We love the promise of everything new this time of year. New classes. New people. Fresh notebooks. Sharpened pencils. Clean desks. It all has so much potential. And yet, it seems like that glow always quickly fades as realism sets in. How do I organize my notebooks? How do I take notes? How do I do…
Despite what social media might have you believe, the academic Three R’s, Reading, (w)Riting and (a)Rithmetic, are still the foundation for all learning. Without these essential skills, students will not have the building blocks for the higher-order thinking that drives 21st century skills like computation, communication and collaboration. This back-to-school, students of all ages might struggle…
The bigger structural changes many hoped would be a silver lining from the pandemic didn’t happen. However, parents and teachers undoubtedly learned some important lessons that can be used to address learning loss and improve in-person school for everyone this Fall. Here are the top things we learned that are (a) also consistent with science and (b) readily…
Harvard discovered that one of the best predictors of college success was having a study group. Would your students benefit? Study groups can help students stay motivated and organized. In fact, it’s shown that they can be even more effective than classroom discussions in helping students learn and remember. If you have students who struggled first…
Wouldn’t it be great if teens could study the same amount as they do now and get better grades? Or, at the very least, get their same grades but spend less time studying and worrying? According to science, they can. IF they are willing to forego their instincts and use proven learning strategies that work. It…
Spring is here. If you’re a student, that means…Finals. And plenty to memorize. Flashcards are one of the most effective study tools. Finding the best flashcard app, can save you A LOT of time so choose wisely. Best flashcard app features: Create your own: The process of creating the flashcards helps you learn. And when you create your…
Re-engaging after a long summer vacation can be tough. So tough that students often need to spend the first month of school reviewing the last two months of the previous school year. Adults are no different. So, today we share with you the most important things that your summer brain might have missed or forgotten.…
Before School Starts One or two weeks before the start of school, have some one-on-one time with each child. Discuss the upcoming year. Do a lot more listening than speaking– you want to hear their concerns and allay them. For younger students, parents might need to set expectations for homework time and grades. For teens, it might…
Getting started on a word problem can feel overwhelming. For some students, it’s too many words, too many numbers all at once. Use this list to help your student identify the key words that will provide important clues about which operations they will need to use. It also includes ways to identify “hidden numbers.”
You are probably familiar with the concept of the learning curve. When it’s steep, learning is a challenge. When the learning curve is shallow, learning comes easily. When we say a student is smart in subject, we often mean they have a shallow learning curve. Most of school focuses on getting students up the learning curve, testing them to…