The R.L.S. (Real Life Skills) Program teaches our students the skills they need for a more productive, happier life full of success and enjoyment.
“Smart” students aren’t the ones with high IQs – they are the students who have mastered note-taking and studying.
Our study skills training is not subject specific and is a skill that students will use throughout their academic career. In fact, all of these skills translate into adulthood and the majority of careers. Every career requires updating of skills to remain competitive, achieve promotions, and wage increases. Our students, life-long learners with the skills to learn effectively and efficiently, will excel where their peers struggle.
Our study and organizational instruction are a series of eight tiered skills that combine to create a successful ability that makes the most out of a student’s education.
Organization
Our students start with the end in mind. With a clear idea of their goals, our students can organize their thoughts, needs, work space, and resources to maximize their efficiency and success.
Time Management
Time management is a misnomer. The challenge is not to manage time but rather to manage ourselves. With self-discipline, clear goals, and the ability to prioritize, our students use their time wisely and efficiently. By learning how much time to spend on individual tasks (based on their difficulty and value to the student) they are more successful finishing projects and tests. The skill of time management also reduces stress and anxiety.
Developing Resources
Gone are the days when Encyclopedia Britannica was the go-to source. With the advent of the Internet, today’s student is inundated with information and must learn to discern an even wider group of resources, many of which are next to useless. Students are trained to judge the veracity of their sources to ensure they are getting the most accurate information.
Effective Reading
When faced with an almost overwhelming quantity of reading, students must lean effective ways to read material and quickly acquire the information they need. Our students learn a variety of strategies that help them cover more material faster but with greater effectiveness and retention.
Note-taking
Effective studying is impossible without accurate, well-organized notes. Our students learn a variety of techniques and styles to find the most effective method for them. When they do sit down to study, they can be confident that they have the information they need to be successful.
Essay Planning
Most universities are requiring first year students to take an essay writing course. For our students, this will be a review. By the end of secondary school, our students are well versed in planning and writing a variety of essay styles.
Final Editing and Revision
Our students learn that efficiency in writing comes from the planning but successful writing is found in the editing. Sentence structure, grammar, vocabulary, and logical organization of the essay all arise from continuous practice of a student’s editing skills.
Feedback From Marked Work
Marking is not just to arrive at a grade. All our materials are reviewed with the students after they have been graded. This process is as much or more of a learning process than the assignment itself. Our students know that success lies on the far side of failure and all mistakes or failures are simply another learning opportunity.
As our students work through their career at Riverbend Academy, each skill is added augmented and practiced. By the time they have graduated, they are prepared for their post-secondary education and have the skills that will propel them on their way to becoming life-long learners. With these skills, our students will excel at any job or task because studying and learning will have become second nature to them and success will come easily to them.