Sunday Morning Shout Out

Image Source: http://www.theallstate.org/2012/12/05/a-text-is-not-worth-your-life/

I dread the sound of sirens this time of year.  It seems like good weather breeds more auto accidents and fatalities, especially among young people.  Highway crashes are the leading cause of death among young people.  Preliminary data, released from the National Transportation Safety Board and featured in a recent National Public Radio news story titled ‘Push To End Teens’ Distracted Driving Targets Parents, Peers‘, indicates highway deaths among 16 to 17 year-olds are up 20% from last year, after several years of decline.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,  National Organizations for Youth Safety, along with the Ad Council, and Mazda teamed up with the Project Yellow Light/Hunter Garner Scholarship fund  to run a completion  among high school and college students to create a video to educate fellow young people about the dangers of texting while driving.  The winners  are featured at the website and definitely provoke thought.  Thought and early education is what it is all about, according to safe driving advocates and experts.  Just like early messages about safety belts are now standard lines for parents, the same needs to occur when it comes to the misuse of electronic devices.  Furthermore, Deborah Hersman, Chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, reminds parents that we need to practice we preach when it comes driving safely.  Telling our children not to use a cell phone or text while they drive and doing so ourselves is the wrong message- like anything else!   Our children are always watching us.  Hersman points out that our driving behavior is one of the best indicators of our children’s.

Other measures have been underway to increase safe driving among young people. Graduated licenses are law in all 50 states.  Limiting teen drivers in one vehicle, along with restrictions on electronic devices in cars and nighttime driving have all been beneficial, according to Hersman.  But, when there is a 20% increase in highway deaths among this population in one year, we must realize we have a very serious issue on our hands and this campaign must be a personal, parental, school and governmental blitz…we all have a role and responsibility!

Are Glasses Needed?

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An epidemic of mypoia (shortsightedness) is sweeping Asia. 80 to 90 percent of students are leaving school afflicted by the disease and a small percentage of these (10-20%) will have high myopia which could result in blindness. Unlike the preventative measures we take with the dentist, we generally only go to the optometrist when we think we may need glasses.  With children, it’s difficult to tell whether they have trouble with their vision as they may just get used to the blur and not vocalize their issues.  Luckily, there are telltale signs that can help you to identify when your child needs to take a trip to the optometrist.

Physical symptoms
Eyestrain can cause headaches, red eyes and excessive tearing. Children who are reading may rub their eyes repeatedly. Squinting, covering an eye or moving further from or closer to the object may indicate that your child cannot see the object clearly. If your child exhibits any of these symptoms regularly, you must have their eyes checked.
Wanting to sit really close to the television or computer screen and sensitivity to light are also important indicators that your child may have a visual impairment.
If your child exhibits a short attention span for their age or struggles with hand-eye coordination, it may be a sign of poor eyesight. You can also test your child’s reading to ensure that they are able to recognize letters. If they hold the book too close or too far away, rub their eyes, have trouble concentrating, mix up letters that look similar to each other (like a C and an O), they may have trouble seeing the text clearly.

When to get your child tested
Babies should have their eyesight tested just after being born and then again at 6 months. Test your child’s eyesight every two to three years by taking them to a registered optometrist. Myopia is mainly caused by a lack of sunlight and by too much reading and computer time. Ensure that your children eat a healthy diet and get outside for at least two hours every day (weather permitting).
When students are studying or working on the computer for hours at a time, getting up and walking around can really help their posture and give their eyes a chance to rest. Have your students look up into the middle and far distance regularly (getting them to look out the window at things which are nearby and far away) helps to keep eye muscles toned and healthy.
Too much of anything is not good for your children, so make sure that they have a healthy balance of TV, computer, study and outdoor time, healthy meals and regular exercise. If your child already wears glasses, have their eyes checked annually for changes in their prescriptions.

Note: This entry is adapted from a post on the Tutor Doctor Corporate blog from 5/18/12 titled ‘How to tell if your child needs glasses.’

Summer Learning: Not For Dummies Anymore

Building a successful sand castle requires quite a bit of skill! (Image Credit:http://www.superstock.com/stock-photos-images/1886R-25213)

The 2012/13 school year is quickly coming to a close and it is time to put some serious thought into your child’s ‘summer education’.  I know when I was a child the thought of summer was about anything BUT school.  Summer school was for kids who failed or had issues in the regular year.  I did go one year in second or third grade for reading and once I got over the ‘trauma’ it was actually quite fun and it did help my reading.

In subsequent years while there was always the threat of summer school it never materialized since I achieved pretty good grades. However, that meant the summer was generally an educational dead zone for me. There was the occasional family trip to the Buffalo Zoo, Buffalo Museum of Science, Corning Glass, Niagara Falls, Fort Niagara and local parks that were great fun and sparked my curiosity.  Nevertheless, it was really not enough to truly advance my learning through the summer. I’d get back into school in September and be amazed at all the Math, Science and English I had forgotten.

Times have changed since then and as parents we are truly doing our children a disservice if we don’t act proactively and use the summer to supplement our child’s education.  There are many options to doing this that can be fun, low-cost, effective and engaging for all of us…including the child. Some ideas include:

Summer Camp – We have many posts on these and how to select the one right for you and your child. Remember to do your research! Camps can be overnight or just for the day. In Buffalo, the Buffalo Museum of Science,  Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo Zoo and many others have some great offers for parents. The Nickelodeon site ParentsConnect has an OK listing you can explore. In Rochester the choices are just as amazing and can be found at MySummerCamps.com. Of special note are the offers by Rochester Museum & Science Center and RIT.

Community Activities – Here in Pembroke, NY there is an excellent program sponsored by the Town that runs for 6 weeks on Mon-Frid. for 3 hours. It is free and includes a host of supervised activities, crafts and swimming for the students that range in age from 5-14. I know many other communities also offer programs like this. The best place to check on them would be your local village, town or county government office.

Local Library – This is a great resource for increasing your child’s reading and language skills. Each tends to offer different types of programs but most are free. Check with your local branch and remember they tend to have programs for adults as well.

Music Lessons – Music or vocal training can be a real gift you can give to your child. Studies show the imense value music has in the development of a child. Your local school music department may often offers summer programs or you can look for a teacher yourself through the school, Craigslist or Tutor Doctor. Typically you can get someone for $20-$40 per hour. Remember to check backgrounds and get references on the instructor if you hire them yourself!

Tailored Programs – You might check with your child and find out what they might be interested in learning. From here you can try to work with a teacher, education consultant or tutor to find or develop something that meets the requirements. Two years ago we had a great request to help a student in 3rd grade who wanted to learn more about space and the universe. We developed a two week program that met his needs. We did in part with the Buffalo Museum of Science where we volunteered with the student and did our lesson in their ‘Our Place in Space Floor‘. It was fantastic and the student loved the program for what he learned and what he was able to share with others!

In closing…remember to include your child in the process. By engaging them early on you have a better chance of them liking what is decided since they had a role in the selection. It also helps them to learn how to budget, evaluate service offerings, and how they can be evaluated.  Also remember that in the summer your child would like time with their biggest educator…YOU!  Make some time for your biggest fan especially in their younger years.

GED to TASC

If you, a friend or family member did not complete your High School diploma requirements you should know that now might be the time to get it. Starting January 1, 2014 the GED (General Educational Development) will no longer be the High School equivalency diploma exam recognized by New York State. Used since 1926 in NYS this pen and paper instrument was offered free to individuals in the State. The State paid the $60 fee the GED publishers had been charging. After Jan. 1, 2014 the cost was going to be raised to $120 for the 2014 version of the GED. That price increase came after Pearson purchased the former not-for-profit publisher of the GED.

Personally, I find that a ridiculous price increase as did the officials in the NYS Education Department. The change to the TASC comes at a time when NYS was already looking to have a equivalency exam that matches the new State educational standards, could be administered on a computer in a phased approach and was cost effective. The TASC (Test Assessing Secondary Completion) fits the bill and is going to cost the State $54 per application. The TASC is going to be developed by CTB/McGraw-Hill.

Recognizing that the change will be a bit dramatic for students currently desiring to obtain their equivalency diploma NYS is allowing individuals to take the GED up to three times this year. This is especially important for individuals who have passed parts of the GED since they will only have until Dec 31 to pass the other parts or they will have to take the entire TASC starting in 2014.

One of the best ways to prepare for the GED is to talk to your local school districts counseling center or BOCES. They can offer advice and often have material for your use. Some even have classes you can attend to brush up on your skills. Other options include books and tutoring. Usually all these options have pre-tests that allow you to assess your strengths and weaknesses thus allowing you to focus your study.

Note: New York State Law prohibits charging people to take the high school equivalency exam and there are currently only 269 NYS Educational Department testing sites.

The Home Stretch

A large majority of UPK- 12 schools in North America are now on a one to two-week spring recess. This is a great time to recharge the batteries and get ready for the final marking period. Report cards or status reports for the previous three periods have been sent home and it is a good time to reflect on how acceptable your child is doing.

Knowing what can be done to assist them making it through all the chaos and stress of the final weeks of the 2012/2013 school year can be a challenge. The challenge is even greater if the student is not doing well and there is a chance of failing. Here are some tips on meeting the challenge and helping your child succeed.

Talk with the schools counselors/guidance department – Use this first step to get an accurate picture of what your child’s status is and their chances for success. Also get assistance from the staff in contacting and meeting with the teachers where your child is having issues. If your school doesn’t have a guidance dept. you can go to the teacher or principle. Bottom line is to remember you are the client or customer. You have a right to time with these individuals and their support in having your child succeed.

Talk to parent of children in the same class or classes – Ask if they are also having difficulty. If there seems to be a large number of students having issues it maybe something more than your child having an issue.

Discuss the situation with your child and develop a plan of action together – If your child is involved in the planning and desired outcome they are more likely to succeed. Have them help create the consequences for failure and rewards for success.

Plan the rest of the semester – Look at the calendar and plan for the rest of the semester. Planning is a large part of success. Don’t forget to put together a plan for the individual days and when your child does homework and study

Determine if Sports or other After School activities are interfering with your child’s academics – Often times students have too many things going on and they are not getting the sleep they need. It also cuts into the time they have for homework and reading.

Be ready to support and work with your child – This is often the hardest part for parents who work and have other obligations. Some other support measures can be study groups, studying with a friend and/or getting a tutor.

Do weekly check-ins with your child and the school – Doing this will help you support your child’s difficult task of achieving success in a sort period of time. It also allows adjustment to issues and concerns that may arise during the week.

We hope you have a great break and success in the fourth period

 

Adult Learning

Image Source: http://brandywine.psu.edu/Admissions/adult.htm

With the economic climate of the last 5 years being relatively dismal, mature learners have been returning to secondary education in unprecedented numbers. This is great, but going back to college or university is much more complicated than it was when you were just out of High School and much in higher education has changed today. Now your busy schedule makes finding the time to study difficult. Many students find themselves feeling incredibly stressed and under enormous pressure when studying. The question is why?

There is a plethora of contributing factors to adult student stress:
·        Family responsibilities take up time and energy

·        Part time or full-time jobs require your attention

·        Having had a successful career, you put too much pressure on yourself to be the ‘perfect’ student

·        Study methods you learned in school don’t work with modern teaching techniques

·        You have not kept abreast of technological advancements

·        There are gaps in your knowledge base as you have lost things you learned at school

If you are feeling overwhelmed and stressed, then consider getting a tutor. Learning centers are generally provided by each educational institution, but are often staffed by other students who may not have the skills to recognize your academic needs or help you to organize your life. You also have to make appointments and fit in with learning center schedules. Study groups are also an option but tend to be course specific.

Tutor are trained to recognise your strengths and weaknesses. They are able to help you to organize your time more effectively so that you have enough time for all the things in your life that require your attention. They will help you to study smarter, not harder.

Tutor are also able to fill gaps in your knowledge or review things that you learned in school, but have since forgotten. This will give you a stable foundation on which to build. Tutors can also teach techniques to improve concentration and memory so that you remember more of what you learn.

Study skills, research skills and writing are all paramount in presenting essays and assignments that are well-organized and grammatically correct. No matter how thorough a grasp of the material you may have, if you are not able to present your arguments and research well, your grades will suffer. Tutors are able to work with you on assignments and essays to improve your communication skills. Tutors can also be mentors as you go through higher level degree work such as Masters and PhD’s. There they can often keep you on track and provide a sounding board for your ideas. This proves especially important in writing your thesis or dissertation.

Choose a tutor that suits your personality. Find one that comes to you and fits in with your busy schedule to simplify your life. Find a tutor that is an expert in your field so that you benefit from the very best advice.

Measure your results so that you can tell if your investment in a tutor is paying off. Set realistic goals so that you have a sense of achievement and are able to feel more relaxed and confident about your studies. Investing in a tutor may be the very best thing you decide to do in your academic career and helps to keep your sanity!

How to Deal with Bad Report Cards

Almost every student has a bad report card at least once in their academic careers. As the mid-term exam grades are rolling in, dealing effectively with a bad report card is a great way to ensure a better grade in the final exams. Being pragmatic and practical is a better approach to bad report cards so that you and your student can move to a more positive and effective study methodology.

Get the whole picture
It’s important to understand the whole picture before working on a strategy that will improve grades in the future. Ask your student/child to explain what circumstances led to their drop in grades. Social or emotional factors that you may not be aware of can have a huge impact on your student’s performance. If they are not willing to communicate, try a more congenial tone and ask questions that are more specific. For example; if your student’s only response is “I don’t know,” ensure that you are not angry or emotional. If you are, take a break and revisit the subject when you feel more relaxed. Instead of asking; “Why is your math grade so low?” ask more direct questions like; “What parts of the curriculum did you not understand?”

Once you have established what the underlying causes are of the lower grades, ask your student/child what they think can be done to remedy the situation. Really listening to them and involving them in all aspects and decisions will make them feel part of the process and is more likely to meet with cooperation than solutions that are imposed.

Talk to your teachers
Ask the teacher about your student’s performance if your student is earning below a ‘B’. Ask if they have turned in their assignment on time, if there are social issues you need to be aware of and whether your student has been applying themselves in class. Your teachers are there to help and they often have insights that could be vital to your student’s development. Ask your teacher to identify the root of the problem and suggest possible solutions. Together you, your student and the teacher can discuss strategies for improving grades.

Get an in-home tutor
If your student/child is struggling in a specific subject, it may be time to get a tutor. In-home tutors offer one-on-one tutoring that really helps to improve grades. Knowledge is a structure and if your student is missing some of the basic building blocks, no amount of studying will improve their understanding. A tutor can go back and find the gaps in their knowledge and fill them in. Working in-home also gives your student the confidence they need to succeed. While education centers can help some individuals when they have troubles many more students/children need the personalized assistance and direct attention that a personal tutor can offer.
Set realistic expectations for your student’s grades and don’t put them under so much stress that they experience anxiety or neglect their social lives. Try to strike a balance between studies and social development. Talk to your students and really listen to what they have to say. Remember that students are growing and developing and they are bound to perform differently as they have their ups and downs; stay positive and supportive.

(Note: This post was adapted from the Feb 1,2013 post on the Tutor Doctor corporate blog)

Status Check

Image Source: http://www.newschool.edu/milano/nycaffairs/SchoolsAccountability_HowToReadASchoolProgressReport.aspx

For most K-12 school districts and students here in WNY the school year is half over and report cards, progress or status reports have been sent out. So as a parent how are you to evaluate your child’s report and progress? Some of the common questions we hear from parents at this time of the year include:

What grade tells me it is time to get help for my child? Our first response is does the grade concern you and why?

Can a report card forecast problems my child might have?

Why does my child do good in some classes but not others?

Can I talk to my child’s teacher about their report card?

What is a good grade for my child?

My child received straight A’s so we can reduce study time and the amount of time we spend working with them…right?

I don’t think my child is trying hard enough. What can I do?

Should I punish my child because I believe their grades are not the best they could do?

My child is failing one or more subjects. Is there time to help them get a passing grade?

How can I help my child when I don’t understand the material?

My job is really time intensive and stressful so I don’t have the time needed to help my child what can I do?

So how do we answer these questions? Usually the answer is derived through dialogue with the parent so we can understand the situation, it’s history, and the dynamics that are at play. Usually there is not just one solution or answer to these questions. In the next couple of posts here I’ll explore each of these questions. If you have any additional questions please send them over!

For now one of the best things to know is that just by asking these questions you are starting to help your child and their chance for success in today’s ever changing academic world. Soon you’ll even need to know how to read the schools progress report that will be completed by NYS Education on each school and school district in New York State. The nice thing is that there will be times where knowing that information may be important in knowing why or why not your child is learning as mapped by the Common Core Standards.

Do Boys and Girls Learn Differently?

Image Source: http://www.redlands.nsw.edu.au/go/a-redlands-education/international-outlook

While individual personality and ability play large roles in determining how your student learns, research shows us that boys’ and girls’ brains are also wired differently and they tend to approach learning from different angles. Learning which approach best suits your student’s learning style will help you to provide support that really works.

In general boys learn better with visual aids and movement. Girls, on the other hand, prefer to learn through discussing and working with others. Knowing how to present information in a way that makes it easier for them to digest is a great way to help your students to study.

After School Activity
If you want your students to do their homework or work with the in-home tutor, it’s best not to schedule these activities right after the school day has ended. Just like you, your students need to decompress after a long day. Boys are more likely to play a video game, play sport or do something physical while girls want to talk about their day. Ever wondered why your daughter will spend all day at school with her friends, but then phone them the minute she walks in the door? It’s just her way of processing the events of the day.

Movement is a great way to get some exercise, de-stress and get some fresh air. Encouraging physical activities like a game of basketball or walking the dog are the perfect way to get some downtime before homework.

Homework help for boys
Understand that boys need to move around and incorporate that into your homework routine. Set short periods of working interspersed with activities for example, get your student to work for fifteen minutes and then play basketball for fifteen minutes. You can incorporate movement into homework tasks too like throwing a ball to each other while spelling words or making a map on the floor and asking them to walk to different countries when they are studying geography. Acting out plays or scenes from English books is a great way for them to understand and remember what happens.

Boys develop language skills later than girls do, so you may want to monitor progress and get an English tutor if necessary. Encourage reading to help your student to improve his vocabulary and communication skills.

Homework help for girls
Get your girls moving. Girls are better at sitting still and may want to watch TV when they have free time, but getting them to move will encourage creativity and problem solving. When your student is having trouble with her homework, discuss the problem with her and try to explain it in a different way. Monitor math and science scores and get a math tutor if she is struggling.

(Note: This blog entry was adapted from a Jan. 25, 2013 entry on the Tutor Doctor corporate web site)

Second Half

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Now that most K-12 students are back in school it is time for parents and care providers to really look at how well their students are doing at school. If they are sitting at D’s and C’s in any subject at this point in the year it is time to take some proactive action. The best time to take this action is now before much more of the new year transpires and your student becomes too frustrated, demotivated or behind to really help them.

I know how hard it is for a parent to watch their child struggle or just give up on a course having seen it occur to my own children. During those times of trouble I had the good fortune that the children kept trying and for the times when there was difficulty in math their step-father was able to provide the support, encouragement and homework help they needed. For my youngest girl who was having problems in Pre-K we were able to find a tutor specialist in early education and had her work with her twice a week for over seven months. It was a great experience for my daughter and it helped her overcome her memory issues that were impacting her ability to count and learn the alphabet.

I know my wife and I could have helped our daughter, but what the learning specialist tutored her in was so effective and ‘painless’ to both myself and my daughter that it was well worth the time and money. She is doing great in Kindergarten now and while we currently don’t have her being tutored we do make sure we take extra time to extend and reinforce what she is learning in school. We even use some of the process and techniques we saw her tutor use to work with her and it has been very helpful.

You might be thinking that tutoring in Pre-K or Kindergarten is a bit too much and 15 years ago I’d agree with you. However, education has changed so much in that time that if a child get behind in these early grades there will be problem throughout their academic career. Taking action early is also important since denying there is a problem or ‘waiting to see if it is really a problem’ only puts your child further behind. For example, when I was first seeing that my daughter was having problems I mentioned it to my wife. She didn’t see any reason for alarm at that point. About 2 months later my wife became more aware of the difficulties our daughter was having and it was verified in part by her Pre-K teacher and partially in the behavior of our dauhter. It took a couple more weeks to find the right tutor and get that started so by then it was the end of January. She was pretty much at the right level by the time school ended in May but we kept her working with the tutor through July to help her get even further.

So far she is doing great in Kindergarten and loves school and can’t wait to get back. I hope your child is having the same experience.