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SUMMER READING CHALLENGES AND WRITING COMPETITIONS We are at that summer midway point. Which also means finding new ways to keep your child engaged and active in their minds. There are many summer camps out there, but there are also plenty of resources at your finger tips.  Summer reading and writing prevents learning loss while maintaining a sense of play and imagination. As it may be difficult to be self-motivated without deadlines or a social group, I have included some wonderful online Reading Challenges and Writing Competitions for your child to enter.   After an exhaustive search, I have compiled some of the best and recent (2024) sources that will link you directly to the challenge and competition sites. Of course any of our tutors can help guide your child through any of the summer reading and writing challenges they choose, or we can personalize a plan for them.  ******* READING CHALLENGES: Scholastic offers a summer challenge for children ages 3-13. There are 10 downloadable badges for goal completions as well as book lists according to age.  https://www.scholastic.com/parents/books-and-reading/raise-a-reader-blog/reading-challenges-kids.html PBS Kids for Parents Summer Adventure has reading charts, and activity ideas It also has math activities and out door adventure ideas. https://www.pbs.org/parents/summer The New York Times challenge has students read any 2024 article published in their paper and kids can write in, or even video their response. They publicly list the winners-The New York Times! The National Education Society has an amazing source of information to help you raise your readers. Amongst many, their list of summer reading challenges includes Barnes and Noble summer reading program where you can receive a free book, and Pizza Hut’s ‘Camp Book It’.  https://www.nea.org/resource-library/get-serious-about-summer-reading Don’t forget to check your local libraries, many have summer reading challenges of their own!  ******** WRITING COMPETITIONS: Writing competitions deliver a fun angle to writing. They deliver prompts, deadlines, the feeling of being linked into other’s writing and do you need an extra motivator?! Many come attached with cash prizes! We Are Teachers is a  personal favorite site offering some of the best writing competitions for students up to age 18. https://www.weareteachers.com/student-writing-contests/ The National Youth Foundation is geared towards diversity and empowerment and has 4 competitions: “I Matter” poetry and art, Amazing Women’s Edition, Youth Writing Workshop and Student Book Scholars Contest.  The site also offers a library of the past winners works to read. A very positive site! https://www.nationalyouthfoundation.org/our-programs If you love the idea of having your child published you can go to Young Writers USA. https://www.youngwritersusa.com/contests And two other helpful sites with informative lists of competitions: Aralia -Top 9 Writing Competitions: New Pages: https://www.newpages.com/young-writers-guide/young-writers-guide-to-contests/#July

At first we were concerned with October exhaustion, now, it’s time to use self-reflection to measure your academic success! Importantly, as a diligent student, you must ask yourself questions through self-reflection in critical moments. Over time, these reflective questions will build an understanding of how you best approach education, and contribute to your success as a lifelong learner.  How are you doing? Have you reflected lately on your educational process? Additionally, have you taken stock of your school work and learning, noting where you did well and didn’t? Students, teachers and all in the education space may react differently to questions of self-reflection. So, it’s no wonder that reflection is important! With November coming upon us, now is the best time to take stock of your progress and for students to check in with themselves while learning. In order to make sure you getting the most out of your educational process as it continues to build over time, here are some questions to consider: What have I learned? When was a time when I struggled with learning a new concept? Where do I learn best? What are the characteristics of these places? How do I learn best? What are the tools I’m using? Who do I learn best from? With? What are their characteristics? Which subjects are the most interesting to me?  Reflection drive direction Asking self-reflective questions like those above during this fall season will help you perform better as a student. Studies suggest that self-reflection helps with a “growth mindset” attributed to Carol Dweck, psychology professor of Stanford University. Those individuals who exhibit a mindset that they are able to grow and learn through their failures and challenges  are able to achieve more of their goals.  Self-reflection such as asking these questions, or even any others you think of,  is the cornerstone to measure your academic success to ensure continuous improvement. As Shakespeare once said, “know thyself”. 

Overwhelmed in October? Students, parents, and teachers all understand the feeling of being overwhelmed this year. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic exacerbates this feeling. It’s time to support our teachers. Because of Covid, fatigue takes a new depth in meaning this October, teachers note the month as the most challenging work-wise. This slump— referred to as ‘October exhaustion’— occurs when the ambitious goals set during the summer are faced with realities of student performance and added layers of work.  So, this year giving a little extra TLC to your students’ teachers may make a difference in their education. Here are some ways to support our educators as October comes to a close. Celebrate success with your teachers! Has your student learned a new, critical skill this year with the help of your teacher? Has the transition from online to in-person (to potentially online again!) been particularly well-thought-of? Even the slightest note of gratitude can be meaningful to hear in this unprecedented time. Growth is happening! It may be a good reminder for you too. If you have something nice to say, share it! Practice psychological safety. Because many businesses going remote, there is no spare time to do much relationship building. That’s why when there is a designated time to communicate, like parent-teacher conferences, you want to make the most of your time. Practicing psychological safety means sharing just enough compassion in your communications and asking open-ended questions such that teachers will feel safe to open up to you and express their genuine concerns for your student. It may be an outlet for you to express yours too. Offer face time during Covid. This is not a suggestion for personal phone calls. Considering the current world of online learning, encouraging a “video on” rule for your student’s online education helps. Context allowing. Teachers appreciate being able to see facial feedback. Research suggests it stimulates such emotions as empathy and emotional connectedness— all behaviors that would contribute to the success of your student’s education. Further research also indicates that seeing the faces of students increases motivation for teachers. Build community. In addition to teaching itself, teachers are tasked with long-term curriculum planning, communicating with admin and parents, and a deluge of other tasks. By building a community among other caretakers, you add one more safety net for your student’s education and support teachers through community.  Reflect to Support! Maybe your student is struggling during this time because your teacher needs support too. Be sure to reflect on desired outcomes for the school year. What can you easily communicate with your teacher that would support understanding the needs of your student? This small act of awareness goes a long way in conserving mental space, giving room for teachers to breathe as they move toward the winter months.

Most students juggle a full course load in addition to extracurricular activities. Often, this mix of textbooks, athletic wear, and club fundraiser materials can be jumbled together. We have compiled eight fantastic organization solutions guaranteed to make Marie Kondo proud. 1. Label all of your files and folders With digital note-taking, online textbooks and virtual classrooms increasing in popularity, it can be to overlook your laptop’s organization. Create files for each course, and store all related materials accordingly. 2. Assign every item a place Within each folder, be sure to label all of your assignments and to keep track of draft numbers. There’s no panic like submitting your essay at the last-minute, only to realize you cannot locate the file. 3. Consolidate your binders into one Instead of lugging around multiple binders per class, consolidate your materials into one. Then, choose dividers with labels in order to differentiate classes. You can also use folders to store loose paper, just be sure to make each folder class-specific. 4. Maximize storage space.  Use zip files to compartmentalize large pdf files. Take advantage of Sunday evenings to clean out superfluous paper and trash. Utilize double sided printing and take notes using the front and back sides of your paper. By making the most of every item and space, you will increase your sense of order and cleanliness. 5.Use a calendar or planner Write down all upcoming deadlines, events, and appointments in a planner. Make sure to include times, addresses and relevant notes to help jog your memory. If hard copy calendars aren’t your style, try Google calendar and sync the data with our email and smart devices. You’ll never be late or miss a due date again!

Ample emphasis is placed on the SAT and ACT for high school seniors. These are touted as the “biggest” exams of a student’s life. However, for the private school pupil, the High School Placement Test (HSPT) proves a major undertaking. What is the HSPT? The HSPT has existed for five decades. It is used to assess an eighth grade student’s preparedness for the ninth grade. High schools nationwide interpret HSPT scores in order to make admissions decisions as well as to award scholarships and assign curriculum. What is a good score? The number of correct responses generate a raw score that is then converted into a composite result. Students receive a composite score in three areas: Total Cognitive Skills, Total Basic Skills, and Battery Composite.  Although the scoring is standardized, competitive criteria differs from institution to institution. Note that scores at the 50th percentile reflect the national average performance. Is there an official prep guide? Many parents fret over how to prepare their young ones for the HSPT. According to the Scholastic Testing Service, Inc (STS), there is no formal prep guide for the exam. Completion of academic work through the first semester of eighth grade should adequately prepare your child for the test. Still, many guidebooks exist to help preview the types of questions featured on the exam. Shopping for an HSPT preparation guide can be tricky. Always search for the most recent edition of the guide to ensure the most up-to-date material. Read reviews from previous buyers and prioritize copies that feature full-length practice exams. Finishing Touches As with all standardized exams, the preparatory measures can make a major difference. Ensure your student gets a full night of rest and eats a complete breakfast. Send them to their exam with two number two pencils and a wristwatch so they can track their pace. Most of all, once they complete the exam, celebrate! The most challenging aspect of the high school application process is behind them and all that is left to do is await the results. Good luck!

There are a few things that we feel absolutely every high school student in America should cross off of their bucket list before graduation. While we recognize that there are different strokes for different folks, these five items are universally beneficial. Regardless of whether the post-high school plan consists of college, trade school or full-time employment, this list will definitely help. 1. Take an advanced level course. Enrolling in rigorous coursework can seem daunting, or even risky. There are fears of failing or of getting lost in the curriculum. However, overcoming these fears and taking a higher level course can bring numerous benefits. For example, AP courses mimic college courses in their structure, rigor and assessments. Taking just one AP course might provide useful insight into whether or not college is a good fit. Also, Honors or Gifted level courses can open up opportunities that would not be available otherwise. Many Honors course utilize field trips, research grants and extracurricular experiences to supplement the coursework. Why not take on a challenge that could guarantee growth? 2. Introduce yourself to your academic counselors and advisors. Many public high schools in the U.S. have a high ratio of students per counselor. Often, students never cultivate a direct relationship with their advisors and counselors, beyond college planning and course scheduling. States nationwide require high school counselors to stay informed about relevant scholarships, vocational opportunities and learning resources. Even if college is not a future goal, high school counselors can provide crucial information and tips for other post-graduation paths like trade school, military enlistment, nonprofit programs and more. It all starts with, “hello.” 3. Join an extracurricular activity. It is common for high schools across the country to offer sports, clubs, volunteering and technological opportunities to their student body. Participating in an extracurricular activity serves as a great method for making friends and furthering interests in a variety of areas. Not to mention, making a commitment to an extracurricular activity requires time management. Developing a strong sense of punctuality and scheduling will prove essential to adulthood. Why not start now? 4. Complete a class on public speaking. The number of occasions in life where one speaks publicly is unlimited. Wedding toasts, graduation speeches, eulogies, presentations for work and school–the list goes on! Knowing how to confidently and clearly communicate can be the deciding factor in job interview situations or financial opportunities. Get a head start on building confidence in public speaking ASAP. 5. Learn money management. No matter what path high schoolers follow once they graduate, money will be a constant presence. Understanding the basic mechanisms of taxes, interest, and savings is important. But the buck does not stop there. Having confidence making long-term investments, understanding how to assess the better buy from a slew of products or even learning the common trappings of hidden fees can be instrumental. Some schools offer formal money management classes or economics classes. Having a low-stress part-time job can also be a great way to build these skills.

Regardless of whether your child attends elementary school or university, studying remains an essential part of academic life. Often, the month of October ushers in a period of midterm assessments. Students might juggle oral exams, written tests and essays. Take advantage of a few study tips we have compiled to make midterms go more smoothly. Restrict Notes to One Page per Chapter – This prevents students from compiling pages upon pages of notes that they will never have the time to review. By restricting the available space, students distill notes to only the most pertinent information. Color Code Common Themes – Particularly for history and literature courses, identifying recurring themes is crucial. Assign colors to majors ideas the teacher explores in class, and continue this colorful annotation in the reading and notes. When it comes time to study, similar themes will be grouped in advance, making for associative learning. Don’t Go Crazy with Highlighters – Many students go overboard with highlighting. Efficient studying focuses only on the key information, and uses notes to help with details. If your student has a tendency to highlight everywhere, suggest that highlighter only be used for a specific type of detail, i.e. historic dates or vocabulary words. Mark Deadlines – Write down upcoming deadlines for every major assignment. Then, plot out which will require the most time to complete. Next, identify what assignments prove most challenging. Prioritize based on deadlines and difficulty and write out a plan of execution. Tiny, Daily Chunks of Study Time – Cramming can be effective for passing a test, but it is not good for retention. This means that when final exams roll around, knowledge may be forgotten. Instead, commit 20 minutes of study time to each subject, everyday. So, if your child has 6 classes, their total study time would be 2 hours. Break up these 2 hours into study chunks. Perhaps try an hour directly after school and an hour before bed. You decide what is more manageable. Talk It Out – True mastery means being able to teach the material. Have your student teach you the concepts that they are learning. And remember to set a time limit. Ideally, they feel confident enough about their material to recite the lessons at a conversational pace. Take note of concepts on which they flounder, those need more study time. Studying is a very personal activity, and no single solution suits everyone equally. If you find that one of these tips works better than another, embrace that! With the multitude of learning styles, variety equals healthy study habits. As long as your child can master their information in an efficient amount of time, midterms season should be a cinch.

When applying to university, the admissions require consider more than just grades. It’s common knowledge that colleges take into account a student’s academic rigor, their written recommendations, and their standardized test scores. But did you know that factors like community service, extended travel experience and specialized skills can also be attractive qualities in a college candidate? This rings true tenfold if the student participates in these areas during all their years of secondary education because it demonstrates the ability to manage long-term commitments. Community Service Often adolescence represents a period of personal growth and exploration. So when a high school student dedicates a consistent portion of their time to bettering their community, colleges take notice. Now this does not mean that your child should be collecting litter from the roadside for hours on end. Rather, a regular and consistent investment in community organizing and activities speaks volumes. Think about volunteering with children or the elderly, acting as a member of the community board, or helping to bring local events and initiatives into fruition. What is even better is tailoring your child’s service to their aptitudes and interests. If your child loves music, perhaps volunteering to stage manage music programs at the elementary and middle schools or the local theater is suitable. Just take care to be consistent, sincere and committed to the work. Extended Travel Experience Navigating the world is no small feat. Students who pursue their academic or professional passions abroad can be positioned as worldly candidates for admission. This is because international travel often imparts unparalleled insight and massive personal growth. When constructing an incoming freshman class, admissions officers value students who can contribute authentic, global perspectives and who may bring that drive and boldness to campus. Specialized Skills Now most parents have heard of the stereotype that all children should play piano, chess and be class president in order to get into the college of their dreams. While these skills are undoubtedly valuable, a multitude of fascinating and unique possibilities exist that will impress colleges. Let’s take our previous example of music. Hypothetically speaking, admissions officers want to fill their freshman class with talented and driven students. They also have an imperative to replenish the needs of their university. For example, if the college boasts a full orchestra, then there are a finite number of pianists that they can utilize. This is because they must also have bassoonists and cellists and french horn players. So as you begin to introduce your child to various skills, feel free to allow for quirky choices. With four dedicated years in high school honing their craft, you may find that playing the bassoon proves equally impressive as the piano in the eyes of admissions officers.

Many parents and high school students were in an uproar this summer after the SAT results arrived. It seems that the composite scores for the June exam date were markedly low compared to previous dates, nationwide. College Board released a statement explaining that the scoring reflecting the fact that the June version of the exam was easier than others. SCORING THE SAT The SAT is scored on a 1600 scale, comprised of a Math Section and a Reading and Writing Section worth 200-800 points each. Students do not receive a raw score calculated based on percentage of correctly answered questions. Instead, College Board uses an equating system to allot scores that account for varying degrees of test difficulty. This is because some SAT tests might contain questions of higher or lower difficulty than others. The sum of difficulty across all questions in a given version of the SAT equals the test version overall difficulty. So the equating process ensures that students who take an easier version of the SAT do not have an advantage over students who take an overall harder version. Students who test on the same date are arranged by difficulty percentile. Then their scores are categorized onto a scoring scale containing SAT versions from all dates and difficulty levels. The result are scores that factor in not only your child’s individual performance, but also the difficulty level of the specific test version they take, as well as the performance of their cohort against the data mine of College Board. WHY THE OUTRAGE? Some felt that this grading technique caused vast amounts of variability on the June SAT scoring. Whereas missing one math question might have equated to a 790 in January of 2017, the result was a 750 in June. Parents claimed that such points deficits can have detrimental effects on their child’s college applications, and the inconsistency proved troubling to many. Another argument suggests that the College Board is competing against the ACT in the marketplace, and used this scoring technique in order to thin out the amount of students who score highly. This makes a high SAT score more rare and thus more valuable. Compare this to the alleged high amounts of students who score well on the ACT, thereby diluting the value of the score. VERDICT: SCORING WAS FAIR The College Board released a statement addressing the outrage in July. “While we plan for consistency across administrations, on occasion there are some tests that can be easier or more difficult than usual. That is why we use a statistical process called equating. The equating process ensures fairness for all students.” It seems, then, that the outrage is unfounded.

What do all parents have in common? They want success for their children. It is no secret that a large part of success stems from playing to one’s individual strengths. In the world of education, not all classes are created equal when it comes to student aptitudes. But parents are in luck because most public and private schools offer a variety of academic rigor levels for every core class. Typically, rigor is classified from the General Education Level to the Advanced Level to the Gifted/Honors Level. There are also Advanced Placement (AP) courses and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses which are nationally and internationally standardized curricula, respectively. Before a child can truly benefit from the differing levels of rigor, he or she must know their strengths in the classroom. One way to do so is by reviewing all of your child’s progress reports and report cards. The classes in which they scored highest are potential rigor areas, particularly if they are earning in the 94-100 percentiles. Another area is pre-test benchmark scores. If your child earns top marks on pre-tests (which measure subject knowledge prior to instruction), this may be an indicator that they are ready to be exposed to more challenging material. Finally, we recommend that you have a discussion with your young one about what school subjects interest them most, and why. Often people work harder on things that fascinate them. The same logic rings true for growth areas. If your child is demonstrating lags or struggles in a given subject area, perhaps they need to drop a rigor level in order to continue to learn without harming their confidence in that area. Once you have identified your child’s strength and growth areas, contact their school to discuss the corresponding levels of rigor they offer. Be sure to ask about how each rigor level will impact classwork, pacing and homework assignments. Often there will be an adjustment period, so anticipate and allow time for that transition. Ideally, your child is able to construct a class schedule that allows them to remain challenged and engaged. Taking the time to coordinate rigor with aptitudes is something colleges take note of during the admissions process. They seek out candidates who are self-aware of their abilities and who are committed to growing academically. This does not necessarily mean that colleges only want students who enroll in AP or Honors across the board. In fact, many institutions would rather a pupil who has earned high B’s and A’s in a mix of varied rigor courses than to see a transcript of all C’s in high-rigor courses or all A’s in General Level courses. So as the school year revs into full swing, make sure to build a schedule for your child that will hone their abilities and make them an attractive candidate to universities.

A music streaming gift subscription. Pandora Radio and Spotify offer one-year subscriptions of their ad-free streaming services, which means 365 days of virtually unlimited tunes! Every time your graduate turns on their sound system, they’ll have you to thank. A Movie Pass. This service allows users to view one movie per day in theaters. It’s a $9.99 monthly fee, for endless cinematic bliss. With summer on thehorizon, make their post-grad lives kick off with moviegoing bliss.  Amazon Prime. Think about it: graduating from school means embarking on adulthood. Recent grads will head across globe to jobs, internships, fellowships and service missions. Having free shipping on Amazon’s entire inventory is the gift that will keep on giving. A Lyft gift card. Most of us cannot gift a car for graduation. But a Lyft gift card might be the next best thing. Purchasing a ride-sharegift card increases mobility for recent grads, relieving high school grads of the need to beg for parental carpools and eliminating the risks of drunk-driving with older grads. You won’t miss the mark with this one! Portable Smartphone Battery. It is no secret that millennials love their gadgets. Spare them the horror of a dead phone battery by gifting them a portable phone battery. No matter if their post-grad plans take them abroad, to the beach or to the office, knowing they have a battery backup brings ample peace of mind. Nice headphones or earphones. With the omniscient presence of technology in most recent graduates’ lives, having access to quality headphones is a no-brainer. The best part is that with bluetooth headphones, wireless sets and the classic earphones, the options are plentiful, yet equally valuable.  

Nowadays, the college your child attends can exercise significant influence on their careers. Some universities boast top-tier programs, luxurious amenities or celebrity alumni. But no collection of universities in the United States has amassed quite the level of prestige that the Ivy League commands today. Consisting of eight universities, the Ivy League is synonymous with elite education and professional success. The coalition of Harvard, Brown, Dartmouth, Princeton, Yale, Columbia, UPenn and Cornell uses a highly selective application and admission process in order to procure the top talent from each year’s crop of prospective freshman. A common sentiment regarding an Ivy League education suggests that the “hardest part is getting in.” While there’s no measure of how accurate this statement may be, it is clear that presenting the strongest possible application is essential for admission. Here are a fews tips for how to make your student’s Ivy League application unforgettable. Specialize or Diversify When it comes to Ivy Leaguers, there is no shortage of excellence. A strategic approach may be to have your child specialize in a particular area of academics, extracurriculars, athletics or volunteering and seek to become the best. National awards, global social change headlines and state championships are just a few measures of success in a given specialty, all of which look marvelous on an application. Conversely, if your student tends to be more of a jack-of-all-trades, encourage them to diversify their interests. Instead of striving to be the world-reigning spelling bee champion and nothing else, urge your young one to excel in many areas. Take care not to press them for national mastery across the board, or you can cause undue stress. Remember that an applicant who operates a weekly volunteer group, earns top scores in class and enjoys playing a rare varsity sport, for example, is just as interesting as a savant in one distinct area. Consistency Once you decide whether to specialize or diversify your child’s time and skill set, stay consistent. Ivy League universities prize regular, long-term effort in order to achieve a goal. Why, do you ask? Because college requires regular, long-term effort in order to achieve a degree. Ivy League universities prize themselves on sky-high retention rates, and they want students who intend to complete the program. By demonstrating that your child can commit to playing lacrosse all four years while maintaining a strong GPA, for example, application readers appreciate the ability to manage time effectively. Originality The college application gamble is exactly that, a gamble. There is no tried-and-true method for acceptance, and no lather-rinse-repeat process to gain entry. But in an increasingly competitive application pool full of more aspiring Ivy Leaguers than ever before, the name of the game is not only excellence, but originality. Think critically about how your child can contribute a unique perspective, energy or presence to a college campus. Are they well-versed in a niche area of literature? Or perhaps they take initiative by establishing innovative organizations or clubs? Maybe they’ve experienced living in a wide variety of cultural contexts and can speak multiple languages? Regardless of what sets your student apart, definitely underscore that throughout the application. After all, the world is globalizing, and in order for the Ivy League to continue to remain top-tier, they must find young people who can bolster their global prestige and influence. All in all, the key to a strong Ivy League application is leveraging specialized or diversified skill sets with a display of consistency and originality. Wishing each and every one of your students good luck!

Acknowledging the February 14th mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida and the seventeen individuals who were killed as a result is essential. As fellow educators, community members and simply human beings, we join in the mourning of the lives that were taken. During times of tragedy, healing is often accompanied by reflection. Reflection on the event that transpired, its causes and changes that can be enacted as a result. In terms of initiating dialogue among friends and families, we recommend the steps outlined by ABC News. Experts suggest approaching the subject directly, tailoring the details according to your child’s age and maturity level. Given that the internet makes information ubiquitous, jump-starting the conversation can be crucial. Take care to reassure your children in light of any fears they may express, and be diligent about following-up on the initial discussion as time passes. Finally, we encourage all members of our community to seek solace and comfort where they are able. While debate ensues regards numerous aspects of the Parkland shooting, we underscore the importance of connection and support. The right to an education is one of the most precious privileges afforded in our nation, and doing safely is necessary. Wishing all of our parents and students a physically, mentally and emotionally health week as the impacts of this event are continuing to be digested and processed.

Looking to infuse your child’s day with a bit of enrichment, but short on time? Nowadays, a parent’s schedule is jam-packed with obligations. Still, finding time to actively expose your child to new and interesting concepts is crucial. We have compiled three 10-minute ways to enrich your child’s day, regardless of whether they are in elementary, middle or high school. Let us know how you like them after you give them a try! A fabulous resource to pique your teen’s interests in a short amount of time is TED.com. TED talks are short speeches given by experts on nearly every topic under the sun, from what it’s like to be a robot to the power of introverts. TED believes in “ideas worth spreading,” and features virtually endless content on their platform. The best part about watching a 10-minute TED Talk is that the tone and subject matter are completely up to you and your child. Wanting to watch something more creative and funny? There is a TED Talk for that. How about digging into a more serious, political topic? TED has what you are looking for. Use these short, engaging talks to springboard a conversation about new and interesting ideas. Who knows? You may learn fascinating new things about yourself and your child in the process. Puzzles are another foolproof way to enrich your child’s say without devoting extra time to prep and protocol. You can find dozens of crossword puzzles online or pick up a crossword puzzle book from the store. It presents an opportunity to learn new vocabulary, reinforce spelling and to explore the concepts related to clues and keywords. The big draw? Crossword puzzles have varying levels of difficulty, so you can utilize this tip with a child of any age. Crosswords not your cup of tea? Give word searches, sudoku, mad-libs, riddles or any other brain teaser puzzle a shot, and watch the enrichment blossom. Finally, the most tried-and-true type of enrichment on this list is reading aloud.  For younger children, reading a fictional chapter book like The Princess Bride or the Harry Potter series are great for teaching your little to stay engaged in a longform narrative, and to retain information. Interestingly, many parents stop reading aloud to their children once they reach the age where they can read on their own. However, studies show that reading aloud to teenagers has a positive effect on their opinions of learning and their perceptions of reading overall. At the middle school level, children respond positively to reading texts designed for oral presentation–like plays, poems and other rhythmic literature. For high school kids, change up the routine by having them read to you. Teachers have found success by enriching concepts like the Vietnam War through having students read letters from people living during the war. As it turns out, reading more personalized material it enlivens the historic event and grounds it in a human point-of-view that textbooks lack. Going back to the basics and finding ten minutes per day to read with your child is an worthy investment in your child’s education that you will not regret.

As you are preparing for college you may ask yourself if you are ready to take your ACTs or when most students take them? There are many things to consider when deciding when to take ACTs. It is not uncommon to see students take their ACT 2 or 3 times to try and improve their test scores or to get their score where they want it to be. Most students take the ACT test in the fall of their Junior year and then again in the spring. Then following up by taking it for the final time in the fall of their senior year. This schedule works for most students but not all. This is seen mostly with student who are preparing independently for the test. The ACT is offered 6 times in a year, in September, October, December, February, April, and again in June. If you chose to take the tests multiple times, you will need a realistic amount of time between tests to study and prepare to actually see improvement in your test score. Do not put if off to the very last date to give yourself a cushion in case you have an off day or get sick and are unable to make it to the test for whatever reason. If you are planning on taking the ACT early, remember to start your test prep early. While the ACT covers more advanced math than the SAT. The test also has a science section, but it does not require knowing information that only upperclassmen know. In fact, you have learned enough for school skills and knowledge as early as your freshman or sophomore year. If you take advanced math courses like precalculus or calculus, you may have to go back and review algebra and geometry because you may be a little rusty. Another benefit of taking your ACT early is that you may have more time for studying for it because you won’t be preoccupied with college applications, AP classes, varsity sports, community service, or any of the other activities in which you get involved. There are reasons that you would not want to take the ACT early and the main one is lack of preparation. It is not a good idea to take the ACT with zero studying. If you take the ACT the first time and use it as just a trial run, you may have issues getting your scores if the committee sees too high of a jump in your score or sense inconsistencies in your test scores. Especially with recent security breaches around the ACT and SAT, these organizations carefully monitor any hint of foul play. I would recommend not taking the test to many times, especially more than 6. Taking it any more than that and you start to send a message to the college that you are not putting in the effort when it comes to preparation or are struggling to achieve the score that you want. Find a good balance between good test prep and leaving yourself with enough test dates to still hit your target scores. Consider taking a good test prep course to help you achieve your results. One way to properly prepare for your college testing is through taking an ACT test prep class. These are wonderful classes that allow you to prepared properly and keep you from taking on multiple times. Test prep classes are offered by Elite Home Tutoring, along with others companies.

  There are many different reasons to love flash cards. Maybe you haven’t found your reason to love flashcards yet and think they are very boring. Here are some of the reasons that we love flashcards and thing that you should too. Let’s start off with why flashcards are important. There are tons of articles online talking about flashcards and what they can do for you as a student. In case you missed all these great articles, check out our list of reasons to use flashcards… Study flashcards burn information into the brain as they engage active recall. They aid in spaced repetition. If you’re unfamiliar with the idea of spacing in learning, it basically involves spacing learning events apart rather than massing them together. They activate metacognitive faculties. An example of this is when you believe something to be true and suddenly find out that it isn’t true. Because the answer shocked you, it has become ingrained in your memory and has deepened the learning association. This type of self-reflection is known as metacognition. They are a method of self-testing. They enhance retention. They improve comprehension skills. They allow for visual learning. With improved learning comes better exam results. Now that you know the importance, it is time to make flashcards! There is a great article online titled “8 Ways to Create Better Flashcards”. Here is some ideas from this great article: Use Pictures. For best results use pictures with words. More is Better. Create a variety of cards of the same thing to help you remember it in different ways. Keep it Simple. Sometimes you may be tempted to group things together in categories. This makes it harder to remember stuff. Try to keep the cards to 1 thing instead of grouping them together. When you’re right, you’re right. Sometimes you have words that are synonyms. As long as you get one of them, call it a win. Eventually you will remember both words. Opposites Attract. Don’t let them. Using phrases like the opposite of hot is _____ are a bad idea. This will not help you remember the words. It will only confuse you. Keep it Short. Keep your questions simple and direct. Our brains are lazy will try and find the easiest way to remember the thing on the card and forget the rest. Learn, then memorize. Understand what you’re teaching yourself before you memorize it. Be careful with corrections. If you use cards like ones that have you fix the error, your mind may remember the error in the future instead of the correct thing. There are many ways to make using flash cards fun. A fun article “Becoming a Flash Card Master” lists cool ways to make flashcards more fun. One of the things this article talks about it using a scorecard to keep track of scores while playing games with the flashcards to make it more interesting. Make a game out of flashcards and have a competition to see who can get the highest score! Here are 5 games they wrote about: The Magic Show The Quick Flip The Hint/ Gesture Game The Slow Reveal The Pictionary

Dyslexia is a problem is a learning disability that is undiagnosed in children, even though they struggle in school.There are many symptoms that your child is struggling with dyslexia. Some of them depend on the age of your child and how severe they have it. Dyslexia is most noticeable in children. It can affect your child’s ability to read, write, spell, or even speak. Dyslexia is the most common learning disability in children and it can persist into adulthood. The sooner it is recognized and treated, the better the outcome will be for your child. Here are 5 symptoms that your child is struggling with dyslexia. Reading Problems – You may notice your child can easily read a word on one page but on another page won’t recognize it. Other times you will notice that your child knows phonics but can’t or won’t try to sound out a word they don’t know. They may also switch letters when reading a word. For example the word “from” might be “form”. Or “was” might be “saw”, “now” might be “won”. They might also misspell common words that they see all the time such as they, what, where, does, and because despite practicing them a lot.   Spelling Problems – Your child might also misspell words when copying them off a board or a book. Your child might also try and avoid writing whenever possible. Some children with dyslexia are also up-down confused. They might confuse letters like b-p or d-q, n-u, and m-w. Writing Problems – Children with dyslexia also have problems writing. You may notice that your child’s handwriting is either poor or unreadable. They might also have poorly spaced words and take a long time to write out their letters. Your child may also write their letters in an unusual way. This is because they can’t remember the correct order to write the letters. So they start somewhere and keep going until the letter looks right to them. Math Problems – Children with dyslexia are often time very gifted in math. This is because of their ability to visualize the problems in a 3 dimensional way. It allows them to “see” the math concepts more quickly. Despite this your child may still be having difficulty with math. Your child may know all the steps in long division. But your child often mixes up steps, despite knowing how to do it and then comes up with the wrong answer. Many problems are see in directions, rote memorization, reading and sequencing. They can make the math tasks so difficult that their math gifts are never discovered. Directionality Problems – Most children with dyslexia have problems with directions. You may notice that your child has problems reading and understanding a map. They have problems with North, South, East, or West. They also have problems with telling the difference between right or left. Dyslexia can be very different from one child to the next. Children with dyslexia can have a mix or cluster of different signs and symptoms. Dyslexia is commonly diagnosed on a child that actually is suffering from another learning disability because of the similar signs and symptoms between Dyslexia and other learning disabilities. A great way to test for Dyslexia is through taking the Dyslexia test online to dig deeper into what may be going on with your child. Print the results and bring them to your child’s physician to review. Watch your child and make notes as things come up. Having examples is extremely helpful when it comes to properly diagnosing your child. The sooner you solve the problem, the quicker you can find a solution to help guide your child. Many amazing people have grown to overcome dyslexia through learning to work with the issue. With time and effort, your child can too.

Being able to speak the local language or at least knowing some of the basic phrases can make your trip to a different country more enjoyable. Or maybe you just have an interest in a language and would like to learn it. Here are the top 5 ways to learn a new language completely free on any device. Duolingo Duolingo is one of the most popular language apps there is and is also one of the highest rated apps. An independent study conducted by the City University of New York and the University of South Carolina, about 34 hours of Duolingo is equivalent to a full university semester of language education. The great thing about it is that Duolingo is easy to use. You work on lessons to learn basic words, phrases, and grammar. You then practice what you have learned by translating real world content from blogs and websites. There are a few less languages on the apple and android apps than there are on the website. Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, Irish, Danish, Swedish, Russian, Polish, Esperanto, Turkish, Norwegian, Ukrainian Available: Apple, Android, and Windows      2. Busuu Basuu uses crowd-sourcing as part of its language learning system. When you first start out with busuu you will use a lot of flashcards for learning new words and phrases. As you advance, you will have the opportunity to practice writing and answering questions, which will be marked by other users who speak the language that you are learning. They offer 12 languages and you are encouraged to listen and speak the language by interacting with native speakers. Languages: English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Polish, Turkish, Arabic, Japanese, Chinese. Available: Apple and, Android    3. Memrise Memrise is great for visual learners. They have over 200 languages to choose from. They use a scientific learning system that is supposed to boost your brain to learn 44 words an hour. They also use multiple game modes to drill different parts of your memory. The content is user-generated, so the quality may vary. Languages: 200+ Available: Apple and, Android   4. Lingualy Lingualy uses flashcards and games to help you learn. You practice what you learn by reading articles of things that interest you. When you come across a word that you don’t know, you can click on the word and it will give you the meaning and the translation. Languages: English, Spanish, French, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese, Czech, Dutch, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, and Turkish. Available: Apple and, Android   5. HelloTalk HelloTalk helps you learn are over 100 languages to choose from. You can select your entry level and you will start learning and practicing immediately. You connect with others on the internet that also want to learn. You can type in your native language and they can type in theirs. You just tap and hold to translate or pronounce any sentence. Languages: 100+ Available: Apple and, Android Learning a new language doesn’t have to be hard or boring. Thanks to these great apps, you can learn almost any language you choose. Best of all, most of these apps are free, allowing you to learn as much as you want without investing a dime.

What is tutoring? That is a very good question, When using the dictionary, tutoring is defined as “a person charged with the instruction and guidance of another.” A question many ask is why would you need a private tutor? The purpose of tutoring is to help students through teaching them to become independent learners who will eventually no longer need a tutor and have the tools to grow their education independently. A tutor provides expertise, experience, and encouragement but they do not provide “answers.” Instead a tutor assists in problem solving and helping you learn how to get the answers on your own.The challenge is to focus on assignments within the context that they are assigned. There are tremendous benefits to tutoring, let’s look at some of them. Benefits of Tutoring: Encourages a higher level of thinking Permits advanced students to study lower level material without embarrassment Increases ability to manage your own learning and study strategies Increases subject specific knowledge Increases related general knowledge Provides more empathy with the student Offers individualized, systematic, structured learning experience Provides greater congruence between teacher and learner Improves academic performance Improves attitude toward subject area Motivates self-directed learning Provides intensive practice Improves your self esteem Content knowledge is an essential ingredient for a tutor. However, to be truly effective, a tutor must combine content knowledge with empathy, honesty and humor. Empathy requires a tutor to “read” the emotional states, attitudes and perceptions of their students. It is also the ability to see others from their personal frame of reference, and to communicate this understanding to the person involved. In order for tutors to establish a supportive relationship with their students, tutors must be open and honest. We often find that students are reluctant to talk with a stranger about their academic problems. If a tutor is perceived as genuine with a strong desire to listen, students are often more willing to open up and discuss their problems. Surprisingly, Humor can play an important part in a tutoring session. Humor helps reduces tension and shared laughter is a powerful way to reinforce learning. If a tutor uses humor, it can set students at ease and increase rapport. Humor can also be used to compliment, to guide or to provide negative feedback in a positive manner. In addition, a successful tutor demonstrates a caring attitude. Caring consists of being organized for the tutoring session and being punctual. It also consists of establishing a learning relationship with the student, developing unique teaching strategies, and becoming familiar with the learning process. Ultimately, tutoring is sharing yourself with another student in a way that makes a positive difference in both your lives. All-in-all, tutoring is a wonderful resource for students of all ages and needs.

Do you believe your child may be gifted and/or talented? Have began to look into the special programs that you can send them to? We wanted to take a few blogs to explain the process of looking more into the gifted and talented services. To begin, your child will need to take a few tests to determine their eligibility. These tests are for children 4-7 years of age. The tests consist of 3 parts: Verbal Selection, Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT), and The Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT). The OLSAT test is verbal test that consists of about 30 questions (depending on the age of the child). These questions account for 50% of the student’s overall score. These verbal questions consist of 2 sections, Verbal Comprehension and Verbal Reasoning. Within these 2 categories are several, more specific question types revolving around: Verbal Comprehension Verbal Reasoning Following Directions Aural Reasoning Antonyms Arithmetic Reasoning Sentence Completion Word/Letter Matrix Sentence Arrangement Verbal Analogies Verbal Classification Inference The OLSAT test is used to measure the abilities related to the child’s success in school through testing critical thinking and reasoning skills. This test is intended to test memory, speed of thought and their ability to see patterns and their relationships. Questions for the OLSAT were selected to reflect the intellectual operations of cognition, convergent thinking, and evaluation. Students will have between 60 and 80 minutes to complete a 40-70 question test. This all depends on what level of the OLSAT test they are. When given to a younger child, the test will be given in a one-on-one level, while older children will take the test in a group setting. The test’s questions are arranged so that the questions do not become more difficult as the test progresses. Students earn points for each question they answer correctly, but they do not loose points for skipping or answering a question wrong. When the test is graded, your child is given a raw score, which provides the number of questions the child answered correctly. Once the raw score is calculated, it will then be converted to a School Ability Index Score (SAI). The SAI score is used to find what percentile the student falls into. The NNAT test is a nonverbal test that replaces the once Bracken Test in 21012. This test measures the abstract thinking skills and requires very little language to be spoken, therefore it is considered a better indicator of raw intelligence, as it does not matter if the child does not speak English as their first language. The NNAT test incorporates abstract shapes and designs that allow for an unbiased scoring regardless of a child’s primary language, education, and socioeconomic background. The NNAT is the 50% of the students overall score and consists of 38 multiple choice questions given in the allotted 30-minute time period. Every section becomes more difficult as it progresses, so it is a good idea to help your child become familiar with the type of questions asked prior to taking. There is a practice test available on the Gifted and Talented Program website that you can use to prepare your child. It is best to have your child practice the test 2-3 month before your child actually tests to help your child get the most of the test and do their best. The National Association for Gifted Children provides answers to many common questions that parents have about their child, the testing, and the program. Learn more on their website. Along with information and practice tests, the website provides information for your local affiliate resource to find more about testing dates, times, and more.