The holidays are over. It’s a New Year, and a time for renewed academic resolutions.
Here’s a goal that many students will find compelling and achievable this year: Good Attendance.
While academic goals take a while to show results—students organize, study, break down big tasks into smaller ones, and wait for grades and report cards to appear—maintaining a good attendance record is more immediate. It’s easily understood. Each day is a small achievement.
Good attendance is not an empty achievement, either. There’s a strong correlation between attendance and achievement, behavior, post-secondary schooling, and drop-out rates. There’s plenty of research, and our common sense backs it up. Good attendance numbers also tell us something about the school and the instruction that’s going on there.
Here are some ways to motivate students to keep attendance up.
Show you care. Good attendance is important to you as a parent. Show that you don’t approve of lateness, fake illnesses, or dodging responsibilities. Have high expectations. Your child should bereally sick before missing school. High fever? Okay. Lethargy? Unprepared? Not so much.
Communicate with the school. When your child must be absent, call or e-mail the school to tell them. Let your child see you do this. Now the school will know that they can expect to hear from you in the future, and your child will know that adults are monitoring his health and academics.
Schedule when you can. Help your child keep up her good attendance record by making routine pediatrician, optometrist, and dentist appointments for days when school is not in session. This won’t always be possible, but your child will see that you’re serious about school attendance when you try.
Have back-up plans. Snow? Car trouble? Alarm not working? Have back-up plans, so your kid doesn’t get the idea that any disruption is a convenient excuse for taking a day off. If you want a good laugh, ask a teacher for some of his or her favorite absence excuses. You won’t believe what you hear.
Don’t be an accomplice. Don’t allow your child to talk you into making excuses for him. Follow your instincts. Your job is to teach him responsibility and self-discipline. His job is to go to school. Don’t upset this balance of power.
Show why good work habits are important. Good attendance is a good habit. Help your child by establishing helpful routines, having a study area, monitoring her homework, keeping her on schedule for important school projects, and celebrating success. Show how you maintain good work habits to be successful in your job or other important activities.
Watch confidence rise. Good attendance isn’t the only criterion for success, but its part of a wide range of characteristics of highly-achieving students. Watch your child’s confidence rise as he sees more success, starting with the perseverance needed for good attendance.
Don’t give up. Like so many other child-rearing goals, staying positive is key. Let your kid know that his health is paramount, but his academic achievement isn’t far behind. Absences from school are going to get your strictest attention.
Sylvan Learning Directors and teachers from Flemington, New Jersey dish on the latest educational trends and what you can do to help your child achieve academic success!
Showing posts with label clinton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label clinton. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Regular Practice Creates Better Writers
With winter break just around the corner, children are enjoying the cold weather, the fun activities with friends and family and some vacation time. But winter break can also be an enjoyable learning experience. The winter break provides many memorable moments, and writing about them is a good way to record those memories and practice writing skills at the same time.
Parents tend to focus on their children's reading and math skills, overlooking that writing is an education fundamental. It's fast becoming the forgotten ‘R’, This is unfortunate, as writing is an important part of every facet of education, not just in English class. Writing proficiency can have a major impact on other subject areas too.
Winter Break provides an excellent opportunity for children to explore their creative writing skills. Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of in-center and live, online tutoring at home to students of all ages and skill levels, has developed the following tips to help parents encourage their children to write over the holidays:
Pick an Engaging Topic
Persuading your child to write over the winter break may be easier if you help them identify fun and engaging topics. Suggest timely subjects.
• For example, Christmas Day or New Year's Day are good opportunities for your children to explore their own feelings about family and to reflect upon the year that was as well as to plan for the year ahead.
• Ask them if they would like to write about a New Year's Resolution for the start of 2011 and help them come up with short, measurable goals to attain this Resolution. Mom and Dad, you can be a great example by setting one for yourself!
Give Story Starters
Sometimes the most difficult part of writing can be getting started. Help your children write their essays by giving them topic ideas, such as:
• I am proud to be part of this family because….
• On Christmas (or Hannukah or Kwanzaa), my family and I usually…
• If someone asked me what the holidays mean to me, I would say…
Sylvan Tips on Writing
• Good writing takes time. Spend time organizing your ideas and thinking about what you really want to say in your essay.
• Use the Internet or library to research your topic.
• Prepare an outline before you begin to write.
• Use transition words – such as “after,” “although,” “before,” “however” and “therefore” to help your ideas flow together.
• Be willing to revise. Change your sentences and paragraphs around, add material that lends to your writing and delete material that doesn’t work.
• Avoid clichés and jargon.
• Always keep a dictionary handy to help with spelling.
• Use a thesaurus to help you think of a new way to say something.
• Ask someone else to edit your work.
• Proofread everything. Make sure grammar, spelling and punctuation are perfect before you declare anything “finished.”
• Don’t rely on a computer’s spellchecker to ensure proper spelling.
Sylvan Learning can help students improve their writing skills before the beginning of the new school year. The Sylvan Academic Writing program is designed to help students understand many writing formats and styles, including illustrative and descriptive essays, comparative passages, persuasive writing, expository writing, summaries and outlines. Students in the program also complete exercises in grammar, spelling, vocabulary, paragraph structure and essay development. In addition, Sylvan can help juniors and seniors in high school prepare for college and the workplace with its new College Prep Writing program. College Prep Writing is a 36-hour program providing a solid foundation in upper-level writing, including “how-to” help with college applications and essays, targeting efforts on SAT* and ACT® writing sections, refining research skills and understanding source documentation.
Parents tend to focus on their children's reading and math skills, overlooking that writing is an education fundamental. It's fast becoming the forgotten ‘R’, This is unfortunate, as writing is an important part of every facet of education, not just in English class. Writing proficiency can have a major impact on other subject areas too.
Winter Break provides an excellent opportunity for children to explore their creative writing skills. Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of in-center and live, online tutoring at home to students of all ages and skill levels, has developed the following tips to help parents encourage their children to write over the holidays:
Pick an Engaging Topic
Persuading your child to write over the winter break may be easier if you help them identify fun and engaging topics. Suggest timely subjects.
• For example, Christmas Day or New Year's Day are good opportunities for your children to explore their own feelings about family and to reflect upon the year that was as well as to plan for the year ahead.
• Ask them if they would like to write about a New Year's Resolution for the start of 2011 and help them come up with short, measurable goals to attain this Resolution. Mom and Dad, you can be a great example by setting one for yourself!
Give Story Starters
Sometimes the most difficult part of writing can be getting started. Help your children write their essays by giving them topic ideas, such as:
• I am proud to be part of this family because….
• On Christmas (or Hannukah or Kwanzaa), my family and I usually…
• If someone asked me what the holidays mean to me, I would say…
Sylvan Tips on Writing
• Good writing takes time. Spend time organizing your ideas and thinking about what you really want to say in your essay.
• Use the Internet or library to research your topic.
• Prepare an outline before you begin to write.
• Use transition words – such as “after,” “although,” “before,” “however” and “therefore” to help your ideas flow together.
• Be willing to revise. Change your sentences and paragraphs around, add material that lends to your writing and delete material that doesn’t work.
• Avoid clichés and jargon.
• Always keep a dictionary handy to help with spelling.
• Use a thesaurus to help you think of a new way to say something.
• Ask someone else to edit your work.
• Proofread everything. Make sure grammar, spelling and punctuation are perfect before you declare anything “finished.”
• Don’t rely on a computer’s spellchecker to ensure proper spelling.
Sylvan Learning can help students improve their writing skills before the beginning of the new school year. The Sylvan Academic Writing program is designed to help students understand many writing formats and styles, including illustrative and descriptive essays, comparative passages, persuasive writing, expository writing, summaries and outlines. Students in the program also complete exercises in grammar, spelling, vocabulary, paragraph structure and essay development. In addition, Sylvan can help juniors and seniors in high school prepare for college and the workplace with its new College Prep Writing program. College Prep Writing is a 36-hour program providing a solid foundation in upper-level writing, including “how-to” help with college applications and essays, targeting efforts on SAT* and ACT® writing sections, refining research skills and understanding source documentation.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
The Power of Free Play
Everybody needs a little playtime – even turtles – according to new research from the University of Tennessee. They say that playtime, may, in fact, make for a life worth living. So what about kids, who with academics and sports and dance and theater are too-often often-scheduled and over stressed? Some experts have a solution...to schedule in free time. Tessa, for example, spends five days a week, four hours a day after school at gymnastics class. “By the time I get home, it’s like eight [o’clock] or so,” she says, “and I eat and do my homework and take a shower and talk to my parents about how the day’s gone - and then I go to bed.”
Experts have come up with a solution for kids like Tessa: Schedule in free time. “Almost by definition a ‘schedule of free time’ sounds kind of paradoxical to all of us,” says psychologist Nadine Kaslow, “but I do think planning for free time or for down time is very, very important for
children.” She says along with creative play and spending time with family and friends, free time provides moments away from competition. “With all these activities and schoolwork, there’s tremendous pressure to perform - often to compete, to excel,” says Kaslow, “and that leisure time and free time doesn’t have those demands.”
On the other hand, she says, some kids don’t handle free time very well. That’s something Tessa discovered last year, when she decided to take a break. “I didn’t like it as much as being in gymnastics, even though I had time,” she remembers.
Experts say let your children choose their after school activities, choose how busy they want to be, but watch for signs of burnout. “They will tell you, whether it’s through words or tears - or they’ll say, ‘when are we going again,’ or they’ll start screaming when you say it’s time to go,” says Kaslow.
What We Need To Know
Organized activities outside of a child’s school day certainly have their benefits: social skills, self-discipline, physical exercise and sportsmanship, exploration and enjoyment, to name a few. For some families, however, an over-scheduled existence may be fueled by a desire not to be left out or to build the resume of extracurricular activities that students and parents view as necessary for college admissions.
According to experts at Kids Health, even those parents who try to help their children cut back on some activities can run up against coaches who won’t tolerate absences and kids who want to keep up with their friends. The key is to schedule things in moderation and choose activities with a child’s age, temperament, interests, and abilities in mind. Here are some
simple suggestions:
Agree on ground rules ahead of time:
For instance, plan on kids playing one sport per season or limit activities to two afternoons or evenings during the school week.
Know how much time is required:
For example, will there be time to practice between lessons? Does your child realize that soccer practice is twice a week, right after school until dinnertime? Then there’s the weekly game, too. Will homework suffer?
Keep a calendar to stay organized:
Display it on the refrigerator or other prominent spot so that everybody can stay up-to-date. And if you find an empty space on the calendar, leave it alone!
Try to balance activities for all of your kids — and yourself:
It hardly seems fair to expend time and energy carting one kid to activities, leaving little time for another. And take time for yourself, to do the things you enjoy, and to spend time together as a family.
Create family time:
If you’re eating pizza on the run every night, plan a few dinners when everyone can be home at the same time — even if it means eating a little later. Schedule a family fun time, too, whether it’s playing a board game or going on bike ride or hike.
Know when to say no:
If your child is already doing a lot but really wants to take on another activity, discuss what other activity or activities need to be dropped to make room for the new one.
Prioritize:
If your child's grades are beginning to slip, would it be wise to sacrifice extra help for school for soccer, football or basketball? Getting them the help they need for school is critical to helping them to foster their independence, and tutoring may only be for one of the sports seasons for the year.
Remember the importance of downtime:
Everyone needs a chance to relax, reflect on the day, or just do
nothing.
Signs that your family and your child are overscheduled include always eating meals on the go, the kids are always tired, there’s a drop in grades, and constant complaints about going to practice or games. Make sure, despite their busy schedule, to keep lines of communication open with
your children. Use time in the car to listen - and to talk about their lives.
Experts have come up with a solution for kids like Tessa: Schedule in free time. “Almost by definition a ‘schedule of free time’ sounds kind of paradoxical to all of us,” says psychologist Nadine Kaslow, “but I do think planning for free time or for down time is very, very important for
children.” She says along with creative play and spending time with family and friends, free time provides moments away from competition. “With all these activities and schoolwork, there’s tremendous pressure to perform - often to compete, to excel,” says Kaslow, “and that leisure time and free time doesn’t have those demands.”
On the other hand, she says, some kids don’t handle free time very well. That’s something Tessa discovered last year, when she decided to take a break. “I didn’t like it as much as being in gymnastics, even though I had time,” she remembers.
Experts say let your children choose their after school activities, choose how busy they want to be, but watch for signs of burnout. “They will tell you, whether it’s through words or tears - or they’ll say, ‘when are we going again,’ or they’ll start screaming when you say it’s time to go,” says Kaslow.
What We Need To Know
Organized activities outside of a child’s school day certainly have their benefits: social skills, self-discipline, physical exercise and sportsmanship, exploration and enjoyment, to name a few. For some families, however, an over-scheduled existence may be fueled by a desire not to be left out or to build the resume of extracurricular activities that students and parents view as necessary for college admissions.
According to experts at Kids Health, even those parents who try to help their children cut back on some activities can run up against coaches who won’t tolerate absences and kids who want to keep up with their friends. The key is to schedule things in moderation and choose activities with a child’s age, temperament, interests, and abilities in mind. Here are some
simple suggestions:
Agree on ground rules ahead of time:
For instance, plan on kids playing one sport per season or limit activities to two afternoons or evenings during the school week.
Know how much time is required:
For example, will there be time to practice between lessons? Does your child realize that soccer practice is twice a week, right after school until dinnertime? Then there’s the weekly game, too. Will homework suffer?
Keep a calendar to stay organized:
Display it on the refrigerator or other prominent spot so that everybody can stay up-to-date. And if you find an empty space on the calendar, leave it alone!
Try to balance activities for all of your kids — and yourself:
It hardly seems fair to expend time and energy carting one kid to activities, leaving little time for another. And take time for yourself, to do the things you enjoy, and to spend time together as a family.
Create family time:
If you’re eating pizza on the run every night, plan a few dinners when everyone can be home at the same time — even if it means eating a little later. Schedule a family fun time, too, whether it’s playing a board game or going on bike ride or hike.
Know when to say no:
If your child is already doing a lot but really wants to take on another activity, discuss what other activity or activities need to be dropped to make room for the new one.
Prioritize:
If your child's grades are beginning to slip, would it be wise to sacrifice extra help for school for soccer, football or basketball? Getting them the help they need for school is critical to helping them to foster their independence, and tutoring may only be for one of the sports seasons for the year.
Remember the importance of downtime:
Everyone needs a chance to relax, reflect on the day, or just do
nothing.
Signs that your family and your child are overscheduled include always eating meals on the go, the kids are always tired, there’s a drop in grades, and constant complaints about going to practice or games. Make sure, despite their busy schedule, to keep lines of communication open with
your children. Use time in the car to listen - and to talk about their lives.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Seven Days of Holiday Fun and Learning For the Last Seven Days of the Year
Like many parents, we spent this past weekend gorging on turkey in preparation for that second great American holiday ritual, shopping on Black Friday! With the coming and going of this past weekend, it also means that December is just around the corner. This December, schools across our region will be closed for the last week for the holidays, and so will your local Sylvan. So, Mom and Dad, what are you to do with your kids during the last seven days of 2010?
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.
“Holiday vacation is an ideal time for parents to help instill a joy for learning in their children and show that they enjoy learning themselves,” said (Insert name, title) for Sylvan Learning. “Sharing fun, learning activities can help children 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 at http://tutoring.sylvanlearning.com/learning-activities/brochure.cfm, and 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. Create a memory book of your family’s favorite holiday memories. Purchase a photo album and decorate it together.
December 26 - Family reading. Spend at least 10 to 15 minutes a day reading to your children. For help selecting great family books, visit Book Adventure - a free, reading motivation program created by Sylvan Learning - at www.bookadventure.com.
December 27 - Family history. Create a family tree and incorporate pictures of aunts, uncles and grandparents. Ask family members about what they were like when they were children.
December 28 - Make your own play dough (try this website: http://fun.familyeducation.com/sculpting/recipes/37040.html ). Use the play dough to make letters, shapes, numbers or figures. Create games using the figures you have created.
December 29 - Dress up as your favorite book character. Choose your favorite book character and play dress-up, re-enacting your favorite parts in the book.
December 30 - Have a book-inspired feast. Bring ideas from literature to life by experimenting with foods from classic books. For instance, make your morning breakfast memorable with Green Eggs & Ham by Dr. Seuss.
December 31 - Explore nature. Take a walk with the whole family to explore nature. Use the Internet to learn more about this time of year and the plants and animals in your area. Or, check out books about nature and local foliage from your public library.
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.
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.
“Holiday vacation is an ideal time for parents to help instill a joy for learning in their children and show that they enjoy learning themselves,” said (Insert name, title) for Sylvan Learning. “Sharing fun, learning activities can help children 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 at http://tutoring.sylvanlearning.com/learning-activities/brochure.cfm, and 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. Create a memory book of your family’s favorite holiday memories. Purchase a photo album and decorate it together.
December 26 - Family reading. Spend at least 10 to 15 minutes a day reading to your children. For help selecting great family books, visit Book Adventure - a free, reading motivation program created by Sylvan Learning - at www.bookadventure.com.
December 27 - Family history. Create a family tree and incorporate pictures of aunts, uncles and grandparents. Ask family members about what they were like when they were children.
December 28 - Make your own play dough (try this website: http://fun.familyeducation.com/sculpting/recipes/37040.html ). Use the play dough to make letters, shapes, numbers or figures. Create games using the figures you have created.
December 29 - Dress up as your favorite book character. Choose your favorite book character and play dress-up, re-enacting your favorite parts in the book.
December 30 - Have a book-inspired feast. Bring ideas from literature to life by experimenting with foods from classic books. For instance, make your morning breakfast memorable with Green Eggs & Ham by Dr. Seuss.
December 31 - Explore nature. Take a walk with the whole family to explore nature. Use the Internet to learn more about this time of year and the plants and animals in your area. Or, check out books about nature and local foliage from your public library.
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.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Why Word Problems are Worrisome to Children
Why are mathematical word problems worrisome for children?
Word problems take math concepts, such as arithmetic, geometry and algebra, and relate them back to the real world. But somehow, in the conversion from numbers and symbols to the written word, even students adept at math can become confused and discouraged. In fact, children often find it easier to solve a problem that explicitly asks them to multiply two numbers rather than tackle a word problem that requires the same mathematical skills.
In addition to knowledge of core math concepts, word problems also require strong reading comprehension skills. Before a child can solve a word problem, he needs to be able to translate the problem into a math equation.
Once a child deciphers a word problem and is able to convert it into a simple equation, most students can easily calculate the answer. Unfortunately, determining the right equation is often the most challenging part of problem-solving. By applying reading comprehension skills to their math homework, students are better able to solve word problems correctly.
What Parents Need to Know
A child's ability to understand the language in word problems influences his or her ability to solve them. One of the best ways to help children learn math and make it more enjoyable is to demonstrate how everyday activities incorporate core math skills.
Parents can make it easier for their children to understand word problems by making math a part of their child’s daily life. By showing how math skills and concepts are involved in real-life situations, you can help children learn to use math in practical ways.
Students must first have a good understanding of the basic math principles that each word problem utilizes. For example, if a child struggles with basic division, then a word problem that involves division will also be difficult to solve. Get to the root of the problem first, and then work on a solution.
What Parents Can Do
Parents can help their children approach word problems with more confidence by offering tips and suggestions for tackling them. Encourage children to draw pictures and look for key words that indicate certain mathematical operations. For example, “and” indicates addition, while “less than” is a sign of subtraction.
Parents should urge their children to do more than the assigned problems, particularly those that are more challenging to them. The extra practice will help children learn the mathematical formulas and techniques they need to know while helping to improve their problem-solving skills. In turn, this will lead to greater confidence in their abilities to tackle the more difficult problems.
To help children boost their critical thinking and word problem-solving skills, the math experts at Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of tutoring to students of all ages, grades and skill levels, offer parents the following tips to help their children decode word problems, gather key information, solve equations and check their answers:
1. Read the question carefully. Ask your child to read and reread the question to make sure that he understands what he is being asked to solve. Encourage him to read the question aloud and pay close attention to the final question of the word problem.
2. Understand the problem. Encourage her to simplify the word problem by highlighting the main words and important ideas. Have the student ask herself the following questions: What am I being asked to do? What are the important facts? Do I have enough information to solve the problem? What operation will I use?
3. Convert the verbal statement into a mathematical equation. Help him break the word problem into manageable, ordered steps. It's a good idea to do the work step-by-step, particularly if it’s a complicated problem with several parts. It's easier to keep the pieces of the problem in order if he works this way and easier to avoid mistakes. Have him begin by identifying key words such as “add,” “less,” and “product of” that indicate certain mathematical operations.
4. Generate the result. Encourage her to solve the mathematical problem using a technique such as drawing or mentally acting out the problem. After she finishes, make sure the results make sense and that she writes the answer in the appropriate units (e.g., hours, meters, kilometers, etc.). As a final step, have her translate the answer back into English. For example, “The son is 13 years old.”
We hope that these tips make solving word problems just a little easier for your son or daughter. If they continue to struggle with word problems, their reading comprehension may also be the cause of these struggles. It is important to have your child's reading level evaluated to determine the cause of this frustration.
Sylvan offers parents a variety of tools and fun activities to help encourage math learning and discovery outside the classroom, including a free online math activity booklet. The booklet is available in the “Parent Resources” area of www.SylvanLearning.com and contains 30 days of math writing topics, trivia, question and puzzles. For additional information on how you can help your child play the game of math, visit the “Math” area of www.SylvanLearning.com
Word problems take math concepts, such as arithmetic, geometry and algebra, and relate them back to the real world. But somehow, in the conversion from numbers and symbols to the written word, even students adept at math can become confused and discouraged. In fact, children often find it easier to solve a problem that explicitly asks them to multiply two numbers rather than tackle a word problem that requires the same mathematical skills.
In addition to knowledge of core math concepts, word problems also require strong reading comprehension skills. Before a child can solve a word problem, he needs to be able to translate the problem into a math equation.
Once a child deciphers a word problem and is able to convert it into a simple equation, most students can easily calculate the answer. Unfortunately, determining the right equation is often the most challenging part of problem-solving. By applying reading comprehension skills to their math homework, students are better able to solve word problems correctly.
What Parents Need to Know
A child's ability to understand the language in word problems influences his or her ability to solve them. One of the best ways to help children learn math and make it more enjoyable is to demonstrate how everyday activities incorporate core math skills.
Parents can make it easier for their children to understand word problems by making math a part of their child’s daily life. By showing how math skills and concepts are involved in real-life situations, you can help children learn to use math in practical ways.
Students must first have a good understanding of the basic math principles that each word problem utilizes. For example, if a child struggles with basic division, then a word problem that involves division will also be difficult to solve. Get to the root of the problem first, and then work on a solution.
What Parents Can Do
Parents can help their children approach word problems with more confidence by offering tips and suggestions for tackling them. Encourage children to draw pictures and look for key words that indicate certain mathematical operations. For example, “and” indicates addition, while “less than” is a sign of subtraction.
Parents should urge their children to do more than the assigned problems, particularly those that are more challenging to them. The extra practice will help children learn the mathematical formulas and techniques they need to know while helping to improve their problem-solving skills. In turn, this will lead to greater confidence in their abilities to tackle the more difficult problems.
To help children boost their critical thinking and word problem-solving skills, the math experts at Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of tutoring to students of all ages, grades and skill levels, offer parents the following tips to help their children decode word problems, gather key information, solve equations and check their answers:
1. Read the question carefully. Ask your child to read and reread the question to make sure that he understands what he is being asked to solve. Encourage him to read the question aloud and pay close attention to the final question of the word problem.
2. Understand the problem. Encourage her to simplify the word problem by highlighting the main words and important ideas. Have the student ask herself the following questions: What am I being asked to do? What are the important facts? Do I have enough information to solve the problem? What operation will I use?
3. Convert the verbal statement into a mathematical equation. Help him break the word problem into manageable, ordered steps. It's a good idea to do the work step-by-step, particularly if it’s a complicated problem with several parts. It's easier to keep the pieces of the problem in order if he works this way and easier to avoid mistakes. Have him begin by identifying key words such as “add,” “less,” and “product of” that indicate certain mathematical operations.
4. Generate the result. Encourage her to solve the mathematical problem using a technique such as drawing or mentally acting out the problem. After she finishes, make sure the results make sense and that she writes the answer in the appropriate units (e.g., hours, meters, kilometers, etc.). As a final step, have her translate the answer back into English. For example, “The son is 13 years old.”
We hope that these tips make solving word problems just a little easier for your son or daughter. If they continue to struggle with word problems, their reading comprehension may also be the cause of these struggles. It is important to have your child's reading level evaluated to determine the cause of this frustration.
Sylvan offers parents a variety of tools and fun activities to help encourage math learning and discovery outside the classroom, including a free online math activity booklet. The booklet is available in the “Parent Resources” area of www.SylvanLearning.com and contains 30 days of math writing topics, trivia, question and puzzles. For additional information on how you can help your child play the game of math, visit the “Math” area of www.SylvanLearning.com
Monday, September 13, 2010
Understanding the Learning Styles Allows Parents & Educators to Help Children
Back-to-school season is here, which means it’s time to pick out new clothes, shoes, backpacks and school supplies. As you outfit your child with the latest fashion styles, be sure that you prepare for a successful school year by understanding your child’s personalized “learning style.”
Just as there are many different fashions, there are also many different ways a child learns. Understanding a child’s individual learning style can help parents and teachers personalize the instruction or homework to ensure peak performance in school and build a child’s self confidence.
People learn in at least eight different ways, according to the Multiple Intelligences Theory: visually, verbally, physically, mathematically, musically, naturalistically, through group activity or through quiet thinking time.
When reading the following tips, keep in mind that a child may exhibit more than one of the following learning styles.
How does your child learn?
Visual/Spatial learners enjoy photography, visual metaphors, puzzles, illustrations and story maps. Seeing a bar graph on the cost of different cars, for instance, would be a better learning tool than hearing a list of prices read aloud.
Verbal/Linguistic learners shine in activities such as storytelling, public speaking, drama and journal writing. Give children journals to keep for one month. Encourage them to write detailed descriptions of what they see, taste, feel and hear.
Bodily/Kinesthetic learners thrive on hands-on experiments, field trips, body language, crafts and sports. Take a field trip to a local factory, then make a visual display of what was learned.
Logical/Mathematical learners tend to be better at problem-solving, coding, data collecting, money management and scientific models. Help your child create a budget sheet that itemizes every cent spent during a one-month period. Determine what category drew the biggest expenses.
Musical/Rhythmic students may play an instrument, sing, hum or tap during work or require background music while they study. Turn memorization exercises into rhythmic word play and set it to any musical style.
Intrapersonal learners work better alone, doing individual study, personal goal-setting and self-esteem activities. This type of student can write down one objective and record the steps to achieving it.
Interpersonal learners work better in group activities, such as clubs, peer teaching, conflict mediation and active discussions. They would enjoy volunteering at a nursing home, women’s shelter or charity and documenting the experience in a journal.
Naturalist learners tend to better understand ideas when it is related to a natural occurrence. These learners prefer outdoor activities (e.g., camping, gardening, hiking, bird-watching, etc).
As parents prepare their children for the new school year, it’s important to remember that they will be better prepared for classes if parents and the school teacher both understand their learning styles and use this knowledge to help them excel in school and on homework. Parents should also share their observations about their children’s learning style with their child’s teachers.
Just as there are many different fashions, there are also many different ways a child learns. Understanding a child’s individual learning style can help parents and teachers personalize the instruction or homework to ensure peak performance in school and build a child’s self confidence.
People learn in at least eight different ways, according to the Multiple Intelligences Theory: visually, verbally, physically, mathematically, musically, naturalistically, through group activity or through quiet thinking time.
When reading the following tips, keep in mind that a child may exhibit more than one of the following learning styles.
How does your child learn?
Visual/Spatial learners enjoy photography, visual metaphors, puzzles, illustrations and story maps. Seeing a bar graph on the cost of different cars, for instance, would be a better learning tool than hearing a list of prices read aloud.
Verbal/Linguistic learners shine in activities such as storytelling, public speaking, drama and journal writing. Give children journals to keep for one month. Encourage them to write detailed descriptions of what they see, taste, feel and hear.
Bodily/Kinesthetic learners thrive on hands-on experiments, field trips, body language, crafts and sports. Take a field trip to a local factory, then make a visual display of what was learned.
Logical/Mathematical learners tend to be better at problem-solving, coding, data collecting, money management and scientific models. Help your child create a budget sheet that itemizes every cent spent during a one-month period. Determine what category drew the biggest expenses.
Musical/Rhythmic students may play an instrument, sing, hum or tap during work or require background music while they study. Turn memorization exercises into rhythmic word play and set it to any musical style.
Intrapersonal learners work better alone, doing individual study, personal goal-setting and self-esteem activities. This type of student can write down one objective and record the steps to achieving it.
Interpersonal learners work better in group activities, such as clubs, peer teaching, conflict mediation and active discussions. They would enjoy volunteering at a nursing home, women’s shelter or charity and documenting the experience in a journal.
Naturalist learners tend to better understand ideas when it is related to a natural occurrence. These learners prefer outdoor activities (e.g., camping, gardening, hiking, bird-watching, etc).
As parents prepare their children for the new school year, it’s important to remember that they will be better prepared for classes if parents and the school teacher both understand their learning styles and use this knowledge to help them excel in school and on homework. Parents should also share their observations about their children’s learning style with their child’s teachers.
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