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

Celebrate National Book Month!

October is National Book Month! This is the perfect time to honor books and what could be better than reading together as a family. A loving routine at the end of the day that allows parents and kids to make bedtime a special time, to share favorite stories and books, to talk, and be together is a wonderful opportunity to spend some quality time with your children.

Parents, here are a few tips to help you get started.

Start small.
Remember, big journeys start with one step.

Take turns reading.
One night you read, the next your child reads. Or switch reading every couple of paragraphs or pages.

Read with expression.
Let the stories come to life. Encourage kids to read with lively expression. Let them see the excitement books contain.

Choose compelling books.
Let your child select some books and perhaps choose some yourself. Recommend some of your favorites from when you were a child.

Celebrate.
When you’re done with a book, write its title and author on a link in a construction paper chain and festoon the walls with your accomplishments. Draw pictures of your favorite characters.

Make an audio book.
Tape yourselves reading. Send the recording to Grandma, who will swoon. Recording can also be your “substitute” if you have to be away for a night – although nothing is as good as your presence.

Get ideas from other parents.
What are they reading in their homes? What books and stories are other kids interested in? What recommendations can you give to and get from other parents?

Get ideas from teachers.
What types of books are popular at school? What books would supplement what teachers are teaching in social studies, art, or science classes? What do the reading teacher and librarian suggest?

The nice thing about routines is that once they’re started they become a part of your life, comforting and safe.

The Fear Formula

National survey finds high anxiety among 8th and 9th graders taking algebra, tops list of worries for parents who struggle to help.

More than 70% of parents believe that helping their kids with algebra is harder than teaching them to drive a car.

As the new school year gets underway, a just-released survey finds that most eighth and ninth graders consider algebra to be their toughest subject — and the same goes for parents who say advanced math, like algebra, tops the subjects they struggle with when helping their children with homework.

The findings of the national survey are significant because algebra is regarded by many educators, including the U.S. Department of Education, to be a “well documented gateway course.” The designation comes from its importance as the foundation for high school level math and a critical stepping stone to college and future careers—from electrician to architect.

The challenge facing our students is underscored by the most recent results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which show that only 34 percent of eighth graders scored at or above the proficient level in math.

The nationwide survey of eighth and ninth graders and their parents was conducted between August 1 and August 8, 2011 by Kelton Research and commissioned by Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of tutoring and supplemental education services to students of all ages and skill levels.

Among the key findings:

• One in three students would be quick to sacrifice video game (36%) or Facebook (33%) privileges for a month to avoid taking algebra again.
• As students drown in anxiety over algebra, parents feel just as lost. Parents feel far more prepared to discuss delicate topics like drugs and alcohol (97%) and even sex (88%) with their child than to help with algebra homework (54%).
• Doing algebra is harder than completing tax returns. More than four out of five (82%) parents admit that they are likely to make more mistakes on their children’s algebra homework than on their tax returns.
• Six in ten (60%) parents are so unsure of their own algebra skills that they gave themselves a hypothetical grade of C or lower in their child’s algebra class.

These statistics add up to a “fear formula” in which the gap is widening between students’ needs and their parents’ ability to assist or provide the help required for success in algebra. Dr. Francis “Skip” Fennell, Professor of Mathematics Education at McDaniel College and past president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, believes these numbers could be altered through simple preparation. “One of the most important considerations to student success in algebra is their readiness,” he says. “If we can identify student misconceptions, challenges, and struggles earlier, parents and teachers can provide students with the support they need to succeed.”

Sylvan Learning seeks to accomplish this with the launch of “Fit 4 Algebra: Take the Algebra Fitness Challenge,” a free interactive online “screener” that parents can use to assess their children’s algebra readiness. It consists of a 21-question algebra readiness check-up, which tests the key skills identified by the National Mathematics Advisory Panel as providing the basic foundation for algebra.

After their child completes the screener, parents will receive diagnostic results that highlight areas of strength as well as areas that are in need of further skill development. Additionally, parents will have immediate access to valuable free resources, including video-based math tutorials aligned to the skill areas where students need additional improvement.

“Success in algebra is a step toward success in life. Ensuring that our children are prepared to succeed is vital to our mission as an educational services company,” says Jeffrey Cohen, president and CEO of Sylvan Learning. “Every parent should know where their child stands with algebra and be in a position to help. We have researched and aggregated some of the best math and algebra resources currently available, and are thrilled to make these resources immediately accessible in one central place,” he said.

Parents who are concerned—or curious—about how well their child may measure up in algebra can take matters into their own hands by screening their child’s readiness through Sylvan’s Fit 4 Algebra website. In addition to seeing where their child stands on the Algebrometer®—an engaging visual created by Sylvan that gauges a student’s readiness level for algebra—parents can take advantage of a host of free resources, including online math challenges, entertaining games, interactive concept tutorials, and links to thousands of already-asked math questions with answers. The parent resources section also includes tips on helping children succeed in math, links to algebra smart phone apps, and information on finding personalized help, if needed.

“Parents recognize that their children are missing the mark in algebra and they need help,” says Dr. Lynn Fontana, chief academic officer for Sylvan Learning. “By taking advantage of Sylvan’s algebra check-up screener and free resources, parents can put their children back on track in the new school year and take the first step in ensuring their children’s future achievement in higher math studies, college, and ultimately their careers.”

Dr. Fennell also advises parents to determine “early on” if their children are ready for algebra by underscoring the link between algebra and future achievement. “Algebra is an important stop along the road to future success—in high school, college, and even professional earning power, so it’s critical that students know and understand the prerequisite concepts and skills that will help them succeed in algebra. Early detection is key to success down the road,” he said.

Sylvan’s free screener is available on www.Fit4Algebra.org. Parents of children entering middle school are encouraged to have their child take the screener to assess algebra readiness at the start of a new school year.

It’s Not So Gr8 When Email Slang Slips Into Students’ Schoolwork, Teacher Survey Says

Millions of children (and adults!) use language like this to chat with friends, make weekend plans and stay in touch with out-of-town relatives via email and Instant Messaging (IM). As students head back to school, it is important that this informal writing style of shortened words, improper grammar, lack of punctuation and use of “emoticons,” such as smiley faces, does not follow them back into the classroom.

According to a survey conducted by Sylvan Learning, 91% of teachers nationwide say they do not accept the use of this informal writing style in their students’ assignments.

Parents should talk to their children about using different styles of language to communicate with different audiences, as adults do in work and home environments. Just as students would talk to an adult at school differently than to a friend at the beach, they also need to remember to adjust their writing style. Formal writing for the classroom must be grammatically correct, with full words and proper sentence structure. Slang and shortcuts are commonplace in email and Instant Messaging, but not acceptable in schoolwork.”

Email and IM style of writing isn’t completely bad, since it does encourage students to write more often. In fact, more than three quarters (76%) of teachers surveyed agree that children can benefit from email and IM as a learning opportunity. When crafting emails, children are challenged to carefully choose their words, keep it simple and use relatively few words to convey tone and meaning appropriately. The popularity of Internet writing is also helping children see writing as a fun activity that encourages creative writing, and not just something they “have to do.”

What Parents Need to Know
Parents will soon notice an increasing demand for children to express themselves more effectively in writing. For example, more states are testing writing skills on proficiency exams. College entrance exams, such as the SAT exam, includes a writing section that requires students to write a short essay that reflects their mastery of core reading and language skills.

To do well on these important exams, students need to know how to write clear, well-organized essays in the short time allotted. Parents can help children develop an understanding of the writing process by modeling. Think about a writing project, develop a brief outline and rewrite drafts. By showing children that writing is a multi-step process and not always instantaneous, parents can help their children make the shift to an academic style of writing easier.

What Parents Can Do
Parents can make the most of their children’s interest in email and other computer writing by helping them to avoid using an informal style of writing too often. Show children that writing can be more than a means of communicating with another person by introducing them to online journaling or Web sites that publish children’s poems, letters, editorials, essays or stories. Remember that a healthy combination of both styles can provide the best writing experience for children.

To help children boost their effective writing skills, the experts at Sylvan Learning offer parents the following tips to avoid IM and email style language making its way into schoolwork:
• Talk to children about using different writing styles to communicate with different audiences. Describe the importance of personalizing messages and why it’s important that students know their audience. While it’s okay to close a letter with “C ya” to a friend in an IM, it is not okay to include this slang in homework assignments. Remind them that formality is required in school.
• Have fun with writing. Provide children with enjoyable ways to practice their writing. Involve them with writing grocery lists, thank you notes, dates on calendars and messages. Or, play games like Blurt!®, TriBond® and MadGab® that help build language and vocabulary skills.
• Review schoolwork for IM and email style language. Encourage children to write properly and take the time to carefully review assignments several times before submitting them to the teacher. Review their homework to make sure they aren’t using shortcuts or slang.
• Talk with children to establish ground rules for using IM and email. Work with children to develop a plan for using IM and email to ensure other responsibilities such as completing homework and chores are met before going online to chat with friends. Discuss time limits and make sure they are kept. Consider putting the family’s rules in writing and posting them near the computer.
• Create a writing zone. Whether writing on a computer or with a notebook and pencil, it’s important that children have a well-organized place to write. Set up an area for writing-- a desk or table with a flat surface and good lighting. Make sure the area is free from potential distractions and that writing tools, including a dictionary, paper and pens, are at the children’s fingertips.
• Encourage your child to read. Read with children at least 15 minutes per day – or roughly two hours per week – since reading will help teach them about sentence structure, grammar and vocabulary. Reading and writing support each other, and good readers become good writers. The more children do of each, the better they will be at both.

SAT/ ACT® Tests: 12 Steps To Success

More than three million college admissions tests are administered each year, making the SAT and the ACT® two of the most important exams that a high school student will ever take. To ease the pressure off testing and achieve the best results, Sylvan is offering a 12-step guide to help high school students prepare for the SAT and ACT® exams, often considered the gateway to college acceptance.

1. Take the tests in the spring of junior year or fall of senior year of high school.
2. Know the instructions for each section before beginning the test, you won’t have to waste time reading them during
the exam.
3. If you don’t know a test answer and can’t eliminate any incorrect answer choices, skip the question and only go back if time permits. For the ACT, remember to go back and take a guess on any unanswered questions, since there’s no penalty for incorrect answers.
4. Never leave an easy question blank. Easy questions have easy answers.
5. Read, read, read. Read the questions and answers critically.
6. Eliminate answers. If you can eliminate at least two incorrect answers, you generally increase the probability of guessing correctly.
7. Save your time. Don’t spend too much time on any single question. Make sure you have enough time to answer as many questions as possible, in order to rack up as many points
as possible.
8. Focus on what the question is really asking. If you don’t fully understand the question, finding the correct answer is going to be tough.
9. Rushing only hurts you. Work at a good pace and keep track of the time remaining for
each section. Enter the exam with confidence.
10. End each section by reviewing. If time permits, revisit the questions you didn’t answer.
11. Don’t try to cram for the SAT/ACT overnight. Proper preparation takes weeks, even months, of review.
12. Register for a SAT/ACT prep class at least eight weeks before the testing date to gain extra studying assistance and additional confidence.

Final Tips to Prepare for the New Jersey ASK

It's that time of year again...



This Tuesday, May 3rd,marks the beginning of the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge tests or NJASK for elementary and middle schoolers across the state. May 3-6 will be testing for 6th,7th and 8th graders, while the following week, May 9-13 will be testing for 3rd, 4th and 5th graders.

Testing has become an integral part of an American education. More and more states are requiring testing proficiency for promotion and graduation, and parents need to help prepare their children for these exams. Sometime last week, your children should have brought home a sample test booklet. If you did not receive this booklet or may have misplaced it, you can find it here: https://www.measinc.com/nj/njask/default.aspx .

In final preparations for these weeks of testing, we have prepared a list of Do’s and Don’ts to help your children prepare for exams.

DO make sure your child completes homework assignments and class projects. Because tests reflect overall achievement, the more effort your child puts into learning, the more likely he or she will do well on tests.

DON’T judge your child on the basis of one test score. Test scores are not the perfect indicator of what your child can achieve, and a variety of factors can influence a test score. If your child has been struggling for the majority of this school year, however, and they do poorly on the NJASK, it may be an indication that they are having trouble with the bigger picture of school and may need some extra outside help.

DO, however, use your child’s test results to chart his or her academic progress. Educational assessments are among the best diagnostic tools educators and parents have at their disposal. By using rest results wisely, both you and your child’s teacher can build a personalized learning program with home activities that will help your child succeed.

DO support your child. Praise her for what she does best. When your child feels good about himself, he will do his best.

DO provide books and magazines for your child to read at home. Reading new materials can encourage your child to learn new words that might appear on a test. For a suggested age-appropriate reading list, visit www.BookAdventure.com.

DON’T allow your child to skimp on sleep or breakfast. Make sure that your child is well-rested and eats a well-balanced breakfast on school days- especially the day of a big test. A well-rested, healthy body leads to a healthy, active mind.


Good luck to all of our students on your NJASK!

Make the Math Connection on Pi Day

Sylvan Learning Offers Families a Free Online Math Activity Book in Recognition of Pi Day

Booklet offers 30 days of math activities, trivia and puzzles

(Baltimore, MD, March 8, 2011) – In recognition of Pi Day on March 14 and to build math awareness, Sylvan Learning, North America’s leading provider of in-center and live, online tutoring at home to students of all ages, grades and skill levels, is offering free math resources to families.

Pi Day is the annual observance of the love of math and the mathematical constant Pi, commonly approximated as 3.14.

To celebrate Pi Day, Sylvan Learning is providing a free new online Math Activity Book with 30 days of math concepts, trivia, questions and puzzles. Parents, students and even educators can log on to Sylvan’s web site to download and print activities and math games.

“Effort and attitude in math matters,” says Judy Ann Brown, Mathematics Program Manager for Sylvan Learning. “Math skills build over time, so missing one early essential component can translate into long-term difficulties that can slow future progress. The Math Activity Book can be used by the entire family, including parents, to open a mathematical dialog that will revive forgotten concepts and practice skills.”

Sylvan Learning is also encouraging parents to play an active role in boosting their child’s math skills by offering the following tips for getting them interested in math at an early age.

Make math connections to everyday life. There are many opportunities for children to see the value of math in everyday occurrences. Think of tasks that you do everyday – rearranging a teenager’s room is a lesson in geometry and equally cutting slices of pie can teach fractions. The more parents talk about math while completing these tasks, the more students will realize its importance.

Involve your children in real-life family decisions. Encourage them to plan a family activity while remaining within the budget. For example, ask your children to plan a night at the movies or create a budget for the family vacation.

Demonstrate your math ability. Think out loud so your child can hear your analytical reasoning. For younger children, count your change or discuss which measuring cup is needed when baking a birthday cake. For older students, calculate discounts when shopping or estimate how much money will be needed to fill up the gas tank.

Mathematize career choices. Casually talk about mathematics while highlighting the types of math needed in your children’s chosen careers. Video game designers, architects, doctors, football coaches, musicians and chefs apply math skills in their daily work.

Praise your children’s academic progress. Tell your children you are proud of their math efforts, even when they struggle. When students are confident in their abilities, they enjoy learning. That love of learning in turn leads to a willingness to try new, academic experiences.

Sylvan Learning’s online Math Activity Book provides 30 days of math writing topics, questions and puzzles. Families can download the booklet and answers by visiting the following links –
Math Book - http://email.internetstrategy.us/SS_Newsletter/misc/sylvan_math_booklet.pdf
Answers - http://email.internetstrategy.us/SS_Newsletter/misc/sylvan_math_booklet_answers.pdf

Parents looking for additional math resources and information can visit www.SylvanMathPrep.com to receive on-the-spot math guidance during homework time and obtain free access to over 700 interactive math lessons for pre-algebra, algebra, geometry and math test preparation for the SAT and ACT.


• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SylvanLearning
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/sylvanlearning
• MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/sylvanlearning
• YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/sylvanlearninginc

Reading, Writing & Twilight

Motivating Children by Celebrating Their Interests

How can parents and homework compete with PlayStation and Edward and Bella of Twilight? The simple answer is that they can’t compete. However, parents can use these hot trends to motivate tweens and teens to learn more and, in the process, teach their children skills that will transfer to their classroom learning and, ultimately, lead to higher standardized test scores.

Writing in the journal, Neuron, in December 2009, Carnegie Mellon University brain researchers Marcel Just and Timothy Keller said that after just six weeks of intensive reading, students who had been poor readers were not only able to improve their skills, but grew new white-matter connections in their brains. This means that the brain can actually change its connections through learning and adaptation, and the study shows that white-matter improvements had more to do with how many hours students “trained” or practiced reading than how “good they were.” In essence, the more students read, the more enjoyable reading becomes and the more those skills are used in real-life situations.

Sylvan Learning has developed several techniques to turn the things students enjoy into “training” opportunities to promote a love of reading and help them build the reading comprehension and vocabulary needed for success on standardized tests, the SAT and ACT, and writing college entrance essays.

The first step for you, as a parent, is to identify what gets your child excited and to learn about it yourself. Read the “hot” tween books, watch the movies with them, and listen to the movie soundtracks together. Discuss how the book and movie differ. Did the plot change? Did the movie introduce new characters? In short, learn about the books and trends that
dominate your teenager’s world. Then, look for creative ways to add an educational component to your child’s favorite activities.

For example, if your teen can’t get enough of Twilight, leverage that interest to learn about geography and international culture. Ask her to identify locations from the books on a map – do they exist or are they fictional? Or, encourage him to find a “pen pal” in Italy to compare his life and everyday activities. Use this as an opportunity to learn new words in Italian and determine if your teen can guess the vocabulary word based on if it resembles the English pronunciation.

Discuss the similarity of Romeo and Juliet to Edward and Bella in Twilight. Ask your teenager to read Romeo & Juliet and compare the plot, the historical trends, and the story conclusions. By comparing and contrasting classic prose and trendy literature, students can further develop their critical thinking skills while obtaining additional exposure to new writers and new writing styles and practicing their reading comprehension for standardized tests.

Yes, even Linkin Park and Muse have lessons to teach. By memorizing lyrics or even writing their own, students can learn the importance of the written and spoken word. They can research the artists’ backgrounds and
find out the process to make a CD. Parents can combine these enjoyable activities with the basics of motivating a student – goalsetting,
rewards, and reinforcement. Plan out activities and classroom assignments with your child. Determine together the steps of the process and when the assignment will be finished. Sylvan recommends that you offer mini-rewards throughout the process to keep your tween motivated. Rewards can be as simple as a pat on the back or the ability to stay out an hour later on the weekend. When the project is complete, review it together, and congratulate him or her on a job well done.

The more your teen reads, the more he or she will know! All of the skills learned through these activities will translate into the classroom - and SAT and ACT success - by reinforcing geography, analytical comprehension, reading and research skills.

By joining in your tween’s fun, you’ll also demonstrate that learning takes place everywhere and that it is enjoyable.

For additional tips to instill the joy of reading and make learning a fun family endeavor, visit www.SylvanLearning.com.

Math Test Anxiety

A new survey of U.S. teens reported in Education Week reveals that students highly value the subjects of math and science and understand the important role those subjects play in their futures. Yet plenty of kids still suffer from math test anxiety, which effects learning – and performance.

“I mean, I can get it, but when test time comes I panic about the math parts because I’m afraid that I might get the wrong solution,” says 16-year-old Toni. “And you feel like you have to do well to keep up with everybody else and it just puts a lot of pressure on you,” agrees 16-year-old Sammy.

But the irony is, according to a study, all that worrying can actually lower test scores. Researchers from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas found that anxiety and worry comes from the same part of the brain that is used to take a math test – or any other test. Psychologist Ken Carter explains: “Because they’re fighting with that anxiety and that distraction, sometimes even at an unconscious level - having to compete with that and do the task decreases their performance.”

So, the more you worry, the lower your grade. And that problem gets even worse on a high stakes test, like the S-A-T or a statewide promotion exam.

Fourteen-year-old Mary Ellen has felt the pressure. “The more they talk about how it will affect the school and each person individually- the more stress it puts on the students.”

Experts say there are ways parents can help. First, it’s crucial their kids get a good night’s sleep, have them eat a healthy breakfast, and experts say, reassure them, it’s just one test, and worrying won’t help. “We want you to do well, but if you don’t do well, it’s not going to be the end of the world,” says education expert Stan Williams.

Mary Ellen’s advice: “Try not to stress about it too much, because if all you’re thinking about is how well you’re gonna do then you’re probably gonna mess up, because you’re not concentrating very well.”

Most students experience some level of anxiety during an exam. Causes of text anxiety may be linked to a lack of preparation, poor time management and study habits or worrying about past performance on exams, especially in relation to friends and other students.

Students can try these strategies to reduce test anxiety:
• Avoid “cramming” for a test. Trying to master a semester’s worth of material the day before the test is a poor way to learn and can easily produce anxiety.
• Make the most out of your study sessions. Study in a location where you can concentrate, get interested in the material, and give it your complete attention.
• Improving your perspective of the test-taking experience can actually help you enjoy studying and may improve your performance. Don’t overplay the importance of the grade - it is not a reflection of your selfworth nor does it predict your future success.
• If you feel very anxious in the exam, take a few minutes to calm yourself. Stretch your arms and legs and then relax them again. Do this a couple of times. Do some positive internal selftalk; say to yourself, “I will be OK, I can do this.” Then direct your focus on the test.

Beat the Winter Blues

With the impending snow forcasted for our area this week, we thought that we would share some of our favorite tips and suggestions to beat the winter blues with the cabin fever you might be experiencing shortly, if not already after last week's storms!

How did your child do in the first half of the school year? Were you pleased with his or her performance, or do you think there is room for improvement? No matter what letters appeared on your child’s report card, January is the perfect time to help him or her get excited about going back to school and learning.

This can be accomplished by creating an atmosphere in your home that encourages learning. Sylvan Learning offers a few tips concerning how to get involved with your child’s learning process and help motivate him or her in the new year.

• Have family reading time at least once a week. Utilize Book Adventure, a free Sylvan-created interactive, reading motivation program that can be found on Book Adventure. Students choose their own books from more than 7,500 titles, take short comprehension quizzes and redeem their accumulated points for small prizes. Book Adventure also offers teacher and parent resources and tips to help children develop a lifelong love of reading. A snowy day is a great time to set this up together and begin earning points.

• Set aside a specific time for homework and studying. Take advantage of this quiet time to sit with your child and work on your paperwork. This visually demonstrates the importance of “work time” to your child.

• If homework was a struggle during the first semester, set up a reward system for this semester. For example, deposit change in a small jar when homework is complete. As soon as the jar is full, treat the whole family to something everyone will enjoy.

• Refresh your child’s “study space.” Make sure that all materials, such as pencil sharpeners, erasers and extra paper are easily accessible and in adequate supply. When something is new and exciting, kids will want to use it. As one of our students recently commented after starting in our Study Skills program, he went out and bought a new agenda book because he knew he would be so excited about it he would actually use it.

• Create study plans. Have your child do his most challenging assignment first, while he is most focused, then have him work on easier tasks. Finish each homework session with a fun activity.

• Search the Internet with your child to learn more about topics being covered in school. Try TeacherTube (kind of like YouTube but more kid-friendly) for videos on different items from Social Studies or freerice.org to learn new vocabulary.

• Invite your child to participate in cooking or shopping to strengthen his or her math skills.

• Encourage your child to choose a classmate with whom he can study and swap reading books. On Amazon.com, you can download an app for your home computer or smartphone to read Kindle books, many of which you can also download for free from Project Gutenburg or other free sources.

• Get your child organized inside and outside of school. By being organized, your child will have plenty of time to complete all assignments, and she will also learn the value of time management.

• Talk to your child’s teachers. The second half of the year can be more challenging than the first. Find out if your child needs extra help in a specific subject in order to keep up with the class.

For more educational resources for children in grades pre-K through 12, please visit www.SylvanLearning.com or call your nearest center.

Clinton, NJ 908-638-6788
Hamilton, NJ 609-588-9037
Flemington, NJ 908-806-4010

Does TV Inhibit Reading?

According to the latest Neilsen survey, the average 11-year-old watches more than 28 hours of television a week; the average 5-year-old - 32 hours a week. And, new research suggests that all those hours may have an impact on their vocabulary.

Like most children, Zachary and his little sister, Brooklyn, like to watch television. “Usually I watch Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, Animal Planet,” says Zachary. Brooklyn’s favorite show is “Sponge Bob.”

The children’s parents try to set limits – usually an hour of television a day, sometimes more on the weekends. “I do think too much is not good because you are just kind of brain dead when you are watching TV. A little of the right thing can actually be okay,” says Lisa Busman, Zachary and Brooklyn’s mother.

A University of Washington study finds that the more TV that a baby watches, the smaller his or her vocabulary. In fact, for every hour of TV, a child learns six to eight fewer words compared to babies who never watch TV at all.

Psychiatrist Dr. Suzanne Starkey explains, “Television just presents material. It doesn’t question it. It’s the questioning and the
understanding that the kids really need.” She says the same rules apply to videos that claim to be educational. To learn, babies require face-to-face interaction. “When we’re learning about language, the back and forth interaction between mother and child is very important. That’s where the child will learn sounds, and that’s where the child will learn some degree of inflection.”

Experts say instead of passive activities, children of all ages are better served by being active – playing, learning an instrument, spending time with family, and, of course, reading, which is exactly what Brooklyn and Zachary love to do.

Nearly 40 years ago, a critic dubbed television a “vast wasteland.” The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is weighing in with its own opinion. AAP officials released statements that say television can have negative long-term effects, such as weight problems and lack of creativity, on children.

Nancy Beyer has pulled the cable at home and bans all television on weekends for her 12-year-old daughter. “It makes me use my imagination more than lots of kids do,” says Beyer’s daughter, Jessica.

Although Jessica’s mother hopes that the television ban will nudge her daughter to become more sociable, Jessica admits at times the opposite is true. She says she feels excluded at school when other kids are discussing what shows were on and she has to remind them that “we don’t have cable.”

Some experts say that by dismissing television, parents may miss some key teaching opportunities with their kids. Dr. Vincent Ho, a psychiatrist, says that parents should not let the television become a passive experience but should use it to stimulate discussion. He suggests that even “bad” television can be a good learning tool and that many opportunities to discuss what is going on exist.

Tips for Parents
A study completed by the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that 57% of parents with preschool children believe that television has done more good than harm. However, the opinions were different among parents with children aged 6 to 11. Their opinions were primarily based on the belief that a lack of quality programs for older children exists. Based on its study, the AAP makes two major recommendations for children and television viewing:
* Children under two years old should not watch television. Children under two need to receive stimuli from interaction with older people for proper brain development.
* Older children should not have television sets in their bedrooms. By
keeping televisions in common areas of the house, you are better able to monitor your child’s viewing.

While watching television can jumpstart discussions with your child, it is important that you encourage your child in other active and educational endeavors. The Medical College of Wisconsin offers the following advice for limiting your child’s television and other media intake:
* Ask your child to tell you what his or her favorite shows are and together predetermine which ones he or she will watch on a regular basis.
* Set limits to time spent on the computer when not engaged in schoolwork. More than one to two hours per day is excessive.
* Help your child to structure the rest of his or her time by looking for opportunities in the community, such as after-school sports, school-based clubs, scouting and school or community artistic endeavors (band, orchestra, etc.).
* Make frequent trips to the library and help your child choose age-appropriate books to read.
* Play games or sports with your child.
* Last, but not least, set a good example by limiting your own television time.

Over-Technology, Over-Tasked

An Associated Press/MTV poll of college students finds that being connected by technology 24/7 comes at a cost. While 57 percent of students surveyed said life would be more stressful without computers and cell phones, 25 percent said living without it would be a relief.

When it comes to multi-tasking, how much do students remember from
their studies when they’re also texting, checking emails and listening to their iPod? For some -- not a whole lot.

For teenagers, there’s a lot going on after school: e-mails, texting, blogs, television, iPods and talking on the phone...all while they’re trying to do their homework. The question is: does multi-tasking really
work, or are teens fooling themselves?

Some kids apparently can’t just sit down and focus on their homework at the
exclusion of everything else. “Well, I’m writing an essay about the American and French revolutions,” says 15-year-old Luke while sitting at his computer, “and I’m checking my e-mail and my Myspace [account] at the same time - and listening to my music.”

And while some kids, like Luke, say they can handle all these things at once, experts disagree. “Studies have shown that, when the children are watching TV while doing their homework, and they pick up their heads to watch a part of the program, they lose their focus on their homework and they start paying more attention to the television set,” says Bonnie Cohen-
Greenberg, who works with students with learning disabilities. And, she says, losing focus means kids won’t remember what they’ve studied.

“Well, the problem is, if you’re not really paying attention to something, you’re not really learning it,” she says. “So it’s not going to stay in your long-term memory. Many times, children can describe what
they see on TV while they’re doing their homework much easier than they can
describe the type of homework assignment they had - because the TV show is a lot more engaging to them.”

In fact, many kids get so absorbed in e-mails, texting, the Internet, and video games, they end up procrastinating on
their schoolwork. That’s often the case for 16-year-old Myles.

“I think, well, I’m going to do it later, after I get off the computer,” he admits, “but after I’m done with everything I’m so tired. So I end up going to sleep and I forget my homework. So I have to rush and do it in the morning, before class starts.”

Experts say that even young children should develop study habits that focus their attention. Set a goal, complete it and take a break. Why? Because schoolwork is their most important job.

“Realize that homework is a priority,” says Cohen-Greenberg, “and when they are doing their homework, to only do their homework. They can certainly have breaks. And when they have breaks, take a quick break - relax, do something fun - and then get right back to it.”

What We Need To Know
Many people, both teens and adults, think that multitasking is the best way
to accomplish a lot in a small amount of time. But scientific evidence says this isn’t true. Research conducted by David E. Meyer, director of the Brain, Cognition, and Action Laboratory at the University of Michigan, found that when people try to perform two or more related tasks, either at the same time or quickly switching back and forth between them, they do a worse job on both of them. Multitasking causes a kind of brownout in the brain -- there just isn’t enough power to go around.

Meyer says it can take up to 400 percent longer to do a homework assignment if you’re trying to do something else, like texting at the same time. The brain cannot process two different complex things at the same time. What your brain does instead is prioritize tasks. So if you’re listening to music and reading a book, your brain will concentrate on the music, and when that’s finished, it will focus on taking in the information from the book. The result is that neither task is done
efficiently.

WikiHow offers these tips to help control multitasking:
• Set up separate to-do lists for different tasks. Help your student create a to-do list to organize assignments and responsibilities by class and extracurricular activity.
• Identify the most important tasks (such as a paper that is due tomorrow) and work on that most important task first. Don’t do anything else until this is done.
• Turn off all other distractions. Shut off e-mail, the Internet if possible, turn off the TV, your iPod and your cell phone. Focus on that one task, and try to get it done without worrying about other stuff.
• If you feel the urge to check your email or switch to another task, stop yourself. Breathe deeply. Re-focus yourself. Get back to the task at hand.
• Take deep breaths, stretch, and take breaks now and then. Enjoy life. Go outside, and appreciate nature. Keep yourself sane.

Reposted from Connectwithkids.com
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