Study skills and Academic support

Study skills

Here are some essential study skills that are useful to review at any age but perhaps especially important to master these foundations during Grade 9. 

• When and how should we set learning goals? 

  • Concord school goal setting guide; Grade 9 Goal setting and reflection guide

• Why should we space out our learning sessions?

  • Presentation on spaced practice; Student handout on spaced practice; Spaced practice introduction video

• What is interleaved practice and why is mixing up our study sessions a good idea?

  • Interleaved practice presentation; Student handout on interleaved practice; Video on interleaved practice

• Why does retrieval practice work so well?

  • Retrieval practice presentation; Retrieval practice student handout; Retrieval practice video

• What is elaborative interrogation and how can we use it to study effectively?

  • Elaborative practice presentation; Elaborative practice student handout

• How can we best get to grips with abstract ideas?

  • Concrete examples presentation; Concrete examples student handout; Concrete examples video

• How can we best use visuals to support our learning?

  • Dual coding video; Dual coding student handout; Dual coding presentation

• How can we overcome procrastination?

  • The Pomodoro Technique; Online Pomodoro timer

• What are some tried and tested note-taking techniques?

  • Cornell notes

• What are some other tried and tested study techniques?

  • The Feynman Method; 13 Study tips; Wellington College's 5 habits of a successful learner; Convergent vs Divergent thinking

Academic Support by Department

Science Resources:

• Class Website - (Grade 9 Physical Science) (Grade 10 Life Science)

  • A dedicated class website with curated videos, vocabulary lists, class slides, and course information.

• Google Classroom

  • Each class has a Google Classroom page with all the resources: booklets, links to online resources, videos

• Friday Afternoon Help Sessions

  • Every Friday afternoon in G307 (Physical Science) and G306 (Life Science) teacher present from 3pm-4pm as an office hours opportunity to drop in.

• CK-12 Custom Online Textbook - (Grade 9 Physical Science) (Grade 10 Life Science)

  • A custom-built online textbook for each course detailing all science concepts students need to understand.

• CodeHS

  • A self-guided tutorial, custom built for the programming aspects of this course.  Each student has a free account where they can work and practice at their own pace.

• National Honor Society

  • A JIS club that provides tutors by request for subject specific help.

• Code Club

  • A JIS club that meets Friday afternoons in F401, where IB and AP computer science students are ready to help any grade 9s in need of support.

• Teachers

  • We strongly encourage students to reach out directly to their teacher to ask clarifying questions, book appointments for support, or check understanding.

Modern Languages Resources

• Each class has a Google Classroom page with all the resources: booklets, links to online resources, videos

• Teachers

  • We strongly encourage students to reach out directly to their teacher to ask clarifying questions, book appointments for support, or check understanding. 

• National Honor Society

  • A JIS club that provides tutors by request for subject-specific help.

  • NHS students are our students and they can ask what we cover in class

Social Studies Resources

• Each class has a Google Classroom page with all the resources: readings, links to online resources, videos, etc.

• Teachers

  • We strongly encourage students to reach out directly to their teacher to ask clarifying questions, book appointments for support, or check understanding. 

• Library Research Portal 

  • Use with students in class to support research skills. Students can also use independently, as well. 

• National Honor Society

  • A JIS club that provides tutors by request for subject specific help.

  • NHS students are our students and they can ask what we cover in class

Math Resources

• Course Unit Plans 

  • Each course has a shared Unit Plan Google Doc (linked in Google Classroom) with all the resources from all teachers of the course: class notes, worksheets and practice problems, links to online resources, etc.

• Digital Resources

  • Depending on the course, students have access to online revision and practice websites such as iXL, MyiMaths, AP Classroom, Albert.io

• Lunchtime Help Sessions

  • During the month of May, Ms. Meli is available every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during lunch (room TBA). Students are welcome to drop by to get help with their current coursework or for help in preparing for end-of-year exams.

• National Honor Society

  • A JIS club that provides tutors by request for subject-specific help.

• Teachers

  • We strongly encourage students to contact their teachers directly to ask clarifying questions, book support appointments, or check their understanding.

English Resources

• Each class has a Google Classroom page with resources, such as readings, practice prompts, notes on the exam, etc.

• We strongly encourage students to contact their teachers directly to ask clarifying questions, book support appointments, or check their understanding. 

• Most of the exams are full essays under time. Students may find the structure and writing familiar, but they may struggle with timing. If that is the case, they should practice planning, drafting, and outlining under time constraints. 

• Additionally, many of the exams involve writing about literature. Students should review texts and familiarize themselves with key passages and key points of analysis. 

National Honor Society's Study Tips

Additional Resources: Link

Student Suggestions For Managing Stress

1. Use meditation

2. Concentrate on school/life balance

3. Collaborate with friends

4. Sign up for tutoring from NHS or others

5. Ask for help

6. Metaphor- cut the elephant into bits- tackle one by one

7. Better time management

8. Be active, exercise, workout

9. Limit social media- social media detox

10. Get some sleep

11. Get organized- write stuff out

12. Don't let work pile up

13. Listen to music- this depends on the person, find what works for you

14. Prioritize what you study

15. Talk to a trusted adult

16. Get more sleep x 2

17. Use google calendar to organize your life

18. Meditation/deep breathing

19. Don't procrastinate

20. Ask for help/communicate with your teachers

21. Journaling

22. Exercise

23. Take a break, relax

24. Ask for help

25. Talk about your problems

Exam Stress Management from External Sites

Tips on preparing for exams

Suggestions for Parents

Help your child beat exam stress