Category: Private Tutoring Blog

Why reading is important is a question most parents have heard from kids or even their partners. You’ve probably heard it a hundred times or more – read, it’s good for you! But does anyone actually answer your question of ‘why reading is good for you?’

The good news is that simply by reading this article, you are beginning to understand what reading can do for you. Our goal here is to help you understand why reading is good for your health, what reading can do for you as well as the scientific benefits of it.

Reading Benefits:

Scientific Benefits of Reading

The scientific benefits of reading are becoming more and more known, here are some of the top scientific explanations as to why you should pick up that book!

• Boost brain power – in the same way that going for a run improves your cardiovascular fitness, reading will help enhance your memory and brain function. As we get older, both these functions tend to decline. Regular reading can significantly delay this decline as well as helping to prevent the onset of diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Reading helps your mental sharpness to stick around a little longer, much more so than watching a movie!
• Reducing stress – immersing yourself with a good page-turner can help switch off from the pressures of day-to-day life. Research suggest that even reading a book for a mere six minutes after a stressful day is a great way to relax and recharge the batteries, even more so than listening to music – another favorable stress-busting technique. Try reading for a few minutes each day, or on your commute to work (providing your not driving of course!)
• Improves empathy – understanding others will lead to positive and long-lasting relationships. Engaging with literary characters can help the brain make connections that help the reader understand other points of view and help with recognizing emotions. Just like athletes use visualization techniques to improve muscle memory to enhance their sporting performance, reading novels can help brain connectivity.

Why Reading is Good for Your Health

While many of us understand that reading might have benefits on our mind as well as our memories (and that’s critical the older we get), understanding our it might help our overall health is not quite as well known.  Here’s just a few reasons to consider reading more:

• Increases motivation – people who read books about people doing things, fact or fiction, are more likely to engage in the activity themselves. This could be drastic and crazy such as climbing mountains or taking on large travel adventures, or simple like taking up a new hobby such as cooking or knitting.
• Can combat poor mental health – improving mental health often goes hand in hand with reducing stress, but reading about others in similar situations is useful too. Biographies are great way to understand that you are not alone in your battle, and the large number of self-help books allows people to access advice and guidance from the comfort of their own home without stigma or embarrassment. Naturally, professional medical advice should also be sought.
• Independent thinking – characters and plots are often portrayed in ways to sway our thinking. Authors usually deliberately make characters likable or loathed, but every so often we come across a book that makes us think outside the typical box. You may like the story, but not the characters, or vice-versa. This highlights our individuality and makes for great conversation when discussing a book with others.
• Armchair education – reading biographies and other factual or historical books will provide an abundance of knowledge. Even reading articles such as this one will teach you something. However, even fictional books based around true events or set in specific historical periods will captivate us even more and we learn without even realizing it!

Old School Paper Books vs Modern Day e-Readers

E-readers are becoming more and more popular, and don’t get me wrong, they are great! They have the capacity to store large numbers of books on a small device which is great when traveling or commuting. But there is something special about turning the paper pages of a book. The good news is that many e-reader owners still love a printed book, and here are some reasons why this should continue;

• Sleep better – including reading as part of a bedtime routine can help signal to your body that the time for sleep is near. However, using an e-reader can actually wake the brain up courtesy of the backlit screen. Reading a printed book by a lamp is a much better way to slow the body down and prepare for a good night’s rest. Plus it aids in all the other ways that we’re covering here.
• Improves memory function – turning pages will actually help you remember what you have read more so than ‘clicking’ to the next page. Many people may find this is the reason they print important documents rather than reading them off a computer screen. Books also allow for easier flicking back and forth to help remember important events or characters.

How Does Reading Make You Smarter?

Reading is beneficial at any age, but like most things, the earlier you start the better. Not only does it help form positive habits, but it may also make you smarter – something that will help significantly with your education. Some of the benefits of reading for students and young people include;

• Reading can help children develop a longer attention span, and when it comes to schooling this one has obvious benefits. Because stories have a structure that includes and beginning, middle and end, children are captivated for a fairly lengthy amount of time.
• Exposure to vocabulary – reading exposes students to around 50% more words than television or even conversation. As children, and adults for that matter, read they come across new words regularly. These new words then tend to be used in conversation and writing. Using a larger array of words will make you not only sound more intelligent, but you will generally be more intelligent. In the case of students, those that have a larger vocabulary are more likely to gain attention from their teachers which can improve confidence and promote further learning.
• Improved reading comprehension, spelling, grammar is seen in those children who read for fun. Creating a love and habit for reading at an early age has a profoundly positive impact on education. Exposure through story time, following parental leads and positive encouragement, are all ways to promote reading.
• Developing the imagination and creativity. Children who read do not necessarily go on to be writers, journalists or editors. The creative part of the brain is wide.y used when students read – they imagine themselves in the story line. Creativity is the key to success in many careers, and so much of it can be gained from reading!
• Reading provides entertainment you can take anywhere! Books, especially those developed for children are often small and portable. E-readers are even more compact and can store thousands of stories. Whether a child is camping, waiting for the bus, eating a snack or preparing for bed – reading can be done virtually anywhere, any time! No more “I’m bored” statements!

Find a Reading Tutor Near You!

Hopefully you’ve got a few ideas of why reading is important and what reading can do for you at this point?  If so, then the goal of our post was successful!  And if you need help with reading this year or if you are prepping for the SAT Reading test and want to improve your skills for life as well as a big test, then we can help with that!   Whatever the case, the next time you get a few minutes, find yourself a good book on any topic and get started reading!

A common question asked by parents, student, faculty and staff is “how do college students spend their time?” Because a lot of them do not seem to be spending all the time needed in classrooms or on their school work.

…it is recommended that students spend 5.14 – 10.29 hours on education activities each day.

Heading off to college is one of the most exciting experiences in a young person’s life. The idea of furthering their education, gaining independence and making new friends all make college life appealing. Naturally, there is some stress and anxiety involved as well. Students wonder how they will manage the course workload and how they will support themselves financially. Whether you are a future student or a parent, you may be interested to know how many hours college students study per week – is study really as all-encompassing as you think? Read on to find out more.

How Do College Students Spend Their Time

Of course the focus of college is gain a quality education that will set students up for a successful future. Classes, focus groups, exams and assignments all play a significant part in the educational experience, so it may surprise you to discover that this isn’t where most students spend most of their time. A study by the Bureau of Labour Statistics found that in a 24-hour period, students only spent 3.5 hours on educational-related activities (1). It is important to note that this figure includes classes as well as extra time spent on assignments, homework and exam preparation. The University of Michigan – Flint recommends that students spend 2-3 hours of study for every credit hour each week (2). So let’s do some math.

1 course = 3 credit hours = 6-9 hours of study each week. Approximately.

Full time students undertake 12-18 credit hours each semester, therefore the expectation of time spent on extra homework and study is anywhere between 24 and 54 hours each week. Seems like a lot. And remember, this is recommended homework and study time, you have to factor in the actual 12-18 hours that students spend in the classroom. This brings the weekly total to somewhere between 36 and 72 hours! The Bureau of Labour Statistics released their findings based on a 24-hour period, so if we alter the guidelines from a weekly figure to a daily one, it is recommended that students spend 5.14 – 10.29 hours on education activities each day. These results make it a fair assumption that students are not as time-laden with their educational responsibilities as they make out to be. So where do college students spend the majority of their time? And can they find more time to focus on their studies. Keep reading.

How Long Should I Study – Where is Time Spent?

It will come as no surprise that the majority of time in a 24-hour period is spent sleeping, around 8.8 hours. Sleep is important so it is probably worth leaving that time as it is. So are there other areas that students could decrease the time spent in order to optimize their study time?

The chart below highlights the results from the BLS Time Use Survey, showing that the other two sizeable chunks of time are spent on sport and leisure, and work related activities. The former probably comes as no surprise, after all, isn’t college also about having fun? The work factor adds a great discussion point. Many students need to work to support themselves financially, even full time students, so quite often it will take priority. To ask students to cut their work hours may not always be possible. Likewise sport commitments may also be difficult to decrease. Sure, it is probably safe to say that time spent watching television could be less, but realistically, with only 24 hours in a day, there is only so much a college student can get done.

How Much Time Do College Students Spend on Social Media?

While the BLS results included an ‘other’ section, it is not clear what type of activities this may include. It is reasonable to consider the use of mobile phones and social media in this category (although it may also fall under leisure activities). Either way, it is no doubt a large part of a college student’s life. With mobile phones often acting as an extra appendage in the hands of young people, the results of an online survey conducted by Baylor University offers the following information;

“The students reported spending the most time texting, with an average of 94.6 minutes a day. That was followed by sending emails (48.5 minutes), checking Facebook (38.6 minutes), surfing the Internet (34.4 minutes), and listening to music (26.9 minutes).” (3)

This same study concluded that women use their phone a hugely time consuming ten hours each day!! Their male counterparts spend almost eight hours. This is a lot of time. Of course people need to use phones to maintain communication lines and relationships, and emails may often be school-related, but it certainly gives some good for thought when it comes to effective time management.

Average Time College Students Spend Studying

Naturally some subjects are more time consuming than others. Equally, there may also be a difference between first year students and seniors. Results from the National Survey of Student Engagement shows that various course majors spend different amounts of time on extra homework and study.

The table below compares various courses and how much time students spend preparing for class. A large proportion of engineering students spend more than 20 hours each week, while most business or finance students fail to hit the 20 hour mark (4). The differences in course material and faculty expectations could account for these differences, but it shows that regardless of the course, students don’t seem to be doing enough outside the classroom to gain the academic results that they are truly capable of.

Based on the results of the time use survey and how many study hours are recommended, it will come as no surprise that 22% of engineer majors who spend more than 20 hours each week preparing for class, still feel unprepared (4).

Perhaps There is too Much Partying…

There is the common thought that college students spend countless hours in a day hanging out at parties and spend far too much time hanging out with their friends instead of focusing on the fact that they have come to college to gain an educational qualification. A study by UCLA shows that this is, in fact, not necessarily the case. The amount of time freshman students spend socializing and drinking have both declined over recent years (5). But, how much time do college students spend on social media? Students clearly aren’t spending their newfound time on studying, so perhaps phones and social media have a lot to answer for?

What Does All of This Mean?

Whichever way you look at it, college students are not spending as much time on their actual education as they could or should be spending, that much is clear. However, with the large gap between what is recommended and what students are doing in reality, one has to wonder if the educational expectations are too high.

Equally, college students are still graduating successfully, so they must be doing something right. Socializing and drinking have decreased, but the use of mobile phones and social media is on the rise and soaring. Students still work to support themselves and there will always be time spent on sleeping, eating, “life stuff” and travel. Overall, students are attending college in an ever-changing world – one where internet use is becoming more and more essential, and social networking may have just as much of an impact on future employment as do their educational results. There should always be more time spent for educational activities, but perhaps it is just not as essential as once thought. And that’s our review of how college students spend their time!

1. https://www.bls.gov/tus/charts/students.htm
2. https://www.umflint.edu/advising/surviving_college
3. https://www.baylor.edu/mediacommunications/news.php?action=story&story=145864
4. http://nsse.indiana.edu/NSSE_2011_Results/pdf/NSSE_2011_AnnualResults.pdf#page=16
5. https://www.heri.ucla.edu/monographs/TheAmericanFreshman2014.pdf

AP tutoring help is one of the most common areas where students need assistance! Taking AP, or Advanced Placement, courses are some of the most challenging courses available to high school students.  Successful results on the national exam is a 3 or better score (the goal for most students) and requires thorough knowledge of the topic in detail and frequently some AP tutoring as well.

Advanced Placement, or AP exams provide an opportunity to show what you know and what you can do. They come at the end of a usually arduous AP course and can be stressful, causing plenty of anxiety.  These tests are some of the standardized exams that often help gain college admission and over 3 million students will be taking at least one exam this year! Your best shot at success is to approach exam preparation early, thoroughly and with professional help. Let’s learn more about AP exams, AP tutoring and how you can achieve the best results possible!

What are AP Exams?

AP exams are a little more extensive than your ordinary high school examinations. They are lengthy,  cover a range of material and aim to measure how well you have mastered the course content. In general, AP exams have the following features:

• They are usually 2-3 hours in length. This can be quite difficult to concentrate and focus for that length of time, particularly if you have more than one exam in a day.
• The first section generally comprises of multiple choice questions. The answers are completed on paper and marked by a computer. You get a mark for each correct answer, but don’t have to worry about losing marks for incorrect answers. Don’t be fooled by the fact that the correct answer will be available to your, the other answer options often closely resemble the correct answer, so you really have to know your stuff.
• The second section is a free response section.  The style of questions will vary depending on the subject being tested. Possible question types include essays, solutions to problems and spoken responses. This section gives you a good chance to demonstrate your knowledge and you need to learn to structure your answers effectively.
• Some AP exams are computer-based and others use traditional pen and paper.

Each AP exam covers content that is specific to the course being taught. It is crucial that you attend all classes and adequately prepare for the exams prior to taking the test.

 

List of AP Tests by Subject:

The list of AP subject tests has definitely grown from the initial group that started out in the 1950s.  At the outset of the program, there were only 10 courses that were included.  Now that list has grown to the following all encompassing subjects:

• AP Research
• AP Seminars
• Art History
• Biology
• Calculus AB and Calculus B
• Chemistry
• Chinese Language & Culture
• Computer Science A & Computer Science Principles
• English Language & Composition
• English Literature & Composition
• Environmental Science
• European History
• French Language & Culture
• German Language & Culture
• Government and Politics (Comparative)
• Human Geography
• Italian Language & Culture
• Japanese Language & Culture
• Latin
• Macroeconomics & Microeconomics
• Music Theory
• Physics 1: Algebra-Based
• Physics 2: Algebra-Based
• Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
• Physics C: Mechanics
• Psychology
• Spanish Language & Culture
• Spanish Literature & Culture
• Statistics
• Studio Art Drawing
• Studio Art 2-D Design
• Studio Art 3-D Design
• US Government & Politics
• US History
• World History

 

AP Tutoring & How to Study for AP Exams

AP exams can definitely be more stressful than your average high school exam, so your study approach should differ slightly. Successful completion of AP exams can alleviate a lot of stress when it comes time for high school finals and college applications. While your teachers will do their very best to prepare you, a large bulk of the responsibility falls on your young shoulders. The fact that there is so much content and that the exam style is different than what you are used to, it definitely pays to enlist in the help of a professional as well as take the time needed to prepare. There are many options available to you aside from a local tutor or informal study group. Check out AP tutoring online options, AP test prep classes and review classes.

AP courses are full of extensive and comprehensive subject matter so it is wise to break each subject into manageable chunks and set yourself a study schedule. Take note of the following advice:

• Focus on one subject each night. Don’t try and cram your brain full of information. Stick to one subject or topic and focus solely on it, this way you are more likely to take on board the information and retain it for recall later during the exam. (Check out our How to Study Tips for even more ideas!)
• Be specific with your schedule. By writing down exactly what you will study when, will insure all topics are covered and that you aren’t leaving anything until the last minute or leaving gaps in your learning.
• Complete lots of practice papers, it’s the best way to familiarize yourself with the format and type of questions that are asked. Have someone, ideally your teacher or tutor, grade the paper to give you beneficial, specific feedback.
• Constantly review old material. Sure, you have to learn the new stuff, but make sure you revisit topics studied at the beginning of the course. By doing this regularly you are more likely to commit the content to memory and it will save you cramming a ton of information in the final days before your exams.
• Use an AP tutor to help learn the format and style of questions. A tutor also provides valuable one-on-one sessions where you can focus on your weaknesses and any topics that you struggle with. You won’t be alone in this!  There are thousands that type ‘AP tutoring near me’ each year, looking for the help and support that they need to get positive results. If all else fails, you can find plenty of AP tutoring online resources. 
  

How to Get Yourself Prepared

Preparing for AP exams is no small task, in fact, you should start your preparations as early as possible. One to three months ahead of your exams is sufficient time, but this will depend on how busy your usual schedule is and what subjects you are studying, some may require more time than others. Your personal expectations and goals will also play a part in how far in advance you should start your preparations. During this time, your preparation should include the following factors:

• Get the right resources to help you prepare.  That can include books, study guides, AP tutoring help, team up with classmates or take a course.
• Look after yourself. Yes, these exams are important, but you will be able to study much more effectively if you get enough sleep. Make sure your schedule is arranged so that you get at least eight hours every night.
• Your diet is also important. Eat a range of fresh fruit and vegetables, and include plenty of protein. Candy, caffeine and sugary snacks are okay occasionally, but don’t make them a regular pairing with your study sessions.
• Make sure you spend time relaxing, socializing, exercising, or doing whatever it is that you love in order to remain calm and relaxed.
• And remember, it’s only a test that, while important now, will not be important a decade from now.  So do your best and then let it go!

There you have it – your guide to successfully completing AP exams, and doing so relatively stress free! By following these tips you will be sure to ace the exams and gain the academic success and rewards that you deserve.

 

 

 

Trying to figure out how to study math this year? Are you struggling with math concepts? Exams stressing you out? Are you finding it difficult to come up with an effective study plan? Do you want to know how to study math easily? What if I told you that success is just around the corner. This list will help you overcome any math course barriers or issues that you might be facing.

Whether you follow all of these tips, or just a few, you are guaranteed to come out in the top of the class. Don’t delay any further – read on to discover how to study math like a pro!

 

1. Study in a distraction free environment. Yes, that means leaving your phone in another room, not studying in the living room and avoiding listening to music.
2. Keep a math dictionary with all the important terms and their definitions. Make sure that you write them out as well on index cards or somewhere so that you have easy access to the info.
3. Practice, practice, practice. There isn’t anything much more effective than completing practice questions. These can be found online or by asking your teacher or tutor.
4. Take some time to study your math online and use tutorials and videos that you can pause and replay until you fully understand topics and concepts.
5. Do your homework, even when the teacher hasn’t assigned any. By doing a bit of math every night you will be cementing your understanding of the topic. This is one of the fastest, best ways to really understand math and ace your tests this year.
6. Befriend your teacher. No need to become besties, but by developing a positive working relationship you will feel more comfortable to seek help. This will also increase your chances that your teacher will check in with you to make sure you have a solid understanding of what they are teaching you (and testing you on).
7. Read ahead. This means you can have questions for your teacher already prepared. It’s the best way to avoid get caught behind or struggling to understand whatever the topic is.  If you know what’s coming you can have your questions and issues ready to go once your teacher has covered the topic.  Why wait a day or three before raising your issues?
8. Time yourself when answering questions to help deal with time pressures that occur during exams.  SAT, ACT and other exams including end of semester exams are frequently timed, don’t get caught not having the time you need to finish!
9. Use the extras that come with your textbook such as CDs and apps as they offer valuable practice questions and explanations.
10. Create a study timetable to ensure that you have enough time to review all topics and leave no stone unturned.
11. Teach a friend. It is often said that you don’t fully understand anything unless you can explain it to someone else.
12. Use flash cards to improve your memory recall. They also help with self-reflection and can boost your confidence.  It’s a fast, easy way to grab a few minutes of review on the go as well.
13. Get help sooner rather than later. Math is a cumulative subject, meaning that knowledge is built on past skills. If you don’t understand part of a topic, chances are you will struggle with the next chapter. Understand each step and topic before moving on.
14. Don’t cheat. Copying someone else’s homework will only make it look like you understand math problems, and cheating in an exam can have serious ramifications. There is truth in the saying that you are only cheating yourself.
15. Sit in the right place in the classroom, making sure you can see the board clearly and hear the teacher. Try to avoid sitting with anyone that is likely to distract you.
16. Get a tutor to provide personalized help in the areas you struggle the most.
17. Play math games. By making studying fun you are more likely to do it. Plenty of games can be found online and you can compete against yourself (improving your personal best) or against other players for extra motivation.
18. Talk to yourself. This may sound a little weird and probably a tactic that is best done in the privacy of your bedroom, but by talking through what you are doing you will be reinforcing rules and committing them to your memory.
19. Always check your answers to avoid making silly mistakes.
20. Color code your notes. Highlight each topic in a particular color to help you find information when you are looking for it.
21. Get some sleep. This might sound counterintuitive, but staying up all night takes its toll on your brain so make sure you get adequate rest, especially the night before an exam.
22. Practice good time management. Organizing your study schedule isn’t the only thing that will benefit from effective time management. Managing your time in exams is crucial. If a problem is stumping you, make a note and come back to it if you have time. You’re better off answering the questions you know you can answer successfully than spending a lot of time on a question that is confusing and time consuming.
23. Form a math study group with some like-minded friends is a great answer to the question of ‘how to study math in college’. Studying in a group can be very effective, but also has the potential to turn into a social gathering so make sure your group remains focussed on math.
24. Create a ‘cheat sheet’. This isn’t actually cheating, but organizing your rules and formulas onto one page that you can easily access when you need to refresh your memory. Sometimes you are even allowed a ‘cheat sheet’ in exams so having an easy-to-read one already prepared is very handy.
25. Sing about it! Learning a song can help you memorize formulas and rules. Try some of these: http://www.calculus-help.com/storage/funstuff/qformula.mp3
    http://mathstory.com/mathsongs/hypotenuse.aspx
    https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/switch-sign-in-algebra
26. Ask lots of questions. Don’t be afraid to ask your teacher or tutor loads of questions, and don’t be embarrassed because chances are that many other students will have the same question so you will be helping others too.
27. Team up with a friend or classmate who will take notes for you if you happen to miss class. You should do the same for them. They might prove to be a valuable study partner as well.
28. Try and apply the mathematical concepts you are studying in geometry or algebra to the real world. You are more likely to remember them by doing this.
29. Always show your work in each problem that you do! This proves that your thinking is on the right track, even if you make a silly mistake and come out with the wrong answer. You will get marks for showing your working, and all those marks add up!
30. Get clarification on anything you are unclear about. If you are unsure if what you are doing is right, check it. You can do this by asking your teacher or tutor, reading back through your notes or textbook, or by asking a friend to check your work.
31. Be positive! A good attitude will go a long way to helping you succeed. Don’t dwell on your mistakes, instead, keep reminding yourself what you can do, and that you are capable of mastering difficult topics.
32. Understand your calculator. Not just how it works and ensuring that you press the buttons in the right order, but also the reasoning behind why you a pressing each button. This will help cement your understanding of concepts and formulas.
33. Redo your mistakes to understand and learn where you went wrong to avoid making the same mistake again.
34. Take your time. Sure, exams have time limits and it’s always good to be mindful of this, but if you rush too much you are likely to make silly mistakes. When doing your homework, take the time to ensure you understand each problem.
35. Stick at it! Don’t give up. As Einstein once said, “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” Persevere and you will succeed.

When it comes to knowing how to study math, you are now an expert! By applying these tips, you are on your way to becoming a math genius! Good luck!

Looking for some PSAT tips and tricks to ace the PSAT this year? The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test, or PSAT, is usually taken in your freshman or sophomore year and while it doesn’t have any impact on your college applications, developing some of the best PSAT tips to help develop your confidence and improve your test results.

Why Should I Take the PSAT?

The most important thing about the PSAT is that it is used for many scholarship applications, including the National Merit Scholarship.  However, beyond that, the main reason to take the PSAT is to better prepare yourself for the SAT test that is looming on the horizon.

Structure of the PSAT

The PSAT underwent re-structuring in 2015 and is now a longer test, requiring 2 hours and 45 minutes to complete.

The other significant change is that there are no longer five answer options, there are only four. There are three sections in the test:

• Reading,
• Writing and language, and
• Math

The number of questions on each section are fairly evenly distributed, but the time allocated to each section varies. The bulk of your time is spent on reading and math, and just 35 minutes spent on writing and language.

Now with this information you can adequately prepare for each section and adjust your study schedule based on your personal strengths and weaknesses.

PSAT Tips and Tricks

Now, if you don’t know it by now (and you ought to) then listen carefully…..any test that you are going to take requires preparation.  Do I need to repeat that? 😉  Good!

So now let’s get into PSAT tips that can help you move the needle and increase that score!

1. Be prepared – Yes, that means reading this, reviewing what the test is like, topics covered and determining your strengths and weaknesses prior to taking the test.
2. Get help – whether that’s in a study group or working with someone that can help with PSAT prep, it’s going to make a difference in your results.  Plus it will require you to take the time to prepare.
3. Take a practice test – Before you start actual studying, take a full test so that you know where you stand at the outset.  This will help with knowing your strengths and weaknesses before moving forward.
4. Set goals – we all do better if we have goals and objectives that we’re working towards.  Achievable goals of 20 – 30% better than when you first took the test isn’t unreasonable (assuming you aren’t trying to prep for the PSAT in three days…).
5. When taking PSAT tests, make sure that you do it just like it would be done in the actual exam.  There are several reasons for this. First, you get more comfortable with the test taking environment. Secondly, you’re results will be more on target with what you might actually do in the real exam.
6. Review results – This is critical!  With each test that you take, check and see where your results are improving and where you still might want to spend more time. As it gets closer to the actual date, increase the amount of time spent in areas where you are still weak.
7. Prepare with SAT or PSAT books – Since there is less available resources for the PSAT as compared to the SAT, incorporate some of the questions and review using SAT questions and resources.  The types of questions and information required will be very similar and can help you.
8. To guess or not to guess – That has been the question for years!  Now, guessing is better.  There’s no longer any penalty for guessing on the PSAT exam.
9. Unknown answers – Like we said above, guessing is better than blanks!  One tip to help, if it’s a total guess, guess the same letter for every question if you really have no idea on any answer.  This doesn’t mean if you are down to 2 answers to guess “D” if you think it might be “B” or “A”.  But if you have no idea at all, choose one letter and every question that you find yourself in like that, always answer that letter. Statistically it will increase your chances of a few of those guessed answers being right.
10. Spend time on question you can answer – If a question isn’t clear or you’ve got doubts, pick your default answer as we said in #9 and move on!  Got time at the end?  Come back to those that have default answers and see what you can do.  But nothing is worse than getting to the end of a test and having several unanswered questions because you ran out of time.
11. Eliminate obvious answers – Now, we kinda mentioned this above but let’s be super clear…cross out all wrong answers to see what’s left.  You’ll be amazed how many questions you’ll then be able to answer.
12. Read, read, read, read, read – If you like to read and practice reading you’re going to be ahead of many students.  These tests require reading and the better, faster and more observant reader you are the better you’re going to do.  Is that incentive enough to stop the video games and pick up a book?
13. Review – take a little time and review basic grammar with a teacher or online.  In addition, make sure to take a little time and review and memorize the basic math formulas that you’ve covered to date.  Practice a few problems on your calculator so that there’s no struggle with it during the exam.

How to Cram for the PSAT –

Yes, you can do that! It’s just going to be an extremely concentrated review using the various tips we recommended above.

Start?  Begin by taking a PSAT prep test.  That’s going to give you your basics and let you know where you stand.  Next, determine what resources you’re going to use to prepare for the exam?

You can find one of our PSAT tutors easily enough to help you cram and get tips that will make a difference or you can use review guides like these in the time you’ve got available.

Allocate time no matter how many days you’ve got.  Every little bit does count and will make a difference.

Incorporate any and all of our tips above into your study time leading up to the exam.  The more time, better focus you have, the better your results!

Ok, we’ve come up with 13 PSAT Tips and Tricks to help you prepare for one of your first, of many, major test taking adventures.  By starting off on this path well prepared, you’re setting yourself up for success not only on this test but on your future SAT test and other exams as well.  So spend some time, sleep, eat and get some exercise and you just might blow by the score results that you set for yourself!  We’ve seen it happen before.

It’s not surprising that both parents and students alike look for some of the best high school tips prior to starting out or even as sophomores! High school should be a time of fun and learning, but sometimes the pressure to succeed academically can be all too much. Our goal here is to help those who feel they need a little helping hand to achieve what they are capable of in an educational capacity. These 22 high school tips are easily implemented to ensure a stress-free and successful high school experience.

 

High School Tips – To Do at Home

Sleep

Getting enough rest is vital to success. When you are well rested you are more able to concentrate, which is useful in class as well as when studying. Try going to bed at the same time each night in order to get maximum rest. Make sure your bedroom is clean and tidy, and don’t use your bed as a study space – study at a desk and keep your bed for sleeping only!

Don’t Multitask

It might seem like a good idea to work on several tasks at once, after all, you’re getting more done, right? Wrong. It is best to focus on one task at a time and see it through to completion, or at least for your entire allocated study session. That means no phones, television or other distractions! You’ll be surprised at how much faster you can work when focusing on single tasks – leaving plenty of time for all your other activities!

Get Organized

This is probably the most common piece of advice for every student, but why is it so important? Being aware of your time, and what you can do with it, will help ensure you have enough time to complete assignments and prepare for exams.

Create a Positive Study Space

Studying on the sofa in front of the television is not the most effective place to study. To make your homework and study sessions the most productive, create a calming and productive study space. Ideally this space would be away from distractions such as the television, and kept clean and tidy. Try allocating a space in your bedroom for a desk and a place to display your homework and study schedule, keep all your necessary equipment such as pens, paper, and highlighters in the desk so you have no excuse to leave your space for the duration of your study session.

Do Your Homework

This one seems obvious. Teachers set homework for a reason – to help your learning, leading to academic success. Not only are you consolidating what have learned in class, but you are preparing yourself for exams as well as developing positive, independent study habits.

Eat Well

Snacking on sugary drinks, chips and candy will not help you learn! A sugar high will quickly be followed by a sugar low, leaving you lethargic and unable to concentrate. Instead, maintain a balanced diet for brain development and energy. Ensure you eat a range of fresh fruit and vegetables, with plenty of protein. The odd late night coffee and snacks won’t do you too much damage, but keep it minimal.

Manage Your Time

Don’t leave assignments and test preparation until the last minute! When you are given a task, write it in your diary or calendar as well as regular reminders. Break assignments into manageable chunks and tackle them well before the due date. Always allocate yourself more time than you think – any leftover can be spent on other tasks, or even having fun!

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Have Fun!

High school should be enjoyable. Sure, academic success is crucial, but if you spend all your time studying you risk burning out or dealing with excessive stress. Make sure you leave some time to hang out with your friends, play sport, go to concerts, or do whatever it is you love! When you settle into you study or homework session, you will be refreshed and able to focus on the task at hand.

Individualize Your Study Plan

Each student is different – different strengths, weaknesses, interests, goals and ambitions. Your study calendar should take your personal academic goals into consideration and work around any other commitments you have such as sport or employment. By doing this, you are sure to have enough time to tackle your academic tasks and are more likely to achieve your own personal goals.

Get Tutoring

Seeking help from a professional will ensure any issues you have will be eliminated. A tutor will work closely with you and tailor-make sessions to suit your individual academic needs. The one-on-one time is invaluable and will help keep your academic goals in check.

While many can go it on their own, it can make a semester more challenging. Plus, if you do start falling behind or not understanding as well as you need to, it becomes doubly difficult to play “catch up” for the semester!

Prioritize

Each week, rank each task and assignment in order of importance to make sure everything gets done. It can be easy to fall into the trap of studying your favorite subjects first, but this often means the subjects you struggle with are left until last, creating a vicious cycle. Try tackling the tricky subjects first in order to make sure you fully understand the content so you can ace exams!  There’s a TON of information out there about starting with what’s most difficult so that you get a sense of accomplishment and then the rest of your day goes more easily.

Seek Help

There is no shame in asking for help. Whether it is help with understanding content taught in class, asking a sibling to do your chores so you can complete an assignment or asking your parents to quiz you before a test. You’ll be surprised at how willing people are to help you when you really need it.  It’s also one of the best ways to prepare for tests and exams as well.

Learn to Say ‘NO’

Taking on too much can be detrimental to your academic success. Be selective when it comes to extra-curricular, sporting and social activities. They are important, but you can’t be involved in everything. Choose what you enjoy most and focus on them and your studies. Don’t be afraid to turn down small opportunities, especially those that don’t really have an impact on your future.

 

High School Tips – What You Can Do at School

Set a Schedule

Using a schedule will help you keep on top of all your tasks, including the many assignments that you are bound to have! Create a rough plan for each semester and a more specific schedule on a weekly basis. Be sure to include your regular commitments and then prioritize your schoolwork. Check your schedule regularly in order to remain focused on and track!

Check in with Your Career or Guidance Counselor

These people are an untapped resource when it comes to academic success. Speak with them about subject and grade requirements to help you focus on the most important aspect of your studies. By channeling your time and energy to where you need it most, you are bound to hit academic success!

Choose the Right Classes

Know your strengths and weaknesses! Don’t take classes that you know you will find incredibly difficult. By taking classes that you enjoy and know you can succeed it, your results will be more than pleasing!

Accept Criticism

Teachers will occasionally give you feedback that you won’t want to hear. Instead of getting upset and disheartened, don’t take it too personally – they are saying it to help you! Focus on what was said and take steps to make positive changes, you’ll soon reap the rewards!

Ask Questions

The only way to be certain of information is to clarify it with your teacher. If you are too embarrassed to ask a question in class, speak to your teacher privately, they’ll be more than happy to help. However, it is important to remember that there are no silly questions, and any questions you have will probably be on the minds of other students too, so you’ll be helping others as well.

Maintain Good Attendance

Succeeding academically is so much easier to do when you actually attend class! Simply by showing up on time and prepared, you are setting yourself up for passing. Even if you are feeling slightly unwell or tired, show up and do your best – your success depends on it!

Form a Study Group

Working with other like-minded people will do wonders for your learning. As a small group, you can learn from each other, discuss key points and keep each other motivated. For best results, make sure your group meets somewhere free from distractions and remains on task throughout the session.

Connect to Your School Community

While you don’t want to take on too many extra-curricular activities, networking and forming positive relationships can be beneficial to your academic performance. Learn from students older than you, make yourself known to teachers, and take on leadership roles to help make high school the most successful experience possible.

Set Goals

This is one of the best high school tips that you can really take action on! Decide exactly what you want to achieve and write it down. Think about the steps required to reach your goals and write them down as well. Having goals (and mini goals) will help keep everything else on track ensuring the ultimate academic success!

With these 22 tips for high school, you can breathe a bit easier and know that you have many of the areas covered.  It’s an exciting four years that are loaded with many opportunities, exciting challenges and new beginnings.  It’s up to you how and what you do with this time and these high school tips.

 

Trying to how to study for the new SAT at home and F.A.S.T. –  like in a week or a month?  For students planning to attend college, there may be nothing more important than successful SAT results – at least right this moment in time! The big question that still remains is exactly how to study for the SAT.

There is nothing wrong with wanting perfection, and perfect SAT results are possible for some. With a little time and effort, there is no reason to achieve anything less than your absolute best. Creating effective study habits is no simple task, and time must be spent in order to gain the academic success you deserve, but the good news is that it can be done. There is a plethora of information out there that offers statistics, advice and preparation tactics.

Read on to find out options that you can use starting now.

How to Prepare for the SAT Exam at Home

Like most major exams, timing is crucial. Last minute cramming is certainly not the ideal way to go, but sometimes that’s the only option that you have! In order to achieve your best results, you must start as early as possible. In saying that, if you have left it a little late, there are several steps you can take to reach your SAT goals in a much shorter time frame. If you are time-poor, this article will outline ways you can study for the SAT in a month, or even a week!

How is the SAT Scored

Learning the scoring system for the SAT will not automatically mean you score highly – there is no way to ‘play the system’, so to speak. However, having an idea of how the process works can help prepare you. In each section of the SAT, you will receive a raw score. This is simply the number of questions you answered correctly, much like many other tests you take. Although, unlike many other tests, you will not lose marks for any missed or incorrect answers.

The process gets a little more complicated as the SAT compares students who take different tests. The College Board equates the scores based on the difficulty of the test to ensure fair comparisons can be made. For example, a March Math test may be deemed more difficult than the May Math test, therefore a lower raw score in March will be equal to a higher one in May.  Confused yet?

The new SAT, delivers a maximum equated Math score of 800, and a combined Reading and Writing score of 600.

While this may still sound a little complicated, the bottom line is very straightforward – achieve the highest raw score possible. In other words, answer as many questions correctly as you can! Let’s look at ways you can do that.

SAT Reading Tips

Even if you are a math genius and can expect your exceptional math abilities to carry you to a high SAT total, many colleges will still require a strong reading score. Also, increasing your SAT reading score will obviously help boost your total, opening more doors and increasing your chances of acceptance into more colleges.

For those who are more math-brained, it’s going to be a relief to know that success in the Reading section can easily be achieved even if you don’t consider yourself a strong reader.

Here are some useful, and achievable strategies to boost your reading score.

• Pay attention to time – one of the most common problems with most tests is running out of time. The questions in the reading section are not ordered according to skill level. In other words, the simplest question may be at the end and it would be silly to spend the bulk of your time on a difficult question earlier on in the test. Skim read the passage and then move on to the questions. Refer back to the passage after each question, focus on the part of the passage that is relevant to the question. You do not need to understand the entire passage in extensive detail, so don’t waste your time doing so. Finally, set yourself a time limit to answer each question. If you haven’t answered in this time, move on, allowing yourself the opportunity to answer more questions. You can always come back to the question at the end if you have time.
• Look for wrong answers – this may seem counterintuitive, but eliminating the answers that you know are wrong is often far easier than trying to identify the only correct one (remember, there is only one correct answer). Look for answer options that are too specific or too broad, or answers that sound plausible but are irrelevant or have a reversed relationship. Even if you can only eliminate two answers, you are then guessing between two options instead of four, which greatly increases your chances of choosing correctly.
• Use official SAT practice papers – reading any old passages and answering the questions may sound like a good idea, after all, you have been told to practice, practice, practice! But if you do not practice using SAT-style passages, you will never understand the type of questions and therefore be unable to develop appropriate and effective strategies.

SAT Math Tips

By boosting your SAT math score, you will boost your overall, combined score. This may seem rather obvious, but think of it in terms of increasing the number colleges you could potentially be accepted into. Whether math is your strong point or an area of weakness, try these tips to improve your score.

• Understand your weaknesses – you probably have a fair idea of the areas that need improving, so focus on these. You may be fine with the knowledge of the content, but struggle with the time pressure. Either way, completing practice paper after practice paper will help you. Either focus on your weaker topics to improve your knowledge, or simply practice completing the questions at a faster rate (whilst maintaining accuracy) to ensure you will have enough time to answer all
• Learn from your mistakes – work hard to figure out where you go wrong. Be specific and thorough. It’s no good just reading through the explanations, you must learn exactly where you went wrong – it’s the only way to ensure that you are as prepared as possible come test day.

SAT Writing Tips

The writing section of the SAT can be strenuous and stressful. Time limitations often mean students don’t answer all questions, or make silly mistakes in the ones they do. Alleviating the stress and achieving positive results can be done simultaneously if you follow these simple SAT writing strategies:

• Learn the grammar rules – there’s no way around this one. Learn them. Write them down, read them aloud, have somebody test you. Use the most effective learning strategy for you to ensure these rules stay embedded in your brain because you will need them.
• Understand rhetoric question types – find effective ways to construct sentences and passages. The best way to do this is, like every other section, is to practice. SAT questions are unique and take some getting used to, so find as many official practice papers as you can and complete them.
• Be wary of ‘no change’ answers – in the SAT writing section, one of your answer options is likely to be ‘no change’. Of course, there are times when the sentence structure and grammar are spot on. However, if you find yourself choosing this answer option the majority of the time, chances are you just don’t know enough grammar rules. Take this as a hint to go back and learn the grammar rules and become more familiar with appropriate sentence structure.

Develop Effective Study Habits

You’ve heard the story before – someone spends hours and hours studying and achieves poor results. While this disappointing, it’s not surprising. Studying isn’t always about the hours you put in, it’s about how you spend those hours.

Let’s face it, students are busy people and time isn’t something they have a lot of, so it’s important to use it wisely. Learn your areas of weakness, in all sections of the SAT, and work to improve those. Spend a small amount of time each study session using the skills you are competent at so you don’t lose them completely, but focus on those you have most difficulty with. Completing as many practice papers as possible will help you identify these areas.

The key to the success lies in three simple areas:

• Learn the types of questions asked in the SAT,
• Use your existing skills to develop strategies to answer the questions, and
• Practice!

How to Study for the SAT in a Week to a Month – What to do when you are running out of time!

If you are concerned that you have left your SAT preparation too late, don’t worry. Actually, you don’t really need to do anything different than the strategies already mentioned. You simply need to make adjustments. For example, you may not have time to amend all your weaknesses, so focus on the biggest weaknesses that know you can fix in your limited time.

There are a few things you can still do to optimize your results. Put everything that you can aside for this brief time period and FOCUS on your prep work!  Enlist some support and some help from family, teachers and tutors that know how to study as well as the areas that you are weak.

Study hard for shorter time periods while taking study breaks to enable you to stay focused and alert enough to cram all that you need to.  Healthy eating and sleep are also going to be critical during this time period.  And no matter what – just remember, it’s one test.  One piece of the overall package that schools look at.

The SATs have caused issues and angst for students for decades now.  As a part of your application process there is nothing you can do to avoid the test, barring simply not applying to any schools that require the exam.  And while it’s certainly possible, the schools you are interested in might not be one of those schools.  So – look at the time you have available between now and the exam, no matter how little it might be, and create a plan, execute and work towards getting the best results you can on the test!  And don’t forget, let us know how it all turns out for you.

Have you heard of summer “brain drain”?  If you haven’t, then keep reading to learn more. If you have, trying to find ways to help prevent summer brain drain this year for your kids, might be something that you’re looking to do! The words ‘summer vacation’ usually conjures up images of long, hot days, freedom and adventure. School and education is usually the furthest thing on the minds of young people and the effect of the commonly called ‘summer brain drain’ is definitely not on the radar. All the strain, stress and hard work of exams have dissipated, and the excitement of three months without educational restraints is often uplifting.

What is Summer Brain Drain?

However, come September and the beginning of the school year, the dread of returning to school is only accentuated after such a long hiatus from any kind of studying, school work or learning. It can often take children quite a while to regain the focus required for academic success. The good news is that there are several ways that you, as parents, can minimize the summer brain drain. To put in simply, reverse the problem. Fill up the brain! There are plenty of way you can do this.

How to Stop Summer Brain Drain

Try some of these tips during summer break to help keep your children in a positive educational mindset.

1. Read, read, read

The ability to read forms such an important backbone in your child’s education, so it shouldn’t stop when school does.  You can read to your children, have them read aloud to you, or encourage them to read on their own, depending on their age and ability.  Join your local library and ask either the librarian or your child’s teacher for quality book recommendations.  Even 30 minutes a day reading something is a start and will help your child keep their mind active and growing.

2. Music lessons

Learning an instrument does wonders for brain development and it can often be difficult during the busy school term to find the time. Look for holiday music programs or hire an instrument and teach your children yourself – there are plenty of resources online to help you!

3. Write about it

Writing is another skill that children will use throughout their education, and one that can rapidly decline when it isn’t used! Ask your children to keep a diary of their holiday, especially if you go somewhere or do something exciting or unusual. You don’t need to read it, the fact that they are writing is good enough. If your child is showing interest in writing, encourage story writing or look for writing workshops at your local library.

While handwriting is important, as it improves fine motor skills and is still helpful in day to day life, the brain will still get a workout when children type. Encourage them to focus on spelling, grammar, sentence structure and, most importantly, fun and creativity!  Don’t forget to check out writing competitions or programs online.  There are some great and free writing groups your children can join.

4. Museums, art galleries and more

Museums, art galleries and exhibition centers are great for children at any time, but during school holidays you will find a large array of shows and activities to capture the minds of young people. Discuss the content with them, ask questions and promote conversation – you never know, you might learn something too! Following on from the previous tip, you can also ask them to write about what they have learnt in their summer journal.

5. Don’t worry about boredom

Quite often parents worry about their children becoming bored. But if you are constantly providing them with activities and ideas on how to keep occupied, they will not develop the ability to think for themselves. As already stated, a simple way to avoid summer brain drain is to encourage children to use their brains – so let them figure out how to entertain themselves aside from staring at a phone or computer screen!

6. Go on vacation

This may seem like it would do the very opposite, and keep your kids’ brains in holiday mode. However, a holiday, no matter how small, can have a positive learning impact.

If you can afford it, a trip that includes cultural diversity is priceless in your children’s learning, but even a trip to the local campground can help teach children skills such as independence and cooking.

Family vacations can also go a long way to improving relationships.  Simply getting out of one’s day to day surroundings opens up your eyes, ears and mind to new things and interesting environments.  If your budget is tight, explore the idea of a stay-cation where you don’t leave your area but camp out at home and take day adventures from there to new areas or places that you haven’t yet explored.

7. Make your home a learning environment

Issuing children various chores and responsibilities is nothing new in most houses, but the summer break can be a great chance to involve the children further. Whether you pay them for extra chores to teach lessons of saving, finance and delayed gratification, or simply encourage them to work as part of a team in the daily running of the household to promote responsibility, children will learn valuable life skills.

Don’t forget fun activities such as cooking and meal planning – children will love having a say in what the family eats, and cooking and baking together uses math and science skills and helps to develop patience. Engaging children this way reminds children that they are capable of learning, therefore promoting a growth mindset that will help them when they return to the classroom.

8. Learn another language

You don’t need to send your children back to school fluent in a foreign language, but the process the brain goes through when learning a new language will help with brain development and other subject areas.

Look out for short courses within your community, or find a private tutor at Private Tutoring at Home. If the cost provides limitations, there are resources available online or at your local library, or perhaps you have a bilingual friend that may be willing to help out! With the way the world is these days, learning about another culture and having some familiarity with another language is becoming more and more important.

9. Work or volunteer

This one is for the older students, although younger children can be given responsibilities around the home. A job, be it paid or volunteer, will help young adults develop responsibility, time-keeping, organizational skills, confidence, job-specific skills, and can often lead to building positive friendships with people outside of school.

10. Let them play

While it’s often with the best intentions, many parents try too hard to help their children succeed academically. Children need play. It stimulates creativity, allows them to relax and can improve social relationships. Of course, you need to be careful of the type, and how much play they do. For example, it wouldn’t be productive for a child to spend the majority of their summer playing games on a computer or phone on their own. Age also plays a factor. Younger children can be afforded more play than older children, but fun should always be a consideration!

Summer brain drain is a real fact of life for those with three and up to four months off from the school year.  Finding ways that can eliminate some or all of it will allow you greater peace of mind this summer and your kids and easier time when fall rolls around and school starts up again!  Let us know some of your tips and tricks in the comments below!

Been thinking about some fun summer math activities to add into the day?  Math games and activities shouldn’t be reserved for the classroom. In fact, you can have a ton of educational fun with your children over the summer break.

Best of all?  You don’t need to spend money on fancy games, all of these games can be created with objects you have lying around the house. The great things about these math games is that you can adapt them to any age group, meaning you can play the same game with the whole family!

Fun Summer Math Activities

1. Shape Twister

The good thing about this game is that it has the potential to entertain children for hours. The game is played much like the traditional game of Twister, but uses basic mathematical shapes. You can prepare the game yourself or get children to help you (thus keeping them busy for even longer). This is how you do it:

• Draw large basic shapes on paper, colored or plain is fine – the focus is on shapes. You will need four of each of the six shapes (these can vary depending on knowledge, but some good ideas are square, circle, triangle, diamond, pentagon and rectangle).
• Arrange the pieces of paper together to create a playing surface.
• Create a spinning board. Using some strong cardboard, divide it into four sections (one for each hand and each foot).
• In each segment draw each shape. These must be in circle formation so the spinner can definitively point to a shape. Use another piece of strong cardboard to cut an arrow shape. Fasten it to the board at the center with a paper fastener.
• Play! Children take it in turns to play and to be the spinner. The spinner reads the instruction aloud for the players to follow, for example, ‘right hand on square’.
• The winner is the player who doesn’t fall over!

2. Memory Matching Game

Help children improve their recognition, matchmaking and memory skills with this homemade memory game. Start by taking some photos of various objects and people. Print out the photos, ensuring you have double of each image. Glue the photos onto card or have them laminated.

How to play:

• Shuffle the cards (the photos) and lay them face down in a grid pattern – no peeking!
• Players take it in turns to flip over two cards. If they match, they keep the pair and have another turn. If not, they flip the cards back over and it is the next player’s turn.
• Keep playing until all cards have been paired up and the player with the most pairs wins!

3. Bottle Toss

This game is just like many games you see at carnivals!

• Collect a bunch of bottles and fill them with water to make them more stable. Write different numbers on each of the lids – vary these depending on your child’s ability and whether you are focusing on addition or multiplication.
• Cluster the bottles together and use plastic rings, perhaps bangles, to toss over the top of the bottles. Give children a challenge such as ‘add to 20’ or ‘multiply to 60’.
• Children aim at various numbers to create a successful equation.
• The first person to achieve the challenge wins!

4. Pitch, Hit and Graph

Enjoy the outdoors with your kids and have some educational fun! This activity is geared towards baseball, but you could adapt it to any sport you like. It can be played with any number of people, but the more people you have the more more data you will get, creating more graphing options. This makes a great challenge for older children.

• Set up distance targets and pitch the ball to your kid. For each hit, record the distance using pen and paper.
• Convert the data to a graph – try line graphs, bar graphs and pie charts.
• Don’t forget to have your child pitch to you and record you scores!

5. Mathematical Tic-Tac-Toe

Turn this classic game into a educational math activity.

• Use nine squares of paper for the tic-tac-toe grid. Write several math problems or equations on the squares and arrange in a grid pattern face down.
• Each player has their own small stack of cards, or paper, with either an ‘X’ or an ‘O’. They take it in turns to flip the paper in the grid, choose a problem and answer it. If answered correctly, they replace the piece of paper with their own, thus placing and ‘X’ or an ‘O’ in its place.
• The aim is to create three successful sheets in a row!

6. Playing Card Math

Everyone has a deck of cards lying around, so dig them out and play this math game.

• Remove the King, Queen, Jack and Joker cards, and explain that ace cards are equal to one.
• Shuffle the remaining cards and then place nine cards in a 3×3 grid pattern.
• Ask you child to look for any combination of cards that add up to a particular number. Once they have identified the cards remove them, and replace them with new cards from the pack. If no combinations are available, remove all nine and replace them. Keep playing until the deck is complete.
• For older children, give them a number and allow them to reach it using any way possible. For example, to reach six they might use 3×4-5-1 to get rid of as many cards as possible.
• Make it a two player game and have the children alternate turns, the person who collects the most cards is the winner.

Games are great ways to get kids working their brains, decreasing summer learning loss and staying on top of all that they learned in school.  In addition, by playing some summer math activities together you accomplish a few things without anyone noticing. First, you’re having family or togetherness time.  Secondly, you’re just having plain ‘ole fun!  Remember that term?  The older we get the more we forget it. 😉  And finally, Your kids are able to work on their math skills without realizing it.  Finding practical applications and fun with a few of these summer math activities is a great and easy way to do it!

Summer learning loss prevention is something that we, as parents, need to think about with our kids!  Many experts believe that the summer learning loss percentage can be 1 month of learning from during the school year, though other studies show as much as 25-30% of a loss.  Many children reach their academic peak at the end of the school year, after all they have studied, reviewed subjects and sat for endless amounts of tests while being in school nine to ten months at that point. Their brains are full of information that they can recall at the drop of a hat.

And then what happens? Summer vacation. Around ten to twelve weeks of freedom, fun and no stress or pressure from school. Sure, kids need time to be kids and to enjoy their childhood, but summer learning loss can cause real problems upon the return to school. What is even more problematic is the divide that summer learning loss can create between children.

While some learning loss is to be expected, the good news is that it can be minimized. The bad news is that some children are more susceptible than others. This article aims to explain who is most affected and hopes to offer some solutions to this educational-dividing issue.

 

Summer Learning Loss – the Problem and Some Solutions

Every child is at risk of experiencing summer learning loss. There are, of course, a small percentage of children who attend regular summer school and similar programs, which significantly reduces any learning loss. Unfortunately, in general, children who come from lower income families tend to experience summer learning loss more than their wealthier counterparts.

The reasons for this are highlighted here, as well as strategies to prevent summer learning loss regardless of age, economic status or learning ability. With a few steps to minimize learning loss, you can help your kids get on track to have a great start to the new academic year!

Summer Learning Loss Low Income – Why?

One theory suggests that the reason lower-income students return to school with a large learning deficit is due to their lack of resources over the summer period. During school, all students have fairly equal access to learning, especially during class time, thus making similar learning gains and improvements. However, over the summer, students from higher-income families tend to have access to more resources to continue on an ever increasing learning curve.

The tips in this article are not dependent on a high income and are guaranteed to help the positive learning continue no matter what your financial resources.

What Causes the Problem…

In order to prevent summer learning loss, children must keep learning. This doesn’t always mean summer school or extra tutors, although, for some children this is beneficial. Learning happens in a large variety of ways. Holidays, language lessons, and sport camps are all ways to keep learning. They also come at a cost that many families cannot afford.

Simply engaging children in conversation and spending quality time together can help reduce summer learning loss, but this can be difficult for single parents, those who work long hours and can’t afford time away from work, or those who, for a variety of reasons, have less than positive familial relationships. However, family doesn’t mean just blood relatives.  Extended family and friends can all be a part of this as well.  Kids learn from whomever is around, just give them the chance!

Some Solutions to Fix It

The simple answer is to keep children learning throughout their summer break. Of course, having a healthy budget can help with the type and number of activities children participate in, but money doesn’t have to be a limiting factor. Most summer learning loss articles offer expensive suggestions that are targeted towards families that can afford it. This only increases the educational gap and does nothing to help low income families. Not this article.

Check out the following list of low-cost, accessible and fun learning experiences to aid summer learning loss prevention in all children.

 

• Read, Read, Read

One of the best things children can do over the summer is read. Libraries are usually free to join and offer an abundance of books for children of all ages. Librarians are full of knowledge about books to help advise you on what might suit your child the best, and what might help them develop a love for reading. A child may be a hesitant reader simply because they haven’t found a style of book they enjoy.

 

• Get Writing

Writing is a valuable skill for all educational levels. It only requires a notebook and a pen or pencil and can help stimulate the creative brain as well as helping children maintain the fine motor skills required to write. This may sound silly, but several months without even gripping a pen can be very detrimental to this widely used skill. For younger children, drawing and coloring are helpful too.

• Promote a thirst for learning

The type of children that learn best at school are the ones that want to learn. You can make almost any activity a learning experience by encouraging conversation and asking your child questions. Hopefully, this will stimulate them to think about things and start a journey of curiosity and inquisitiveness. Try simple questions like these;

• “ where does the food you are eating come from?”
• “ how do they build bridges over water?”

The best type of questions are ones that naturally form part of a conversation, such as “why do you think…” and “ what will happen if…” Hopefully you get the idea.

Once a child begins to question the world and desire a meaningful and valuable answer, there will be no stopping them!  Learning new things is key to summer learning loss prevention!

• Explore free or near free events and areas

Most towns and cities have summer events and activities to get involved in or to explore.  Summer concerts, art programs, STEM program (growing in popularity and availability), library or community center options are all free or near free to those residents in the community.

In addition, there are a lot of online resources as well for your kids to explore.  For example, do you or your child like to write?  Then perhaps writing a book would be something fun like this summertime book writing program to get involved in!  Online searches will show several opportunities for kids to get involved in areas that will stimulate and help them grow academically and have fun doing so.

• Create a positive and supportive environment

A child will be more willing to learn if they feel comfortable. Don’t put your child down for asking questions or when they make mistakes. Encourage them to persist, talk about mistakes, and lead by example by trying new things yourself.  If they get nervous about trying something new, maybe you could try it as well?  Or show them you trying something else that’s new to you so that they see everyone goes through the same types of experiences.

• Do something different

If you can afford to take a small holiday, do it. Trips like camping or visiting relatives can often be done without breaking the bank. Taking your children out of their everyday environment gives them a break and a chance to see and do things that they don’t ordinarily do. They will gain new experiences and build more positive relationships with you. Try rearranging the living room together, doing some gardening, eating at the table instead of in front of the television, or playing a board game. Day trips are good too, and there are always cheap and free activities for children during school holidays – you just have to pay attention to what they are.

Our summer learning loss articles are just the beginning of the steps that are available to you to test out!  Explore and discover other ways that you can help your kids not have as much or any issues this year!  Let us know what steps you do and share so others can get ideas as well.