Checking in periodically with the teacher will help prevent any misunderstandings, omissions, wasted efforts or surprises at the end of the project. Teachers can provide valuable feedback which will help children tailor their reports accordingly. Tackle assignment requirements by breaking each task down into smaller and simpler steps. For example, learning how to list books properly in a bibliography is a challenging task for a rookie. Instead of trying to list all of the books in one sitting, try to make only one entry at a time.
Students can focus on learning the proper bibliography formats by working with one book at a time.
List the book information on index cards as each book is completed. Finally, assemble these cards in the proper order and transfer the information to your report. This prevents frantic trips to the library to renew overdue books or retrieve books due to incomplete bibliography information. The divide and conquer technique can be used for other long-term assignment tasks such as reading large amounts of material, note taking or completing general report requirements. Note taking for research reports can be confusing for young children especially when they have to sift through piles of work in order to locate specific information.