible forms from Ten Minutes To Better Study Skills, pages 30-31.

Extra Tip #2:
You will want to go over the sample paragraph and essay that are provided in Ten
Minutes To Better Study Skills, pages 45 and 46 before your children actually write their
paragraphs or essays.

Sixth:
Finally, answer the questions from the reading selection. This builds both retention and
study skills.

Extra Tip #3:
Notes for larger projects can be made on either the reproducible textbook note taking
forms, pages 23, 24, or 25, the research paper forms, pages 29 or 35, or the formal
outline forms, page 38.

With Social Studies and Science Books, your child should use the reproducible textbook
note taking forms, pages 22, 24, 26, or 28.

When your students are writing book reports, have them fill-in-the-blanks on one of the
reproducible book report forms, pages 18-21.

_________________________________________________________________
Bonnie Terry Learning www.bonnieterrylearning.com 530.888.7160
A Fun, Fast Approach to Improve Writing and Study Skills!
Ten Minutes to Better Study SkillsTM

Third Edition
By:
Bonnie Terry, M.Ed.
B o n n i e Te r r y
LEARNING
Copyright © 2011, 2002, 1997 Bonnie Terry, M.Ed. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
Bonnie Terry Learning, 238 Poet Smith Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
www.bonnieterrylearning.com or e-mail: [email protected]
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not be resold, lent, or otherwise circulated in any binding or cover other than that
with which it is published unless prior written permission has been obtained from the author.
Limited Reproduction Permission: The author and publisher hereby grant permission to the teacher who purchases this book, or the
teacher for whom the book is purchased, to reproduce up to 50 copies per year of any part of this book for use with his or her students
only. Any further duplication is prohibited.
Also by Bonnie Terry:
Educational The Sentence ZoneTM A Sentence Building Game
Games: It makes learning English grammar easy and fun. For grades 1 through 12. Six levels of play, from simple to
complex. An instructive and enjoyable way to learn English grammar!
The Comprehension Zone: Rocket RapTM A Comprehension and Study Skills Game
Game cuts learning time while improving reading comprehension. Three levels of play: 2nd-3rd grades, 4th-
6th grades, 7th-12th grades.
The Math ZoneTM A Math Card Game
It builds basic math skills while having fun. Includes two decks: 7-9 years, 9 years-adult.
Super SpacersTM A Perfect Math and Spelling Paper Organizer
Place 10 problems or words on a page, evenly spaced out -- No more messy papers!
Books: Making Spelling SenseTM
Learn how to spell over 500 of the most frequently-used words in the English language.
Incorporates visual, auditory, and tactile modes of learning. It is phonetically- and sequentially-based.
Making Spelling Sense IITM
Learn how to spell the most frequently misspelled words, words with prefixes, suffixes, root words, and word
origins. Uses a step-by-step method with the eight basic spelling patterns of the English language in a visual,
auditory, and tactile method of learning. It is phonetically- and sequentially-based.
Five Minutes to Better Reading SkillsTM Third Edition
A Fun, Fast, Phonic Approach to Improve Reading Skills (Third Edition)
Only five minutes of reading drills daily will improve reading; makes faster, smoother and more confident
readers.
Ten Minutes to Better Study SkillsTM (Second Edition)
A Fun, Fast Approach to Improve Writing and Study Skills
The complete book of study guides and pre-writing forms. Makes homework, note taking, paragraph and
essay writing easier.
Reference
Guides: Writers Easy Reference GuideTM
This easy reference guide contains those all-important references you need when writing: synonyms, transi-
tion words, bibliography information, capitalization rules, punctuation rules, letter writing, and much much
more. It conveniently fits into your notebook.

BT Easy Math Reference GuideTM
This easy reference guide has it all: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, per-
cents, word problem clue words, word problem strategies, math vocabulary, and more! In conveniently fits
into your notebook.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not be resold, lent, or otherwise circulated in any binding or cover other than that
in which it is published unless prior written permission has been obtained from the author.
Limited Reproduction Permission: The author and publisher hereby grant permission to the teacher who purchases this book, or the
teacher for whom the book is purchased, to reproduce up to 50 copies per year of any part of this book for use with his or her students
only. Any further duplication is prohibited.
Copyright  2011, 2002, 1997 Bonnie Terry
Printed in the United States of America
Second Edition: 2002
Third Edition: 2010.
ISBN 1-891106-03-1
Available from:
Bonnie Terry Learning • 238 Poet Smith Drive • Auburn, CA 95603 • [phone]
www.bonnieterrylearning.com -- or -- e-mail: [email protected]
Inside Ten Minutes to Better Study SkillsTM Third Edition..
Studying is learning, making sense of what we read and do.
According to Webster’s New World dictionary, study means “the act or process of applying the mind
so as to acquire knowledge or understanding, as by reading, investigating, etc.”.
How do we make sense of what we read and do?
Let’s think of a computer for a minute. Today’s computers can make sense of all kinds of
information. Computers have different sections or compartments. There is the game section, the word
processing section, the Internet section, and the accounting section. Every time you load a program, you
are adding a new section to it. The computer organizes the information you give it, so it can retrieve the
section you want, when you want it.
We can think of our brain being like a computer. It takes in all kinds of information, and we
need to organize and categorize it, make sense of it. When we organize and categorize information, the
information is much easier to use, retain, and recall. We can do this in many ways. Some of the simplest
ways are to ‘download’ some of the information onto paper so we don’t have an overload. When we
‘download’ the information in an organized manner, it makes it easier to see the connections and utilize
the information.
The variety of study forms and tips that follow make the information we have read or acquired
easy to utilize.
Part I consists of getting started tips, supplies to make studying easier, and
planning calendars.
Part II consists of a variety of organizational forms that can be used from third
grade through high school level. The forms start with basic story organizers and
end with essay organizers and business letter writing.
Part III consists of capitalization and punctuation rules, definitions of parts of
speech, spelling patterns, and information needed to write bibliographies.
Part IV consists of note taking tips, test taking tips, and paragraph and essay
writing tips.
The left hand page is blank for you to write notes and ideas for other uses of the forms.
Copyright © 2011, 2002, 1997 Bonnie Terry, M.Ed. All right reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
ISBN 1-891106-03-1
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Table of Contents
Part I Getting Started
Getting Started ............................................................................ 5
Supplies to Make Studying Easier .............................................. 6
Weekly Planning Calendar .......................................................... 7
Monthly Planning Calendar ........................................................ 8

Part II The Nitty Gritty
The Nitty Gritty: An Overview ................................................... 10
Story / Book Organizer 1 (Sample Page) .................................... 13
Story / Book Organizer 1 ............................................................ 14
Story / Book Organizer 2 ............................................................ 15
Story Star (Sample Page) ............................................................ 16
Story Star ..................................................................................... 17
Book Report Form-1 (Sampler Page) ......................................... 18
Book Report Form-1 ................................................................... 19
Book Report Form-2 (Sampler Page) ......................................... 20
Book Report Form-2 ................................................................... 21
Text Book Note Taker (Sample Page) ......................................... 22
Text Book Note Taker ................................................................. 23
Cause and Effect (Sample Page) ................................................. 24
Cause and Effect ......................................................................... 25
5 ‘W’ Organizer (Sample Page) .................................................. 26
5 ‘W’ Organizer ........................................................................... 27
Compare and Contrast (Sample Page) ........................................ 28
Compare and Contrast ................................................................. 29
Hamburger Paragraph (Sample Page) ......................................... 30
Hamburger Paragraph ................................................................. 31
Hamburger Essay (Sample Page) ................................................ 32
Hamburger Essay ........................................................................ 33
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Copyright © 2011, 2002, 1997 Bonnie Terry, M.Ed.
Table of Contents
Part II The Nitty Gritty (Continued)
Five Paragraph Essay and Research Paper Writer (Sample Page) .... 34
Five Paragraph Essay and Research Paper Writer ........................... 35
Formal Outline (Sample Page) ........................................................ 36
Formal Outline (Examples 1 & 2) ................................................... 37
Formal Outline ................................................................................ 38
Business Letter & Friendly Letter Formats (Sample Page) ............ 39
Business Letter 1 ............................................................................. 40
Business Letter 2 ............................................................................. 41
Part III Study & Writing Tips
Study Tips ........................................................................................ 43
Note Taking Tips ............................................................................. 43
Test Taking Tips .............................................................................. 44
Paragraph Writing Tips .................................................................... 45
Essay Writing Tips........................................................................... 46
Improving Your Writing Tips .......................................................... 47

Part IV Easy Reference
Spelling Patterns #1 through #6 ...................................................... 49
Spelling Patterns #7 through #8 ...................................................... 50
Sight Words ..................................................................................... 50
Special Letters and Silent Letters .................................................... 50
Capitalization Rules ........................................................................ 51
Punctuation Rules ............................................................................ 53
Helping / Being Verbs ..................................................................... 53
Parts of Speech Definitions ............................................................. 54
Types of Sentences in the English Language .................................. 55
Bibliography Information: How to Write a Bibliography .............. 56

Works Cited ............................................................................................. 58
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Copyright © 2011, 2002, 1997 Bonnie Terry, M.Ed.
Ten Minutes to Better Study SkillsTM
Third Edition
Part I
Getting Started
Copyright © 2011, 2002, 1997 Bonnie Terry, M.Ed.
Getting Started
How do I get started ‘studying’?
There are a few simple things to do to get yourself organized to study.
 Pick a study area where you will be comfortable to do your work that is distraction
free. Some students like to work at a desk in their room, on their bed, or at
the kitchen table. The place you do your work isn’t as important as the fact that it
is away from distractions. If you are studying on your bed, it would be helpful to
have a triangle pillow or a rolled up blanket to prop you up so that you can read
and take notes easier.
Refer to the study organizers in Part II (pages 9 - 41) for easy ways to take notes.
 Make sure your study area is well lit.
 Soft background music, such as classical music, can help you concentrate and work
more efficiently.
 Have the supplies you may need to do your work handy. You might want
to place them on a shelf, on your desk, or in a box by the table you will be
working on. You want to be able to use your time effectively, so you don’t
want to spend your time looking for the dictionary, paper, or pencils when you get
to work.
Refer to Part I (page 6) for a list of supplies you may want to have on hand.
 It is helpful to look at your schedule for the week to decide the best time to do
your work each day. Schedules vary with sports, jobs, scouts, or other commitments.
If you know ahead of time when you will be working on your studies, it helps take the
stress off, because you know that you have set that time aside to get your studying done.
Refer to Part I (pages 7-8) for a fill in the blank schedule for your activities and
study times.
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Copyright © 2011, 2002, 1997 Bonnie Terry, M.Ed.