What differentiates StudySpot Niagara from other companies around the Niagara Region is our focus on skill development.  Similar to the expression, “Give a man a fish and feed him for a day.  Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime.”, we believe that teaching students how to learn is far more important that merely re-teaching them content.  Through weekly one-on-one support, our coaches’ help their students develop and practice the study skills that are essential for success in school, and prepare the student for the future challenge of university.

Independent learning at home usually involves one of, or a combination of the following skills;  reading, note taking, writing, or studying.  These study skills make up the core of our academic coaching service.  The coach works collaboratively with their student to apply these skills to the student’s current school workload making the sessions productive in both the short-term and long-term.

Reading Comprehension

As students progress into high school reading demands increase, and the ability to comprehend complex ideas and concepts through reading, becomes very important to independent learning.  We will teach students the difference between active and passive reading.  Strategies such as SQ4R will be presented to help students read textbook material more effectively and assist in identifying main ideas and concepts.  Students will be shown how to annotate their text and to be more deliberate in their approach to academic reading.

Note taking

Whether information is taken from the classroom or a textbook, students are required to learn and develop their note taking skills.  Visually organizing information to facilitate understanding and to be used in preparation for tests and exams will be goal of this skill development.  Students will be shown the qualities of, and benefits of having, effective notes, and will be exposed to several different note-taking techniques.  The Cornell note-taking system is a format for condensing and organizing notes and will be introduced and practiced with each student.  Students will try out these strategies in the context of their current school work and receive feedback from the coach.

Writing

Many students struggle to get their ideas on to paper in an efficient manner.  We work with students to develop their pre-writing strategies such as brainstorming, thesis development, and outlining as they form the foundation of planning. We will also assist students through the drafting and editing stages by paying particular attention to the areas where many papers break down.   The use of templates will be introduced to students to facilitate the organization of ideas for typical essay assignments.

Studying

One of the most common referral concerns is for students whose test results do not match their capability or efforts.  Our Students will be introduced to active study strategies for test preparation. Shifting students away from passive study and review techniques and toward more interactive and meaningful approaches is the primary goal of this study skills development.   Students will also be shown how to create and execute an exam study schedule.   Test writing strategies and post-test analysis will also be taught and practiced. Students will see how these techniques can be applied to their actual tests and examinations.