Study Strategies Guide

Study Methods & Exam Strategies

16+ famous methods from Vedic Math to Singapore Bar Models — explained simply, organised by year level. Mathematics, Reading, Critical Thinking & Exam Techniques.

Year Levels

16+

Famous Methods

60+

Strategies

Focus Years

Famous Methods Directory — Who Made What

Method	Created By	When	Explained Simply	Best For
Vedic Mathematics	Bharati Krishna Tirthaji Maharaj	1965	Ancient Indian tricks that let you do big sums in your head — like magic shortcuts for maths!	Year 4+
Bhanzu Math	Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash	2020	An app that teaches your brain to see patterns in numbers so you can solve problems really fast.	Year 3+
Singapore Bar Model	Singapore's Ministry of Education	1980s	Draw rectangles (bars) to picture a word problem. The bars show you what you know and what you need to find!	Year 2-8
CPA Approach	Jerome Bruner	1966	First touch real things (blocks), then draw pictures, then use numbers. It's like learning to swim — first the shallow end!	All Years
Polya's 4 Steps	George Polya	1945	A recipe for solving ANY problem: Understand it, Make a plan, Do it, Check it.	All Years
CUBES	American teachers	—	Circle numbers, Underline the question, Box key words, Eliminate extras, Solve. Like a detective!	Year 3-6
Kumon Method	Toru Kumon	1958	Do a little bit of practice every single day. The worksheets get a tiny bit harder each time.	All Years
Montessori Math	Maria Montessori	Early 1900s	Learn maths by playing with beautiful wooden blocks, beads, and rods.	Year 1-4
Number Talks	Jo Boaler (Stanford)	—	Everyone solves it in their head, then shares HOW. There's no wrong way!	All Years
SQ3R	Francis P. Robinson	1946	Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review — a reading recipe!	Year 5+
KWL Chart	Donna Ogle	1986	What I Know, What I Want to know, What I Learned.	Year 2+
Reciprocal Teaching	Palincsar & Brown	1984	Four friends take turns: predict, question, clarify, summarise. Teamwork for reading!	Year 3+
Bloom's Taxonomy	Benjamin Bloom	1956	A ladder of thinking: remember, understand, apply, analyse, evaluate, create.	All Years
Six Thinking Hats	Edward de Bono	1985	Different coloured hats for different ways of thinking. White=facts, Red=feelings, Green=ideas.	Year 4+
PEE Method	UK/Australian teachers	—	Point, Evidence, Explain — like a sandwich for answers!	Year 5+
STEEL Paragraphs	High school English teachers	—	Statement, Technique, Evidence, Effect, Link — five blocks that build a perfect answer.	Year 7+

Select a year level above to see methods tailored for that age group. Focus on Years 4-5 for OC preparation.

Practice these methods with real questions

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Compiled from top educational research — methods by Vedic Math, Singapore MOE, Polya, Bruner, Bloom, de Bono, Jo Boaler & more.
Vedic Maths · Singapore Bar Model · CPA Approach · Polya's 4 Steps · Jo Boaler / youcubed · JUMP Math · Bloom's Taxonomy · de Bono's Six Hats · Feynman Technique · Kumon Method · SQ3R Reading · Socratic Method