Students Lack Needed Study Skills.

• Position: Brief Article

As educational standards and expectations rise throughout the country, the nation is demanding more than ever from its students. Yet, have Americans equipped their off-spring with the fundamental study skills needed to foster increased academic achievement? According to a national survey of school guidance counselors by the American School Counselor Association and Sylvan Learning Centers, the answer is no.

In fact, nearly 60% believe that students are not adequately prepared to tackle homework assignments. Furthermore, almost 70% report that teachers in their school think that students have poor study skills. Around 50% of the schools surveyed do not offer study skills courses to their students. Of those that do, only 11% require students to take the course and just 10% offer it as a separate class.

The survey also found that:

* Forty percent of guidance counselors believe their schools do not have the resources to teach study skills effectively.

* More than 60% think it is most effective for students to study together in a group environment. However, counselors say that 57% of students typically do their homework at home, with just nine...