STUDY SMARTER
Your Child Is Told to Study. But Have They Ever Been Taught How?
Rereading notes. Highlighting. Looking over a study guide. Studying everything the night before.
These strategies may feel productive—but they don't always prepare students to retrieve, explain, and apply what they know when the test begins.
Study Smarter is a focused 6-week individualized program that teaches students how to study more effectively, prepare ahead, and choose strategies that match what they're actually trying to learn.
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This program may be a good fit if your child:
Says they studied but their test results don't reflect the time they spent
Relies mainly on rereading, highlighting, or memorizing
Doesn't know how to start when a test is announced
Waits until the night before to begin studying
Has difficulty deciding what information is most important
Studies every subject in essentially the same way
Depends heavily on a parent to create study guides, quiz them, or tell them what to do
Would benefit from a more structured and independent approach to test preparation homework or a study guide
Designed primarily for students in grades 5–9.
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6-Week Individualized 1:1 Program
Six 60-minute individualized sessions
Review of the student's current study habits and challenges
Instruction in evidence-informed learning and study strategies
Application to real school material and upcoming assessments when possible
Personalized LearnWell study tools and templates
A repeatable study process the student can continue using independently
Brief parent feedback and recommendations
Investment: $1,495
Available in person in Westlake Village and virtually, based on availability.
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When grades aren't improving, the natural response is often to tell students:
“You need to study more.”
But more time doesn't automatically mean more learning.
Effective studying means knowing what needs to be learned, choosing a strategy that fits the material, retrieving information without relying on notes, and checking understanding before test day.
Study Smarter gives students tools they can continue using long after the six-week program ends.
“I Studied!” So Why Didn’t It Work?
As students move into middle school, they're increasingly expected to prepare for tests on their own.
But most students have never actually been taught how.
They may spend an hour rereading a chapter and call it studying. Memorize vocabulary the night before. Look over completed math problems without trying them independently. Or study what feels easiest instead of identifying what they don't yet know.
The problem isn't always a lack of effort.
Sometimes students are working hard—but using strategies that aren't working hard enough for them.
Study Smarter teaches students a more intentional process:
What do I need to know?
How should I study it?
Do I actually know it without looking?
What should I do next if I don't?
What Students Learn
Students build a practical toolkit of strategies they can apply to their actual classes and upcoming tests.
They learn how to:
Study Actively — Use retrieval practice, active recall, and self-testing instead of relying primarily on rereading and highlighting.
Know What They Really Know — Distinguish between “this looks familiar” and “I can explain or solve this without help.”
Plan Ahead for Tests — Break studying into manageable steps over several days instead of relying on last-minute cramming.
Study Differently for Different Subjects — Choose strategies that fit math, science, history, vocabulary, concepts, and other types of material.
Build an Independent Study Routine — Learn a repeatable process for deciding what to study, how to study it, and whether they're ready for test day.
One Study Method Doesn’t Work for Every Subject
A major part of learning how to study is recognizing that different subjects require different approaches.
MATH
Students need more than completed homework to review.
They learn to use active problem-solving, mixed practice, retrieval, and self-checking to determine whether they can recognize and solve problems independently.
SCIENCE
Memorizing vocabulary isn't enough if a student can't explain how concepts connect.
Students learn strategies for mastering terminology while also understanding processes, diagrams, relationships, and applications.
HISTORY
Studying history is more than memorizing a list of names and dates.
Students learn to organize information around chronology, cause and effect, relationships, significance, and key ideas—making large amounts of information easier to understand and retrieve.
The goal is for students to stop asking:
“How long should I study?”
and start asking:
“What strategy will help me learn this?”
How Study Smarter Works
1. Identify Current Study Habits
We begin by looking at how the student currently prepares for tests, where their approach breaks down, and which strategies they tend to rely on.
The goal is to identify where performance is breaking down between learning the material and demonstrating it independently.
2. Learn & Apply Better Strategies
Students learn evidence-informed study techniques and practice applying them to real academic material whenever possible.
Rather than simply hearing about a strategy, they learn when to use it, how to use it, and how to tell whether it's working.
3. Build a Personal Study System
Students create a repeatable process they can use when a test is announced:
Plan → Prioritize → Study Actively → Test Yourself → Adjust
The goal is greater independence—not another system that requires a parent to manage it for them.
