10 Essential Learning Verbs to Improve Your Study Skills

Learning effectively and efficiently requires more than just reading through textbooks or notes. To improve your study skills, there are certain actions that you can take while studying. These actions are known as learning verbs. Incorporating learning verbs into your study routine can help improve your comprehension, retention, and recall of information. In this blog post, we’ll go over ten essential learning verbs to help you master your studies.

1. Analyze

One of the most important learning verbs for students is analyzing. When you analyze information, you break it down into smaller pieces and examine each one to gain a better understanding. To analyze effectively, start by asking yourself questions about the information you are studying. What is the author trying to say? What evidence supports this argument? What are the main points of this passage?

2. Compare

Comparing information can help you identify similarities and differences, which can make it easier to learn and remember. To compare effectively, start by identifying the similarities and differences between two pieces of information. For instance, you could compare the similarities and differences between two historical events, two scientific theories, or two literary works.

3. Summarize

Summarizing requires you to identify the main points of a piece of information and present them in a condensed form. Summarizing effectively means focusing on the most important information and leaving out extraneous details. To summarize, start by identifying the main ideas in a passage or text and then condensing them into just a few sentences.

4. Organize

Organizing information can help you make sense of it and remember it more effectively. To organize information, start by breaking it down into smaller pieces. For instance, you could create an outline of the main points of a text, or create a mind map that shows the relationships between different pieces of information.

5. Predict

Predicting is a learning verb that helps you make educated guesses about what might happen based on the information you have. To predict effectively, start by identifying the patterns and trends in the information you are studying. Use these patterns to make a guess about what might happen in the future.

6. Practice

Practice is an essential learning verb that involves repeatedly performing an action to improve your skill. To practice effectively, start by identifying the areas in which you need improvement. Then, design a practice routine that focuses on those areas. For instance, if you need to improve your writing skills, you could practice by writing for a set amount of time each day.

7. Memorize

Memorizing involves committing information to memory for later retrieval. To memorize effectively, start by breaking the information down into smaller chunks. Then, repeat these chunks until they are committed to memory. You can also use mnemonics, such as rhymes, to help you remember information.

8. Visualize

Visualizing involves creating mental images of information to help you remember it more effectively. To visualize effectively, start by creating a mental image of the information you are studying. For instance, if you are studying a historical event, you could create a mental image of the key players and their actions.

9. Apply

Applying information involves using it in a real-world context. To apply information effectively, start by identifying how the information can be used in a practical setting. For instance, if you are studying physics, you could apply the information by designing an experiment to test a scientific theory.

10. Evaluate

Evaluating involves making judgements about information based on criteria. To evaluate effectively, start by identifying the criteria that are important for the information you are studying. Then, use these criteria to determine the value or quality of the information.

Conclusion

Improving your study skills requires more than just reading through information. By incorporating these ten essential learning verbs into your study routine, you can enhance your comprehension, retention, and recall of information. Analyze, compare, summarize, organize, predict, practice, memorize, visualize, apply, and evaluate your way to success!