New After-School Program to Teach Students Study Skills

The school district will begin to provide an after-school study skills program for middle and high school students.

“We want this to be cross-curricular,” said Mike Kulzy, high school media specialist and director of the high school study skills sessions. “It can benefit kids taking any classes. It will teach them time-management strategies, learning styles and ways they can improve.”

Under the No Child Left Behind legislation, schools have to provide special development to the staff, Kulzy said.

“It’s not something right there in the curriculum,” he said. “The benefits will be two-fold. It will give students more strategies and we will collect data that will be passed onto teachers so they could implement (strategies) in their classes.”

The program will pinpoint what kind of learner the student is and then teach that student strategies specific to that style, Kulzy said.

“It’s a voluntary program,” he said. “If students feel they need more help, it will give them the confidence in taking notes, preparing for and taking tests…Ultimately, we want them to have higher critical thinking skills and decision making skills. We want to hone in on those.”

Teachers of students who attend the study skills program, will monitor their improvement, he said.

“We’re going to collect data and see what strategies work,” he said.

The program, which began on Tuesday, March 6, will work on a different strategy each week. The first week will be focused on diagnosing learning styles, followed by organization, note taking skills, study skills, how to read tests, higher thinking skills and more.

“They’ll be able to apply the skills in their social studies or English classes,” he said.

Members of the school board applauded the study skills program.

“I think every middle school parent wants their child to go to a study skills session,” Maureen Tirella said.

Tirella pointed out that schools at all levels, including colleges, are providing their students with study skills sessions. “I think that’s an excellent opportunity.”

“I encourage the parents to send their children to these study skill sessions,” Frank Palino said. “It will be a great thing for them.”

The sessions for high school students will be held in the library on Tuesdays through June 5 from 1:50 to 2:30 p.m.

The sessions for students will be held in the middle school library on Tuesdays from 2 to 3 p.m.

To sign up, students can fill out a form in the libraries.