Strategies

August 

Ways to be a Successful Learner at School and Home

This is how we listen at Lindeman 

-Little by little, bit by bit, I’m improving every day and that’s how learning works.

-Positive Self-talk: SOS-stop and observe that you are thinking negatively, shift your thinking to a positive thought

I can do it!

Problem Size and Reaction Size

-Problems are a normal part of life, we all have different problems everyday.  Understanding what to do with the problem is an essential skill.

-First decide the size of the problem.  Is it a BIG deal or LITTLE deal?

-LITTLE deal examples are someone cutting you in line, someone took your pencil, or someone rolled their eyes at you.

BIG deal examples are when you or someone else is or is going to get hurt.

-Kids can solve their own LITTLE deals.

-Tell the nearest adult right away if you have a BIG deal.

-Remember your problem size and reaction size need to match so you stay happy and out of trouble.

Growth Mindset & Goal Setting

-Your brain can grow very fast during elementary school by challenging yourself not to give up.

-Growth Mindset is when you believe you can learn and grow, versus a fixed mindset which is when you believe your skills are fixed and cannot be improved.

-Examples of goal setting areas are: Classroom, Homework, Memory, Calming, Encouraging, Healthy Eating, Exercise, Social Support, and Mood.

-Set weekly goals for yourself

Managing your Emotions/Feelings

-How many feeling words do you know?

-Name a feeling each day and the meaning.

-Notice the physical signs that you experience when you are having a strong feeling or emotion:  feel hot, face gets red, sweating, muscles tighten, fast breathing etc.

-Stop, name your feeling, calm down.

-Don’t flip your lid! Make sure your thinking part of your brain is in control and not your feeling part of your brain.

Empathy, Compassion, Kindness and Sharing Similarities but Accepting Differences

-Empathy is when you think and care about how other people feel.

-Compassion is the action part, what you do to help the person.

3 steps to show empathy

1. Understand how others feel

2. Then say kind words

3. Do caring action

-Remember empathy does not mean you feel the same way as the person, but you understand and acknowledge that is how they feel.

Problem Solving for Medium Sized Problems Using Appropriate Communication

-Being able to talk to others when we have a problem and using communication strategies is necessary.

-Problem size needs to match your reaction size.  Remember you can only control yourself and not others.

-Sometimes we have problems that can be difficult to solve.  Using the STEP method can help us solve a problem with our classmates and friends.

S-Say the problem without blaming

T- Think of Solutions that are safe and respectful

E-Explore consequences by using what if...

P- Pick the best solution and make a plan

-Talk about your feelings by using I messages. 

I feel...when...because...I would like for you to...

-You can disagree respectfully with your classmates and friends by saying "I respect your opinion about...but I disagree because..."

If the best solution to your problem is to apologize, remember there are 4 parts to an apology:

I'm sorry for...this is wrong because....in the future I will...will you forgive me?

Executive Skills

-Executive functions are skills we all use to analyze tasks, break them into steps, and keep them in mind until we get things done. 

-These skills allow us to manage our time effectively, memorize facts, understand what we read, solve multi-step problems, and organize our thoughts.

Here is a list of the executive skills:

 Planning:  before you start an assignment you set a goal and create an action plan to reach your goal.

Organization:  your work space is organized (physical) and you understand how to organize information in your brain (mental).

Cognitive Flexibility:  being a flexible thinker and being able to bend or stretch your thinking and juggling information in your brain.  As well as adapting to changes in schedules and assignments.

Task Initiation:  beginning assignments and tasks independently without reminders.  You can problem solve how to work through completing a task.

Time Management:  completing tasks within time limits by estimating how much time you have to complete a task, spending the right amount of time on the right tasks.

Self-Control:  uses strategies in order to stay in control of your thoughts, feelings, words, and actions.  You think first before reacting.

Perseverance:  following through to complete a task without giving up despite challenges, frustrations, or discouragement.  You always try your best and keep on learning.

Sustained Attention:  Ignores details that are not relevant to your purpose.  You have the ability to pay attention to the information that is important despite being distracted by being tired, finding things to look at outside your classroom window, or feeling bored.

Working Memory:   Holding on to and storing information in your brain.  You have strategies to remember what you learn.  You can connect ideas to other information in your schema, which gives the new information meaning.

Metacognition:  Knowing what is going on inside your brain and body.  You pay attention to your thoughts and your actions and self evaluate.  You are SELF-AWARE.

Social Understanding: Knowing how to interact with others, by not making them feel uncomfortable.

Social Skills

Social Skills are the skills we use to communicate and interact with each other, both verbally and non-verbally, and through gestures and body language.

• Greetings:  saying "Hi" and "Bye" when entering and leaving a conversation
• Manners:  saying "Please," "Thank you" and "You're welcome" when receiving and offering help
• Can you be a flexible thinker and work with others?
• Can you follow the group plan?
• Do you make others feel comfortable around you or uncomfortable?

Test-Taking Skills

Here are five effective test taking strategies for students to use while taking tests. 

Fis for FACE IT: this refers to having a positive attitude about tests and paying 

        Attention.

Face the fact that it’s important for me to try hard on tests

My face will help me focus

Face the teacher for directions

Face the test

Ois for ORGANIZE IT:  Organize your body in a testing position, work at a 

   medium pace, and organize the answer choices.

Organize my position 

Organize my speed so it’s not too fast or too slow

Organize my answers

Cis for CONQUER IT:  Conquer negative feelings about taking tests and use 

   brain power to beat the test.

Conquer nervous feelings

Conquer negative thoughts

Use brain power to study and beat the test!

U is for UNDERSTAND IT:  Read carefully so you understand what you read.  Hear 

the words in your mind.  Underline key words and absoluteslike all, never, etc.

Understand as I read

Hear every word in my mind

Underline key words and think through each question

S is for SCAN IT:  Scan the entire test when you are finished.  Check for any 

“trouble with the bubbles” or skipped sections.

Scan the entire test

Double check my work and the answer sheet to make sure my answers match the questions