In most schools, textbooks are a given. History is taught from a textbook, science is taught from a textbook, as are most other subjects. The problem with most textbooks is that they are usually dull, often poorly written, and difficult to read. Presenting only one point of view, they don’t give the big picture.

Adam Robinson, who has been empowering students with his standardized test-taking strategies for 25 years, brings us the book What Smart Students Know. He is quick to say that a 100% textbook approach to learning a subject is not ideal; in fact, despite the fact that most of us would consider him a genius, he himself had no interest in school. But he was very good at playing the game, earning top scores, and in the end, gaining satisfaction from learning how to learn.

In this book, Robinson speaks right to students, explaining how to maximize learning. He tells how to how to get interested in the text you are assigned, how to take charge of your own learning, and how to learn more from a textbook in a shorter period of time. He tells us where to start if you really don’t understand a topic, and how to decide what information is important. His premise is that anyone can learn to be a smart student.

This book is an insightful look into how top students approach learning. I was one of the top students in my graduating class in college, and unconsciously used many of the techniques that Robinson recommends. When I was a tutor to other college students, I would show them how to ask themselves questions before reading the test, how to outline the material, and how to memorize through mnemonics, but this book goes way beyond that.

In What Smart Students Know, Robinson gives us twelve questions to ask ourselves when studying any subject. Questions include “What’s the big picture here?” “How can I organize this information?” There is a chapter dedicated to each of the twelve questions.

Even if your student is already a hard-working, high-scoring student, he or she will benefit from Robinson’s work. They will be able to study in less time and with less stress.

If your teen has a difficult time reading and understanding the assigned textbooks at school, step in and help him. Read one chapter at a time and show your student how to apply the techniques. Help your student replace ineffective habits with these super-charged learning habits, and I’ll bet you pick up some learning techniques along the way, too.

This is a resource I will be walking my high schoolers through.