As the summer drags on, it can be hard for even the most dedicated parent to make learning fun for their student, especially if your student does not enjoy school. In fact, after countless fights about academic or learning activities, it might be hard to remember why you started this plan in the first place.

In case you have forgotten or just need some encouragement, here are some summer learning tips for parents.

5 Tips for Beating Summer Boredom

-          By incorporating reading and math into your student’s life daily, you will help them keep the skills from last year and learn new ones. Older students can write a blog, practice making a budget, or help with cooking to make these skills relevant to their life.

-          Stick to a routine. It is easy to sleep in and take days off from your schedule during the summer, but when you stick to a routine there will be less conflict over the assigned activities and it will be easier for your child to return to their school year routine in the fall.

-          Consider summer tutoring. Tired of being the bad guy? Get outside help from a tutor to encourage your child academically.

-          Stay physical. Healthy, active students perform better in the classroom overall, so turn off the television and computer and do something outdoors.

-          Try something new with your child. This is a great way to bond and to learn with your student, so look for a free class at the local community center or library and sign up.

When all fails tutoring may be able to help.

Tutoring can be a great way to break up the summer and keep your students sharp.  To learn more about tutoring services in Potomac, MD please contact us today.

4 easy and free ways to keep your student learning all summer long:

-          Write a letter. Writing weekly is a good way to maintain and build writing skills over the summer, so encourage your child to write to the grandparent, cousin, or sibling at camp each week.

-          Volunteer. Students who volunteer have been shown to have less behavioral and learning problems than students who do not, so get your child involved in something that they will enjoy. It’s a great way to encourage values, build character, and lead to better academic performance.

-          Game night. Break out the board games – classics like Monopoly or new ones like Cranium, it doesn’t matter as long as there are math, logic, and/or verbal skills involved. Tired of your games? Talk to other parents about trading or loaning between families.

-          Meal planning. Choosing menus, making grocery lists, and helping to prepare meals are great activities for staying mentally sharp over the summer and even learning new skills.

Between work and summer activities for multiple children, it can be hard to find time for the academic or learning activities you planned to do. However, this does not mean that you need to let summer learning slide entirely this year.

3 ideas for summer learning

Try some of these ideas to bring math and reading into your summer without a major time commitment:

-          Visit a museum online – many museums now have extensive web pages devoted to their exhibits so your children can see the paintings and artifacts when the museum is closed

-          Play spelling and math games in the car – with 10 or 15 minutes between errands or during the ride home from camp, you can work on spelling and math skills with your child. If you do this on each ride to and from camp, your child will be spending 2 and a half hours each week practicing the skills they need to excel in school.

-          Make it real by using money to illustrate concepts. Students are fascinated by money, so use real world examples to illustrate math when they lose interest in other games. For example, ask them how many of a given item at the grocery store they could buy for five dollars or to calculate the tax on that item.

Tutoring may be able to help

Tutoring is sometimes an option when your schedule as a parent makes it difficult to stay consistent with these types of activities.  To learn more about tutoring services in Fairfax, VA please contact us today.

4 Reasons to stay on top of reading in the summer

In either situation, there are many reasons why daily reading should be at the top of your student’s summer list this year, including the following:

-          Students who do not read over the summer may lose verbal and reading comprehension skills while those who read regularly will not only maintain those skills but improve them between school years.

-          Using the public library over the summer was shown to be a greater predictor of improvement in vocabulary than summer school.

-          Students who read more books see greater gains than those who read only a few in terms of vocabulary and reading skills.

-          Summer reading for fun is a great way to build lifelong reading habits.

Reading – a habit for life

By encouraging your children to read and making the experience entertaining, enjoyable, and even relaxing, you will be putting them on a better track for helping your student’s academic performance and excellence when it is time to return to school in the fall. Find the right book and the right schedule and make reading a central part of your summer!

As your elementary student works on his or her reading assignments over the summer, or even if they are just reading for fun, you can help by exploring the important concepts related to plot in each of their books.

Here is a quick review of the concepts elementary students should know and how you can help:

-          Main characters. Ask your student to make a list of the main characters and to select one quote from each that illustrates his or her personality, draw a picture of them, or go through magazines to find someone that they might look like.

-          Settings. Discuss the location and time period in which the story takes place with your student, comparing it to today.

-          Plot components. There are four major components to every plot that students should be able to identify within the books they read:

• Conflict
• Rising action
• Climax
• Resolution

Reading for life

By going over each of these concepts regarding the books your elementary student reads this summer, the student will get the most out of each book and remember them more clearly. Discussing the elements will also help them practice verbal skills so they will be prepared to take the skills and information learned over the summer into the classroom for the upcoming school year.

In an earlier post, we explored three signs that your child might be in need of one on one tutoring this summer to help them catch up and get back on the right track before the next school year starts. However, there are definitely more than three signs of an issue, so in this post we are offering three more indications that you may want to take a closer look at your child’s academic issues.

Additional signs your student may benefit from tutoring:

1. Homework problems. While most students do not love doing homework, if your child is constantly fighting with you about doing their homework or making statements about how “useless” or “pointless” homework is, it may be a sign that they are having problems with the information and need help.
2. Class standing. If your child is in high school, the class standing may be printed on his or her report card. If they are younger, you may not find out that your student has fallen behind unless the teacher calls you specifically. In either case, if your student is in the bottom half of his or her class, this can indicate the need for additional help.
3. Determination. When your child experiences difficulty or failure in the classroom, they may feel discouraged and lose their determination. If you see this occur, a little extra help can be exactly what they need to improve.

Trust Your Instincts

Every student is different, but you know your child. If you see any of these signs, the sooner you get help, the easier and faster it will be to get your student on track.  To learn more about tutoring services in Alexandria, VA please contact us today.

1. Student Satisfaction

2. Postgraduate success

3. Student Debt

4. Four-year Graduation Rate

5. Competitive Awards

Topping this year’s list is Williams College, a private liberal arts university in Massachusetts.  Rounding out the top five are Princeton, Amherst, the United States Military Academy, and M.I.T.  So does this mean that in order to go to a great college a student needs to attend one of the universities on this list…no.  This list was constructed using a set of data, which allowed for a scientific ranking; however, when selecting the best colleges and universities in the United States, or for that matter the world, it will always remain a matter of opinion.  For example, my alma mater Indiana University was ranked 222 on the complete list of 610 schools.  Although it is far from the top 50 schools on this list, I consider it one of the best universities in the country and would not have traded the experience for anything.

For students and parents who are entering the college selection process try not to get wrapped up in the BEST colleges and universities.  Try not go get wrapped up in rankings.  When you step onto the campus don’t be concerned about the ranking, but rather think Is this someplace where I want to spend the next four (possibly more) years of my life? The best school is a matter of opinion.  Find the right school that works for you.  If you are overwhelmed by the process, give Study Sparkz a call.  We are experts in college admission, and we assist students in finding the college that is right for them, and making sure they present themselves in the best possible manner for gaining admission.

Sometimes the academic year can be incredibly hectic, making it difficult to spot problems or signs that your student is having troubles in school and might need tutoring. However, during the summer you have more time to look at your child’s attitudes and behaviors more closely to spot these signs and work on correcting them, either through formal in home tutoring program.

Here are three signs that your student may be struggling and in need of additional help:

1. Lowered confidence. Not every child is outgoing, but if you see that your child has become more withdrawn and quiet, you may want to speak to his or her teacher to see if they have noticed a drop in confidence as well.
2. Lower grades. If your child was an A student, it can be easy to write off the first B that he or she brings home. However, the sooner you get help for your student, the easier it will be to get back on track.
3. Poor attitude. While some teenagers have issues with attitude as a result of hormones or rebellious attitudes, a poor attitude can also indicate frustration academically or other issues. When students act out, they are often trying to avoid looking slow or stupid in front of their peers. Take a close look at their class work and homework and speak to your child’s teachers to see if this is more than just a bad mood.

Stay tuned for more help

These are the most obvious signs that a child may be struggling in school.  However in future blog posts we’ll take a look at more subtle things to watch for that may indicate a student needs help.  To learn more about tutoring services in Rockville, MD please contact us today.

During the hot summer months, you have more time to tutor your student on the essential skills they learned the year before, whether reviewing the material from the previous year or previewing the material that will come in the next one.  And taking a little time to review basic math each day will help guard against developing rusty habits in the summer.

Multiplication tables are something that can be difficult for students to master but are necessary for building the rest of the math skills he or she will need as they continue through the rest of their education.

Here are some ideas for helping your child learn and practice multiplication over the summer:

-          Go through one set of multiplication tables at a time, starting with the lowest ones. First the 2’s, then the 3’s, then the 4’s, and so on.

-          When first learning a set, make one set of note cards with only the problem on them (2×2, for example). As your child learns them, let the student write the answers on the back. After the set is finished, have the student make a second set where he or she writes both the front and the back of each card.

-          Create visuals if your child is having trouble with the concept of multiplication. For example, try drawing four set of five to show your student what four times five looks like. Some students learn better visually, so this can be an important way of making multiplication tables real for them.

Math is easier when you stay sharp

Practicing multiplication tables over the summer is a great way to keep your child’s math skills sharp between school years, allowing him or her to transition more easily back into school mode when fall comes.

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