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6 Ways To Know It's Time For A Private Tutor
  • Posted on Tue, Dec 15, 2015 @ 08:12 AM
The Ultimate College Application & Essay Coaching Road Map
  • Posted on Sat, Dec 12, 2015 @ 10:12 AM

 The college application process can be exciting, confusing, and let’s face it, a bit overwhelming.

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The 10 Best Ways to Gain Academic Enrichment
  • Posted on Wed, May 27, 2015 @ 06:05 AM
3 Steps To Reducing Anxiety and Improving Academic Performance
  • Posted on Tue, May 12, 2015 @ 13:05 PM

 

It has been estimated that millions of children nationwide are affected by severe anxiety (Hill & Wigfield, 1984). The negative impact that anxiety can have on a student is serious. While a mild amount of anxiety can actually be considered motivating for a student, student's with excessive amounts of anxiety can interfere with one’s memory, which can make it difficult to perform on a test or perform in other ways (Huberty, 2009). Students with severe anxiety can lead them to a lack of motivation, a lowered self-esteem, consistent issues with academic performance and even early withdrawal of school (Cowden, 2014).

Anxiety as it relates to academic performance is of significant importance to me due to my own experience with severe anxiety through my high school, college and early post college years. While I discovered tools in my adult years to help me cope with anxiety, I believe school would not have been so challenging for me had I had the tools then! It is in this vain that I have devoted so much of my time to researching academic anxiety. In this blog post, I share with you research supported steps that will help reduce the anxiety children experience and thus perform better academically. Ready? Let’s get started.

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Social Circles Affecting Your Student's Grades
  • Posted on Sat, May 09, 2015 @ 17:05 PM

Social Influences

It is no secret that students of all ages are influenced by their peers. These influences can range from affecting the way a student dresses to the way a student performs in school. Even as adults our social networks can influence the way we eat, travel, work or think. As adults, we know that one person doesn’t often influence our way of life. The same concept applies to young students. While one student might not make a change in your student’s academic behavior, a group of them can – whether it be for better or for worse. In this case a tutor could help.

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The Adverse Effects of Larger Classrooms on Today’s Students
  • Posted on Wed, Apr 29, 2015 @ 16:04 PM

The Classroom Size Debate

The size of students classrooms have always been a topic of heated debate. Parents, teachers, state and local education departments have a hard time agreeing on this topic. Studies have shown that students in smaller classrooms achieve a better education and level of learning. The problem with smaller class sizes is that schools will need to hire more teachers to accommodate the students. This leads to the problem of funding, because smaller class sizes means more money. 

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The Benefits For Your Child When You Read To Them
  • Posted on Tue, Apr 14, 2015 @ 13:04 PM

Education Starts at Home

There is an old saying that states "education starts at home." In keeping with the spirit of that saying, it is important that you spend time reading to your pre-schooler on a regular basis. Not only will the bond between you and your child become stronger, you'll be setting them up for academic success moving forward. Here is a look at some of the many reasons that reading to your pre-schooler is beneficial.

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Make Learning Fun
  • Posted on Wed, Apr 01, 2015 @ 14:04 PM
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Learning does not always have to be a chore. Children often dread having to learn outside of the classroom, fortunately there are great ways to help children learn besides homework, lectures and tests. Adding playful learning to a family’s schedule is not only fun, but is also a great way for students to synthesize the information they learn in school.
 
It may seem like an arduous task for a busy family to incorporatate more learning opportunities into their schedule, but it does not have to be. Playful learning is a fun and easy way to help explore various subjects such as math, science and reading outside of the classroom through memorable activities that can be enjoyed by the whole family. 
 

Each year, our school systems require students to be taught a standard curriculum. Since there is such a vast amount of topics that are required to be taught, lessons are often rushed and or skimmed over in order to begin next lesson.

Due to this, students are often deprived the proper amount of time that is needed to explore the concepts they are taught. In essence, children miss the opportunity to “play” with those ideas and tasks. Playful learning can help make those lessons more memorable, tactile and enjoyable.

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Playful learning does not have to be complicated. It can be as easy as gamifying everyday tasks.

For example, one way to work on math is to have your child help you the kitchen. Not only can those tasks be yummy and enjoyable for you both, but they can also help your child to conceptualize measurement, time, calculation and basic counting.

Another example is to have fun with spring cleaning by having your student race to count how many action figures they have, or have them guess how many toys can fit into a bin. These spatial and counting skills are great assets to develop and finding active ways to include them into daily tasks can be easy and fun.

Geometry and physics are examples that can be difficult for many students. Investing in blocks, engineering toys such as Littlebits, Legos and rector sets help to set a student up with an understanding of the scientific method. Through continued use, students will learn from their mistakes as well as how perseverance pays off. 

Take a short afternoon trip to a Lego store and work with your student on not just creating the image on the box, but the infinite other creations that can be built. Another benefical game is to task your student with getting a marble from one end of the room to the other. Student will hone their spatial and engineering mind in order to come up with a solution

Not convinced? Call us for some added tips. Our tutors can help you devise some playful learning opportunities for you and your family.

Indoor/Outdoor Gardening/CultivationSuch activities might include:

  • Performing bedtime stories – or any book.
  • Exploring Nature - local parks and forest preserves can be an easy way to find learning opportunities.
  • Geocaching – “treasure” hunting in the digital world.
  • Making games/toys from everyday objects - Bozo Buckets, paper plate masks, building forts, etc.
  • Homemade Chemistry - i.e. vinegar and baking soda, food coloring, etc.
  • Family poetry and stories.
  • Photo Contests - nature or around the house.
  • Green Technology - composting, rainwater collection, etc.

There are so many ways to make learning playful and productive. In the end, these types of activities are more beneficial than the common routines of cartoon, video games and social media.Playful learning makes learning simple and even complex concepts more tangible, relatable and fun. Take some time and think about how you can integrate more playful learning into your student’s life.



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Spring Advice For High School Seniors
  • Posted on Wed, Apr 01, 2015 @ 11:04 AM

Finally! This is the month.

This is the month you’ve been waiting for, working towards over the past three years of high school, and now it’s time to make your choice.  Here are some things to think about:

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5 Steps To Finding The Perfect Academic Tutor
  • Posted on Sat, Mar 14, 2015 @ 11:03 AM

 

How do you know when your child needs a tutor?
Are their grades slipping? Do they have trouble managing time? Can you see the frustration on their face when they do homework?

These are all signs that your child needs help and support from a qualified tutor. Once the decision has been made to hire a tutor, an even harder decision awaits- choosing the right tutoring service. 

Several types of academic tutoring services are out there, all with different tutoring styles. So, where do you start? Which one should you pick? How do you know if the tutor will actually help?


Below are 5 steps to help you find the perfect tutor for your child.

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1. Determine the type of support your child needs. Tutors may specialize in certain subjects, while others may have experience working with children who have learning disabilities.
The first step should be determining what type of help your child needs to succeed in school. Be honest here, it will only help your child.

2. Look for a qualified academic tutor. If you are looking for a tutor in Chicago, you want someone with the right experience behind them.
Tutoring service companies like Chicago Academic are a great choice. They take the time to ensure that their tutors are qualified, and have an approach to tutoring that has been proven to work.

3. Find someone with expertise in the right subject. Once you have chosen a company, you want to find the right academic tutor.
Inquire with the director or owner of the company about tutors who have a background in the specific subject your child is struggling with. 

4. Interview the tutor. Though the tutoring company screens their tutors for you, it’s important to talk to the tutor to ensure that your child meshes well with him or her. Conduct a short interview, and focus on asking how he or she will help your child master the specific subject.

5. Work on building trust. An academic tutor is someone who will help nurture your child’s intellectual growth. A tutor has an important role in your child’s academic career, you want to have mutual respect and trust. It may take a few sessions, but soon you should be comfortable with the steps he or she is taking with your child and trust that you are headed in the right direction.

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