One thing that always helped me was questions that went with the chapters of the study book. Read the questions first and then actively look for the answers while you're reading. Somehow for me it always made reading a more engaging process.

The other thing I found really helped was...and I know this sounds crazy...but to walk while I read. Somehow just reading something I'd rather not be reading made it easy to slip into the eyes going across the page but the mind being elsewhere. However, when I was walking, it kept my mind distracted enough that it was easier to concentrate on the words as well. So long as you have a safe place to walk with even footing. I had a paved trail I could use...it's amazing how peripheral vision keeps you on the path. I suppose one could accomplish the same thing with a stationary bike.

When it comes to reading fiction, I found keeping a list in the book helped where I'd write down the character's name and a sentence about who they were. Especially helpful when we read David Copperfield which I believe includes something like 85 different characters.

I would start, at least, asking this question of his adviser and/or teachers. I find that the way I studied in school is less useful, because far less of the work my kids do is memorization and much more of it is analysis, synthesis, persuasion. The differences I see are significant enough to warrant somewhat different approaches than what worked for DH and I. Eighth grade is often a transition year to high school, where some schools first start moving away from rewarding students for simple recitation.

I think if you have the ability to do this, a tutor to help him with organization and study skills would be money VERY well spent. 8th grade is now the point at which the academic/educational pressure starts to rise; when your son hits HS it will become a truly intense level of expectations and if he's struggling now it's a good idea to start helping him build a foundation before it's much harder to do. I also think that with rare exceptions, a professional gets a better reaction--it's hard for mom or dad to be a teacher and a parent and it can easily engender a lot of family stress.

My daughter is a HS teacher and she tutored a girl for several years, not in subject matter but strictly in managing the student's workload. Daughter would literally sit down weekly and map out the weekly assignments, help her strategize on what needed to be done and when, divide large projects or papers into manageable pieces etc. By the time my daughter finished with her, the student had improved dramatically academically-she even got the Most Improved award at her school (aside, I think I was as proud of my girl as the student's mom was of hers ;).

Perhaps you can contact your school and ask if they have support staff or can recommend tutors who work with ADD/ADHD kids-not that your son may be in that group but the techniques can be very helpful as far as study skills and organization. These are things he'll use now and for his next 8 years of education.

Good luck-I do not envy parents of students in or starting the high school years! Mine are 10 years past that stage and I think it's only gotten worse and more demanding for these poor kids.

My oldest struggled with grade 8, too. My youngest is in grade 8 this year and is doing much better. I think the difference between them is that my youngest is staying on top of her work. I teach at the same school she goes to, so she has to stay until I'm ready to leave and so she does her homework right away after school. We talked to her about reading and working ahead to help with understanding and she does that. We tried to get our oldest to do this, too, but she wasn't interested (a true procrastinator). I totally get you about the working on computer vs. pencil and paper. My girls are 5 years apart and everything has changed just in those 5 years. Like you, I still sit down and make her map things out on paper and fill in an agenda of when things are due. Like runninginplace suggests, organizing his thinking and developing good work habits is incredibly important and is a skill that will serve him well for the rest of his life. He will likely move to doing this electronically, but the basic skills will transfer no matter how you teach it to him.

Nobody wants to face possibility of their child experimenting w/drugs. I think every parent should consider the possibility, if nothing else, to eliminate it early and not later in the process. A little puff here and there might cause him to be enormously distracted w/everything but books. I might ck him on his next annual check up w/o stating the purpose. And if there is evidence, then have a CALM conversation about the evils of drugs and your expectations of him. CALM is key. Pls remember how your u reacted when parents went mental at things you thought were no big deal. Easier said than done but if you talk to him as (almost) a young adult, chances are greater that he might behave accordingly.

but at that age ANYTHING will distract him from school, doesn’t have to be drug experimenting so no need to panic. Best of luck and positive focus.

i tried all kinds of tutors and exercises and the best resource was a reading therapist. Back in the day they read the Harry Potter series and when his reading comprehension improved, academics improved. But as a teen, it was still a struggle to keep him on top of school matters. Teenage years, when you get the most gray hair, ugh!

bossy, I can assure you drugs aren't even in the picture. Please!

eta: He is very into sports and his health (and looks). He is not distracted because of outside issues-he's never liked reading-but always gets his homework done without me even asking him.

You know, I don't think I ever really learned to study well. One thing that ultimately helped a lot, though, was a high school class called "College Typing and Notehand". It included a form of shorthand, and styles of note-taking. In college, I learned through one class that if I took most of the notes in combined Notehand, abbreviations, and pictures/pictograms (arrows, etc), then went back to my dorm and transcribed everything into proper English, it sunk in much better. I should have done that in more classes.

Another thing that helps it all sink in is studying together with classmates, or talking about topics, say in the car or at the dinner table. Hard when it's a topic you don't know (or care) much about! But he might be able to teach you something.

bpathome, I was just talking about studying with classmates with my friends the other day. Hardly anyone I know does that anymore and I think that's a great idea!

Will get back to everyone in a bit, have some errands to run.

You didn’t have to convince me and in the event a kid did, it doesn’t necessarily suggest bad parenting. And usually the families that get in trouble are the ones that categorically deny this possibility. Your kid might be an angel but his friends might only LOOK like angels.

FWIW, if a person reacts so viscerally to a perfectly plausible, non malicious comment, are they prepared to deal with stuff calmly? Be honest with/yourself; you owe me nothing. Again, best wishes to you

Online and computer based learning, love it or not, is the present and the future. When texts and notes are digital, some kids find mom and dad’s “old school” study methods cumbersome and inconvenient. You mentioned that your son’s school has issued each student a Mac book. Presumably, the students texts are digital too. Along with the license for those digital texts, each teacher usually receives access codes for online reviews, study guides, quizlets and advanced study. These are generally hosted by the publisher. Talk to the teacher and see what’s available. You might also visit Kahn academy online. There are terrific tutorials for every subject under the sun. My kids have found the mathematics instruction particularly helpful.

bossy, I know where this kid is every second of the day. I'm at the school A LOT-volunteering, PTA, Booster Club, etc. Drugs are Not an issue now-in the future, hopefully not-I'm not stupid and he's not perfect, but drugs are not the issue.

We talk about drugs and have very open conversations about drugs, sex, etc. If I thought for one second it was drugs, believe me, I would not have posted about study skills. Give me a break.

Bossy, I am glad you posted the drug issue. If not the case with Olliesmom, someone else out there (a lurker perhaps) might start seeing red flags.

Drugs are a serious issue in middle school.

I agree with Mtn. Speak to your child's counselor and get some feedback. Also, they can direct you to the best approaches. He might need help with the curriculum and a tutor might be useful.

Yes, distractions can impact grades. But it is easy to make your point gracefully and then LET IT GO.

I struggled with studying as well. Not because I was smoking weed. I never had to study until I got into high school and never really learned how. So I had grades all over the map.

When the work gets harder, good grades are mostly a result of motivation, perseverance and advocating for yourself. It's not about who is the smartest.

I think advocating is hardest for kids because of their self consciousness. If you don't understand the assignment, speak up. If you need more help, speak up. If you have an issue with a grade, speak up. And sometimes the parent has to intervene because frankly, there are some teachers that aren't that great.

Highlighting is a very inefficient way to study/retain information because it is too passive. Most effective are outlining, rewriting, reading out loud and quizzing yourself. Of these, quizzing yourself is by far the most effective.

I am extremely good at school, a skill I wish translated better to real life. Here are some of the techniques that I used:

I used a study method where I divided my notes page by drawing a line down the page with a third on the left and two thirds on the right. On the left hand side I wrote a cue (like a flash card question) and on the right I wrote the answers. I could then self quiz using either the left hand side or the right. I personally believe that writing out notes longhand better cements them in your brain, but I think typing can still be somewhat effective. Perhaps best for a young person would be using something like the apple pen to write out notes but on the iPad.

For example:

three states of matter | (<-line) gas, liquid, solid

five facts T Jeff. | b. 1743, d.1826, 3rd pres 1801-1809, 2nd vp, Found fath

If it was a subject I found particularly difficult or I was scared of the test, I would rewrite my notes and read them out loud as well as self quiz.

Other tips:

I would study listening to music without lyrics, like electronic or classical music, which helps keep me from getting distracted from studying.

I would try to study somewhere quiet and away from electronic distractions.

I would pay attention to cues the teacher gives in class, they often try to help you out by putting a star or emphasizing something in class. Often times they will outright tell you that such and such will be on the test.

I would watch YouTube videos to help me get concepts that were difficult, I just did a masters in statistics and YouTube was invaluable.

I knew my brain was my best friend and ally in studying So I would try to treat it well, getting enough sleep, treating it to a little caffeine but not too much – caffeine increases concentration, and I would actually literally take breaks during examinations, I would put my head down about halfway through and just try to meditate for a bit. Really helps keep me sharp, and study breaks are important for the same reason.

I've learned that I'm a visual-spatial kind of gal, and I do best when I can manipulate information with my hands and eyes. For example, cutting up and rearranging for different purposes (kind of like making a mood board? Scrapbook?) working on a big blackboard especially for math, or arranging figures to recreate historical happenings.

Do you know about the rubber ducky? I hadn't, until my son's writing tutor gave him one for graduation. See, when software developers are trying to figure out why a section of code doesn't work, they find it helps to explain each step of code to someone. Well, what if it's 2:00 am? Enter the rubber ducky, or any inanimate object. Explain it and it becomes clear. The tutor had DS talk to her to flesh out his writing ideas, which would come in a torrent and he just couldn't get it all down. Talking to the the tutor helped him organize the stream and eliminate the unnecessary, so she gave him the ducky to give him a substitute. Since he's majoring in CompSci, it was a good analogy for him.

Beats talking to yourself, anyway.

Good point made above about online resources. I make each of my kids do IXL math over the summer, and even just now over the 2-week break, they had to do 40 min a day on weekdays. They act like they will die, but really, 40 min? And it is well proven that breaks cause kids to lose ground. It's only normal.

Also agree about Khan academy; the man is a saint.

In fact, there is so much good excellent content on line that my youngest DD's physics class is taught as a flipped classroom using Youtube. Essentially, they are assigned a youtube to watch that illustrates a concept. They become familiar with it first via youtube; that is essentially the lecture component of the class. Then, they come into class, with that as background, and do "homework" and labs in class with their teacher to help, guide, and elucidate. To review material, there are quizlets on line. Just an example of how different their world is.

PS A word about IXL. I think it covers things other than math, but we have used it mostly for math. They have accounts via their school but o/w I think you pay $10 a month (Kahn is free). The thing about IXL is it is divided by grade and or subject, and has lessons that are maybe 20 min to 40 min each. It keeps track of right and wrong answers, and suggests areas for work. It also explains the correct answer. It even keeps track of the specific wrong answers so you and or a teacher can review those. It is self-paced. Highly recommend.

Teacher weighing in here. The issue with "study skills" is that there are different kinds of learners. I have plenty of students who have difficulty with reading, even at the college level. They very often come into my office to "discuss" what they know prior to a test. That is a very effective way to study for someone who is not a great reader, to put some social aspects into it--read aloud, then quiz yourself. Read a section, then have mom or bro/sis/friend quiz you. Write or talk out what you know. Create outlines instead of highlighting, do the writing or typing on the computer. Make a recording of a quiz for yourself, with pauses and then the answer comes up. You can download simple recording software. Just making the quiz is a learning experience in itself. For social people, being locked away in a room with just a book to read is torture. Find ways for him to interact with the material physically, like Robo suggested, or through interactions with others. My brother quizzed me once a week with my German homework, which was kind of funny, since he had never had German. He asked me the questions in English and I had to translate. He could read and tell approximately if I was in the ball park for the correct answer. Ironically, he later took German and moved to Germany where he has lived for 25+ years so he only speaks German now.

Gosh! There are some great suggestions here! Just what I needed!

I have had meetings with his teachers, and, for example, his Language Arts teacher, does say, he can tell her everything correctly, but taking the test online seems hard for him.

I pink, you got it right, he is very social and he does act like its torture to have him read. I do quiz him on tests, but not everyday reading material, so I can do that also. Downloading the recording software sounds great!

mtn, I did buy the OCCT tests in Math and Language Arts and he tests on those twice a week each. He has basketball games twice a week, and practice everyday, so this is just a very busy and hectic time, but we do get it done. I will look into the IXL Math and I need to utilize the Khan Academy more. I guess I was thinking by purchasing the OCCT tests, he was getting enough-guess not.

bpathome, interesting about the rubber ducky!

robo, HA! I know my highlighting was pretty outdated! Thanks for the example.

d gw, I did put him in a different math class starting this semester, because he was in a class with a lot of disruptions. Hoping it helps.

fraker, you are so right, I know it's the way of the future and trying to get him to study that way is not his best way, but he will have to conform.

daisy and running, you both are so right on being organized. Each week I have him print out the weekly guide each teacher provides to know what to expect for the coming week. It has helped him a lot and he does this every weekend before Monday. It took me about a month of reminding him, but he has it now.

running, good idea about asking add/adhd-can't hurt and I bet they have some good suggestions.

Annie, I actually do have him read questions first before reading material, as that has helped me in the past. I also told him, when it comes to test time, he might find the answers in the other questions, as he is taking the tests.

I think he has a little anxiety taking tests, and I did/do too, so I know what he's going through. But, I told him the more he knows the material, the less anxious he will feel. I just hope I'm not giving him anxiety from too much pressure. But, it's hard when he hates reading like he does. I've been telling him to try to embrace it, instead of hating it, but I will see where it gets him.

I am going to reread again and see what I think could help him best.

As a high school teacher I attend many parent meetings for various reasons: some are academic, some are due to behavior and some are the annual review of the IEP (individual education plan.) It's always helpful to have parents involved and willing to attend meetings. Reach out to your son's teachers and his guidance counselor to request a meeting. Your instincts, and the facts, suggest some intervention might be helpful, but listen to what his teachers suggest before getting any sort of outside tutoring help.

My students have Chromebooks and almost all of my classroom material is online in a Google Classroom, which parents can have access to. I have teacher online access to a wide variety of teaching materials by the textbook publishers. In my current school the students still have access to hard copy textbooks. However I have taught post-high school where all the books were e-books. Many students chose to purchase their own books, preferring hard copies to have at home. In any case, the electronic classroom is here to stay-Chromebooks, iPads, laptops are all just one way to teach the digital natives.

I find my students need structure in the form of two-column notes (the Cornell method of note taking), which I provide in an electronic format, making an e-copy for each student. This is common in high school and encourages active learning with the textbook.

Does the teacher provide rubrics for assignments (we call them "Criteria for Success" at my school), which basically spells out what is expected of the student and assigns a point value for each category? This is a given for any individual or group assignment because it helps the student with organization and focus. Speaking of group work, this is the norm in high school for many types of assignments, with students being graded not only on their individual contribution, but also on their portion of the group work and presentation. I often allow my students to use their phones (which otherwise MUST be away!) to take a video for a project. They are sometimes allowed to use their phones or Chromebooks (with ear buds) to listen to music when working on an individual assignment.

I have taught flipped classrooms, which was very interesting, but I'm not sure it is the most effective use of time, nor the best way to reach all students. Some classes that I have taught have been 100% online and others have been in a blended format, combining class time with online message board discussions. Your son will most likely be exposed to all of this in his high school and college years.

Start with the teacher(s) and go from there. Boys are often much more challenged by the "executive function" skills required in high school. You are wise to recognize the change now in eighth grade. You may end up with tutors this year to help him prepare for high school.

As an aside, I take my classes to the library for one period each week and it is scheduled on our daily agenda. Today, the last period class asked to skip it and I told them that was not even an option. I feel sorry that some of these juniors are ill-equipped (or unwilling) to handle a period of independent reading. In two years they will be in college. They ALL have a large junior English project that involves, reading, research, assimilation and writing so it's not like they have nothing to do!

Olliesmom, I wish you the best as you support your son on his journey. I wish more parents were as astute as you are.

When I went back to school as an adult, I found two new studying methods that helped me maintain a 4.0 GPA--homemade flashcards and studying just before going to sleep (helps brain retain information better). DD has fond memories of testing me with flashcards and learning lots of oceanography terms as well!

Here's what I know: drugs are by no means the only thing that can interfere w/ a kid floundering @ school. Depression, peer pressure, bullying & plain ole hormones (which can literally make adolescents psychotic) can all be factors for many kids. Lack of sleep can be a big factor too; there've been studies that show kids need more sleep during this time of life and school schedules rarely reflect that. Kids may tend to stay up late, then have to get up early and wind up overly sleep-deprived.

I also remember my mind being blown when I finally learned HOW to read a textbook. Nobody had ever showed me that all the answers are there in the text already, often highlighted, bullet-pointed, etc. - duh!

And finally, the physical act of writing something by hand, rather than typing can cement information in our brains.

My 2 cents, FWIW

I want to chime in along the lines of 1929Spanish -- when a child really hates to read, I would want to rule out a physical reason, such as convergence insufficiency, or processing disorder, which could respond to specific therapy such as "brain training". Maybe find an pediatric ophthalmologist who specializes in such things?

My not-overly-organized nephew became (for reasons other than study) close friends with a kid who had stellar study habits. Now the nephew has stellar habits as well because they studied together after school for quite a long time and nephew saw the advantages, and learned from his friend how to do it, without any pressure.

That was just pure luck, but it was really good luck.

Good point, hoovb. I was just talking w/ hubby about some science I read a long time ago that showed how the groups that kids hang w/ during adolescence can have a huge influence on the rest of their life.