Study Skills and Cognitive
Strategies for Students with Brain
Injury
Roger C. Peace Rehabilitation
Hospital
Brain Injury Education Initiative
ATTENTION!
• Please follow along with the
narration for this presentation
by clicking on the sound icon
in the lower left hand corner
of each slide.
• Test here
Funding provided by:
Purpose:
• The purpose of this presentation is
to provide student’s with the tools
they need to be successful in the
classroom. So many students
today, try and return to school
without the skills they need to be
successful. Students go back to
school thinking they can rely on
their old study habits. Often, they
realize they are unprepared and
need help when it comes to the
specific needs of persons with
brain injury.
Objectives
• Overview of Brain Injury and
Return to School
• Studying to Learn
• Academic Success
• Time Management
• Memory’s Impact
• Note Taking and Studying
• Cognitive Strategies
• Accommodations
Common Complaints after TBI…
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Gosh, I’m slow!
I can’t remember anything!
Oops, I forgot my homework.
It’s so hard to get started.
I don’t know where to start.
Reading is tough.
My handwriting isn’t good.
I’m so distracted!
What did he say?
I get tired so easily.
I can’t keep up!
This use to be so easy.
Common Problems after a Brain Injury…
that may impact your return to class
Memory
Impulsivity
Attention
Irritability
Problem Solving
Anxiety
Organization
Depression
Initiation
Social Skills
Understanding
Frustration
Processing
Vision
Reading
Writing
Other Things to Watch out for and
Speak up about…
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Headaches
Poor Sleep
Overstimulation
Poor Endurance
Fatigue
Conflict with Friends
Changes after Brain Injury
…Things to remember for school re-entry
• The age at time of injury will
impact development
• Pre-existing skills will impact and
be impacted by the brain injury
• No two brain injuries are exactly
the same
• The effects of a brain injury
depend on such factors as cause,
location and severity
The Art of Studying
Studying can be defined as…
• A detailed critical inspection
• The pursuit of knowledge by
reading, observation or
research
• The act or process of
applying the mind to
understand
• To read and examine for the
purpose of learning
How are YOUR study skills?
• Have you thought about how
you study?
• Are you organized?
• Do you manage your time
well?
• Since your brain injury, do
you study differently?
• Take this QUIZ to assess
your STUDY SKILLS.
How Do People Learn?
•
1 % through TASTE
•
1.5 % through TOUCH
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3.5% through SMELL
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11% through HEARING
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83% through SIGHT
What Kind of Learner are You?
• Figure out your learning style by
taking this Quiz! Check out your
results!
• Visual Learner: you learn best by
seeing things
• Auditory Learner: you learn best by
listening or hearing information
• Kinesthetic Learner: you learn best
by doing things
• Now that you have
identified what kind of
study habits you have and
what kind of learner you
are… Let’s take a look at
some basic steps to
academic success.
The Basics to Academic Success
• Keep it the Same
– Find a place to study
– Stick to a routine and keep a
schedule
– Write down ALL your
assignments ALL the time
• Get going
– Not later….NOW!!
– Start on assignments AS SOON
as you get them
– Read ahead if you can
The Basics to Academic Success
• Break it down
– Set small goals
– Break assignments into smaller
portions
• More Is Better
– Repeat, review, rehearse – this
takes time!
– Take frequent breaks…get up
and stretch
– Get a study buddy
– Use your resources like parents
or teachers
The Basics to Academic Success
• Your Goals
– Set individual, academic, and
personal goals
– Get to know your teachers
– Go to class everyday
– Keep track of your grades
– Get the phone number or email of
someone else in your class (if you
need to ask questions after school)
– Find out what your school offers in
terms of library support, tutors, or
other resources
What Time is it?
• There are 168 hours in a week…how are
you spending your time?
• Time Management is one of the MOST
important things to consider
• Don’t Procrastinate
• Fill out a weekly schedule and plan ahead
• You have to study OUTSIDE of the
classroom
No Cramming!!
How to Manage your Time
• Use a time schedule
 NOT: I have to take a week out of work to
finish this project.
 INSTEAD: I can use these times to work
on my paper: Monday 7-8, Tuesday 5-6,
and Saturday 8-12.
• Learn how to tell time
 NOT: Researching for this paper will only
take me one half hour.
 INSTEAD: Researching may not be
easy, so I’ll start tonight and leave more
time on Sunday.
• Optimize your chances for success
 NOT: I’ll write this paper at home.
 INSTEAD: I’ll write this paper in the
library, away from my TV.
How to Manage your Time
• Just get started
 NOT: I can’t write this paper until I feel
inspired.
 INSTEAD: I’ll write what comes to
mind now and revise it later.
• Look at what you have
accomplished and reward yourself
 NOT: I’ve hardly made a dent in all
that I have to do.
 INSTEAD: I’ve finished my draft. I
think I’ll take Saturday and watch a
movie.
How to Manage your Time
• Set Priorities
 NOT: I don’t know where to begin, so I
can’t start at all.
 INSTEAD: I’ll focus on this part because
it’s the first assignment due.
• Concentrate on 1 thing at a time
 NOT: It’s too much, I’ll never get it all
done.
 INSTEAD: For this step, I only need to
read, I’ll save the other part for tomorrow.
• Set up small, specific goals
 NOT: I have to finish this paper by week 9.
 INSTEAD: If I write 2 pages a week, I’ll
have it done by week 6.
Some Helpers:
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Make your own calendar
Fill out a daily schedule
Make a “To Do” List
Use technology: The
Livescribe Pulse Digital
Smartpen records your notes
two ways: it creates digital
copies of everything you write
by hand while recording
audio at the same time.
Memory’s Impact…
• Problems with
recent (short)
term memory
– Student
cannot hold
information in
memory long
enough to
respond to it
• Problems with
long term
memory
– Student is
unable to
store
information for
retrieval when
needed and
stored
information
cannot be
accessed
Memory’s Impact in the Classroom
• Unable to follow directions
• Unable to sequence several
requests at one time
• Completes only the first step
of the request
• Unable to recall vocabulary
• Unable to carry out
classroom routines
• Loses place easily
lessening the IMPACT of a
memory problem
• Learning and applying specific memory
strategies can help improve not only your
memory, but your performance in the
classroom.
Making It Stick –
Memory Strategies
Categorize and Chunk
Repeat and Rehearse
Associate
Mnemonics and Acronyms
Visualize
Flashcards
Categorize and Chunk
• Group things together in meaningful sets
• Categorize by similarities or differences
• Group items into smaller pieces or
“chunks” for easier recall
• Examples:
– Remember your friends based on how you
know them…school, neighborhood, church,
etc.
– Remember phone numbers in smaller
sections… (864) 555 - 1212
Repeat, Rehearse, Relate
• Repeat information either aloud or silently to help you
remember
• Paraphrase the information, put it in your OWN words
• Relate the information to your personal life and
experiences
• Use this strategy with others!!!
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ACT IT OUT
EXAGGERATE
RHYTHMIC
SPACE IT OUT
Associate
• Make a meaningful connection or link
between pieces of information
• Link what you just learned with something
you already know
Mnemonics and Acronyms
• Formulas, stories, key words, or rhymes
that help you remember specific
information.
Have you ever tried to remember all
the colors of the rainbow?
Have you ever heard of Roy G. Biv?
RED, ORANGE, YELLOW, GREEN, BLUE, INDIGO, VIOLET
Visualize
• Paint a picture in your mind
• Retrace your steps
• Use drawing to help aid this strategy
Flashcards
• Easy to use
• Helps you test yourself
• Portable, stick in your pocket and carry
with you
• Can draw information if that helps you
remember
Note Taking and Study Strategies
The Basics…
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Always date your notes
Review your notes everyday if you can
Teach what you know to others
Listen for your teacher to repeat
Be an active listener
– Listen for your teacher’s voice to change
– “Remember this…”
– Ask questions and get clarification
Note Taking
• Visual
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Maps
Use highlighters
Diagrams and graphs
Mind mapping
Underlining
Leave space to go
back and write in
• Auditory
– Go to class
– Clarify information
– Talk to yourself
(quietly!)
– Ask questions
– Tape record
Note Taking
• Kinesthetic
– Participate in
classroom activities
– Raise your hand
– Draw notes
– Volunteer for things
• Read/Write
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Complete an outline
Use heading
Copy notes over
Read ahead
Use a highlighter
Scribe pen
Steps to Highlighting
1. Read the paragraph and then go back to
highlight:
Main Idea
Lists
Dates
Names
Headings
Headings
Relevant Details
Key Words
Bold Faced Words
2. Turn bold faced heading into questions.
3. Highlight material that answers the
question.
Cornell Style
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Cue Column: Draw a line down the left-hand side
of your notebook page about 2 inches from the
edge. After you take notes, this column will be used
to write main ideas from your notes.
Summary: Draw a 2 inch line across the bottom of
your page. This space will be used last to write a
two-to-three line summary of your notes.
What’s Left? You use the large space in the middle
to take notes.
Read Notes: Soon after class, read over your
notes. Use the CUE COLUMN to write in key
words, phrases, main ideas, or questions you may
have on your notes.
Study: When studying, you should be able to cover
the large space where you took your notes and
recall the information based on the CUE COLUMN.
Use the SQ3R method
Survey
Question
Read
Recite
Review
SQ3R…Survey
• Survey-look through the text
– The title, heading, and
subheadings
– Captions under pictures, charts,
graph or maps
– Review questions or teachermade study guides
– Introductory and concluding
paragraphs
SQ3R…Question
• Question-While you are surveying
– change the chapter heading into
questions and read to answer
them
– Read questions at the end of the
chapters or after each subheading
– Ask yourself, “What did my teacher
say about this chapter or subject
when it was assigned?”
– Ask yourself, “What do I already
know about this subject?”
SQ3R…Read
• Read- When you begin to read:
– Look for answers to the
questions you came up with
– Answer questions at the
beginning or end of chapters
– Reread captions under pictures,
graphs, etc
– Read difficult passages slower
– Stop and reread parts which
are not clear
– Read one section at at time
SQ3R…Recite
• Recite-After you’ve read a section
– Ask yourself questions out loud
– Summarize, in your own words,
what you read
– Take notes but write the
information in your own words
– Underline/highlight important
points you’ve just read
– Remember to use your method
of learning…talk out loud, write it,
practice it..
SQ3R…Review
• Review- now’s your chance
to see what you really know!
– Cover up your key notes and
see if you can remember!
– Use flashcards
– Ask a friend to quiz you
– Write questions from your notes
and try to answer them.
Cognition…a fancy vocabulary word used to
describe our thinking skills.
• Cognitive skills include:
– Reasoning
– Problem solving
– Attention
– Memory
– Processing Speed
…the types of skills we need to be successful
in school!
Strategies and More Strategies
• Keep “To Do” lists
• Learn to break tasks into smaller, more
manageable steps
• Take rest breaks before you get tired
• Ask for clarification
• Ask yourself “Wh” questions
• Make eye contact
• Slow down
More Strategies
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Ask for help!
Talk OUTLOUD
Eliminate distractions
Try to “routinize” the day as much as
possible
• Use ear plugs to increase attention and
screen out distractions (Parente & Herman 1996)
Still having trouble?
More Strategies
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Stop and Think
Identify the problem
Don’t jump to conclusions
Brainstorm and generate several ideas
Weigh the pros and cons
Consider the consequences
Choose the best solution
Evaluate your solution
Accommodations
• Accommodations are specific
techniques or modifications
aimed to help students with
brain injury in the classroom.
• An IEP (Individual Education
Plan) or 504 plan is required
to receive accommodations.
• Ask a teacher, school
psychologist, or guidance
counselor for help!
Types of Accommodations
• Think about how you can
change or manipulate the
following to make learning
easier:
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Environment
Materials/Technology
Teachers
Peers
Even you, the student
Your Family
For Example: Memory
Environment
Consistent routines, sequences, and schedules; use
visual aids, create environment that doesn’t rely on
memory
Instruction/
materials
School staff
Chunk work into manageable pieces, highlight important
information, provide rehearsal and practice, use written
instruction, provide prompts and cues, mnemonic devices
Peers
Buddy system, peer note taker, quiz each other using
flashcards
Student
Use planners or journals, external memory strategies,
keep routines, generate your own memory cues, teach
compensatory strategies; awareness training
Family
Generalize strategies from home to school and vice versa
Use repetition and consistency, create assignment sheet
that all teachers can use, use routine and repetition
For Example: Attention
Environment
Reduce factors that interfere with your ability to attend
(noise, light), provide preferential seating in the
classroom
Instruction/
materials
School staff
Match the student’s abilities to attend; Plan activities that
don’t exceed the student’s attention span; Break tasks
into smaller parts
Peers
Educate peers on attention types and strategies; have
them limit distractions and interruptions
Student
Use a timer to focus attention for a specific period of time,
monitor attention to task, complete a pre-determined
amount of work and then take a break; make sure you
clarify information
Family
Discover your child’s interests, encourage good study
habits
Be sure student understands instructions, identify factors
that facilitate/interfere with attention
In Review…
• Did you learn something that will make
studying easier?
• Did you learn something that will help you
remember better?
• Did you learn how to learn?
• Will you be more organized?
• Do you know who to go to if you need
help?