Study Tools Once upon a time, the only "study tools" were a student's mind and the world around him or her. Times have changed. Gone are the days when just a dictionary and perhaps a thesaurus were acceptable. Following are some guides to study tools that students may require during their school careers. A warning about health and safety: It is the responsibility of parents and the teacher to ensure that students are aware of the potential health and safety hazards in the use of information technology tools (i.e. electricity). Consideration should also be given to correct ergonomics and related issues such as wrist, eye, and back fatigue. Study tools fall into these categories: Print Materials - books, cards, etc. Hardware - computers, faxes, modems, electronic daybooks, VCRs, camcorders, audio equipment, scanners, printers, digital cameras, etc. Software - educational programs, CD-ROMs, simulations, multimedia programs, etc. Read on for recommendations for all levels of students. Primary (K-Grades 3) Elementary (Grades 4-7) Junior Secondary (Grades 8-10) Senior Secondary (Grades 11-12) Post-Secondary Education Primary (Grades K-3) In Kindergarten to Grades 3, students become aware that information technology is all around them. They learn of its role in their lives and explore familiar information technology tools. Using these tools, students enhance group interaction and communication, and develop confidence in handling information. Activities are based on classroom themes and their own experiences and interests. Print Materials Even in the fast-paced high-tech world we live in, flash cards can be a fun and interactive way for parents to help beginning students learn everything from numbers and ABCs to animals and multiplication tables. Card and board games are also a fun and interactive way to help teach young children to focus on something besides TV. Games can help teach the importance of rules, and develop memorization, counting and concentration skills. Some games involve the handling of "money" and can help teach basic financial concepts. Thank goodness for Harry Potter! Never underestimate the power of books. Many kids are so immersed in computers that they are aware of little else outside the Internet. Remind your kids that books are a fun and portable way to learn. They also offer a great opportunity to read with your child and spend quality time. Look for books that illustrate basic concepts like colours, numbers and letters. Try picture dictionaries. Dr. Seuss is still a good read, as are collections of classic Mother Goose, fairy tales, myths and legends. Move on to the perennially exciting world of dinosaurs, careers, and the world around us. Hardware Do students in the primary grades need their own computers? The short answer is no. There is no reason to invest in a whole new system for a little person just learning the ABCs. Instead, budget time for kids to use the family computer. Teach them what the basic parts of the computer are and invest in some simple educational software with which to acquaint your kids with the keyboard, mouse, printer, etc. and become familiar with how a computer works. Software Invest in some basic educational software. Look for programs that teach concepts such as colours, numbers and letters. Graduate to programs that feature popular and educational characters such as Arthur or the Magic School Bus. Buyer beware. Be advised that just because a program features the latest toy fad it isn't necessarily educational. In fact, the program may simply be a marketing tool for a toy company. Look for programs that teach how things work and explore storytelling, fairy tales, animals or dinosaurs. Elementary (Grades 4-7) In Grade 4 through 7, students gain an understanding of the personal, community and global consequences of information technology tools and develop a concern for their responsible use. They begin to appreciate the impact that information technology has on individuals and society. Students become more proficient at accessing, gathering, organizing, and presenting information by using information technology tools to create solutions to relevant problems. Print Materials Flash cards can be a fun and interactive way for parents to help older students learn more complex ideas as well. Encourage students to make their own flashcards to learn larger concepts such as the parts of a sentence or basic math equations and to aid with spelling difficulties. Card and board games are still a fun and interactive way to help teach children to focus on something besides TV. More complex games can help augment the importance of rules, and strengthen memorization, counting and concentration skills. Games involving the handling of "money" can help teach basic financial concepts. More complex games can get kids talking about "adult" concepts such as loans and mortgages. Encourage students to make up their own games based on topics covered in school. Canadian history and geography or ancient civilizations are examples. Harry Potter, although welcome, is not new. Many kids are so computer immersed that they are aware of little else outside TV and the Internet. Remind children that books are a fun and portable way to learn. Encourage your them to sample some of the classics you remember, like The Wizard of Oz books (yes there was Oz before Judy Garland), Treasure Island, Charlotte's Web or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The Ramona books remain a popular favourite, and Judy Blume deals with timeless children's issues. Try looking at myths of ancient peoples to coincide with schoolwork on ancient civilizations. Budget for a good dictionary and possibly a thesaurus ("Mom, what's another word for munificent?" If you don't know what munificent means, you now need both books!). Hardware Children of this age may begin to push for their own computers, and if their computer use is infringing on the rest of the family, it may be a good time to buy. Most students shouldn't really need their own computers for schoolwork until they begin working on larger projects around Grade 7 and up. Even then, the daily changes in technology make it worth putting off a major purchase until students begin their secondary careers. If you have a camcorder, encourage children to explore video production. Making videos is infinitely more educational than watching them. Software Invest in some good supplementary educational software. Look for programs that supplement what is being taught in the classroom. Digital encyclopedias are good, but entries often contain less actual data than their print counterparts. Consider programs that help kids investigate the Ancient World (you can decide if games involving gladiators qualify as educational). Be advised that just because a program features the latest toy or movie doesn't mean it is educational. Buyer beware. The elementary years are also a good time to introduce kids to basic, and responsible, Internet use. Teach kids how to do basic research. Be aware of what your kids are looking at. Firewalls and legislation cannot replace parental involvement. Junior Secondary (Grades 8-10) In Grade 8 through 10, students become more sophisticated in their use of information technology tools. They develop stronger information literacy skills and continue to learn about various careers that use and apply information. They consider the cultural, ethical, and legal implications of information technology. Print Materials Encourage students to make their own flashcards to learn larger concepts such as important terminology or math formulae and to aid with spelling difficulties. Students can make up their own card and board games based on topics covered in school, like Canadian and European history and geography or ancient civilizations. If your own family's heritage is not covered in the classroom, use this opportunity to have kids explore the history and geography of their own ancestors. Many kids are so immersed in electronic media that they are focused on little else besides TV and the Internet. Books are a fun and portable way to learn. Encourage kids to read anything and everything. Even those who hate reading may be in the mood for sport or fashion magazines -- even comic books. Children who enjoy reading might be ready to explore classics like Charles Dickens or Jane Austin. Kids are suckets for pop culture. Look for classic books that tie in to their interests. Before there was Survivor there were Lord of the Flies, Robinson Crusoe and Swiss Family Robinson. Encourage books that augment computer concepts such as Internet use and desktop publishing. Budget for a good dictionary and a thesaurus. Hardware Most students will begin to require their own computers for schoolwork at some point after Grade 8. Again, the daily changes in technology make it worth putting off a major purchase until students really use the computer enough to warrant one of their own. If you have a camcorder, encourage children to explore video production. Making videos is infinitely more educational than watching them. Calculators are mandatory equipment for most high school math programs. Calculus requires a more specialized calculator and is worth purchasing early if you know your child is a strong math contender who will pursue that avenue. Kids who might be considered ESL may benefit from pocket translators but should not be too reliant on them, as they are often forbidden in the classroom and almost always forbidden during tests and exams. Software Invest in some good supplementary educational software. Look for programs that supplement what is being taught in the classroom. Digital encyclopedias are good, but entries often contain less actual data than their print counterparts. Try to pick up a Canadian encyclopedia, as most are American-produced and tend to ignore our existence. Look for software that introduces Shakespeare and his world. Consider programs that help students improve grammar and writing skills or acquire second language skills. Senior Secondary (Grades 11-12) In Grade 11 and 12, students use sophisticated information technology tools to increase and refine their skills, knowledge, and abilities to solve complex and varied problems. Students prepare for post-secondary and career opportunities through relevant and meaningful experiences within their school and community. Print Materials Encourage students to make their own flashcards to learn larger concepts such as important terminology or math formulae and to aid with spelling difficulties. Many kids are so computer immersed that they are often aware of little else outside TV and the Internet. Remind your kids that books are a fun and portable way to learn. Encourage them to read anything and everything. Even kids who hate reading may be in the mood for sport or fashion magazines -- even comic books. Teens who enjoy reading might be ready to further explore classics they've met in English Lit. Kids are suckers for pop culture. Look for classic books that tie-in to their interests: Before there was Survivor there were Lord of the Flies, Robinson Crusoe and Swiss Family Robinson. Students who liked The Matrix might want to sample classic science fiction. Encourage books that augment computer concepts such as Internet use and Web publishing. Budget for a good dictionary and a thesaurus. If you don't already own one, consider buying a basic Bible. Many literary works in English have bases in and references to it. Software Invest in some good supplementary educational software. Look for programs that supplement what is being taught in the classroom. Digital encyclopedias are good but entries often contain less actual data than their print counterparts. Try to pick up a Canadian encyclopedia as most are American-produced and tend to ignore our existence. Look for software that introduces Shakespeare and his world. Consider programs that help students improve grammar and writing skills or acquire second language skills. Post-Secondary Education In the post-secondary world students are expected to be sophisticated in their use of information technology tools. They require stronger information literacy skills. Print Materials Homemade flashcards can be a great study tool to help memorize everything from terminology to French verbs to writers or artists and their works. Despite the press the World Wide Web gets, the post-secondary student will come face to face with books, books, books, journals, magazines, books and more books. Literally hundreds of dollars will be spent on textbooks alone. You may be able to save money by sharing textbooks with a friend but do so with caution as it may become impossible to coordinate both your schedules. Budget for a very good dictionary and thesaurus. Also look at picking up a stylebook like the MLA Handbook. Check with instructors and professors first to see which format they prefer for assignments. Hardware If you don't already have one from high school, now is the time to bite the bullet and get a computer complete with printer and, if you can afford it, a scanner. There may be computer labs on campus, but will they be open at 3 a.m. when you're pulling your first of many all-nighters? Printing assignments at a lab can become a hassle and instructors have long since tired of technological excuses like the classic "I couldn't get it to print" or other favourites like "It wouldn't read my disk" or "My hard drive crashed." Calculators are mandatory equipment for math-based programs including statistics in psychology or sociology. Make sure your calculator offers the functions you will need for your coursework. They are also good for figuring out just high you will have to score on that final assignment to pass the course. Kids who have ESL difficulties may benefit from pocket translators but should not be too reliant on them as they are almost always forbidden during tests and exams. Software Invest in some basic reference software. Encyclopedias are good but entries often contain less actual data than their print counterparts. Try to pick up a Canadian encyclopedia as most are American produced and tend to ignore our existence. If you are an English major then look for software that introduces Shakespeare and his world. If you are having trouble with your German, look at programs that will help you practice your language skills.