Instead of drowning in a sea of notes before every test or procrastinating because they don’t know where to start, your child can learn to study smarter (not harder!) with the Stoplight Study Guide method.
In just 5 minutes, our Executive Function Coach Rachael Moss, M.A., M.Ed., will walk you through this simple strategy, and explain how it can make your child’s study time more effective.
How does the Stoplight Study Guide method work?
Many students are what we call “highlighter happy”—coloring nearly every line of text without really narrowing down what matters most. Instead, our coaches teach a more strategic way to study. Here’s how it works when practiced with an EF coach, a parent, or another study buddy:
- Gather study materials: Study guide, notes, textbook, three different colored highlighters (green, yellow, and red/pink), and a quiet workspace
- Ask questions: Go through the study guide with the student, asking them questions about the information
- Color code:
- Green- Low Priority:
If your child can easily recall the information, highlight it green. This indicates they understand the concept well. - Yellow- Mid Priority:
If your child can answer with some prompting or hesitation, highlight it yellow. This means they need to review this information further. - Red or Pink (pink highlighters are easier to find!)- High Priority:
If your child can’t recall the information at all, highlight it red/pink. This signifies they need to focus their study efforts on these areas.
- Green- Low Priority:
Even without a study buddy or coach, your child can try the Stoplight Study Guide method on their own. They would start by reviewing their study guide and other class materials, then actively test themselves by asking a question and attempting to answer it (before checking the correct answer in their study guide!). As they work through the material, they should color-code their notes using highlighters:
🟢 Green: Info they can easily recall
🟡 Yellow: Info they can recall with hesitation
🔴 Red/Pink: Info they can’t recall at all
This will help them quickly identify their areas of strength and weakness for their upcoming test. They can then focus their study time on the “yellow” and “red” areas, retesting themselves on those sections until they can confidently recall the information.
The Stoplight Study Guide Method can help your child build confidence and reduce test-day anxiety by:
- Helping them prioritize their study time by focusing on the most critical information
- Seeing their progress and identifying areas of strength (this can be highly motivating!)
- Actively recalling information to master the content and improve long-term retention
Does your child have the tools to study effectively?
Many parents tell us their kids passively read over their notes to study for a test, but don’t actually know how to actively study. We get it.
Our fully customized one-on-one Executive Function Coaching sessions are designed to teach proven strategies tailored to your child’s unique needs, including help with effective studying, organization, time management, and more.
Schedule a free call today with one of our Educational Specialists to learn more about our program: