THE STUDY SKILLS & STRATEGIES COURSE
For Middle & High School Students
A science-backed system to help students learn how to learn.
Your student has never been taught
how to learn.
Students are expected to know how to study —
but no one teaches them the skills behind learning:
But…school requires these skills to succeed.
This Course does all of that.
It is an interactive, reflective, skills-based program with real practice built in.
⭐ A science-backed study system they
can use immediately
A repeatable, reliable structure for organizing information, planning work, taking effective notes, and studying for tests.
⭐ Executive Function tools that
make school feel doable
Strategies for initiation, planning, prioritization, time-management, and emotional regulation.
⭐ Clarity on what effective studying
actually looks like
Students finally understand why studying felt so hard — and what to do differently.
⭐ Real practice applying the skills
In our note-taking section, students take notes on real content and analyze gaps.
They create a study guide and test themselves.
They reflect — a LOT.
The class is about real learning.
⏳ They're expected to perform without learning how.
The core skills behind school are rarely taught explicitly.
📓 They're "studying," but not in ways that work.
Most students rely on rereading, highlighting, or "looking over notes," which doesn't move information into long-term memory.
🧠 School gets harder before EF skills mature
Middle + high school demand more planning, prioritizing, and self-management than most students naturally have yet.
🤝 Parents don't want to be the "homework police"
A shared system + shared language means fewer battles and more independence.
-
This course teaches Executive Function AND Study Skills
Initiation, planning, time-management, inhibition, working memory — all taught in one curriculum. -
It’s interactive, not passive
Students stay engaged: reflecting on barriers, practicing planning, experimenting with note-taking styles, and applying strategies to real content. -
Kids learn how they learn
They discover how attention, memory, and retention work — and why some study strategies “stick” while others don’t. -
The course complements other supports:
- The Course: teaches a full study skills system
- Coaching: personalizes it
- Homework Center: helps them practice it with structure and support
You don’t have to choose one. They each reinforce the other.
DURING DAY 1, STUDENTS DISCOVER...
- •How Attention, Memory, And Learning Function
- •Why Studying Has Felt Harder Than It Should
- •Their Personal Learning Strengths + Friction Points
- •How To Set Meaningful, Process-Based Goals
- •How To Create A Simple Organizational System That Supports Learning
OUTCOME
A Clear Understanding Of The Learning Process And A Foundation For Building New Habits.
DAY 2 — PLANNING, INITIATION & TIME-MANAGEMENT
- •Chunking assignments
- •Breaking down tasks into steps they can actually start
- •Using a planner effectively
- •Estimating time (accurately!)
- •Preparing an environment that supports focus
- •Prioritizing competing demands
OUTCOME
Students gain a planning structure they can use for every homework assignment, project, and test.
DAY 3 — NOTE-TAKING AND STUDY STRATEGIES THAT WORK
- •When and how to take notes and finding the note-taking structure that works for them
- •Annotation, abbreviation, highlighting, and organization strategies
- •How to turn notes into study tools
- •How to build and use a study guide
- •How to study so information sticks (retain → recall → mastery)
OUTCOME
Notes become useful, organized, and study-ready.
DAY 4 — TEST-TAKING & ERROR ANALYSIS
- •Test-taking strategies for managing nerves and time
- •How to practice effectively rather than passively
- •How to evaluate errors (not just “do test corrections”)
- •How to prepare for future tests using current results
OUTCOME
Students finally know how to study for tests — not just that they “should.”
DAY 5 — REFLECTION, SELF-ADVOCACY & NEXT STEPS
- •Understanding their own patterns and EF gaps
- •Articulating what they need and how to ask for support
- •Solidifying their goals and next steps
- •Creating a plan to continue practicing the skills
- •Parent Review (last 30 minutes)
OUTCOME
Confidence increases because students have clarity + a plan.
REAL KIDS. REAL QUOTES. REAL RESULTS.
“It wasn’t just a lecture. We actually practiced the strategies, which made it way more interesting and helped me stay focused.” Chloe, 7th grader
“The strategies were easy to understand, and I could use them in all of my classes right away.” Mason, 9th grader
“Now I actually know how to study, manage my time, and stay organized.” Daniel, 11th grader
HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?
Coaching personalizes habits. The course teaches the full system coaching draws from. Most students benefit from both — but neither requires the other.
That’s completely normal — and honestly, expected. Most students assume a study skills course means something is “wrong” with them. It doesn’t. It means you believe that building these skills matters.
Here’s what we’ve found: the resistance is usually about embarrassment or fear of the unknown. And that makes sense — they want to feel like they can fix it on their own. But this is worth addressing directly with your child — not by convincing them, but by holding the line warmly.
Think about it this way. If your student said “I don’t want to go to soccer practice,” you’d say “I hear you, we’re still going.”
Building academic skills deserves the same energy. They don’t have to like something for it to be good for them.
Here is a script that helps them hear that they are going in a way that’s both warm and supportive:
“I get that you don’t want to do this. We’re still going to try it. I also know you can handle trying something new, even if it feels uncomfortable at first.”
The decision doesn’t have to be a negotiation.
And here’s what happens on the other side: within the first session, most students realize they’re not the only one who struggles — and that there are actual strategies for the exact moments they get stuck. That relief is real. And it immediately transforms the resistance. From Day One.
But here’s the honest truth: if they don’t go, nothing changes. The struggles that brought you to this page don’t resolve on their own. The homework battles, the last minute panic, the “I don’t care” when you know they do — that’s still there tomorrow.
Five two-hour sessions. That’s what it takes to build a system that makes every year of school after this one easier.
Yes. The entire curriculum is grounded in EF science and skill development. It does not rely on willpower — it teaches structure, strategies, and awareness.
Yes! Students annotate, reflect, create, plan, practice, discuss, and apply. It is not a lecture.
Still have questions? Please email [email protected] or call! (571-321-5800)
READY TO GIVE YOUR STUDENT
THE FOUNDATION SCHOOL NEVER TAUGHT THEM?
COURSE OVERVIEW
SCHOOL YEAR SCHEDULE
Still have questions? call or email us!