The end of the calendar year causes most people to become self-reflective; the New Year brings with it Hope, Possibility, and Success. The opportunity to better ourselves is not only for adults but for children as well. Instead of making promises, however, we should be making informed decisions and plan our progress into the future. After all, isn't the saying that "promises are made to be broken"?
Taking inventory of where we have been and where we want to go in our lives can help us to define our goals and map out where we can be a week, month, or a year from now. Parents can help their children to do this by modeling short- and long-term planning and helping kids to map out their personal and academic/career goals.
In order to increase each family member's probability of success, goals for the new year should be SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic (results-oriented or relevant) and time-bound.
Post goals where they will be seen every day and use time-management and organizational skills to manage goals and regularly check on progress.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
Tips for promoting math for kids of all ages
Math is in the news again. The White House is promoting math education with superstars like Sesame Street’s Elmo, and in Maryland, the state where I live, the University System is developing new math requirements for students headed to state colleges and universities. Those new requirements include four years of math studies in high school instead of the current three. Other states are no doubt doing the same.
Many students complete three years’ math study by the end of their junior year and don’t bother with math in their senior year. That’s a one-year hiatus until college. You can forget a lot in one year.
Four years of math study will better prepare students for university or work in our increasingly science-technology-engineering-math oriented economy. Do we do enough to get kids interested in math at an early age? Probably not.
Read Dr. Rick's blog page for some thoughts and tips!
Many students complete three years’ math study by the end of their junior year and don’t bother with math in their senior year. That’s a one-year hiatus until college. You can forget a lot in one year.
Four years of math study will better prepare students for university or work in our increasingly science-technology-engineering-math oriented economy. Do we do enough to get kids interested in math at an early age? Probably not.
Read Dr. Rick's blog page for some thoughts and tips!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Ready for a Book Adventure?
Read, click, and win with a book adventure from Sylvan Learning Center! Designed by Sylvan Learning Center, Book Adventure is a FREE online motivational reading program for students in grades K-8. Kids create lists of what they would like to read from the Sylvan Book List. After reading the books, students can take matching quizzes and earn points to get prizes for their literary successes!
The Kid Zone helps your children learn how to be a better reader with games by FunBrain.com and provides online resources (like almanacs, dictionaries, and more). Special sections for parents provide direction, motivation, and monitoring of their children's programs as well valuable resources to help them read longer, more frequently and with greater comprehension. Teachers can even request a guide to help them incorporate the program in the classroom!
For FREE reading fun, check out www.bookadventure.com!
The Kid Zone helps your children learn how to be a better reader with games by FunBrain.com and provides online resources (like almanacs, dictionaries, and more). Special sections for parents provide direction, motivation, and monitoring of their children's programs as well valuable resources to help them read longer, more frequently and with greater comprehension. Teachers can even request a guide to help them incorporate the program in the classroom!
For FREE reading fun, check out www.bookadventure.com!
Christmas Vacation Fun & Learning
Once the presents have been unwrapped and the initial excitement of new toys and games has faded, how do you keep your children busy for the rest of their holiday vacation? While children are out of school for the holidays, parents can keep children learning with fun and engaging projects throughout the last seven days of the year -- from December 25 through December 31. Sharing fun, learning activities can help children to improve their attitude toward learning and provides a great opportunity for busy families to spend quality time together during the holidays.
Seven Days of Activities for Family Learning Fun is a free, activity booklet available online from Sylvan Learning Center that includes seven days of fun learning activities that the whole family can enjoy. Interactive educational projects detailed in the booklet help nurture reading, writing, research and math skills. Activities for the final seven days of the year include:
-- December 25 - Start a memory book.
-- December 26 - Family reading.
-- December 27 - Family history.
-- December 28 - Make your own play dough.
-- December 29 - Dress up as your favorite book character.
-- December 30 - Have a book-inspired feast.
-- December 31 - Explore nature.
For more information on fun learning activities from the experts at Sylvan Learning, or to download Sylvan's free activity booklet, Seven Days of Activities for Family Learning Fun, log onto http://tutoring.sylvanlearning.com/learning-activities/brochure.cfm or call 1-800-31-SUCCESS.
Seven Days of Activities for Family Learning Fun is a free, activity booklet available online from Sylvan Learning Center that includes seven days of fun learning activities that the whole family can enjoy. Interactive educational projects detailed in the booklet help nurture reading, writing, research and math skills. Activities for the final seven days of the year include:
-- December 25 - Start a memory book.
-- December 26 - Family reading.
-- December 27 - Family history.
-- December 28 - Make your own play dough.
-- December 29 - Dress up as your favorite book character.
-- December 30 - Have a book-inspired feast.
-- December 31 - Explore nature.
For more information on fun learning activities from the experts at Sylvan Learning, or to download Sylvan's free activity booklet, Seven Days of Activities for Family Learning Fun, log onto http://tutoring.sylvanlearning.com/learning-activities/brochure.cfm or call 1-800-31-SUCCESS.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Vocabulary & the S.A.T.
I have been an SAT instructor at Sylvan Learning Center in Tualatin for years. The opportunity for increased understanding of and success on the test depends on many factors, including the chance for some students to participate in test prep programs. Students review tested material, learning how to apply both their knowledge and test-taking strategies to better increase their scores.
All students entering a test prep program, whether it be offered by their school, online, or at a tutoring facility like Sylvan Learning Center, come with the motivation to succeed. This motivation can be external – “My parents paid for this tutoring, so I’d better do well to please them.” – or internal – “I want to increase my score to better reflect my aptitude”. Whatever the motive, students understand that the SAT (and ACT, as well) is a high-stakes standardized test used to measure their likelihood of success at college and weighs heavily in college admissions.
Vocabulary is key. Strategies help one to choose between options given; but if one does not understand the material read or what (a), (b), (c), or (d) means, the student will have a difficult time taking and finding success on the test. Kids who take the test and don’t have a solid foundation of root words, prefixes, suffixes, and vocabulary (expressive and receptive) will be on shaky ground.
Stress the importance of reading to your kids. Talk with them about the importance of being a literate and well-read person. Provide your student with any opportunity you can to increase his or her word bank. Knowledge and understanding of vocabulary is a hinge from which their success on the verbal section of the SAT (or ACT) swings. In conjunction with a strong vocabulary, test-taking strategies can help your child find success on a very valuable test.
All students entering a test prep program, whether it be offered by their school, online, or at a tutoring facility like Sylvan Learning Center, come with the motivation to succeed. This motivation can be external – “My parents paid for this tutoring, so I’d better do well to please them.” – or internal – “I want to increase my score to better reflect my aptitude”. Whatever the motive, students understand that the SAT (and ACT, as well) is a high-stakes standardized test used to measure their likelihood of success at college and weighs heavily in college admissions.
Vocabulary is key. Strategies help one to choose between options given; but if one does not understand the material read or what (a), (b), (c), or (d) means, the student will have a difficult time taking and finding success on the test. Kids who take the test and don’t have a solid foundation of root words, prefixes, suffixes, and vocabulary (expressive and receptive) will be on shaky ground.
Stress the importance of reading to your kids. Talk with them about the importance of being a literate and well-read person. Provide your student with any opportunity you can to increase his or her word bank. Knowledge and understanding of vocabulary is a hinge from which their success on the verbal section of the SAT (or ACT) swings. In conjunction with a strong vocabulary, test-taking strategies can help your child find success on a very valuable test.
Education & Oregon's January Tax Referendum
On November 9, 2009, the Associated Press published a story by Tim Fought entitled “Stimulus patches part of Ore. Schools budget gap” (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091109/ap_on_bi_ge/us_stimulus_oregon_schools).
According to the article, the biggest share of spending in Oregon from the federal economic stimulus package has gone to pay teachers. And even though the money has been used to save and create teaching jobs in Oregon, the funds have not stabilized the school districts, which will see a shortfall after the temporary aid is no longer available after a period of three years. Then, schools will have to re-evaluate their curriculum and programs to fit the constraints of smaller budgets without aid.
Schools have suffered from the recession with the shrinking state budget. In January 2010, voters will be in a position to aid schools by upholding the Oregon state legislature’s tax increases. Measure 66 (House Bill 2649) will raise the personal income taxes for the top 2% of earners in Oregon. Measure 67 (House Bill 3405) will increase the minimum corporate tax. Both taxes are permanent. Opponents believe that an alternative can be found; it is because of their petitions that these measures will be brought to referendum in January 2010. Proponents say that public services (including education) will suffer if the measures are rejected.
For additional information on the measures, please visit http://oregonvotes.org/jan262010/bt_explanatory.pdf
According to the article, the biggest share of spending in Oregon from the federal economic stimulus package has gone to pay teachers. And even though the money has been used to save and create teaching jobs in Oregon, the funds have not stabilized the school districts, which will see a shortfall after the temporary aid is no longer available after a period of three years. Then, schools will have to re-evaluate their curriculum and programs to fit the constraints of smaller budgets without aid.
Schools have suffered from the recession with the shrinking state budget. In January 2010, voters will be in a position to aid schools by upholding the Oregon state legislature’s tax increases. Measure 66 (House Bill 2649) will raise the personal income taxes for the top 2% of earners in Oregon. Measure 67 (House Bill 3405) will increase the minimum corporate tax. Both taxes are permanent. Opponents believe that an alternative can be found; it is because of their petitions that these measures will be brought to referendum in January 2010. Proponents say that public services (including education) will suffer if the measures are rejected.
For additional information on the measures, please visit http://oregonvotes.org/jan262010/bt_explanatory.pdf
Opinion Poll on Obama & Education
Phi Delta Kappa International, a professional education society based in Bloomington, Indiana, and the Gallup Organization in Princeton, New Jersey, recently conducted a nationwide survey of 1003 adults aged 18 and older about President Obama’s efforts in education during his first six months in office. Forty-five percent of respondents gave the President an A or B; however, the public lacks confidence in the public schools. Only 19% of those surveyed gave American schools top grades. Topics included in the survey included the economy (and its effect on schools), the national No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act and annual testing, and merit pay for teachers. The survey showed the public is concerned about the lack of funding for schools. Whereas only 24% of those surveyed believe the NCLB is having a positive effect on their community, 66% of respondents support assessments to measure the progress of third and eighth graders. Seventy-two percent of people surveyed are in favor of merit pay for teachers.
Where do you stand on these issues? It is important for parents to understand how legislation affects their children and schools. You can become a better advocate for your child by researching these issues yourself. You can start by searching topics of interest at the Oregon Department of Education’s website (www.ode.state.or.us) or the national Department of Education’s site (www.ed.gov).
Where do you stand on these issues? It is important for parents to understand how legislation affects their children and schools. You can become a better advocate for your child by researching these issues yourself. You can start by searching topics of interest at the Oregon Department of Education’s website (www.ode.state.or.us) or the national Department of Education’s site (www.ed.gov).
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