I Need to Study!

Recently some parents requested resources about studying for gifted students. The
parents were interested in finding a book or other resource that would teach their child to
study. Gifted children often go through K-12 schooling without ever having to study. Since
they know so much of the grade level curriculum already before even going to school in
each grade, few have the need to spend time studying for their classes.

One of the concerns of this fact is that when gifted children get to the point where learning
or doing a task becomes difficult, they quit rather than persevering until the learning or
job is done. There are many cases where a gifted student experienced his/her first low or
failing grade (D-F) once they got to college. By then the student may struggle with self-
doubt and their grades may go down as they experience their first encounter with failure.
It is important to give these students a chance to struggle and perhaps even fail while still
in K-12 school while there are supports in place, rather than while they are in college.

There are resources available to help students learn to study and effectively maneuver the
experience of struggling in a class. The following is a very brief list of such resources.

Study skills on the found on the Internet:

• www.how-to-study.com
• http://www.how-to-study.com/study-skills/en/index.asp

Browse the online catalogs of these websites to find articles and other resources about
learning to study. Publishers with resources about studying:

• www.freespirit.com
• www.greatpotentialpress.com
• www.hoagiesgifted.org

One of the most recommended books for gifted students is the survival series. The first
book for teens is entitled “The Gifted Teen Survival Guide” by Judy Galbraith and Jim
Delisle. For ages 10 and under there is “The Gifted Kids’ Survival Guide” by Judy Galbraith.
These two books have sections that relate to studying. On the Free Spirit website, there is a description of each book, plus free downloads.

From: The Critical Thinking Community There is a series of articles about how to study, read, and think critically. All have links on this page.

These resources are only the tip of the iceberg as related to learning to study. As usual, not
all resources work for each child. You will need to explore the resources and evaluate your
child’s needs before selecting something that works for your family when a student needs
to learn how to study.