6th-Grade Boy Describes the Impact of Study Skills
Happy post-holiday season! Or, for those of us in the midwest and northeast, it’s the holiday season that won’t end! Schools have been called off in our town, just north of Detroit, for six consecutive days due to weather.
But, I want to share something that stretches a-l-l-l-l-l-l the way back to the eve of Christmas Eve…
On December 23rd, I wrapped up my workday very late. I was exhausted and feeling all kinds of stress from loose ends I was not able to wrap up before the holidays as I had hoped. I was in a funky mood; one that my happier self would point out was not really so bad. (But, when you’re wandering through the trees you don’t always notice your own forest.)
But, as I cleaned off my desk to pack up and head home, I came across this letter from Paul, a 6th-grader from Virginia. He wrote a lovely, 3-page letter to say “thanks” for creating SOAR® and shared many details about how SOAR® has been helpful for him.
I have to say, there was no better way to dissolve the tension and bring a smile to my face than to get this letter. It was the perfect conclusion to my 2013 “work year.” Paul is the reason why I do what I do; why we do what we do.
So, I’m sharing his letter with you today. He likely had to write a formal letter for a class assignment, but I’m sure honored he chose to write a letter to me. His specific examples speak for themselves. He illustrates, first-hand, why “study skills” are so important.. they empower students to be confident and successful.
Dear Ms. Kruger,
I am writing to you to tell you how much I love SOAR®, and how much it has benefited me in school. I am now in sixth grade and I have been using your SOAR® system for about three months. There are a lot of reasons that I love SOAR®, but I am going to focus on three main reasons. First, it keeps me organized, and I can always find my work. Second, it saves me a lot of time, and I have more time for things like sports, and music lessons. Third, I love the way I now set goals for myself, because I have something to work toward.
The first reason that I really like SOAR® is how it keeps me very neat and organized. Since pre-school I have always organized my things how the school has asked me to. By the end of fifth grade I had way too much paper, and it was getting to be really messy. This year, I started using SOAR®. I love how I can fit all of my work into one small binder without it getting too bunched up. Also, with being more organized, my grades have gone up, and so has my confidence. Now I feel better about myself, and the future.
The second reason that I like SOAR® is how it saves me so much time. I never lose my homework, and I always know where it is. In the past, I have always had to rummage through a huge stack of paper, hoping to find what I needed. Now, I empty old assignments into my accordion folder. I know where my homework is, and it isn’t a big treasure hunt every time I need to find something. If a teacher says to get out our homework I just open up the binder and can find it easily. This is also leaving me with more time to do what I like to do in my leisure time, like playing viola and spending time with my family. I think anything is good if it saves you time.
The third reason that SOAR® has helped me is by inspiring me to set goals for the future. I used to just go along in school like everyone else, but now I set goals for myself. I think having something to look forward to is important. Every day now, when I open my planner I see the yellow part of the paper that lists my goals. My parents and I go over these every Sunday, and I think about if I have done it. I think this is inspiring me to do better in school. It is important to try hard, and do your best. I also feel like time goes by faster when you set goals. I believe setting goals is a good way to succeed in school and in your daily life.
Over all, I think SOAR® is a great system that is helping me in school. The three reasons listed above, it keeps me organized, it saves me time, and I like how I am setting goals, shows how much I like the SOAR® system. Thank you for this great book.
Sincerely,
Paul
6th grader
Help your students find success today!
Get curriculum information for the classroom, here.
For families, information about our SOAR® Learning & Soft Skills App is available here.
Happy New Year!
-Susan Kruger
*name changed to protect his identity.
JS 05182017
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