Just as teachers benefit from an understanding of the Learning Sciences in their lesson planning and preparation, so to do students when they are studying for major summative assessments.
A survey of TGS students in Years 9 to 12 found that 70% of our boys felt that they knew how to study, with the biggest impediments to study being lack of motivation and too many distractions. The most highly preferred study technique was found to be rewriting notes. Cramming, rereading the text and rewriting notes have been demonstrated to have low utility when it comes to learning and students who repeatedly use these three techniques will find their confidence in their capacity to study and learn decrease over time. So, despite students reporting that they knew how to study, 70% of the surveyed students were reliant on low utility methods.
Toowoomba Grammar School has partnered with A Learner’s Toolkit, an evidence-based program designed to use the principles of the learning sciences to teach students how to use their study time to greatest effect. By providing them with a suite of study skills and an understanding of why they work, students are empowered to take better control of their learning. By having a greater range of high efficacy skills and study behaviours the learning return for study time invested by the students can increase significantly.
The program has been initially introduced into the Years 9 and 10 Well Being and Character Development (WCD) Program. It will be extended into Years 7 and 8 in 2024, when WCD is introduced to those year levels. Students in Years 11 and 12 are introduced to the concepts through their QCE Skills lessons.
The study skills are taught with a focus on a curriculum area; the evidence suggests that students will embed the strategies and have true changes in the learning behaviours when they are presented in context. The embedding of these skills is further supported by all teachers understanding the learning sciences and the ability to reinforce the skills through their curriculum.
There are six study strategies within A Learner’s Toolkit:
Read it involves purposeful, active reading to construct meaning and make connections. Simple strategies such as using Cornell Notes ensure that students are thoughtful about the information they consume and make meaningful notes and summaries.
Retrieve it shows retrieval is the top cognitive strategy to fight forgetting. Retrieval practice involves the deliberate recall of information from the long-term memory. Strategies for retrieval practice include a quick review (work from yesterday, last week, last month) and practice tests.
Space it focuses on spaced practice and is aligned with retrieval practice. By spacing out the retrieval, students are not tempted to cram and will benefit in their capacity to retrieve the information over time. Ideally in an 8–10 week term, students should be retrieving every 8-10 days.
Jumble it is also known as interleaving. By changing the study order, students can make greater connections, such as similarities and differences and can help scaffold problem solving. Strategies include the use of flash cards or online quizzes.
Visualise it uses the principle of dual coding; the fact that the brain processes textual and visual information through different pathways, so by tapping into this skill, students can get twice the potential learning for their effort. Strategies include graphic organisers, mind maps and creating sketches.
Connect it is a simple way of describing elaborative interrogation – explaining the concepts in detail and making connections. This helps students build schemas in their mind which deepens their understanding and their capacity to apply their knowledge. Strategies include deliberately seeking the connections; determining how the different ideas work together. Another great way to deepen the understanding and identify connections is to work through a questioning framework, What, How Why.
- by Dr Alison Young, Director of Studies
Latest Blog
The Importance of Knowledge
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always enjoyed traveling great distances. As a child growing up in rural New South Wales, this was inevitable. The region was speckled with towns, some more vibrant than others, and diverse landscapes where hillside ruins whispered tales of bygone eras. Over time, these landscapes and towns transformed into familiar scenes, with even minor changes in the community and environment growing more noticeable during each visit. Education parallels this journey, as…
Senior TGS Students' Advice for Starting Senior School
Starting at a new school can be a time of mixed feelings – very exciting, but also quite daunting and challenging. Here are some tips from some Year 7 Grammar boys who started Senior School in 2023. Get involved in different sports and activities Toowoomba Grammar School provides many sports and activities that any student can participate in. As a current Year 7 student, I highly recommend trying out as many different sports and activities as you can. Throughout my first year in high school, I…
Transition to Senior School at TGS
Starting at a new school can be a time of mixed feelings – very exciting, but also quite daunting and challenging. Irrespective of whether your son is joining us from the TGS Junior School, or if they are just starting at Toowoomba Grammar School, this is the start of a long and special journey. Your son will have a lot to digest with a new, possibly larger campus to navigate, different teachers and lessons, making new friends, where to go and what to do at morning tea and lunch. There can be a…
The Transition to Year 7 - from a Parent and Staff Member's Perspective
Regardless of your history with the school, you are all equally welcome here and should feel comfortable in knowing that we value every family and their son’s contribution to our School. Toowoomba Grammar School was built by the community, for the community and it is a School that I am immensely proud of. In 2025 we will celebrate our sesquicentenary or Grammar 150 and your sons will play a vital role in those celebrations. Our pedagogy is modelled on explicit instruction which has its roots in…
Boarding Families - Surviving Homesickness
Homesickness can be brutal for both the child and their parents. As a parent it can feel like your heart is being ripped out in some cases daily. It is extremely hard hearing how sad your boy may sound on the phone, and then you are left reeling for 24hrs until the next call, you are often left worried that they are feeling like this ALL DAY. Rest assured only vary rare cases are that bad, they usually improve as they settle in, and it is temporary. The reality is that most boys tend to save…
Helpful Tips for New Boarding Parents
Name absolutely everything! Socks, undies, phone chargers, water bottles, caps. EVERYTHING!! Make sure you name items with Boy’s name & House number; most parents will put their senior house number if printing the tags so they don’t have to rename items when they move the following year (Corfe House doesn’t have a house number). Some boys find a double bed doona is a better option than single doona as it hangs down the sides of the bed a little more to keep them warmer in winter. An…
Parenting Styles: Parties and the Holidays
As the holiday season approaches, parents and caregivers find themselves immersed in the joy and bustle of festivities. Amidst the celebrations, it’s essential to pause and reflect on the pivotal role our parenting styles play in shaping our children’s attitudes and behaviours, especially concerning alcohol and other drug use. As a father of four young people with my fifth child coming into our family on 8 December 2023, I’m particularly mindful of my parenting style and my role as School…
Building the Boarding Experience - at Home
Family connections is a vital aspect of our Toowoomba Grammar School boarding program that we hold close to our heart. Our Heads of House regularly make the effort to visit our boarding families so they have a better understanding of our boarders' lives, the challenges and experiences, and staff always enjoy the warmth and hospitality provided by families. Head of Corfe House, Henry White and his wife, Samantha recently spent a weekend with the Acton family on Dalgonally Station near Julia…
A New Season for Coach Kabe
Highly respected Head of Basketball and 1st V Coach, Kabe Ciccolini is embarking on a new and inspiring chapter. This season, he takes up the role of Assistant Head of Corfe House, guiding our youngest boarders with a warmth and passion that is uniquely his own. Kabe’s decision to transition into the role of Assistant Head of Corfe House reflects his unwavering commitment to mentorship and leadership. For him, this move signifies a positive step in his career. “It’s an opportunity to further…
