Family Living
Focus
by
Sandra
Parker Hall j
Clinton County
Cooperative Exte-s
Help Your Child Develop
Good Study Skills
It’s hard to believe that sum
mer has come and gone and that
another school year has started.
With the school year getting into
gear, it’s a good time to start es
tablishing good study habits. To
help your student study smarter,
try some of the following tips:
• Schedule regular study peri
ods. Set aside regularly sched-
Mifflin County 4-H Shooters Earn
GAIL STROCK
Mifflin Co. Correspondent
LEWISTOWN (Mifflin Co.)
“My work’s all up here,” said
Aaron Wolfe, tapping his right
temple. Improving concentra
tion. Mind control. Couple that
with sharp shooting skills and
it’s easy to understand the suc
cess of six Mifflin County 4-H ar
chery and shotgun shooters.
By scoring high at 4-H
Achievement Days and the state
tournament in Williamsport and
at Shawnee Archers near
Lewistown, they earned the right
to compete at the National 4-H
Invitational Shoot in San Anto
nio, Texas, from July 17-22.
There, the archery team won
first place gold medals and the
shotgun team won third place
bronze medals.
Mifflin County’s Texas-bound
van held archers Aaron Wolfe,
Nikki Fisher, and Matt Scheffel
and shotgun shooters Dan Schef
fel, Chad Setzler, and Curtis
McKnight. Once in Texas, they
joined the rest of the Pennsylva
nia shooting team Somerset
County archers Jamie Sechler,
Matt Pyle, Nathan Pyle, and
Kyle Courtney and shotgun
shooters Greg Patton and Jimmy
Bender (Lycoming County), Josh
Richmond (Sullivan County),
and Jeremiah Fearnley (Susque
hanna County).
“There’s only one person re
sponsible for how they do
themselves,” said Mifflin County
4-H Shooting Sports Club leader
Sam Setzler. “They either have
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uled study times. The most effec
tive way to learn is to rehearse
regularly. Whether it is practic
ing the piano, playing sports or
reviewing academic material,
learning happens through the
principle of repetition.
• Establish a designated/
permanent study area. When a
student becomes conditioned to
study in the same place, their
mind will automatically kick into
the drive or not. Concentration is
a big part. It’s more a mental
state of concentration once they
have the proper techniques and
ability. They all have practiced
very hard.”
Aaron Wolfe, 17, Lewistown,
serves as the 4-H club’s president
and 1999 Most Improved Shoot
er, from a beginner's score of 54
to a recent 285. He started shoot
ing with his father. It’s one of
those things I didn’t think I’d
like. 1 never thought it’d turn
into as big as it is. There are
some areas I need to work on.
There’! a lot more to accomplish.
1 was amazed at how many peo
ple were represented (in Texas).
It was a good trip. I’m looking
forward to next year.”
Matt Scheffel, 16, Reedsville,
is the most consistent archer.
(Fluctuating scores result from
varying levels of concentration.)
He’s been a member of the 4-H
shooters for six years. For him,
the challenge is to keep getting
better. “The hardest part is find
ing enough time to practice.”
Fifteen-year-old Nikki Fisher
of Lewistown is one of only five
girls in archery in the
107-member shooting sports
club. She first picked up the bow
for 4-H competition this past
February. “I learned patience,”
Nikki said of her experience in
Texas. “If I shot bad, 1 got mad,
and my co-shooter said to calm
down.”
Curtis McKnight, 16, Gran
ville, has been a member of the
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gear, even when they do not feel
like studying.
• A designated area also gives
a permanent place to keep notes,
textbooks, pens and other sup
plies. They will not waste 10
minutes each day collecting the
material they need if it’s already
be there.
• Study short and often. The
brain takes in information faster
and retains it better if it is not
overloaded. Short study periods
are more effective than two long
ones for two reasons: (1) frequent
repetition is the key to building
memory; and (2) if there is a long
time between study periods, a
good portion of the material
studied may be lost.
• Start study sessions on time.
It sounds like a small detail, but
it’s amazing how quickly those
10 minute delays add up. Use
every minute of the time sched
uled for study.
• Study the most difficult sub
jects first. Students are most alert
when they first sit down, so en
courage them to tackle the tough
4-H club for three years but has
been shooting since age five. “I
Six members of the Mifflin County 4-H Shooting Sports Club qualified for national
competition in July and returned with gold and bronze medals. They are, in front, arch
ers Matt Scheffel, Nikki Fisher, and Aaron Wolfe. Archery leader Chris Setzler joins
them. The back row includes shotgun shooters Chad Setzler, Dan Scheffel, and Curtis
McKnight.
stuff first. They also feel better
getting the worst out of the way,
and won’t be tempted to spend
all of their time on easier or fa
vorite subjects.
• Start assignments as soon as
they are given. A little work on
an assignment will allow the stu
dent to give attention to its quali
ty. The workload will be spread
out, avoiding a log jam just be
fore it is due. A calendar to help
with scheduling is extremely im
portant.
• Problem solve. For courses
that require problem solving,
such as math, physics, or chemis
try, spend a good portion of the
study time working problems. If
the student gets stuck on a prob
lem, don’t spend too much time
on it. Go to the next question and
ask for help the next day.
• Study when you are wide
awake. Decide what the best
time is and try to schedule study
time accordingly. We all accom
plish mor| when we are alert.
• Review notes regularly. Tak
ing good notes is the first step,
reviewing them regularly is the
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learned to concentrate more,”
Curtis said of the trip to Texas,
STOLTZFUS WOODWORK
MFD.
BY:
Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, September 9, 2000-B9
second. The best way to learning
anything is to review the inform
ation often (aloud, too).
• Take regular breaks. A gen
eral rule of thumb is a 10 minute
break for every 60 minutes of
studying. Don’t study through
breaks. They rejuvenate the stu
dent for the next hour of study
ing.
• Reward. When a student
completes a goal, give a reward.
It doesn’t have to be anything
elaborate a snack, a movie, a
TV show. The reward system is
an incentive to reach goals and a
pat on the back for achieving
them.
• Keep on top of it. Letting
work pile up can leave an over
whelming task. Identify the
problem as soon as possible and
don’t let it become unmanage
able.
Helping your student create
good study habits is a great step
toward success both in to school
and future career. Good luck
during the coming school year
and remember school will be out
in ten months.
“and to get more sleep. Don’t get
frustrated, and practice more.”
613 White Horse Rd. - Gap, PA 17527