Learning Strategies and Study Skill Supports for Adolescents

Students with ADHD, executive functioning, and learning difficulties typically lack the self-awareness of what is works and what does not work when they are learning and studying.

Encourage your client  to think how they learn the best, how can they learn better, what plan do they need follow, how well they are doing while studying.

When they are required to complete individual work (e.g., tests or exams) they are going to need to work on their awareness of how to apply their skills effectively. As such, they may benefit from learning strategies, organized steps, or procedures that are used for performance situations.

Caregivers can model how to think about what is or what is not working for your client when she/he is doing work. Caregivers can work through questions related to her/his self-direction, self-monitoring and self­-correction.

Self-Direction
– What is my goal
– What do I need to do
– How will I will do this

Self-Monitoring
– How am I doing
– Do I need more support?

Self-Evlautation
– How did I do
– Did I finish on time
– What am I being asked to do

  • When studying your client can use a journal log. This format assists students in thinking about and analyzing their own learning process. They can break the page into two columns and:
    • The left column is labeled what I learned.
    • The right is labeled how did I learned this or how this affects me or why this was difficult or easy for me.
    • The key is for students to reflect on an analyze learning.
  • SCORE is a test-taking strategy that assists students in carefully and systematically completing test items

SCORE
■ Schedule time effectively
■ Clue words identified
■ Omit difficult times until end
■ Read carefully
■ Estimate answer requiring calculations

  • Your client may benefit from an outline or copy of the notes prior to a lecture to then have the opportunity to highlight or underline the key words or fill in the blanks as the lesson progresses (i.e., Guided Notes).
    • Rhese strategies help to reduce the organizational and attention confounds of writing adequate notes in class.
    • This will also support your client when they are required to study for a test.