Organizing and Memory – the Knockout Punch…

Educator and business consultant Scott Straub has spent the last decade developing an accessible solution to a widespread problem in the education system. During his teaching career, he noticed two distinct types of students. The first set seemed to excel effortlessly in class, while the second set fell behind due to lack of basic organizational skills. He adds, “It’s not intelligence that causes this separation, it’s the habits and skills used on a consistent basis. For many students these habits and skills don’t come naturally, or they aren’t being taught in today’s classrooms.” 54 percent of students polled in a private study cited disorganization as the leading cause for their struggles in school.

“Too many children struggle in school because of the inadequate habits and systems they have. Virtually any student can achieve school success using the right techniques,” Straub said.  “So many parents are wasting large sums of money on tutors, when often the real issues that prevent their children from learning are never addressed.

On his Web site, www.GoodGradesFAST.com, Straub has made an eBook, video series and free newsletter available to give students and their parents a system for organization and memory that produces fast results and is easy to use.

When organizing students, Straub says to use the POOR method.  Purge everything from the locker and notebooks, Outline what you need, Organize the materials and supplies, then Replace everything in an organized manner.  In addition, pairing a child who is disorganized with one who has good organizational systems, often helps them model the “organized” behaviors.

His memory system shows students how to learn more information in less time by using their untapped “photographic” memory skills.  If you are learning new vocabulary words, the trick is to link the word and the definition in such a unique way that it is almost impossible to forget it. 

For example, “encroach” means to intrude gradually upon the rights of others; to trespass.  Picture in your mind a large roach (as it sounds like encroach) creeping towards your house very slowly.  The key is to picture that silly picture in your mind for at least 8 seconds.  By exaggerating the image in your mind, you make the new information stand out.  Every student has the capacity to tap their photographic mind if they are properly taught this technique.  It’s easy and fun to do, plus it is highly effective.  Additional private studies show that students remember up to 80% more information when using this method. 

The programs Straub offers are designed to improve the grades, habits and thus self esteem of any student, at any age. His accompanying newsletter and blog provide up to the minute reports on developments in the education field, as well as additional tips for achieving success in school.

For more information on how to get any child organized quickly and easily, and to pick up free chapters of his book “Earn A’s Quickly and Easily in 7 Days”, visit www.GoodGradesFAST.com.

Latin Words everyone should know…

Whether you are young or old, in school or out, Latin prefixes, suffixes and roots are everywhere!  Below is a list of common numerical values that every student, and every person, should know.  As you read this list, think about all of the words that have these Latin prefixes in them.  Knowing just a few Latin prefixes, suffixes and roots can help any student decipher 100’s of words, even if they have never seen the word before.   In my house we make quiz cards and practice them in the evening, it’d fun and educational.

half – demi, semi, hemi

one – mono, uni

one and half – sesqui

two – bi, di

three – tri

four – tetra, quadri

five – quinque, pent, penta

six – hex

seven – hepta, sept, septi

eight – octa, octi

nine – noni

ten – deca

hundred – hecto

thousand – kilo

million – mega

billion – giga

trillion – tera

quadrillion (ten to the 15th power) – peta

quint (ten to the 18th power) – exa

one tenth – deci

one hundredth – centi

one thousandth – milli

one millionth – micro

one billionth – nano

one trillionth – pico

Your School Coach,

Scott Straub

don’t forget to check out www.ScottStraub.com for our latest products and services!

The Past Does NOT Have To Equal the Future!

After recently obtaining a teaching position at a college near my home in Boise, Idaho, I was reminded how hard the journey has been to get this point in my life.  The Master’s degree I earned has opened doors for me that I couldn’t even imagine 10 years ago.   If you are not familiar with my story, I struggled a great deal in grade school, high school, and my first few years of college.  It wasn’t until a fateful meeting with a college counselor that my world turned around.  You can read more about my story at www.ScottStraub.com. 

Long story made short, it was a few changes in my habits and skills which turned everything around.  I was very disorganized, I didn’t know how to take decent notes, and I couldn’t remember large amounts of information very well – basically everything a good students needs to do.  I thought that I was a lost cause, destined to work in construction because I had no other options.  Of course there is nothing wrong with construction, but in my heart I wanted to become a teacher, a scientist, and be in position to help others achieve their dreams.   

Even though I had low self esteem, somewhere deep down I believed I could achieve my dreams, and I did plus much more.  No matter where you or your child are right now, you don’t have to continue down the same path.  Just because you may have failed yesterday and the day before that, it doesn’t mean that you can’t suceed today or tomorrow.  

You must believe that you can become who you want to become, even if others around you don’t share this optimism.  With technique and desire anyone can improve their life, and the lives of the people around them.  Belief that life can be the way you want, then take action every single day towards your goals.  Even if they are small actions, you must take consistent action.  No one is going to hand you your dreams, but you get absolutely improve your situation if you desire to do so.  

The past does NOT have to equal the future.   I heard this statement from Tony Robbins and think about it almost every day. 

Action item for today – create a “dream board.”  What is a dream board?  It is a collection of pictures of things you really want in your life.  It’s not just the things you think you can acheive (often times we limit our dreams because we are afraid to fail), it’s the things in life that you dream about.  Pretend like you can not fail, what would have in your life?  Who would you have in your life?  What type of person would you be?  Would you get straight A’s in school?  Have lots of great friends?  Have a million dollars?  Snowboard in Utah every winter? 

If you are afraid to display your dream board so others can see, put it inside a notebook.  I personally have my dream board above my computer screen.  There is a picture of a very large log cabin on a ski mountain, a picture of friends, pictures of people snowboarding and mountain biking in incredible areas, photos of large stacks of money, a photo of me helping lots of people, and some statements that inspire me.  There is even a picture of the view of the city from the building lot I dream of buying.  Think about this:  virtually everything you have in life right now was once just a thought in your mind.  It was something inside your mind that you later created.  Remember, the past does NOT have to equal the future.

Your School Coach,

Scott Straub

Measurement Eliminates Arguement…

I am checking in today because simply getting organized doesn’t assure long-term success in school. The results must be monitored until they become a habit, and this may take weeks, months or even years.  As a parent once said to me, “It took nearly two years to break my son of his bad habits, but sticking with your program was the best thing we ever did!” 

How many times have you started something new but then didn’t follow through with it?  We all have done this from time to time, it happens to everyone.  Children are the same way, that’s why we, as parents, teachers, tutors, need to provide the motivation, structure and encouragement they probably haven’t learned to give themselves yet. Change can be very scary and it is invaluable to have a support system. That’s where you come in!

The Measure and Celebrate form I’ve created in my “Organizing Skills For Students” program helps provide a structure in which students can get the guidance and monitoring they need to ensure long term success in school and in life.  For example, if your child has recently re-organized their notebook(s) or locker, we need to consistently help them stay on top of it.  As with any new technique, they will make mistakes and they will have to make changes as they learn and grow in this world. Using a detailed form to measure their progress is the key to success, because it provides a concrete set of measurable goals.  Here are some the things you should monitor:

* Has your child put forth “genuine” effort on a consistent basis to stay organized?
* Is their notebook neat and organized? (all papers must in good order, organized and labeled ANDin good shape)
* Is their locker or desk organized? (everything must be in good order)
* Does your child have agenda or notebook for recording assignments?
* Does your child fill in the agenda or notebook EVERY DAY for EVERY class? (there are no blank spaces)
* Does your child bring home agenda or notebook EVERY day for your inspection? 

Parents – YOU are the final judge, not your children.  Be fair. And be honest.  If they do meet the requirements, absolutely celebrate!  If they don’t, tell them what they need to improve on  then continue to monitor their progress.

Your School Coach,
Scott Straub

Vocabulary Cartoons – make learning fun!

One of the best ways to make learning more active is to use vocabulary cartoons.  Vocabulary cartoons are a collection visual mnemonics designed to help learn new words.  For most people is easier to remember pictures, and in Sam Burcher’s book “Vocabulary Cartoons” which you can find at Amazon.com, many important SAT words are explained and drawn in such an unique and wacky way that it’s hard to forget the definition. 

 

I highly recommend vocabulary cartoons to all parents and students as an incredible way to learn often hard to remember definitions.  Most people are amazed at how easy and fun learning new words can be using this technique.  And vocabulary cartoons aren’t just for high school students either, I’ve used them with great success in elementary school and in college!  Since I can’t show you an example here, go to Amazon and check out one of the cartoon books to see what it’s all about. 

 

The beauty of this system is that it creates unforgettable visuals which connects the word with the definition.  You’ll feel like you have a photographic memory!  Many people have pointed out that the only drawback is that there are many words and facts that don’t have a premade cartoon.   

 

This is certainly a drawback but there is a solution, which is why I’ve created my own memory program, www.MemorySkillsForStudents.com to solve this issue.  It will be ready very soon (please check the memory skills website or www.ScottStraub.com for updates).   Any person, young and old, can learn how to create unique visuals for ANY fact or concept, quickly and easily by modeling the vocabulary cartoon method.

 

In my memory program I’ll give lots of examples of abstract facts and concepts that can be turned into great visuals in the mind.   With a little practice it becomes very easy and fun to do, plus kids LOVE it.  In fact, I find it much easier to teach this to younger students as they often have a much better imagination.  For centuries, doctors and other professionals have been using this method, and so should you!  In a future blog I’ll go into more detail. 

 

Your Education Coach,

 

Scott Straub

You Must Get Organized Today…

Whether you choose to use a program such as my www.OrganizingSkillsForStudents.com program or choose to do it on your own, it’s very important that today’s students are organized.  

A quick way to help out a disorganized child is to assign a time, perhaps once a week, where all backpacks, notebooks, and desk drawers are emptied of junk.  In addition, supplies should be examined to see if they need to be replaced. 

A huge problem in today’s classrooms is the fact that students are often unprepared with basic supplies such as paper and pencils.  While you certainly don’t want to break the bank buying supplies, I can assure you that if your child doesn’t have the correct supplies, this will cause them to struggle in school. 

When I tutor students who are disorganized, they often have no idea where their notes and homework are located.  At minimum, notebooks should have a section for each of the following:

Notes

Homework

Tests/Quizzes

Extra Paper

and Supplies

Having separate sections that are NEATLY labeled will increase the likelihood that you, or your child, will be more prepared in school.  It only takes a little effort to reorganize notebooks so they don’t start to become a waste basket instead of a vital tool for school.   My program has a neat video which show parents and students how to become organized quickly and easily, even if they are currently very messy.  Believe me, If I could overcome my intrinsic “neatness” issues, virtually any student can! 

Your School Coach,

Scott Straub

Homework, and More Homework…

Many parents are frustrated with keeping track of their child’s daily assignments.  An unbelievable amount of children don’t do their homework these days, which causes them to continually struggle in school.  It a distraction for the teacher, the child is penalized, and parents are upset.  The good news is that many teachers these days are posting their daily homework assignments online.  But what if the teacher doesn’t post the assignments on the school’s website, how do you deal with this issue?  Great question.

Most schools give out a daily planner often called the “agenda.”  If your school doesn’t have one, a simple planner will work just as well.  The plan is to have every child write in the upcoming assignments in the agenda for every class,  every single day.  Don’t worry if this sounds like too much work, just about every teacher gives a moment or two for students make note of assignments, quizzes, tests, projects, etc.  Having been on the teaching side of things, I can assure you that the most successful students do this consistently and most children who struggle don’t have a good system for homework.  Even if the assignments are posted online, students need to fill in their agenda so they have it as a reference at their lockers at the end of the school day. This is also a great habit to develop as they transition into college and then adulthood.

Your first task after securing an agenda for your child is to explain to them that they will need to write down the assignments for every class, every single day.  Your mission will be to check it to make sure they are doing it.   A simple checklist posted somewhere obvious can really help.  It can be as simple as a checklist with a series of simple questions, such as:
-Was the agenda/planner open and ready for inspection at _______ time?  (pick a time)
-Was there something written for each class?
-Was it legible?
Was the assignment completed?

You get the picture.  A daily checklist will show your child exactly what is expected of him/her.  Failure to complete tasks should result in a negative consequence.

Now you might ask yourself “What if my child decides not to write it down, or conveniently forgets to mention an assignment?”  Emphasize that this is the same as lying to your face and there will be severe consequences.  If the assignments are posted online, great!  Simply check it out and make sure your child wrote it out correctly.  If not, you will have to contact the teacher weekly and ask them if there were missed assignments that week.  Don’t be shy about asking the teacher.  They deal with this situation all the time and often have set times when you can reach them.  

While this is annoying at first, most children will realize there is no getting around this process and simply do it correctly to avoid the consequences.  Please keep in mind that it may take many months or even years to break your child of their bad habits, but it is worth it in the long run.  As one parent said to me “getting my child to write out his assignments was like breaking a wild horse!  It took nearly two years, but it was worth the fight.”
Your School Coach,
Scott Straub 

 

  

 

 

The first step will be sit down with your child and explain to them what is going to happen.

Super Charge you, or your child’s memory…

As a teacher I’ve seen many students struggle because they simply cannot memorize information.  I wasn’t born with a photographic memory either so school was often a challenge for me as well.  The truth is, most students have to work fairly hard because learning and memorizing lots of information can be difficult.   The truth is that anyone can memorize more information in less time than they ever imagined. 
Did you ever wonder how doctors and other professionals memorize large quantities of information?  Most of them use memory systems to aide in their studies.  I learned one of these memory systems early in my college career and it changed my life.  Since then I have taught this same system to my own students and have seen incredible results. 
What is this magical system?  Well, it’s not magic.  It is a process of taking what is normally abstract and perhaps very ordinary information and making it stand out in the brain.  I’m sure you’ve heard of mnemonics?   This is a process where ordinary information is learned by the use of symbols, rhymes and other associations such as poems.  A classic example is learning the colors of visible light as seen in a rainbow by using the mnemonic ROY G BIV?  The letters stand for each of the colors of light, in order! 
R=Red   O=Orange  Y=Yellow  G=Green  B=Blue   I=Indigo  V= Violet

The problem with using mnemonics is that there aren’t clever associations for most things we need to memorize.  So the question is how to make ordinary and abstract information stand out in our minds?   In order to do this we must consciously make the information we are trying to remember stand out in the mind.  Some ways to do this are by making the object extremely large or small, picturing millions of them, or making an object move and have color, etc.  How? 

For example, let’s say you needed to memorize capitals of the countries on the African continent.  The capital of Sudan is Khartoum.  Most students would learn this by looking at the word dozens of times hoping that the fact sticks in their brain.  This is a time-consuming process and for many folks it’s not highly effective since there is so much information to learn each day at school. 
In order to memorize this fast and have it stick, we need to associate Sudan with Khartoum in a way that is so unusual it will be hard not to remember it.  In this example, I would have my students use their imaginations to come up  with what the words Sudan and Khartoum remind them of.  Each person must do this themselves as it won’t be as effective it someone else makes the association for them. 

With this word often times the word Sudan reminds people of a type of car called a sedan.  While this works for many people, it really doesn’t matter what the association is.  It could just as easily remind someone of a “suit that is tan.”  The word Khartoum often reminds people of “cartoon” or “cart in a tomb.”  
Now all we have to do is link together in a very unusual way and we’ve got it.   What comes to my mind is a sedan filled with cartoon characters driving around Africa.  Does that sound wacky?  You bet it is, but I can tell you that that I haven’t forget since I learned this over 20 years ago.  It was such a silly association that it’s hard to forget. 

Now you might be saying “that works for that country and capital because those words easily sound like something else, but what about words that are harder or longer?”  Great question.  The good news is that this can work every single time because the learning takes place when the brain is rapidly trying to associate the words or facts.  So even if you’re image isn’t perfect, the brain still finds it unusual and therefore it will stand out. 

Does this method take a little longer?  Perhaps in the beginning, but wouldn’t it better to work a little harder in the beginning to create something that will last a very long time in the mind?  Also, like everything, once you get good at doing this, it comes much easier.  And the wonderful news is that younger kids often do this much better than adults!

Very soon I will have created my memory program, found at www.ScottStraub.com giving tons of examples so every student, no matter how young or old, will fully understand how to use this system.  But you don’t have to wait. Try it today and see how it works.  

Your school Coach,
Scott Straub

Recession Proof Your Child, and Yourself!

I can’t help but comment about our economy and how you can help protect yourself and your children.  Several years ago I was told to read a book called “Rich Dad Poor Dad -What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money–That The Poor And Middle Class Do Not!” by Robert Kiyosaki.  Like many folks I was skeptical and bit lazy so I delayed reading it.  One night I saw it in a bookstore and picked it up.  Rarely do I ever read a book in one sitting, but this one really got to me.  After finishing the book about 2:30 am, I felt like I tripled my financial knowledge in 3 hours.  Long story short, within a month I had put a down payment on an investment home I was thinking about buying, I paid off most of my debt, and I haven’t looked back since.

How does this affect you and your child?  Well, after finally learning how the financial “game” was set up and what the rules were, I was determined to never let myself or the ones I care about suffer because of a lack of financial education – this included my students too.

I decided to create an after-school program based on Robert Kiyosaki’s book.  We discussed money, debt, everything surrounding finances.  I was surprised at how interested and intelligent these 11 and 12 year olds were.  Many of them picked up ”Rich Kid Smart Kid” and loved it.  You can pick many of Robert Kiyosaki’s books at:

http://astore.amazon.com/recessionproofyourchild-20/detail/0446677485 

I must point out that a child, or young adult, needs more than just this book to get a solid financial education, but it’s a very good place to start.  While Kiyosaki does suggest that folks, even teens, to start thinking about a secondary stream of income, kids might get the wrong impression that Robert wants students to drop out of school.  I’ve read just about all of his books and he certainly does not believe or teach that, but it’s important to help kids understand the rules of the “financial” game so they can start making good choices now. 

One of Kiyosaki’s major points is that in addition to getting a solid traditional education, everyone including kids, should have a healthy understanding of how the financial world works, too.  The students and parents I taught believed this was wonderful first step, and from my point of view, in the short time I had these students, many seemed to improve and mature as students and as people.

Lastly, if you want to make it more interesting, a fun game to play is Cashflow 101 (it’s in the link above).   The original version was made for adults, but now there’s a kids’ version too.  While it is just a game, it does show you how to monitor and spend your money in a responsible way - plus the kid’s I’ve played with get a kick out of it.  My point is, no matter what sources you choose to use, it might be wise to make sure your children understand what is happening in the financial world, and how they can easily avoid many problems if they are educated with regards to money. 

Your School Coach,

Scott Straub

Are note-cards really an effective way to study?

Are note-cards really an effective way to study?

 

“Many times studying is a very passive activity, meaning that we often don’t get our brains, and our bodies in the process. This makes it harder to learn and retain information.  Think about how most students are taught to study.  After teaching for over ten years I can tell that note-cards are the most popular method I’ve seen.  While this method can work, it’s effectiveness can be greatly enhanced if we take it to the next level and make it an active process.  The result is that you can learn more information in less time.  Wouldn’t even a 10 percent increase in learning and memory be huge advantage?   How much time would this save over the course of semester, a year, or a lifetime?

 

How can you accomplish this?

The next time you or your child have information to memorize and learn, instead of just writing the word or concept on one side of a note-card and the answer on the other side, draw a quick picture next to the definition.  

 

Use colored markers, crayons, or pens to make it stand out. Make the drawing very outrageous and silly.  Make items extra large, or very small.  The goal is not to create great artwork; the purpose of this activity is to activate different areas of the brain as you are thinking of what to draw.  Don’t let your child tell you they can’t draw!  This is not an acceptable answer for this method, because the learning comes when they are thinking of what to draw.  

 

Research shows that when people draw, different regions of the brain are activated causing more pathways to be formed in the brain.  This, in turn, creates a larger impression which leads to greater retention of information.  In addition, you are also moving your hands while you draw the picture. This helps make using note-cards more of an active process, creating even more pathways for the information to nestle iself in the student’s brain!

 

Your Education Coach,

 

Scott Straub

 

p.s.  Be sure to check out www.ScottStraub.com for our latest products.

 

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