7 Valuable Study Skills for Middle School and How to Teach Them

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Study skills encompass a range of important abilities that students are generally expected to possess. When teachers instruct students to “Take notes on this” or “Prepare for this test,” it is vital for middle schoolers to understand these terms. Despite their significance, study skills are often not explicitly taught in middle school classrooms. While some students may grasp what is meant by “note-taking” or “studying,” others may lack the necessary experience or executive function skills to effectively execute these tasks. This is where educators play a crucial role!

Uncover the most effective methods to teach study skills across various subjects with this comprehensive guide tailored for middle schoolers. From mastering time management and note-taking to combating procrastination—a common challenge among middle school students—this resource compiles teacher insights, classroom strategies, and instructional materials designed to equip students for the demands of high school, college, and beyond.

1. Setting up a Study Plan

The first lesson in study skills for middle schoolers is the necessity of having a structured study plan. Regardless of their attitude toward studying—whether they embrace it or delay it—a well-crafted study plan can lead to success for all students.

• Assist students in developing a study routine. Encourage them to choose a designated study time based on their extracurricular activities and availability after school.
• Highlight the significance of a dedicated study space. Discuss the importance of maintaining a quiet, organized environment where students can access all necessary supplies without distractions.
• Incorporate breaks into their study schedule. Remind students that they cannot study effectively for extended periods without taking breaks; short intervals can help prevent burnout.
• Encourage reflection on their study plans. Include reflection questions in class assessments to prompt students to evaluate their study practices: What strategies worked? What could be improved for next time?

Assess students’ study habits and challenges

How well do middle schoolers understand their own study habits? Facilitate self-assessments that allow them to evaluate their study skills and identify areas for improvement.

Study Skills Journal For Middle School Students
By Kiddie Matters
Grades: 5th-8th

Guide middle schoolers through the essential steps of crafting a study plan with this valuable resource. Featuring a self-assessment for study skills and a list of their “study squad” members, these worksheets and handouts help set students on the path to enhanced executive functioning.

2. Staying on Schedule

Time management is another critical study skill for middle school students. If they can grasp the importance of managing their time effectively before transitioning to high school, they will be better prepared to handle the challenges of advanced classes and projects in their future educational and professional endeavors.

• Demonstrate time management in the classroom. Maintain a visible schedule on the board and encourage students to manage their time based on assigned timelines.
• Set weekly goals. Challenge students to set time-focused goals from Monday to Friday, especially when preparing for exams or projects.
• Establish study groups for mutual accountability. Create study groups within the classroom that change from project to project to help students discover their optimal study partners.
• Assign long-term, study-focused homework. Provide projects that span several days, emphasizing the importance of completing a portion each day rather than cramming at the last minute.

Make social-emotional needs part of a successful study schedule

Each student learns uniquely, and this applies to studying as well! Gain insights into your middle schoolers’ individual learning and social-emotional needs through a study schedule that accommodates each one.

Unit 1 Lesson 2: Study Strategies for Different Learners Google Slides/Activity
By Life and Study Skills SEL Series
Grades: 5th-8th

How do nutrition, managing emotions, and time management relate to studying? They are all connected to middle schoolers’ emotional health, which is essential for cultivating effective study habits. Utilize a comprehensive SEL resource to address student needs, ensuring they are emotionally prepared to adopt new study techniques.

3. Organizing Work

Nothing is more frustrating than knowing a student has completed their work but cannot locate it. Stress the importance of “Cleaner, not clutter” through lessons centered on maintaining organization in their backpacks, desks, and study areas at home.

• Conduct regular backpack inspections. Establish expectations for an organized backpack—no old or crumpled papers, no food, and sufficient supplies—and offer rewards for those who maintain order.
• Provide binder checklists. Binders can be invaluable for middle schoolers! Distribute checklists detailing what should be included in each section of their binders, encouraging regular upkeep.
• Assign projects with manageable components. Begin with projects that require just a few parts, gradually increasing complexity as students learn the importance of staying organized.
• Teach digital organization and visual tools. If most assignments are digital, offer lessons on keeping documents and homework organized on their computers. Incorporate visual tools like shared calendars and digital gradebooks to help students stay updated on their schoolwork.

Make organization a focus of your curriculum

Some students find organization more challenging than others. For those who struggle, incorporating lessons on organization for both their work and learning environments can significantly enhance their performance across all subjects.

Study Skills-Middle School-Nine Week Curriculum
By In The Middle Curriculum
Grades: 6th-8th

Teach study skills as you would any other subject by integrating lessons from this nine-week curriculum. With planner templates, informational articles, pacing guides, and skills practice sheets, this resource provides everything needed to enhance students’ understanding and mastery of essential study skills for junior high.

4. Taking Helpful Notes

Taking notes is one thing, but are the notes your middle schoolers produce actually useful? Transform these study skills into practical tools with the following instructional approaches.

• Demonstrate effective note-taking. Use a document camera or projector to illustrate what you mean by “Take notes on this.” Highlight the differences between summarizing and copying verbatim, and teach students how to identify critical information to include.
• Incorporate note-taking assignments. Make note-taking part of homework by requiring students to submit notes for reading assignments.
• Utilize open-note tests. Nothing emphasizes the importance of note-taking more than an open-note test! Allow students to reference their previous notes during quizzes or exams to reinforce their value.
• Explore various note-taking techniques. Teach students different methods, including lecture notes, Cornell notes, and mapping techniques.

Take the mystery out of note-taking

If your middle schoolers struggle with taking organized, understandable notes, simplify the process with graphic organizers and structured guides. Project worksheets onto the board for collaborative completion or assign them alongside reading homework and group research projects.

Note Taking Templates | Study Skills Activities
By Ford’s Board
Grades: 3rd-10th

Mind maps, color-coded notes, Cornell notes—whatever method your students prefer for processing information, this resource offers templates to enhance their note-taking capabilities, allowing them to focus more on the subject matter itself.

5. Reading Informational Text

While your lessons may already align with the CCSS for reading informational text, it’s crucial to ensure that middle schoolers possess a solid understanding of how to read informational texts. Ensure your students are adept at reading before they are assigned independent reading tasks or required to study their textbooks.

• Review text components. Can your middle schoolers identify key features such as headings, captions, and glossaries? Practice extracting information from these sections through whole-class reviews and group reading activities.
• Emphasize literacy skills. Even if middle schoolers are testing at grade level, they may still require additional reading practice. Integrate literacy skills into all reading activities, regardless of whether they are in an ELA or non-ELA subject like science, social studies, or math.
• Identify the “golden line.” Distribute a printed informational article and have students highlight what they consider the most significant line. Compile these highlighted lines on the board and collaboratively determine which ones encapsulate the article’s main point or argument.
• Utilize graphic organizers to clarify complex ideas. Support informational reading activities with guided materials like graphic organizers and brainstorming templates, prompting students to jot down essential information.

6. Improving Writing Skills

What may appear as student indifference or reluctance to work could stem from a lack of confidence in their writing abilities. Boost middle schoolers’ writing confidence through activities that enhance both their study skills and writing capabilities.

• Integrate writing into the routine. Establish a daily writing schedule to help students acclimate to writing. Utilize journal prompts, bell ringers, and brief written responses to foster writing skills.
• Ensure students can write an essay. Many middle schoolers may resort to “good enough” essays to coast through ELA classes. Reinforce the significance of structured essays across all subjects through modeling, direct instruction, and extensive one-on-one support.
• Encourage peer editing. Learning from peer examples can be invaluable! Incorporate peer editing steps into writing assignments, enabling middle schoolers to practice proofreading and gain insights from one another.
• Create student writing groups. Whether students wish to share the latest chapter of their creative writing or a paragraph from their journals, collaborative groups can facilitate improvement and goal achievement.

7. Avoiding Procrastination

Imagine the impact of eliminating procrastination before your students transition to high school! You could become the hero of every high school teacher (and student) by aiding your class in mastering this prevalent middle school study skill.

• Recognize when procrastination occurs. Encourage students to reflect on when they are most inclined to delay assignments. Is it due to feeling overwhelmed by the workload or boredom with the studying process?
• Establish staggered deadlines. Procrastinators often focus solely on final deadlines. Counter this tendency by implementing deadlines that extend over a period of time.
• Minimize distractions. Create a distraction-free classroom environment with streamlined bulletin boards and decorations, encouraging students to replicate this focus at home.
• Enhance overall focus. Work on bolstering students’ focus and managing anxiety before procrastination becomes a habit. Assignments that feature shorter work periods and multiple deadlines can help maintain their attention on goals.

Identify procrastination challenges before they begin

While procrastination is common among middle schoolers, do they truly recognize when they are engaging in it? Teach students how to avoid this frequent pitfall by clarifying what procrastination is, how it manifests in their daily lives, and ways to counteract it by addressing distractions.

Procrastination Stations Middle High School Avid Study Skills Elective EDITABLE
By Key Jackie J
Grades: 6th-11th

This engaging, hands-on experience guides middle schoolers through ten “procrastination stations” that present real-life scenarios, challenging their understanding of study skills. Students must answer each question and complete each task before moving on to the next station—an ultimate test of pacing and self-direction!

Study solutions for common student challenges with TPT

Every middle school teacher aspires for their students to leave the classroom equipped to tackle the day ahead (and excel in high school!). Mastery of these study skills for middle schoolers empowers students to take control of their learning and prevents negative habits from turning their educational journey into a daunting experience. Explore more middle school study skills resources to help students navigate potential challenges in their futures (and to work on study skills for high school students as they transition to graduation!).