Studying Tips

My husband's college roomies used to take notes in class and then right when they got home, re-write the notes..one, this was to reinforce that which they just learned in class and two, by rewriting the notes, you get a better idea of what the teacher is putting emphasis on. Whereas, the book simply details facts but doesn't make a distinction as to what topics are more important over another.. maybe if she does this and that which she is already doing, she'll do better..

good luck to her!!

This depends on how much time you want to spend helping your child study if any at all. I did this with my kids...I had them ask me questions on the chapters, etc. to see how much I knew...(not much on certain subjects) but then they had to tell me the answers when I got it wrong..that way it seemed like the answers stuck more in their heads...lol...anyway it worked for my kids and it was more like a game and not studying!

Some people are not good at taking tests.
They get nervous and stressed.
She needs to relax.

But it sounds like you're talking about O. test here.

My son (a lot younger than your daughter) is not a big "studier" for tests because he tends to really absorb the material as it's presented.
Just writing things down with definitions isn't going to do it.
It needs to seep in. And be applied to the real world to be understood.

Likely, this particular test grade is a fluke--she's a straight A student in 7th grade. And her method sounds pretty good to me!

That sounds like good studying. I am wondering what about class notes? Is the teacher teaching some other material along with the book? Can she or he give you resources to check out? I
I have one child that can manage it all and one who is not a good test taker.
The more pressure he feels for doing well, the worse he gets. I try not to even get involved in his business (he is good at self starting). If your daughter is trying (and it sounds like she is with straight As) then back off and let her find her way. Pressure may not get the results you want. Burnout is more common than you think.

What kind of test was it?
Multiple choice?
Written test?
Just definitions?

She seems to be a good memorizer. BUT... the other thing that is important for tests and "comprehension" is the ability... to put together all that you know or memorized, into a conclusion.
In other words, she is memorizing her facts etc., but can she then, analyze it and put it into a thought process to then WRITE it down (if this is also a written test) to convey... the principals which she memorized or write it down into a summary or conclusion or analysis... and do it IN HER OWN WORDS?
Memorizing is fine. But comprehension OF the materials, is also very very very essential and not the same as memorizing facts.

For me what works is online stuff, like quizlet. You can make your own flashcards, or use some that someone has already created. Then you can play games with the flashcards, and test yourself.

How far short is she falling? Instead of an A she is now getting B's? If so, I wouldn't worry about it. The work is getting harder and she may just need time to adjust. I don't know if 7th grade is the first year of middle school in your area, but if so, that probably plays a part.

As for vocabulary, does she put the definitions in her own words or copies them verbatim? That can make a difference. She may not truly understand the definitions and on tests gets confused.

Do you drill her? Like you take the cards and call out words, randomly, and she gives you the meanings. Do it in reverse as well, you give the definition, she tells you the word.

A lot of books have practice tests in them, have her do those. Also answering the questions throughout the chapter may help. Most teachers skip these due to time, but she can do them at home. Just check the back of the book to make sure they give the answers.

What works for us is to discuss the definition of subjects she is not familiar with, rather than studying definitions straight from the book.

Perhaps go on line and find images for her to look at, and read more about the subject. That way it will have more meaning.

For example, when I defined a moat to my then 5 year old, it was kind of like, okay mom. I googled moat and clicked images and she had a wonderful time looking at all the images and the word is now part of her vocabulary.

Everyone has different methods that work for them.
I always needed to write things out, like your daughter does. For some reason the act of writing it out helped the info "stick" better in my brain.
I also did well with diagrams, charts and tables. I found that any kind of information I could sort and organize that way made more sense to me.
Most of the textbooks now have websites with practice quizzes and other study tools available, look at your daughter's book and see if that's an option as well :)

Everybody is different. The index cards you use, we also used. Questions in front and answers in the back work well in my house. They weren't as intimidating as the 200 notes and the entire textbook. Also, just back and forth quizzing. I'd ask questions, they'd answer. Try lightening the mood with classical music at a low volume in the background. It helps sooth the brain. Good luck

I was horrible at testing, but I found that falling asleep in my books, literally, worked best for me. I studied until I fell asleep, then aced the test. The times I didn't, I always fell short.

Hope you get some good advice here.

Good luck to you and your daughter!