Study Skills Curriculum
for Middle School & High School Students

a complete system of tools & strategies for teachers & students

The SOAR® Study Skills Curriculum is for students in grades 5-12 who are:

• Disorganized,
• Struggling with ADD/ADHD or other learning challenges,
• Failing to turn in homework,
• Failing tests,
• Not working to their potential,
  and even…
• ‘Good’ students who want to learn and work more efficiently.

The program is ideal for:

• Response to Intervention,
• School-wide implementation,
• Before/after-school programs,
• Freshman academies,
• Tutoring programs,
• Academic probation programs,
• At-risk classes, or
• Any student or group of students who can benefit from being more organized and learning more efficiently.

SOAR® Learning, founded by a certified teacher and learning specialist, has been specializing in study skills since 1996.  We continuously research effective learning skills and strategies and have developed a comprehensive study skills curriculum based on years of feedback from the wonderful students, parents, and educators with whom we have worked.

What skills are taught through the SOAR® Study Skills Curriculum?

The SOAR® Curriculum is a series of lessons that promote “hands-on,” immediate application to students’ school work.  Each lesson builds upon previous lessons to develop the learning connections that promote retention. 

The topics covered include:

	Time and task-management		Organizing at home & school
	Goal-setting		Note-taking strategies
	Paper organization		Test-taking strategies
	Homework/project planning		Communication & affective skills
	Reading skills		Writing strategies
			...and much more!

To see the Table of Contents, click here.

How is the SOAR® Study Skills Curriculum different from other programs?

SOAR® is student-friendly because it was originally created by a student.  In 1996, Susan Kruger, author of the SOAR® program, was a new teacher just out of college and looking to meet the demand for study skills from her summer tutoring students.  As a new teacher and long-time student, Susan was acutely aware of the most common problems that students face. 

She was also acutely aware of what turned students off to study skills…most of the common strategies are very time-consuming and many are difficult for students to identify when to use.  For example, question charts and t-charts are excellent learning tools, but most students do not understand the appropriate time to use them, without a teacher’s guidance.

Susan began to identify the most critical problems her classroom and tutoring students were having, as well as the problems she experienced before learning how to learn.  She then identified the most efficient strategies for tackling each problem.

That was the beginning of SOAR®.  Since then, the program has been updated and modified based on continuous research and feedback, but the foundation remains practical and student-friendly.  In fact, there are three principles that continue to guide the contents of the SOAR® Study Skills Curriculum:

• Strategies must be effective.  We respect students’ time and will not teach anything that does not deliver results.

• Strategies must be student-friendly.  Strategies must be realistic for students to do, save them time, and reduce as many unnecessary steps as possible, while still delivering results.
  
  
• Strategies must apply across the content areas. There are many “study skills” that are useful techniques, but we only select or develop strategies that apply across content areas so that students will clearly understand the appropriate times/settings to use the strategies.  This approach empowers students to confidently take more responsibility for their own work and develop a more strategic approach to all of their learning.

Who has used the program?

Schools across the country are utilizing the SOAR® Study Skills Curriculum to empower their students to be more organized, more confident, and more successful in school.  Some of those schools include:

• Toledo Public Schools, Toledo, OH
• South Bend Community Schools, South Bend, IN
• Loma Linda Academy, Loma Linda, CA
• Norton Public Schools, Norton, MA
• Wallingford-Swarthmore School District, Wallingford, PA
• LaGuardia Community College, Long Island, NY
• Floresville ISD, Floresville, TX
• Hadley Middle School, Homer Glen, IL
• Polk Count Schools, Polk County, FL
• Waltham Public Schools, Waltham MA
  
• Westfield Community Middle School, Algonquin, IL
• Rocky Mountain International Academy, Montrose, CO
• T.K. Stone Middle School, Elizabeth Town, KY
• St. John’s Episcopal School, Olney MD
• Lake Orion High School, Lake Orion, MI
• San Jacinto Christian Academy, Amarillo, TX
• Schoolcraft College, Livonia, MI
• Davison Middle School, Davison, MI
• Derby Middle School, Birmingham, MI
• Lanier Middle School, Buford, GA
• Liberty Central Schools, Liberty, NY
• Archbishop Spaulding School, Severn, MD
• LifeManagement Center, Charleston, SC
• Marian High School, Mishawaka, IN
• St. Adelaide, Highland, CA
• The Master’s Academy, Orlando, FL
• Champion Christian School, Chico, CA
• Grace School, Houston, TX
• Plan 4 College, Inc., a national company that coaches students and parents through the college-planning process to help save money and ensure college success.
• Action Agendas, Grand Junction, CO
• Kumon Learning Center, Brandon, FL

How does the program work?

The SOAR® Study Skills Curriculum is a series of 10-20 minute lessons that follow a brain-based learning model.  Each lesson:

	Identifies the organization or learning problems and explore why those problems exist.
	Presents solutions and the principles that make them work.
	Applies the solutions to students’ lives and school work immediately.
	Encourages regular reflection and review, making modifications as necessary.

…For example, in the “Organize Your Papers” lesson, students learn: Why papers are so difficult to manage and how the most common organizing systems actually complicate the process. Then, we present the SOAR® Binder System (with examples and photographs) to help them streamline their paperwork.  Students immediately apply this solution as they organize their papers into a neat binder system. Several times throughout the program, teachers are prompted to check in on the status of the Binder System and help guide students through any modifications.

This structure is effective because students learn principles for getting organized and learning more efficiently.  They also learn specific strategies to take advantage of those principles, but can modify those strategies to “personalize” solutions.  We appreciate the unique character of each student and encourage them to make modifications, as long as they adhere to the learning and organizing principles.

How is SOAR® organized?

The lessons can be presented in any order to fit specific curriculum needs, but they are deliberately organized in sequential format in SOAR®, where each strategy is a building block for the next strategy.  This building-block format helps students draw connections to everything they have learned before. 

As a result, they remember the tips and strategies more easily and see how each step inter-relates with one another.  It is exciting for students to discover that learning can be strategic…and that they have the power to control their learning!

What is included in the program?

There are two components to the SOAR® Study Skills Curriculum: our award-winning book & the SOAR® Multi-Media Teacher’s Guide.

-	150 pages of user-friendly text, visuals, photographs, and samples to demonstrate strategies.
-	Reproducibles for students’ long-term use.
-	Action-oriented lessons with immediate application to students’ current coursework and schedule.
-	142 pictures, illustrations, and visuals to demonstrate strategies.
-	Guidelines for students who live in two homes.
-	Guidelines for students with ADD/ADHD.
-	Multiple Intelligences inventory to empower all learners.

	Table of Contents Click here to download.		Introduction for Students Introduction for Parents Introduction for Educators Tips for students with ADD/ADHD -and- The first two pages of Chapter 1 Click here to download.
	What People Are Saying Click here to download.

The SOAR® Multi-Media Teacher’s Guide includes:

-	Slides with interactive visuals for demonstration/instruction.
-	10-20 minute ready-made lessons that can serve as the basis for a study skills class or be embedded across the curriculum.
-	Additional internet links and resources for FREE activities and demonstrations to support student learning.
-	Teaching tips for each lesson.
-	Clean, bright, colorful presentation to attract students’ attention and enhance visual learning.

"The SOAR® program is very comprehensive, but is this another ‘cookie-cutter’ program?"

Of course not!  We provide as much information and as many resources as we can to simplify the prep work for teachers, but this program will never replace the care and individuality that a live, compassionate teacher brings to his/her students.  We view ourselves as your partners in education and value your expertise as you guide your students through the principles and strategies that will help them become more independent and successful learners.

We are continuously updating and expanding the SOAR® program, curriculum, and course options based on the feedback we receive from educators like you, your parents, and your students.  We are always available for consultation and ask that you continue to share your experience and feedback. 

Are additional supplies required?

We recommend a few supplies for students, but they are very inexpensive.  The list includes: a planner/agenda, 1.5 inch binder, poly binder folders, notebook paper, and a file box (or similar storage container for home storage).  We have a list of recommended supplies on our Products page.  You will find that most items are "common" school supplies and may likely be available through your school/district bid order.

About the author and creator

Susan Kruger, M.Ed. is a certified teacher and reading specialist.  She combined her personal struggles as a student with her professional expertise to create a powerful, student-friendly system.  She has taught her SOAR® Study Skills workshops to hundreds of students with great success!  Susan travels the country training educators in study skills and literacy topics and continues to help students and their families achieve success in school and peace in the household.  

View a FREE review copy now...

How much is the SOAR® Study Skills Curriculum?

There are several different options to meet your instructional needs and budget.  The chart below lists our curriculum products and volume discounts:

To download an ORDER FORM, click here.