Keeping Kids Safe – and Learning! – Online

Raising kids has always been challenging, but the advancing technology and round-the-clock media consumption that define the 21st century have added even more challenges to the mix. It is no longer enough to teach them right from wrong on the playground and in your home. Now a parent is called to help shape a host of new skills, sometimes dubbed 21st century skills, to prepare the child to be a productive member of this digital society. These skills include flexibility, initiation, collaboration, creativity and, perhaps above all, media literacy.

While it’s not your sole responsibility to educate your child in the workings of the digital world, there is plenty you can do to get your child on the way to having sound judgment and discernment when it comes to the many facets of technology and media. Here are just a few tips.

Protect Them Online

Stick around. When they’re surfing, be nearby. Keep the computers and iPads in common rooms, not in a child’s bedroom.

Limit usage. Allow your child to have free online time for a limited amount of time right after school (or whenever their “me” time is) to IM friends, play games, or visit social networking sites, but don’t let that time stretch too far (or segue into hours of TV or gaming time).

Follow up. Check your child’s browser history to know where your child goes online, and check those sites regularly. Don’t be shy about using security tools and privacy features — whether offered by your browser, Internet service provider, or purchased separately — for extra protection.

Choose Apps and Games Wisely

Stay in charge. Be the one to OK (or deny) the apps and games they wish to buy and play online and on mobile devices. Technology should encourage active, not passive, learning. Just because it’s popular doesn’t mean it’s good for your kids.

Look for skills development. Select games and apps that reinforce skills such as hand-eye coordination, memorization, dexterity, critical thinking and creativity. Read product descriptions and reviews closely, and look for whether an app or game has been endorsed or reviewed by an educational organization.

Watch the ads. Be careful of free or “lite” versions of apps or programs, as these will include advertisements that may be inappropriate. You can, however, use these to review the content before purchasing a premium version.

Another Tech Tip Tuesday

Tech Tips for Parents

Are you a stargazer? What about a star shopper?
This month we’re highlighting three apps that can help save you money, keep your kids safe, and
perhaps even help unravel a few mysteries of the cosmos.

Life360

What it is: Life360 Family Locator lets you find family members on a private map, see recent crimes nearby, and receive alerts when your family members reach specified locations.

Why it’s cool: We can debate the merits of using GPS locators to keep track of your kids, but if you’re
looking for a good way to make sure everyone in your family stays safe, this app gets the job done well. You can even have private chats with your family if you’ve got more to say than “I’m here safe and sound!”

What’s required: The app is free and available for iOS, Android and Blackberry.

Shop Savvy

What it is: Launched as a price comparison tool, Shop Savvy allows you to scan the barcode of an item at a store and search for a better deal on that item someplace else. It has 20 million products and 40,000 retailers (online and offline) on its platform, so chances are good you’ll get a match on something you see.

Why it’s cool: We’ve all been there, holding a pair of shoes or some important school supply in our hands at the store but wondering whether it might be a little cheaper at the store down the street. Shop Savvy helps you make a confident purchase where you are, or can save you some money by pointing out a better option.
It also recently began a relationship with Capital One, so those card holders are eligible for special deals.

What’s required: The free app is available for iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

Star Walk

What it is: Star Walk identifies in real time what constellations, stars and planets are all around you. All you have to do is point your phone at the stars. The 360-degree, touch control star map displays constellations, stars, planets, satellites and galaxies currently overhead from anywhere on Earth.

Why it’s cool: This is one of those apps that actually makes you feel like you’re living in the future. It’s a guide to astronomy for everyone from experts to those of us who can’t remember their Ursa Major from their Andromeda. Great for introducing kids to the wonders of astronomy while being confident you’re actually naming the right constellations.

What’s required: This 99-cent app is available for iOS.

Math Matters: How your “mathitude” can have an impact on your children

The truth is, math gets a bad rap. It’s an essential skill to master, but math concepts can be difficult to grasp, and many students struggle with the much-maligned subject. Adults often speak negatively about their experience in math class. It’s common, and somehow humorous, for people to claim to be “bad at math.”
While it may be true that you barely escaped algebra and still can’t figure out percentages, chances are such an openly negative attitude is hampering your child’s confidence in the subject. Children learn and internalize what they hear from their parents.

 So when it comes to math, try these tips:
1. Share your math experience with your child, but don’t share your negativity. It’s OK to relate to a struggling student with tales of your own math challenges, but be sure to point out that in your child’s case, there are a lot more tools to help – like a parent who really cares about the child’s success, online tools and games, and tutoring assistance.

2. Infuse math into everyday activities. You might offer to give your child a percentage of the grocery money saved by clipping coupons, or ask your child to figure out the savings on a sweater marked down 25 percent.


3. Highlight math as a skill that’s both cool and profitable. Almost all careers, from interior designer to architect to engineer, include math. So if your child is allowed to dismiss math as something he or she
probably won’t ever be good at, that perceived failure closes the doors on the opportunity to go into a vast array of rewarding, lucrative careers.

4. Encourage your child to practice math. Parents encourage their kids to practice sports, musical
instruments and art, but rarely do they push math as a skill to be honed outside the classroom.

5. Take an active interest in math homework. If you’re confused about the concepts involved, stay positive and learn together. And watch the language (both spoken and body language) you use when math homework is on the table.

National Teacher's Day is Tuesday, May 7

Teacher’s Pet – The Dos and Don’ts of Teacher Appreciation Gifts

The end of the school year is the perfect time to show appreciation for your child’s teachers. But how many apple-related knick-knacks can one person

accept with grace? If you’re a fan of websites like Facebook and Pinterest, you can become

overwhelmed by the choices of handmade Teacher Appreciation Gift options (most of which claim to be easy to make but are anything but).

While getting creative is great for some, it’s not for everyone. So before you head down the Pinterest rabbit hole, we asked some teachers to give us their gift requests – and advice for which gifts to skip.

Safe Bets:

1. A handwritten note. Nothing says “thank you” quite like the actual words, which you’d be surprised to learn aren’t spoken or written to teachers all that often. Putting pen to paper – and having your child do so as well – is a thoughtful expression of appreciation that a teacher will treasure for years.

2. Gift cards. Some think gift cards aren’t personal enough, but teachers say they love them. Gift cards to big-name craft supply stores or department stores (think Target, Walmart, Michael’s) allow teachers to get classroom supplies without digging so deeply into their personal funds. If you’re looking for more of a pampering present, consider a gift card to Barnes and Noble, Starbucks or the local movie theater.

3. Homemade goodies. Edible gifts are gobbled up, particularly sweet treats that teachers can bring home and share with their families.

4. Something for the classroom. The vast majority of teachers spend at least some of their own money on things for their classroom, so if you see a need (or ask the teacher directly!), fill it!

5. Something personal. Only go personal if you really know the teacher well. If you’ve been a classroom volunteer and discovered your child’s teacher is heavy into butterflies, getting something for her

collection might be nice.

Steer clear of:

1. Decorations and knick-knacks. The average classroom has just four walls, and not nearly enough shelves to handle the load of trinkets and keepsakes and decorations well-meaning students give to their teachers each year. When considering a gift, think practical, not dustable.

2. Scented gifts. Everyone loves lotion and candles, right? Possibly, but everyone’s personal tastes (and

allergies) are different, so it’s best to steer clear of that raspberry-scented foot lotion unless you’re

absolutely certain your child’s teacher loves it.

3. Apples. No teacher surveyed knew why apples are supposed to be what you give teachers, but they all have received apple-related gifts that just didn’t make much sense. Just because it has an apple on it, or is made with apples, or smells like apples, doesn’t mean it’s a good gift for a teacher. (Note: According to these guidelines, an apple-scented knick-knack might be the worst thing you could give a teacher.)

Creative Ways to Keep Your Family Connected

With spring sports in full swing and recitals and finals on the horizon, families really start to feel the time crunch this time of year. Even as daylight hours continue to grow, family time often seems to shrink. When schedules get this crazy, it’s a trick to just keep track of everyone’s whereabouts and obligations.

So how do you stay connected to the people you live with – not just their calendars? The answer’s simple: Creatively. Here are four secrets to squeezing the best out of limited down time and increasing connections in the smaller moments of your family’s day. Institute ‘No Phone’ Zones. When you only have 20 minutes a day with your teen, not spending that time checking your Facebook  feed seems like a no-brainer. But many of us are so tied to our electronic gadgets we don’t realize how addicted we’ve become. Turn it off, leave it in the car, put it in a drawer -- do whatever you have to do to keep yourself from looking at a screen even once while your child’s in the same room. We promise that email, text or status update will still be viewable after your son has been dropped off at baseball practice or your daughter is in bed.


Think outside the box.
Many families know that, given busy schedules and pressing homework, sitting around the dinner table all together is impossible. So they simply give up the goal of gathering as a unit. But there must be some time of day – whether it’s 7 a.m. or 8:30 p.m. – when the whole family is under one roof. Use that time. Instead of family dinner, have a nighttime family snack. Kids can’t resist the smell of popcorn popping or the lure of apple slices smeared with chocolate  spread or peanut butter. Put out a plate of something simple and appealing and get a check on everyone’s day.


Start ‘Pay It Forward’ at Home. 
To “pay it forward” is to ask the receiver of a bit of kindness to “repay” it to someone else instead of to the original giver. Implementing this little game of goodwill could yield immeasurable gains in your home, and it takes very little time. Design a simple “Pay It Forward!” card and give one to each family member, then let them loose on one another.Think of little ways to lighten a family member’s load or make them smile, and  instead of taking credit for the bit of kindness, simply leave the card. The goal is to never have a card for more than a day – and certainly no more than a single card at one time.

Make Hellos and Goodbyes Count.
In a tightly scheduled family, interaction is often relegated to a series of pickups and drop-offs throughout the day. You can think of this as not enough quality time together, or as an opportunity for more of what are among the best emotional moments between people – the hello and the goodbye. The way we greet one another and the way we leave one another leaves imprints on our hearts, so make the most of the many tries you get. Be intentional and positive. Swallow any inclination you have to nag, yell or ridicule in these moments. Make eye contact when you say “I love you” (and always say “I love you”).

Tech Tips Tuesday

We know parents are caught in a never-ending whirlwind of carpools and homework and parties and practices. Luckily there are a ton of apps and websites out there designed to make your life easier, more organized or just more fun. 

Here are our top two Tech Tips this month:

My Job Chart

What it is: My Job Chart is a chore and allowance tracker that works on a points system, allowing children to earn points for chores done and then allocate those points toward their spending, saving and sharing goals. Parents can choose from a big list of chores or make up their own, and the kids log into their accounts to see their daily chores and check them off as they go.

Why it’s cool: The site links directly to Amazon.com, where kids can find things they’d like to spend their money on and add them to wish lists that automatically keep track of how many points they’ve earned toward the purchase. Once they have enough points, an alert is sent to Mom or Dad, who can then purchase the item and have it shipped directly to the house. If this seems too consumer-driven, the site also links to several charities (again you can add others), and points are earned toward donating to those as well.

What’s required: The website is free, with free apps for Apple iPhones, iPads and Android phones and tablets.

Couch to 5K

What it is: The C25K program was designed to get you from never running to completing a 5K in only nine weeks. You can listen to your own music while the helpful voice prompts you to walk, to run, and to congratulate yourself for a job well done. You follow a simple training plan that gradually increases your distance and stamina, and you can measure your progress by either time or distance.

Why it’s cool: It’s free and it’s easy, and your health is worth so much more than that. If you ever wished you had your own personal trainer, someone to tell you what to do to get in shape without killing yourself or your budget, then this app might be your dream come true. It takes the guesswork out of getting in shape, and quiets that self-defeating voice inside your head telling you to slow down, walk, or stop.

What’s required: There are several mobile apps for iPhone and Android, some free, some paid.

Testing Jitters: Four Ways to Help Them Overcome Anxiety

     Test stress happens to just about everyone, and severe anxiety can sometimes strike even the most prepared students. But for some kids, every single test is a nightmare. Their palms sweat, their hearts race, and their minds go into overdrive with negative thoughts about failure – and that can be before they even get a foot in the classroom door on test day.

     Almost 20 percent of today’s students experience test anxiety, according to the American Test Anxiety Association. They don’t just worry they might not ace the test – they actually “freeze” while taking it. High test anxiety reduces working memory, confuses reasoning, increases mistakes, and lowers test scores. Research suggests students with high test anxiety perform around 12 percentile points below their peers who are not anxious test-takers.

1. Have a Studying Strategy.
Being prepared can make a world of difference in a  student’s self-confidence. Take a good look at how,  where and when your child studies. Is it too late  in the day? Are there distractions around? Is your  child trying to learn while hungry or overtired?  Does your child procrastinate learning new  material? Do your best to address each need and  set your child up for success. That means a healthy  snack, a quiet study corner, a good night’s  sleep – and no electronics (including a cell phone  or TV!) nearby.

2. Have a Test-taking Strategy.
You can’t be there to help your child through the  test, but you can tell him how to take one. When the test is set in front of him, tell him to flip through it to gauge how many questions there are and what’s involved. Then have him answer every question he knows right away, skipping anything he’s not sure about, then backtrack carefully to answer the questions he skipped. Tell him not to fret about the clock, but try to save a few minutes to go back through and check his answers. Finally, encourage him to raise his hand and ask a question if he needs something clarified.

3. Practice Positive Thinking.
Negative, self-defeating thoughts can sap your child’s mental strength, mucking up her ability to do well even if she knows all the answers. Challenge negative ideas (“I never do well on tests.”) and reframe them in a positive, honest way (“You studied hard for last week’s spelling test and passed with flying colors!”) so your child begins to see there are no absolutes.

4. Hold Your Tongue.
The morning of the test is not the time to suggest your child should have studied more or started preparing earlier. It’s not the time to nag about how late your teen stayed up or pick a fight about what your teen chose for breakfast. Try to remain calm and positive without smothering or shoving encouragement down your child’s throat. Your anxious test taker needs all the good vibes he or she can get.

What "I'm bored in school" might really mean for your teen

Teenagers are notorious for calling things "boring." Everything from a TV show to a particular shirt can be given such a blanket stamp of disapproval. But when they label school "boring," it's time to investigate what they really mean.

"The first step is to talk with your child, get their take on what's going on at school," says Dr. Lucy Jo Palladino, a California-based clinical psychologist and author of Dreamers, Discoverers & Dynamos: How to Help the Child Who Is Bright, Bored, and Having Problems in School . "More often than not you'll get 'I don't know,' but sometimes it's the best place to begin — at the source." Most formal learning disabilities and attention problems are diagnosed by about the fourth grade, so a teen who claims to be bored probably has something else going on besides a diagnosable problem. That doesn't mean you can't get to the bottom of it, though. Palladino offers parents a few common translations for the "I'm bored" mantra — and how to go about fixing them.

1. "I'm not being challenged enough." 
   What's happening: If a child is gifted, sheer class size might be working against him, as the teacher focuses on the average student while the gifted child quickly masters the material and is left twiddling his thumbs.
   
   What to do: If your child is bright and needs more of a challenge, you have to address that with the teacher. Also dig deeper to find out what excites your teen — Is it writing? Science? Engineering? — and get him involved in extracurricular activities that address those interests.



2. "There's not enough swiping and clicking."
   What's happening: "In today's world, teens are so hyper-stimulated by technology outside the classroom that inside the classroom, by contrast, their brains are under-stimulated," says Palladino, whose latest book, Find Your Focus Zone, is on finding success in today's digital age of distraction. When today's tech-driven teens sit at a desk to exercise quiet, convergent thinking, their brains just aren't conditioned for it.
   
   What to do: Be intentional with the rules and habits regarding technology at home, Palladino says. Look at the lifestyle choices you're making, and aim for more balance. Is your family watching too much TV? Is your child playing a lot of video games? Take stock of how important you've made the gadgets in your own life, and set the example you want your kids to follow. That might mean not bringing the phone to the dinner table, or to bed, and letting them see you reading a book rather than playing Words With Friends.



3. "I'm totally lost." 
   What's happening: We turn off when we don't understand something. "This is especially true in something like math," Palladino says. "If your child has missed an essential step early on, they might be turning off for the rest of the lesson because it doesn't have meaning for them. And that lack of listening is a Catch-22, because you miss something else, and then you're even less interested."
   
   What to do: Let them know you believe in them and are here to help. "The art of conversing with your teen is to mutualize the experience, to reflect back to the child in a non-judgmental way. Use open-ended questions that are more in the spirit of exploring what's going on than accusatory, like 'How come you're not paying attention?'" You'll also want to talk to the teacher, and explore options for getting extra help, she says, "but just from those conversations, your student might try a little harder if he knows you're rooting for him."



4. "I'm spent."
   What's happening: Sometimes boredom is more an expression of tiredness, and these days teens are not sleeping as well as they should, Palladino says. We have overscheduled them to the point where their only free time is late at night, after sports, dance classes, dinner and homework are done, and they don't want to give that up to sleep. In addition, more teens are heading to bed with their phones by their sides, texting and surfing throughout the night. Exhaustion leads to an inability to concentrate, so they mentally check out during class.
   
   What to do: Have teens turn in their cell phones and other gadgets at bedtime. Ease back on daytime and evening activities, to give your teen more down time. And make sure physical activity is part of the regular family routine — everyone sleeps better when they exercise.



5. "Who can study at a time like this?!" 
   What's happening: Something outside the classroom is stealing your teen's focus. "Keep in mind that a teen's No. 1 priority is to not be embarrassed," Palladino says. Teen girls are especially vulnerable to becoming preoccupied with what's going on between classes. And drama that used to be contained to the school hallways or Friday night party is now carried on 24/7 via social media, which can do some serious psychological damage.
   
   What to do: Tread lightly, but let them know you're there. "Give them the sense of being an ally," Palladino says. "You want to be establishing a strong alliance with your teenager, because that's all you've got — that bond of trust — as they get older and more independent."

Test Prep 101 – Follow the 3Ps to Excel at SAT* and ACT® Tests

In today's competitive college admissions environment, doing well enough on the SAT™ and ACT™ may seem a daunting task. But with some work, and the right preparation and practice, you can demystify these tests and turn in your score best scores. Sylvan Learning, offers the following three-step approach – the 3 Ps – Pace, Prepare, Practice – that will make it happen.

Pace

Even though it's still four years off, you should begin to prepare for college admissions as soon as you enter high school. This is the time to begin laying the foundation for the math, science and language skills you will need to get into college—and to succeed once you are admitted.

Pace yourself along the way. Don't wait until junior or senior year of high school to suddenly realize you should have done more as a freshman and sophomore, like taking those honors and AP classes that college admissions offices like to see on transcripts.

Take your PSAT and any appropriate SAT Subject Tests in your in sophomore year. In junior year, explore colleges, learn about financial aid and take more subject tests as needed. This is also the time to take the SAT and/or ACT—twice—once in the fall and once in the spring. Make college visits in the spring and summer. If necessary, retake the SAT or ACT at the beginning of senior year.

Prepare

Use Your Guidance Counselor

Many students don't make adequate use of their school's academic guidance office. Throughout your high school career, counselors can tell you all you need to know about college and SAT and ACT admissions tests, as well as give you expert advice on which classes to take to reach your goals.

Furthermore, the better your guidance counselors get to know you during your high school career, the better they will be able to help you identify, prepare for and gain admission to the college that best matches your needs, interests and skills.

Research. Target Colleges

Most colleges accept both the ACT and the SAT, but be aware that some of your targeted schools may accept only one of them, or strongly prefer one over the other.

Before you take admission tests, it's important to collect as much information as you can on the colleges you are interested in to see which test they prefer, and how they use it in conjunction with other factors such as GPA, extracurricular activities and work experience. Do this early enough to allow yourself time to prepare for and take both tests if you decide to do so.

Practice

Know Your Test

Take practice tests to gain an understanding of how the tests work and how they are structured.

For example, the SAT is longer. It takes 3 hours and 45 minutes. The writing section is mandatory. The ACT, on the other hand, takes 2 hours and 55 minutes to complete—or 3 hours and 25 minutes if the student takes an optional writing test, which is required by some colleges.

Math also accounts for more on the SAT—33 percent, compared to 25 percent for the ACT. The tests also treat incorrect answers quite differently: There is no penalty for an incorrect answer on the ACT, but each incorrect answer on the SAT costs the test-taker 1/4 point.

Do The Math

Whether you intend to major in English or engineering, math remains an important indicator of your ability to think in a structured and logical way—a key factor that colleges examine when considering your admission application.

Even if you excel on other sections of the SAT or ACT, a poor or mediocre showing in the math sections will damage your all-important total score.  If you need outside instruction to avoid falling behind in Algebra, Geometry or Trigonometry while in high school, get help while there is still sufficient time to nail down those skills.

For additional information and educational resources on test prep programs, visit SylvanTestPrep.com, an online, on-demand, video-based course that teaches students to increase their PSAT, SAT and ACT scores by being smarter test-takers or call 1-800-31-SUCCESS.

*SAT is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product. ACT is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc.

Sylvan Recommended Reading List: National Black History Month Reading Recommendations

Every February, Black History Month provides children with the opportunity to learn and share in the rich history of African Americans, both at school and at home.

Educators and parents alike know that even with the development of electronic learning technologies, reading still provides the primary gateway into that history, as it does for much of what our children learn.

That's why Sylvan Learning created a new learning system that blends state-of-the-art instructional technology with our proven proprietary approach to supplemental learning. With SylvanSync™, Sylvan’s certified instructors incorporate the use of an iPad® to create a more engaging educational experience for students and extend the learning of reading, math and other skills into the home and onto mobile devices.

Sylvan Learning is deeply dedicated to helping children build their reading skills. In addition to the leading-edge SylvanSync system, Sylvan also offers a range of free resources—including reading lists and online learning aids— aimed at helping children acquire the reading skills they need.

Black History Month provides parents with the perfect opportunity to use reading to bring this important history alive for their child while helping to build their student's reading skills. Each of the books in our recommended reading list offers an excellent window into black history at the appropriate level for each grade.

Elementary School

Kindergarten:	God Bless the Child by Billie Holiday A Picture Book of Rosa Parks by David A. Adler and Robert Castilla
Grade 1:	Big Jabe by Jerdine Nolan I Dream of Trains by Angela Johnson
Grade 2:	I've Seen The Promised Land: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther Kind, Jr. by Walter Dean Myers If a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks by Faith Ringgold
Grade 3:	Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa by Andrea Davis Pinkney Beautiful Blackbird by Ashley Bryan
Grade 4:	When Grandmama Sings by Margaree King Mitchell Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges and Margo Lundell
Grade 5:	Zora and Me by Victoria Bond and T.R. Simon A Pride of African Tales by Donna L. Washington

Middle School

Grade 6:	Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson Extraordinary People of the Harlem Renaissance by Stephen P. Hardy
Grade 7:	Caleb's Wars by David L. Dudley Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America by Sharon Robinson
Grade 8:	The Black Americans: A History in Their Own Words by Milton Meltzer Somehow Tenderness Survives: Stories of Southern Africa by Hazel Rockman

High School

Grade 9:	The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron by Howard Bryant The Glory Field by Walter Dean Myers
Grade 10:	The Collected Works of Langston Hughes: The Poems by Langston Hughes Narrative of Sojourner Truth by Sojourner Truth
Grade 11:	Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln by John Stauffer The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Grade 12:	A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Parents with children in grades K-8 also can take advantage of Book Adventure (www.BookAdventure.com), a free, online Sylvan Learning reading resource that provides a fun way to motivate children to read. Book Adventure lets children search for books, read them offline, come back to quiz on what they’ve read, and earn prizes for their reading success.

Book Adventure also features Parent’s Place, where parents can monitor their child’s reading progress, track quiz results, approve their child’s prize selection and help them find their next book to read. The site also includes a number of valuable resources, including ideas, informative articles and online tools parents can use to help motivate their child to read.

About Sylvan Learning

Sylvan Learning is the leading provider of tutoring to students of all ages, grades and skill levels with over 30 years of experience and more than 800 centers located throughout North America. Sylvan's trained and Sylvan-certified personal instructors provide individualized instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, study skills and test-prep for college entrance and state exams. For more information, call 1-800-31-SUCCESS or visit www.SylvanLearning.com.

The Cure For Report Card Stress

Sylvan Learning of Hunterdon County Offers Effective Communication Tips to Help Parents and Children Avoid "Report Card Surprise"

It seems like school just began and it is already coming to report card time.  Report card day can often be a stressful experience for both parents and students. Parents facing a poor report card find themselves disappointed by the results and apprehensive about the best way to discuss failing grades with their child's teacher.  Students feel discouraged if they've been struggling to do better, but are just not able to make the grades.  Sylvan educators in Clinton and Flemington believe that report card time doesn't have to be a source of mutual frustration and unhappiness for parents or their children. 

By following a few simple steps, parents can empower their child to bring home a report card that will make everyone proud of progress and accomplishments.

The first report card of the year can create feelings of pride, happiness and excitement for many parents. It can also produce feelings of anxiety and frustration for those who are surprised by their child's grades. However, effective and continuous communication among teachers, parents and students can help minimize the 'report card surprise.

Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of tutoring services to children of all ages and skill levels, offers the following tips to ease report card stress:

• Communicate with your child. Don't wait until the report cards are issued - it's too late then. From the first day of school, make sure your child knows that there will be a conversation about school every evening.  Conversations do not include one-word answers and half-hearted attempts at discussion. They demand open-ended questions. 
• Meet with your child's teachers.  Keep an open line of communication with your child's teacher. Talk frankly with the teacher about any skill deficiencies that are causing performance problems and work with the teacher to address these issues. At Sylvan, we offer this type of communication as part of our services, but it does not serve as a replacement for your communication with the teacher as well. 
• Establish a study plan with your child. Work with your child to develop regular study habits and to spend an adequate amount of time daily on homework and studying for tests. Be aware of assignments and whether your child is using time effectively to tackle homework and study. Encourage him to put forth his or her best effort and to persevere.
• Get help immediately if you see a problem. Don't fall prey to your child's promise to do better. He or she may not be able to correct certain issues without help from the adults in his or her life.  If your student is having melt-downs during homework time, it may not be that they don't know how to study- It may be that the work itself is too difficult and avoiding the homework is easier than trying because the work is too hard.  

A report card is more than just a series of letters. It's an invaluable tool to help parents evaluate their child's academic progress and assess his or her strengths and weaknesses. "You and Your Child's Report Card," a free parents' guide is available from Sylvan Learning. The guide gives parents numerous tips and suggestions to turn report card day into a day of achievement and celebration. 

Sylvan can help!

Call us today:

Flemington, NJ: (908) 806-4010

ACADEMIC ANTI-RESOLUTIONS FOR 2013

Sylvan Learning offers simple suggestions for better academic results in 2013

New Year’s academic resolutions are pretty much off the list of most students. We adults don’t set a better example either. Since the beginning of time, we have been making and breaking New Year’s resolutions. Our well-intended resolutions often don’t work because changing deeply ingrained habits is never easy, even for the most determined among us.

So if you want to secure a successful change in your student this year, particularly with regards to academic performance, try a new tactic:  The Anti-Resolution.

By saying no, students can create some new, positive academic habits.  Allow your student to brainstorm a few things he or she will NOT do, in the pursuit of higher grades and a more positive school experience. 

Here are 10 anti-resolution suggestions from Sylvan Learning to get your student paving a path toward better academic results in 2013:

1. I will NOT start studying the night before a test. Procrastination is one of the biggest grade-killers. Children who get into the habit of studying earlier – or tackling a school project well ahead of its due date -- will get the higher scores they were capable of achieving all along.

2.  I will NOT tune out in math class. For many students, all-important math and algebra classes are the biggest challenge. Simply paying attention can pay dividends.

3.  I will NOT be afraid to raise my hand in class. This is a big one. Asking questions is a key part of learning. A teacher’s answer to a single question may clarify a student’s understanding of an entire lesson.

4.  I will NOT play video games before I do my homework. Today’s children have an almost limitless variety of electronic diversions that can lure them away from schoolwork. Students need to get into the habit of making sure that schoolwork takes precedence.

5.  I will NOT miss out on reading for 20 minutes every day. Children cannot improve reading skills or develop a love of reading if they don’t do it regularly.  Twenty minutes per day is the bare minimum.

6.  I will NOT participate in social media during every spare minute. As useful and entertaining as Facebook and Twitter can be, they also can be constant sources of interruption during academic tasks, both in and out of class.

7.  I will NOT talk in class when I should be listening. Teachers often hear students offer the excuse, “I guess I didn’t hear it.” Students need to realize that the teacher’s job is to instruct; the student’s job is to pay attention.

8. I will NOT forget to write down my assignments.  A student can’t do homework he or she doesn’t know about. Frantic last-minute calls to classmates for homework assignments waste time and demonstrate a lack of discipline.

9.  I will NOT sit in the back of class.  Sitting closer to the front of the class encourages participation and shows the teacher you’re interested.

10.  I will NOT forget how important school is to my future. The daily routine of school may blunt a student’s perception of just how important academics are in the grand scheme of things. Children should remain aware that how well they do in school really matters.

There you have it – 10 things for students not to do in 2013.

For additional information and educational resources, visit us on the web at www.sylvanlearning.com or call us at (908) 806-4010.