The basic method to help a student after he has run into trouble in study is the so-called Method 3 Word Clearing. It is based squarely on the fact that the student has trouble with the current materials because there was something earlier in time he didn't understand. He didn't understand it due to misunderstood or not understood words. That is the basic datum.

You are looking for a student's misunderstood word or words by having him look earlier in the text than where he is now having trouble. You are looking for a word he doesn't understand. When the word is found it is simply cleared up by using a good dictionary. Method 3 can be done by the student himself. He may need help from another student, such as his twin. This method is routinely used by the supervisor on his students as well. It is very simple to do (it doesn’t require a Meter). About all that it requires, when you do it with another who is having the trouble, is an ability to get in good communication with the student and an understanding of the basic theory as explained in several chapters in this manual.

As the student goes happily along in his studies knowing his Study Technology he should look up each word he comes across that he doesn’t understand. If he runs into something he finds difficult to understand he should carefully look over the text for any misunderstood words. When he finds one or just suspect one he should look it up and clear any such word well.

But ever so often the student has gone through this routine and cleared all the words he could think of and still has trouble understanding the text or he disagrees with it.

Also, when a student bogs down or becomes dull, or is just not as bright as before, it is because the student has passed a word he didn’t understand. This would have happened before he started to notice he was having trouble.

Backtrack the Trouble
This is based on the datum: If the situation in study is not resolving then the thing the student is looking at and apparently is having trouble with is just an apparency. If that word was the real thing he had trouble with it would resolve in short order. The real trouble is earlier. Because, If he actually knew what he didn’t understand he could easily clear it up himself.

That is why just talking with him about what he thinks he doesn’t understand and trying to explain it or clear it won't get him going again. Good Word Clearing backtracks the trouble from the apparent trouble to the real one. You have to look earlier than the point where the student became dull or confused. That is where you will find a word that he doesn’t understand. You will find it somewhere before the trouble started. The student will brighten up the moment he spots the word, even before the word is cleared. And if he doesn’t brighten up on one word being cleared there will be a misunderstood word even before that.

Method 3 can usually be    done successfully by  the student himself.

Method 3 by Steps
1) The student is not as bright or feels dull or confused. He may be feeling sleepy, feel he has become stuck or is going slower, etc. He has done all the usual actions, such as clearing the words in the text and made demonstrations, but the difficulty won't resolve.

2) The student is made to look earlier in the text for a misunderstood word. It may be a misunderstood word several pages back. It is always earlier in the text from where the student is now. There is always a misunderstood word to be found there. Without exceptions. When the word is found the student will brighten up. The misunderstood word is looked up in a good dictionary and cleared per Clearing Words.

3) The student now re-reads the text.

4) If this doesn't handle the situation then there is a misunderstood word even earlier in the text that must be found. This word is looked for, found, and cleared up as in (2) above.

5) When such a word is found and the student is bright and cheerful the Word Clearing part is done. He is told to restudy the text from the earliest word and forward to the present area he did not understand. The difficulty he was having should now have been resolved.

6) If the difficulty does not resolve then there are still one or more misunderstood words earlier which must be found. If the word can't be found with Method 3, then one or more of the other methods of Word Clearing can be used to get the word located and cleared (there is a list of all the methods in Glossary).

Narrowing it Down
The system is simple. You find out where the student wasn't having any trouble, at some point earlier. Then you pinpoint where the student is now having trouble. These points are your two markers; the misunderstood word has been narrowed down. It will be found towards the very end where the student was doing fine. The student can also be spot-checked on the words in the area to help him find the word, if necessary. The student is asked for the definitions of various words in the area and any words that the student is uncertain of or doesn't know are looked up. Here the bar for looking up words are lowered. Sometimes the student can apparently define it but still has some uncertainty about the whole thing.

The end result of Method 3 is that any difficulty the student had is now cleared up. Method 3 is very effective when done as described. If it is done every time a student gets confused or slows down, or every time a student becomes dull or his study speed drops, the students will gradually get faster and faster and brighter and brighter.