Study Tips for Students with Language Learning Disorders

Studying and homework are not preferred activities for any student. However, they are skills students need to learn in their early school years. This is especially important for students with language learning disorder or dyslexia. The following study tips will make studying easier and more effective.

Study tips

• Firstly, know what the test will look like. Will the test be true/false questions, multiple choice questions, short answer, or essay? The test format will determine how much reading and writing is needed. An essay will certainly require much more writing and recall of information than, for example, a multiple choice question.
• Allow extra time. Do not wait to study the night before an exam. Instead, begin studying on a Monday for a Friday exam. A student who reads more slowly than typical will require extra time to cover test material. Extra time may also be needed because a student requires a great deal of repetition to recall facts, dates, definitions, etc. Spaced repetition strategy is an effective means to facilitate recall of such information. The idea is to space out short study sessions focusing on one topic and progressively increasing the time before recalling information. For example, read a definition, restate the definition immediately, then at one minute, five minutes, 10 minutes, etc.
• Establish a study schedule to review course work frequently. A night without homework should not be a night without homework. Use non-homework days to review concepts used in school, especially if a subject is difficult. Review can be a few minutes studying math facts, spelling words, or definitions. Break material down into smaller chunks and review frequently using spaced repetition.
• Get study material in advance. Most teachers have their lessons planned in advance and are happy to make study material available to students. This is a good time to practice self-advocacy.

Make it Easier

• Make flashcards. Flashcards break material down in to smaller units, making information more easily accessible. This is more effective than reading an entire paragraph over and over again. Make flashcards while reading. This is faster and more accurate than trying to make the cards after reading an entire paragraph.
• Ask parents to help with reading. The purpose of studying is to learn the information, not necessarily to improve your reading. Improving reading is a good goal, but not at this time. The focus is to understand and acquire the knowledge needed to do well on a test.
• Remove distractions. Make the area as study friendly as possible by having needed materials available so that there is no temptation to get up and get something every few minutes. Have a snack before beginning and certainly turn off your cell phone and place it out of sight.

Studying is not enjoyable but is an essential skill for academic success. The idea is to study smarter, not longer, by using study techniques and studying regularly.