Customer Reviews

Winning the Study Game: Learning How to Succeed in School - Reproducible Edition

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(This is a syntopic review of:
1. `Winning the Study Game: Learning to Succeed in School'(Resource Specialist Guide & Student Workbook);
2. `Study Max: Improving Study Skills';
3. `Study Wise: A Program for Maximising Your Learning Potential';
All written by the same author.)

Because of my deep passion for books on study skills among other subjects, & also in the light of my consultancy work in the schools, & success coaching with kids/teens/adults, this wonderful book naturally caught my eye.

In essence, & for the purpose of completion, this Resource Specialist Guide is part of a systemic package that also includes the Consumable Student Workbook (or edition). You may also need to access the Reproducible Student Workbook (or edition) or the Reproducible Student Edition in the form of a CD-Rom.

The entire package is targeted primarily at teachers (as well as parents who yearn to become learning facilitators at home) in "special education" from grades 6 to 11 (middle school to high school). In this context, here lies its strength, although the stuff inside is suitable for those in general education.

In reality, the resource guide provides an incisive overview of the educational issues (or the instructional components) addressed in the student workbook. It has a primary focus on helping struggling students in meeting the demands of the mainstream curriculum.

Content-wise, from the perspective of study & thinking skills, this book is similar to `Study Max: Improving Study Skills', also by the same author, but the latter is targeted at students in grades 9-12 (high school). This book is structured in such a way that both teacher & student can make use of the book.

From the organizational standpoint, the chapters in this books are systematically arranged as follows:

Part 1: Learning styles & preferences (1 chapter);
Part 2: Getting organized (4 chapters);
Part 3: Turbo charging reading & studying (5 chapters);

There is another book, `Study Wise: A Program for Maximising Your Learning Potential', also by the same author, which is targeted at college students. In this particular book, & with a slight twist, there is a greater emphasis on developing critical thinking skills in the content areas & in the real world!.

From the organizational standpoint, the chapters in this books are systematically arranged as follows:

Part 1: Maximising your learning potential: figuring how to win in school (4 chapters);
Part 2: Developing school success system: learning how to study productively (5 chapters);
Part 3: Applying strategic intelligence: getting what you want, need & deserve (5 chapters);

Strategy-wise, all three books share a common thread: they help students acquire the basic & advanced study & thinking skills that will allow them to develop their full academic & vocational capabilities. They also provide step by step procedures for functioning more productively not only in school, but also in life.

In each case, students learn how to study efficiently & effectively, & they learn how to handle real- world challenges, deal with setbacks, solve problems, and avoid miscalculations that could be potentially life altering. In effect, they learn to think strategically, act smart, and study wise.

The author strongly believes in one fundamental premise in writing the books, which I fully concur: the difference between successful students & struggling students usually boils down to one basic thing:

`effectiveness & efficiency in their learning & studying strategies'.

Judging from his credentials, the author has apparently an impeccable track record with a field experience of more than 30 years. With a stable of 18 books, he certainly has an in-depth knowledge about learning as well as learning difficulties.

For the teacher as well as parent, I would also recommend you to read another of the author's books:

`Roadblocks to Learning: Understanding the obstacles that can sabotage your child's academic success'

This book, just like the above three books, has also been very well-written.

To sum up, each of the earlier three books has engaging, applicable techniques for student achievement, as well as hundreds of realistic activities & practical exercises, plus case studies, for immediate application.

I personally like Study Max over the other two, in terms of reader friendliness & action-packed learning. However, I rate 5 for all of them.