RITES Proven Study Skills Approach = Better Grades and Improved Test Scores
Why Do Middle School Study Skills Matter?
Good organization and study skills impact not just academic performance, but employment prospects and job success down the road. Someone who already knows how to break a project down into manageable steps and complete them on time is naturally ahead of the game, compared to someone who feels overwhelmed and procrastinates.
Most importantly, these skills are learned rather than something a person is born with. Because these skills are used throughout an individual’s life and career, it is best to learn them as early as possible. Middle school is the perfect time to master the organization strategies that will enhance study and test preparation skills, so these things are second nature by the time a student graduates and enters the workplace.
7 Ways to Train Your Brain to Study Smart
Here are some of RITES’ proven strategies for teaching your brain how to stay organized and energized:
- Put important info on paper to keep it from cluttering up your brain; make lists, take notes, and jot down tasks and assignments in your planner (whether on paper or digital).
- Set alerts in your smartphone clock/timer that manage time for your projects and activities, rather than worrying about timing in your head.
- Break up big tasks into smaller steps with mini due dates; make large assignments manageable so they feel less daunting.
- Use rewards to motivate yourself; after you finish a step, give yourself a treat, such as an exercise or computer break, ice cream, or text a friend.
- Use data-visualization techniques like charts, graphs, diagrams, or grouped index cards to make sense of complex information.
- Keep your brain properly fueled with healthy nutrition, exercise, frequent breaks, positive self-talk, and goal visualization.
- Make these steps second nature through repetition, because once your brain is used to the process, it becomes automatic and requires 50% less brainpower than it did in the beginning!
These are just a few of RITES’ tips and strategies for success. The RITES study skills specialists are continually assessing new tools, strategies and approaches, selecting the best array for their students as they become available. RITES instructors are “tech-savvy” and work with a variety of platforms to help their students understand and navigate the system and tools their school uses.
Shifting Your Student’s Self-Perception With RITES
When students feel that something important is beyond their power to change, they feel helpless and lacking control. If they believe that academic success is caused purely by natural intelligence or organizational ability, then they won’t feel empowered to improve. Knowing that study skills can be learned – and giving them the tools to do so – can transform their entire life, starting with school and leading well into the future.
Remind yourself, or your child, that the brain is a muscle that can (and should) be exercised, developed, and improved. Then sign up for study skills training with RITES, and learn how to put these strategies into action!
Yes, There Are Courses for Improving Study Skills
Study skills are often called “soft skills” because they apply to all different subject areas instead of just one. Because of this, many schools fail to instruct their students in proper study skills and test preparation techniques.
Think about this: students who take a study skills class have been shown to have a 45% higher college graduation rate than those who do not. Company CEO’s attribute 75% of their professional success to “soft skills,” rather than technical knowledge or industry expertise, and are looking for employees with similar time management and organizational skills.
RITES offers small-group workshops and individual tutoring centered on effective studying, organization and test-prep skills. The RITES virtual workshop is designed for students to increase familiarity and facility with digital study and organizational tools, improve confidence, and boost the effectiveness of each student’s study and test preparation time, all in an interactive, collegial, small-group workshop atmosphere. Individual tutoring is a one-to-one experience, that can be in person or virtual. We know not every strategy or approach works equally for each student, so we highly personalize both options. RITES teachers work with each student to identify and practice what works best for that individual.

RITES Study Skills Expert Gino Tetreault
Study Skills Workshops for Middle School & High School
RITES offers a comprehensive, small-group, virtual workshop just for middle school students, and another just for high school students. From the comfort of their own home on consecutive Sundays, students log in and engage with a truly dynamic RITES study skills expert. They explore a wide range of tools and strategies, consulting on what works best individually, and putting their plan into practice. RITES continually refreshes this workshop to include the latest effective apps and other new tools available.
Tutoring for Study Skills & Test Preparation
If the structure or timing of a small-group workshop doesn’t fit your student’s schedule, individual tutoring is also an option. RITES tutors can provide the necessary instruction to help students entering grades 6-12 to develop and strengthen their study skills and test preparation strategies.