These learning strategies can be used to help students succeed in areas where they experience difficulties. Memorizing the strategies or keeping them taped to the inside of a notebook can allow students easy access to these helpful steps.

COPS Editing Strategy for Self-assessment of Writing

After you finish a writing assignment, use this strategy to edit your work.  This strategy has been modified for use with middle school students.

Capitalization (check for typos and "easy-to-fix" errors like capitalization)

Organization (are there enough details that support the focus of each paragraph?)

Punctuation (are there comma errors or any other punctuation errors in your paper?)

Spelling (are there words that you are unsure about? Use the dictionary to be sure. Use the    

              thesaurus to find words that are more sophisticated.)

SEET strategy for increased detail in paragraphs

Every time a paragraph is written, the writer should be sure to follow the strategy:

Statement-make your statement of the major focus of the paragraph (topic sentence)

Elaborate- Elaborate on this statement with a few sentences

Examples- use examples, details and/or quotes from a source to support your point

Tie it up- end the paragraph with a statement that summarizes the main statement

Slant Strategy*

This strategy is helpful in training one's body and mind to be actively engaged in class, especially when learning new information or being involved in a lecture or discussion. This helps to maximize engaged time in class. (Remember: time flies when you're having fun. It drags when we're bored.)

Sit up straight (make sure your body is at attention in class.  You should be sure not to slouch or 

                           put your head down.  This leads the body to want to fall asleep and miss a lot of

                           class information.)

Lean forward (Lean slightly forward in your chair.  This piece of body language shows we are

                        interested in the information, even when we're not.  Often we can train our minds

                        to follow our bodies)

Ask questions immediately if you do not understand. (To be able to stay actively engaged and

                        focused in class, you need to understand everything that is going on.  If you don't

                       understand something, raise your hand immediately.)

Nod when you do understand. (If you have ever noticed adults speak to each other, especially

                       in meetings, you'll notice that they give a slight nod when they understand what is

                       going on.  This helps to keep your body engaged and shows the speaker you are

                      interested and involved.)

Track the teacher/speaker with your eyes. (If you keep your eyes on the presenter/speaker/teacher, you'll be sure not to daydream or get distracted by other things.)

*This strategy has been modified for use with middle school students.  In some instances, the "N" in the strategy can be used to remind students to TAKE NOTES.  Depending on the class or presentation format, this strategy can be modified to best serve individual students.