A primary component of studying involves learning the terminology of the subject matter. Whether it is memorizing geometrical shapes and their names or the capitols of cities around the world, finding the best memorization method varies by individual. Making a sentence out of the first letter for each capitol you need to memorize is an example of a memorization game. Limericks, poems and songs are other memorization tools. An example of a song that lists all of the states and their capitols is Wakko's "America" from the popular cartoon series Animaniacs.
Create a set of bingo cards with specific study skills written inside of each square, for example, "Reading for 20 minutes at home." When a student brings his planner in each day, initialed and dated by a parent or guardian, he gets to cross out that particular square on the bingo card. Reward students who have completed enough study skills to have squares crossed off in a diagonal, downward or straight across line with an extra 15 minutes of computer time or recess.
Before students can be successful at algebra, they better know their multiplication tables by heart. In that regard, young students cannot play enough games with multiplication tables as a basis. Multiplication.com offers free games categorized by grade level. Anything as visual as this will reinforce their memory in a different way than by just reading it or figuring it out in their head. The program will immediately respond if the student's answer is correct or incorrect, which is another plus to this concept, rather than waiting a day or two to get a corrected answer back from a homework assignment.
The Breakfast Club meets in the morning and previews the lesson for the regular class period later. This allows students who have not done their homework reading the opportunity to catch up to speed with the rest of the class and be able to participate, answer questions and generally understand the lesson better. This also promotes the concept of how reading the study materials is beneficial for students who do not have good study habits yet. The National Education Association recommends this concept and has additional tips for developing study skills on its website.