CRCT:

STRATEGY 1: IDENTIFYING SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES

Identification of similarities and differences can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Four different “forms” of this activity are highly effective. Comparing - the process of identifying similarities and differences between or among things or ideas

Classifying – the process of grouping things that are alike into categories on the basis of their characteristics
Creating metaphors – the process of identifying a general or basic pattern in a specific topic and then finding another topic that appears to be quite different but has the same general pattern

Creating analogies – the process of identifying relationships between pairs of concepts, in other words, identifying relationships between relationships
STRATEGY 2: SUMMARIZING AND NOTE TAKING
To effectively summarize, students must delete some information, substitute some information, and keep some information. Being aware of the explicit structure of information is an aid to summarizing information. Verbatim note-taking is, perhaps, the least effective way to take notes. Notes should be considered a work in progress and should be used as study guides for tests.
The more notes that are taken, the better. One of the common misconceptions about note-taking is that less is more. There is no one correct way to take notes. Notes might be taken as an informal outline, webbing, bulleted lists, or a combination of techniques.

STRATEGY 3: REINFORCING EFFORT AND PROVIDING RECOGNITION
Not all students realize the importance of believing in effort. Students can learn to change their beliefs to an emphasis on effort. These two generalizations, taken together, assert that students might not be aware of the importance of believing in effort, but they can be taught. The implication for teachers is to make sure they explicitly teach and exemplify the connection between effort and achievement. Rewards do not necessarily have a negative effect on intrinsic behavior. Reward is most effective when it is contingent on the attainment of some standard of performance. Abstract, symbolic recognition is more effective than tangible rewards.