How to Help Your Student Face the ACT with Confidence

How to Help Your Student Face the ACT with Confidence How to Help Your Student Face the ACT with Confidence By todays academic standards, a strong ACT score can be just as important as a high school diploma. This rigorous exam, traditionally completed by high school students in the spring of their junior year, can determine college acceptance and eligibility for merit-based scholarships. The ACT tests students knowledge of Math, Science, English and Reading, includes an optional writing portion, and is scored on a 36-point scale. Unfortunately, the Washington Post reports that ACT scores reached their lowest national average of the past five years in 2013, with a composite average of 20.9. Worse yet, only twenty-six percent of tested students met all four of the ACTs subject benchmarks. While the specific cause of low performance is purported to be the result of many varying factors, the competition for college acceptance remains stringent. Acceptance standards are high, and a noncompetitive ACT score could spell the difference between attending the college of a students dreams and attending another university. The only strategy proven to increase a students chances of scoring high on an ACT exam is proper preparation. But what does this look like, and how can it be achieved? The Huntington Learning Center offers its top tips for successful ACT preparation. Get Familiar with Key Strategies Sometimes simply knowing how to take a test can be almost as helpful as knowing the material. For example, in the ACT reading section, your student will both save time and increase his or her chances of selecting the right answer if he or she reads questions before reading the corresponding passages. This strategy allows students to know exactly what theyre looking for while they read, a proven tactic to enhance comprehension. Its also important to know that students should answer every question on the exam, as there is no penalty for guessing. General test-taking strategies such as utilizing process of elimination for challenging multiple choice questions, memorizing the directions for each section beforehand, and always creating an outline for the writing portion of the exam, can also significantly improve your students chances for success. Take Practice Tests Encourage your student to take a full-length practice ACT exam, which can be found online, in test preparation books or from a tutoring service. Have your student take a diagnostic practice test before studying as a means to measure progress, and for an accurate score, always complete under similar test conditions (for instance, timing each section). Practice tests provide students an opportunity to determine pacing, identify potential weaknesses, and reduce test anxiety. Encourage your student to take as many practice exams as time allows. Use a Tutoring Service Instruction from the classroom may simply not be enough when it comes to thoroughly preparing for the ACT exam. Students need extra reviews to strengthen skills in certain subjects, and even if your student does well in school, supplemental studying is still both necessary and worthwhile. This is where an ACT tutoring program can help. With an ACT tutoring program, your student will receive one-to-one instruction tailored to his or her learning style, gain valuable test-taking strategies, develop stronger time management skills, and acquire thorough preparation in every aspect of the exam. There are even opportunities for full-length, proctored exams. In todays world of college admissions, in which a one-point increase in an ACT score can sometimes equal thousands in merit-based scholarships, theres no denying the value of adequate preparation. Help your student excel on the ACT exam this year with ACT tutoring from the Huntington Learning Center. The Huntington Learning Center offers three tutoring programs of varying lengths that offer proven test-taking strategies, highly-trained tutors, options for coursework and flexible scheduling. Contact the Huntington Learning Center today at 1-800-CAN-LEARN or visit us online to learn more about our services.

Care for Kids Taking ADHD Medication

Care for Kids Taking ADHD Medication A recently issued federal report found that 500,000 children who were treated with ADHD medication did not receive appropriate follow-up care per the recommendations outlined by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Specifically, these children did not attend a follow-up doctors appointment within one month of starting their medication and 1 in 5 children did not attend additional follow-up appointments within one year as recommended. While this report focused on children enrolled in Medicaid, the follow-up care likely reflects typical care for most children who receive their medication from pediatricians or other primary care practitioners. The report did not identify the reasons why follow-up care was poor for so many children, but the findings do highlight the need for parents to advocate for their children. As a parent, what type of follow-up care should you expect for your child after they start an ADHD medication? The American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines include four key points related to ADHD treatment: When medication is prescribed, a follow-up appointment to check on medication effectiveness and side effects should occur within one month. At a minimum, two additional follow-up appointments should occur within one year. For optimal treatment effects, behavior therapy should be provided in addition to medication. For preschoolers, behavior therapy should be used first, and medication should only be added if necessary. ADHD should be treated as a chronic condition, and providers should follow a chronic care model of treatment, like models used in other chronic conditions like asthma and diabetes. Therefore, treatment should continue beyond one year and medication adjustments should be made as symptoms change over time. In addition to following these guidelines, parents should expect to complete symptom rating scales at follow-up visits. Ideally, teacher rating scales should be collected as well. The provider should review these completed rating scales at each visit and consider the responses when determining whether a medication adjustment is needed. Follow-up care is particularly important for kids with ADHD because every child responds to ADHD medication differently. Some have a great response to the first medication they try. Others need to try two or three medications before finding one that works well. Medication dose also needs to be adjusted somewhat regularly, both when a medication is initially started and as a child grows and gains weight over time. Lastly, ADHD medications can cause side effects, many of which can be addressed with medication adjustments. Unfortunately, as the recent federal report highlights, not all practitioners adhere to the recommended ADHD treatment guidelines. Parents should feel confident asking for regular follow-up visits and to have access to ratings scales that can be completed by parents and teachers. ADHD medication can be a very powerful treatment tool, and its important to work with a provider who will provide follow-up care that optimizes medication response in order to help your child reach their full potential. ABOUT DR. MARY ROONEY Mary Rooney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. Dr Rooney is a researcher and clinician specializing in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring behavioral, anxiety, and mood disorders. A strong advocate for those with attention and behavior problems, Dr. Rooney is committed to developing and providing comprehensive, cutting edge treatments tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and adolescent. Dr. Rooney's clinical interventions and research avenues emphasize working closely with parents and teachers to create supportive, structured home and school environments that enable children and adolescents to reach their full potential. In addition, Dr. Rooney serves as a consultant and ADHD expert to Huntington Learning Centers. ABOUT HUNTINGTON Huntington Learning Center is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students of all levels succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Call us today at 1.800.CAN LEARN to discuss how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only.

How Your School May Have ruined your essay writing and online writing

How Your School May Have ruined your essay writing and online writing Most of us eventually realize that the things we learned in school don’t always apply out in the real world. This fact is especially true in terms of our writing habits.I have been a private writing instructor for close to 10 years now and entered college at 16 myself. Most of my students are college students, though I’ve also taught middle and high-schoolers. Public education is a stressful and often thankless field, and I am not criticizing the many wonderful, hard-working teachers of the world. Rather, I’m pointing out that the average English teacher’s job is to teach you the grammar and rules of VERY basic academic writing, generally in preparation for standardized tests. While these are undeniably important skills for that context, they don’t all transfer to college and the real world. Here are three things that worked for your school papers school that you want to avoid online and in your admission essay. Finally, why am I talking about online and admissions in the same breath? These days, many colleges are now accepting online and html applications. If this does not apply to you, just file away the info about web writing for later. You're going to need it once you get to the university of your choice!*Pointless ElaborationIf you’ve ever found yourself tempted to refer to Webster’s dictionary while struggling to write an introduction, you’re not alone. Similarly, if you’ve ever wanted to use something like “For the entire history of [insert field here], man has sought [insert value here]” to open a paper, you were probably doing so to fill up the assignment’s minimum page count. By requiring you to fill up a certain amount of pages, your English teacher unwittingly taught you to use a lot of words to say very little. In online, college, and business contexts, being concise and clear are your top priorities as a writer. Let me repeat: good writing is clear, concise content. Avoid summarizing to fill space: it tends to be redundant, especially when you can link to/cite whatever you’re referencing. Think about your audience, and assume that they know the basics of your subject. Avoid jargon and clichés like the plague. They don't make you sound smarter.*Terrible Document DesignMost high school and college papers require the same recycled format: 12-point, Times New Roman font, double-spaced. Usually you will have to have a header. The double-spacing is practical in this context. For a teacher, it’s much easier to make notes and corrections in the spaces between lines. However, this practice also leads to many students never understanding the importance of white space. Though subtle, white space is one way that you know this paragraph isn’t about the exact same topic as the one just before it. The space between paragraphs and headers helps the reader visually navigate a piece of writing. This visual cue is especially important online, where people tend to skim writing for its most interesting and relevant pieces. Headers and lists serve a similar function, though if your teacher was an MLA style purist, you probably never had occasion to use them in school. *Wordy, Excessively Formal Prose“Don’t write how you talk” is a common mantra of the grade-school English teacher. In the age of text-speak, most kids need to be told not to use acronyms and abbreviations. But often, this point gets driven home to hard, causing older students to try to “sound smart.” A common side-effect of this is using unnecessarily long or obscure words: “utilize” instead of “use,” “equilibrium” instead of “balance,” etc. Rather than making the writer look smart, these verbal gymnastics make the writer seem pompous. (Ironically, someone who does this can be described as “sesquipedalian.”) Avoid verbose or confusing terms by choosing the simplest way to say what you need to say. Don’t say “due to” or “in lieu of” where “because” or “instead” will get the job done. As a rule, online writingâ€"whether on a blog, social media, or message boardâ€"tends to be informal. Context is the key to making decisions about mechanics and grammar. Avoiding contractions may be appropriate for a research paper, but in blogging that’s simply not the case (see what I did there?). A sentence fragment would be out of place in a literary analysis, but can offer emphasis and style in conversation or story-telling. Many college applications have a narrative option for the essay prompts--mine had one about escaping from a pit of menacing wolves with a list of pre-prescribed items!Calvin and Hobbes, credited to creator of that legendary comic!As a rule, online writingâ€"whether on a blog, social media, or message boardâ€"tends to be informal. Context is the key to making decisions about mechanics and grammar. Avoiding contractions may be appropriate for a research paper, but in blogging that’s simply not the case (see what I did there?). A sentence fragment would be out of place in a literary analysis, but can offer emphasis and style in conversation or story-telling.For your essay, you will:Avoid contractions, Allow yourself many drafts/brainstorms/ideas/topicsBe yourself/Brag a little (but make it a humblebrag!)Clearly and Concisely Convey your ContwntBut beyond that, stand out! What is unique about you? Why are you any different and why should the reader not sail your essay into the garbage? Grab attention and go forth from there! Good luck! If you're in Austin, I can help you craft the perfect essay.

How to help sensitive children. Best tutor tips

How to help sensitive children. Best tutor tips Parenting a child that is sensitive can be both rewarding and exhausting. Children that are sensitive are often emotionally overwhelmed easily and can often be viewed as shy or introverted. How parents, teachers and tutors interact or react to sensitive children determines their reaction to different situations and how they can deal with those situations. Sensitive children common traits Sensitive children are often overwhelmed by simple things such as a person looking at them in an angry way, loud noises or fierce emotions shown towards them. Understanding whether your child is sensitive is the first step to guiding them through their childhood. Some common traits of a sensitive child are: They cry, get angry or excite easily. They carry a lot of anxiety and worry about things that seem trivial to others. They are aware of problems that others don't acknowledge easily. They are understanding to other people's feelings and experiences and feel deeply for their problems. They respond emotionally to music, films, books or photographs. They act more emotionally than other children their age. They react more emotionally to small cuts and bruises. They prefer a quite environment and do not react well to loud noises or surprises. They do not like being the centre of attention. These are just a few of the characteristics of a sensitive person and there are many more that can be added to the list. There are of course always positives and negatives that come with being sensitive. The positives Sensitive people are often good-natured and kind. They are always keen to help. They are usually expressive and responsive. They take other people's feelings very seriously and strive to make others feel good. They are caring and often protective of friends and family. The negatives They do not handle criticism well. They often carry a lot of anxiety and worry about their ability to do simple tasks. They often carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. They take things personally and are hurt by small remarks and strong emotions. Depending on the level of sensitivity, sensitive children can often be very observant, have sharp senses and react with strong emotions. Parents with sensitive children understand that they often need more understanding and support than children that are not sensitive. Tutor Advice Simply acknowledging your child's feelings and talking about them openly and honestly is a big help. Avoiding situations, when possible, that make your child feel anxious and taking the time to explain certain things or enjoy some time-out with them will also be calming for your child. All children are unique and different in their own way and their approach to learning should be considered by their parents; those who know and understand them best. Having a good relationship with their school teacher or tutor is very important when it comes to the learning of a child that is sensitive. Working together and being as involved as possible can only make for a better outcome. We at First Tutors asked our tutors to provide us with their top tips on teaching sensitive children. Tutor Annabel from Bedford gave this great advice: Sensitive children can be a challenge and it is really important to help them in the best way possible. Children who are low in confidence should be approached gently, using materials that are familiar to them. For example, a child who had an interest in football and needed to learn to use capital letters and full stops could be presented with a picture of a football match and asked to write a few simple sentences about the picture. Praise and encouragement should be used as much as possible - stickers and stampers are a great way to motivate children who are sensitive or low in confidence. If a child does become upset during a lesson, it is important to comfort them and explain that everybody makes mistakes and it is a part of learning. I always show a sensitive child where I have made a mistake and, as well as making us both laugh, it serves to show them that even teachers make errors. All children should be respected and treated as equals; tutors should always ensure children know they can achieve if they try their best and this is no different for any child. Other tips from some of our tutors were: Give them choices: Sensitive children dislike authority and are far more comfortable with being given choices. By including these children in decisions, such as asking them for their thoughts on a certain issue or asking them for their opinion on a problem, they will feel more at ease and do much better. Giving a sensitive child choices alleviates frustration and helps a tutor build a better relationship with them. Build a relationship on trust: Allowing a sensitive child to trust someone that is teaching them is very important in ensuring their success throughout lesson. A tutor's job is to identify a child's weaknesses and work with them to ensure they are understanding and progressing in the right way. A tutor should build a good relationship with the child whereby the child feels comfortable n their company and is able to express themselves naturally. To conclude: Sensitive children often feel deeper and are more concerned with sounds and actions that other children would normally not even notice. In some respects sensitive children can often be described like the princess in the princess and the pea fairytale. Just like the princess in the story who could feel the pea beneath 10 mattresses, sensitive children can feel things that others cannot. Understanding that making their surroundings more bearable and preparing them for certain situations can ease their sensitivity and allow them to feel more at ease. By ensuring that parents, teachers and tutors are all working together to ensure the best for a sensitive child will certainly aid in securing better progress for them. Understanding their needs and insecurities and limiting these to the best of our capabilities will give a sensitive child the balance they need to overcome some of their difficulties and secure a better academic future for them.

Celebrating the Japanese Festival of Setsubun

Celebrating the Japanese Festival of Setsubun Japan marks the beginning of spring on February 4th. Setsubun, which means “the division of the seasons,” is celebrated on February 3rd (although there is technically a “setsubun” for every season, the beginning of spring is the only one celebrated).Mame-makiTo welcome the new season, one member of the family (often the father) dons a devil mask while his family members throw roasted soybeans at him. The act of throwing beans is known as mame-maki, and is done to drive out demons and invite good luck for the new year. While throwing beans, the family will yell “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi!” which roughly translates to “demons out, luck in!” and slam the door on the defeated demon. Because the ritual tends to get messy, many people opt to simply do this outside!Supermarkets will usually sell masks and soybean packets, and a few restaurants even join in on the fun by giving patrons packets of beans as they leave. Larger mame-maki events often take place at temples and shr ines, where patrons will rush to catch the beans thrown. Some believe that eating the number of beans equal to their age will bring them health and happiness. (A 42-year-old, for example, would eat 42 beans.) Unless you live in a household where the other members also celebrate Setsubun, it’s probably best to keep this tradition confined to Japan. Housemates and strangers don’t usually take kindly to having beans thrown at them!Eho-makiThe tradition of eating eho-maki started in the Kansai area, but is becoming more common in other regions across Japan. This custom dictates eating a large sushi roll in total silence while facing in a lucky direction; the direction is determined by the year’s zodiac sign. In 2014, the lucky direction is east-northeast.The start of springThe day after Setsubun is known as Risshun: the start of spring. Whether you're currently teaching in Japan or just like the idea of driving out demons with beans, we hope the start of this new season is filled with good luck!Photo: Sakura Chihaya (Flickr)

7 Easy Tips on How to Overcome School Anxiety

7 Easy Tips on How to Overcome School Anxiety School has started and it has been a really hectic week for many students and parents so today we decided to share some useful tips on how to overcome school anxiety. I think you will agree with me that every person on the planet sometimes feels anxiety. It could be public speaking anxiety, exams anxiety, social anxiety, mathematics anxiety etc. The approach to each kind of it may be different. Today we are going to talk about school anxiety since many students experience it at one point or another. School anxiety may occur amongst different age groups. So if you are a parent who worries about your kid`s refusal to go to school read this article to help him cope with anxiety Coping with Back to School Anxiety. And if you are a student who worries about grades and being popular take a look at 7 easy tips on how to overcome anxiety: Relaxation is a great way to lower anxiety level. Do what relaxes you take a hot bath, sit on top of a hill around sunset, nosh on chocolate, brush your hair, listen to your favorite music etc. Meditation can actually reduce anxiety level. Its one of the most effective forms of anxiety treatment. Breathing exercises is a complete game-changer when it comes to defeating anxiety. It’s weird, but we can somehow forget to breathe properly. So take long, deep breaths when you need to calm down. Yoga and stretching exercises can loosen your body and help you clear your mind. Dripping cold water on your wrists and behind your earlobes will help calm your body and your nerves. Learning self hypnosis is a great way to deal with anxiety. It can be very rewarding and is a life long tool. It may be helpful to consider hiring a tutor who will provide you with the knowledge and skills to ensure your study success and to reduce your stress level. Remember ignoring the problem or failing to deal with it can lead to more serious problems. Things can get so bad that you don’t even want to leave the house. So try everything that can be useful in winning the battle with anxiety.

Tutoring Jobs in Hartford CT

Tutoring Jobs in Hartford CTTutoring jobs in Hartford Connecticut provide tutors with the best work and education environment. The tutoring jobs in Hartford, CT has been around for over a hundred years and is the sole employer of many skilled tutors.Tutoring jobs in Hartford, CT are very well known throughout the United States and have been the foremost employer of many qualified individuals. With the tutoring jobs in Hartford, CT has been around for a hundred years, it is not surprising that many talented tutors have worked for this company. Tutors in Hartford Connecticut, that have been working for this company have studied at one of the finest colleges in the world and are very experienced with the English language. They also have had excellent writing and critical reading skills and are also very good communicators.In fact, one of the reasons that the tutoring companies have been so successful is because the people at Hartford, CT have created an atmosphere that promotes creativi ty and quality education. They believe that a strong education and a solid working background are required to do well in their field and encourage the young people in the community to become proficient at whatever subject they choose.Tutoring jobs in Hartford, CT pay very well and do not have the usual daily demands and pressures of a conventional job. You can start with one lesson per week for two months and earn a handsome living. There are some benefits as well. This tutoring jobs in Hartford, CT offers excellent health insurance and other benefits that can be taken care of by their staff.Tutors that are hired by this company have had proper training and on average have been working in this company for ten years. The tutoring jobs in Hartford, CT employ trained and competent tutors who provide tutoring for both adult and child as well as disability. It is also possible to find jobs byemploying the services of online tutoring and English as a second language tutoring companies.Tut oring jobs in Hartford, CT offer an excellent working and educational environment. The tutoring jobs in Hartford, CT encourage interaction between the tutor and the student and find the best ways to promote English language and cultural knowledge. The tutoring jobs in Hartford, CT have created a perfect environment for young people to gain their qualification and move on to higher level studies and earn more earnings. It is an environment where you do not feel as if you are being placed in the lap of authority but feel as if you are doing well by the standards set by the company.There are many tutoring jobs in Hartford, CT available in the region and the number of tutors is constantly increasing as people from different areas of the country, New York, California, Virginia, Florida, Georgia, California, and even out West to come and learn more about English language. You can find tutoring jobs in Hartford, CT at the official website of this company.