HANDY HINTS for Learning Strategies

Read helpful strategies contributed by teachers, parents, and other educators.
Share your own experiences of using learning strategies.
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If school work is a lemon, "make lemonade" with learning strategies! Learning strategies are similar to study skills but the term implies more involvement from the learner. A strategy is like a game plan for winning.

Name: Kristin Post
Strategy: Multiplying by 9 (Especially for visual learners)
Learner's age:  3rd grade and up
Description: This only works with multiples of 9: (9 x 1 to 9 x 9).

1. Spread your fingers our with thumbs close together. (Let's say the problem is: 9 x 4=__ )
2. Starting with your pinky of your left hand, count out four. (pinky=1, ring finger=2, middle finger=3, pointer=4)
3. Fold down the finger that the number lands on. (In the example's case, fold down your pointer finger)
4. The fingers to the left of the folded finger is the ten's place, and the fingers to the right is the one's place. (EX: We have 3 fingers to the left, and 6 fingers to the right; therefore, our answer is 36) To go from your left hand to your right hand, the counting would be 5 for the left thumb, and 6 for the right thumb.

Name: Ann Hughes, retired Registered Nurse and homeschool mom
Strategy: Multiplying by 9 (Both of the multiplying by 9 hints can be used together.)
Learner's age:  3rd grade and up
Description:

Start with 9x1=9 then watch the first and last digits of the remaining products.
On the left side, each number will increase by one while
on the right side, each number will decrease by one.
9x1=  9
9x2=18
9x3=27
9x4=36
9x5=45
9x6=54
9x7=63
9x8=72
9x9=81
Also, each answer adds up to 9.

Name: Emily Levy
Strategy:  Visualization
Learner's age:  3rd grade and up
Description:

If you are struggling with reading comprehension, try using a different approach for improvement. Many students find success by using a visualization strategy, such as webbing. This allows you to break down the information and create pictures either in your mind or on paper (of what you are reading).

Name: Name: L. Bonnington
Strategy:  Association
Learner's age:  4 years and up
Description:

The child needs to be able to recognize the letter "L". Have the child hold up both hands and look at them with fingertips up and thumbs pointing toward each other. This forms the letter "L" on the left hand. "L is for LEFT." This technique helped both of my children distinguish their left from their right hand. I have also used this very successfully with kindergarten age "differently abled" students and their peers.

Name: Jerri Brooker
Web Site: Bill and Jerri's Home Site
Email: msgelati@msn.com
Strategy:  Association, Assimilation, Structure
Learner's age:  Any Age
Description:

     Set a time each day to read. Make it a special time, and be involved with what is being read. Ask questions such as, "What would you have done? What do you think the author meant?" Ask about what is going on in the story and what he/she would have said if they were there.
     "What do you think?" is one of the most important questions as it gives the reader or listener time to digest and relate the incident to real life or to compare differences with real life. ("The ball in the book is blue. What color is your ball?") This also encourages other thought patterns.
     We all can relate to what we read in some way, even if it is to say, "I'm glad I don't have to carry water from the well." Doing that will help reading, listening, and memory skills.
     Give LOTS of encouragement, even as simple as, "I like how you read that part," or "You really pronounced that new word well." Stop and discuss things. Teach the reader joy in words. Imagination and association go hand in hand. "Soar with Peter Pan. Cry with Old Yeller. Feel the emotions. Remember how it felt and you will be on your way to helping your child learn and retain information.

Name: Margie C. Sweeney, M.D.
Site name: Taming the Triad
Email: mcsweeney@tamingthetriad.com
Strategy:  Learning Styles (tactile/kinesthetic learner)
Learner's age:  Pre-school and up
Description:

Many theories about learning abound. One theory states that learning occurs through visual, auditory and tactile/kinesthetic pathways. A person who is a tactile/kinesthetic learner learns best by touch and motion. Some examples of things this person can do (depending on the age) to increase the ability to learn and retain information include: tracing the alphabet in sand, "performing" a song or poem such as London Bridge, Ring around the Roses, etc., reading a book while riding a stationary bike, generating ideas for a book report while taking a walk or jogging, memorizing a speech while in the shower, etc.

Name: Leah Davies, M. Ed.
Site name: Kelly Bear Educational Materials
Email: ldavies@kellybear.com
Strategy:  Association
Learner's age:  K-2
Description:

I still recall that I had trouble remembering which way to write b and d until I realized that b is like B with two humps instead of one. This strategy is for learning the letters rather than for correcting reversals. It works very well if the child consistently writes B without reversing it.

Name: Betsy B. Lee, Ed. S.
Site name: Learning Abilities Books
Strategy:  Rehearsal
Learner's age:  about 5+
Description:
This is an easy way to teach vocabulary. When I was about 9 years old, I asked what was meant in the hymn, “This is My Father's World,” when we sang about the music of the spheres.  I was told that a sphere is something which is round like a ball instead of round like a circle.  Rehearsal is usually done with the intention of trying to remember.  I wasn't working on trying to remember, but I rehearsed the new word in context each time we sang the song and I had a greater appreciation of the poetic nature of the song.  Years later in geometry class, I confidently gave the right answer when the class was asked, “Who knows what a sphere is?”

Name: Betsy B. Lee, Ed. S.
Site name: Learning Abilities Books
Strategy:  Association (Link what you need to remember to what you know)
Learner's age:  about 7+
Description:
     Find small words which you know how to spell inside of larger words.
     I had a mild sensory-neural hearing loss.  A hearing aid wasn't recommended.  As I struggled with phonics in school, I used this strategy.  Even as an adult, this is helpful.
     Here are some examples: ate in strategy, ear in hear, here in there, saw in see-saw, was in wasp.

Name: Betsy B. Lee, Ed. S.
Site name: Learning Abilities Books
Strategy:  Association (Link what you need to remember to what you know)
Learner's age:  6+
Description:
I helped a child remember which sign is plus and which is minus.  He already knew that 1+1=2 and 2-1=1.  I made a plus sign with two pencils.  I said, “Take away one and you have the minus sign.”  I made the plus sign again and said, “Add one and you have the plus sign.”  I did this and he did it with supervision for several days making sure he took away the vertical pencil and that he understood.  We did it with the pointer fingers of his left and right hands.  We did it with straight sticks in the sand as we repeated, “One plus one is the plus sign.  Two take away one is the minus sign.”

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