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Perhaps everyone, especially young children, has an inborn desire to learn. And, as life progresses, opportunities abound to observe, read and study. But how many people have available to them tools to quickly plan a means of studying? Each learning object or lesson objective needs a plan. The SEM Learning System gives you just such a set of learning tools.

It is not new study methods that we need at this point, but rather an organized means of planning to help us choose which useful methods to apply, and in what order, to achieve the goal of learning. My new book, The Self-Education Manual, presents and explains these tools with many examples.

The first tool is a “Study Methods Chart.” It lists five steps in the learning process, and lists next to each step the study methods needed at that step. Some steps have several methods listed with them, so another tool is needed to assist us further in choosing the method or methods at each step.

That next tool is the “Decision Tree for Choosing the Study Method.” The tree has numbered Yes/No questions. At each question, you are directed to take an action based upon your answer. The resulting tailored list of methods comprises your initial study plan.

When implementing the plan, one occasionally needs to adjust, or make refinements to the plan. For this purpose, we utilize a third tool. That tool is the “Flowchart for Selecting a Study Method.” It is accompanied by a list of “Questions and Statements for the Flowchart.” To use the flowchart, one starts over, with writing another version of the study plan. Frequently the plan from the Flowchart is the same as the initial study plan from the Decision Tree. If not, the new plan is typically a somewhat longer, improved list of study methods.

So, we now have the tools we need to develop and implement a study plan. The book demonstrates the material by means of many examples. It consists of approximately 208 pages, mostly in full color. When you feel ready to develop and implement your own study plans, you may occasionally realize that you are missing a prerequisite piece of knowledge. Or, you may uncover a new direction of study. Whatever the subject, the tools are helpful in planning each step of studying.