Turn a Summer Vacation into a Great School Year!

 

Posted on by Gwynne

Tuesday, July 2nd – Saturday, August 24th

 

       For most children, summer is a time to leave classes and homework behind.  However, when they return to school in the fall after the long summer break, students can find themselves struggling to catch up.

       Skills and knowledge gained throughout the school year fade during the summer months.  Experienced educators all agree that loss of retention begins within a few days of the end of school unless the new information is reinforced for applied within a reasonable amount of time.  After a month without some form of reinforcement, a significant percentage of what students learned during the year can be lost.

A break from school is great for recharging your children’s batteries, but if they are not using some of the skills and knowledge that were learned in the classroom, they could find themselves lagging behind when the school year starts up again.

       Sylvan’s eight-week summer program begins on Tuesday, July 2nd with individualized classes in most academic subjects and test prep. Classes are offered Tuesday and Thursday mornings and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons Additional days/hours are available by special appointment.  Before enrolling in a Sylvan Summer Program, students are given an individualized assessment to determine academic strengths and weaknesses so that a personalized learning profile and program can be developed for each student. 

       For additional information about how Sylvan can give your child a head-start on the next school year, please contact Gwynne or Kathy weekdays between 9 am and 3 pm.or log on to the Center website at www.sylvandarien.com.

 

Study Tips for Final Exams!

 

Posted on by Gwynne

 

It is that time of year again! What time? Time for students to start preparing for their end-of-year FINAL EXAMS.  Darien High School exams begin Wednesday, June 13th and will continue with two exams each weekday through Tuesday, June 18th.  We have helpful organizational and study tips to promote more efficient and effective use of a student’s study time. By following the suggested steps below, students can not only reduce the stress of studying for their finals, but also be better prepared to tackle their exams with confidence and adequate preparation. The following steps explain how students can avoid that “last-minute cram” by being better organized and having a practical and effective study plan.

  1. The most important thing to do is to ASK your teachers  in the next few weeks what will be covered on the exam. Will the exam cover both semesters, or just quarters 3 and 4? Find all the NOTES you took in and outside of class. If you outlined each chapter and filled in with class notes (Cornell/SQ3R format is the best) you are already organized. IMPORTANT: Make sure you find out if the test is CUMULATIVE (the entire term) or just partial (only the most recent quarter).
  2. Gather all the OTHER MATERIALS you have that relate to the topic you are going to be tested on:
  • HANDOUTS
  • HOMEWORK/LAB NOTES, etc.
  • ALL PAST QUIZZES/TESTS

  Arrange these materials, together with your notes and outlines BY DATE.

  1. Now that you have some idea where to start, begin REVIEWING AT LEAST 10-14 DAYS BEFORE YOUR EXAMS. Go back to the first chapter to be tested and look over the vocabulary and the review questions at the end of each unit. Make FLASH CARDS for vocabulary you have forgotten, and make outlines for the questions you were not able to answer without looking back.
  2. REPEAT STEP 3 for all material being tested in each class. We know it soundS like a terrific amount  of work, but that is why you are starting EARLY to avoid last-minute cramming  Use a calendar and create a daily ACTION PLAN to plot out all your individual study times over a seven-ten day study period. 
  3. FORM A STUDY GROUP. Technical subjects that require a large amount of memorization and tedious outlining are often best studied in a small group in which each student responsible for providing the group with specific outlines and review questions.  Group members can then quiz each other and provide support during a stressful time.
  4.  Be sure to ask your teachers about the FORMAT of the test. Will it be primarily essay (long or short), multiple  choice or a combination?
  5. Ask your TEACHERS for extra help. Go early to school or use your study hall or lunch periods to seek out help with reviewing your subjects. Take advantage of every REVIEW CLASS that is offered.
  6. SYLVAN can also provide extra help when preparing for your exams. Our English, math, history, science and Spanish teachers are here to provide support and to answer your study questions or concerns.
  7. Ask your TEACHERS for extra help. Go early to school or use your study hall or lunch periods to seek out help with reviewing your subjects. Take advantage of every REVIEW CLASS that is offered.

  8. SYLVAN can also provide extra help when preparing for your exams. Our English, math, history, science and Spanish teachers are here to provide support and to answer your study questions or concerns.

 By following the above steps, we are confident that students will be better prepared their exams his year. Be sure to give us a call if you want to schedule additional exam prep classes for your child. Good luck!!

 

 

 

 

Sylvan Darien Tutor Jeremy Aiss

 

Posted on by Gwynne

DARIEN, Conn. – Tutor Jeremy Aiss remembers what it was like to be a struggling student and now shares his wisdom with students at the Sylvan Learning Center of Darien to prepare them for the real world.

Aiss, 26, is working on a master’s in business administration in finance at Fordham University. He commutes to Darien from New York City to tutor about 20 students of all age groups weekly in biology, physics, chemistry, economics and history.

In addition to helping students with homework and class assignments, Aiss said students also are learning comprehensive study skills.

“It is very rewarding to use my knowledge and share it with my students so they can avoid making the mistakes I did,” he said.

A Norwalk native, Aiss has a bachelor’s degree in biology and pre-med from Fordham University and attended New York Medical College.

 

Family Inc – Great article on managing the family

 

Posted on by Gwynne

A new generation of parents is now taking solutions from the workplace and transferring them home. From accountability checklists to family branding sessions, from time-shifting meals to more efficient conflict resolution, families are finally reaping the benefits of decades of groundbreaking research into group dynamics. The result is a bold new blueprint for happy families.

Surveys show that both parents and children list stress as their No. 1 concern. A chief source of that stress is change. Just as kids stop teething, they start throwing tantrums; just as they stop needing us to give them a bath, they need our help dealing with online hazing. No wonder psychologist Salvador Minuchin said that the most important characteristic of families is being “rapidly adaptable.” So has anyone figured out how?

 

National math museum opens in NYC

 

Posted on by Gwynne

Most people rarely use the words “mathematics” and “fun” in the same sentence, but Glen Whitney thinks he’s come up with a formula to change that.

Mr. Whitney, a mathematician and former hedge-fund algorithm manager, is getting ready to unveil the sum of his past four years’ work: a museum devoted to math.

It’s a romp through the unexpected quirks of mathematics, with exhibits designed to turn math into play.

“You discover things that are beautiful and surprising,” Mr. Whitney said. “You discover extraordinary things.”

The National Museum of Mathematics, nicknamed MoMath, opened on Saturday (12/12/12) on East 26th Street facing Madison Square Park. On a recent afternoon, construction workers and museum staff were racing to ready the facility.

As workmen put the final touches on an installation at the center of a spiral staircase, Mr. Whitney beckoned for colleagues to join him in a demonstration of a giant touchscreen embedded in the floor.

Lines appeared on the screen, indicating the shortest network linking them all, looking like a brightly lighted railroad map. As the people shifted—sometimes by just inches—the lines jumped to form new routes.

It’s a museum designed to surprise. Tricycles will roll on square wheels across a scalloped surface. Clear plastic cubes, when held just so in a curtain of laser light, will reveal hexagonal cross-sections. And little cars on a movable racetrack will reach their destinations faster on routes that aren’t straight.

 

Timely Study Tips for a Successful School Year

 

Posted on by Gwynne

Now that we are well into the first quarter of a new school year, it is important for students to make sure they are effectively utilizing their time management skills and applying the appropriate study strategies to guarantee academic success. At Sylvan, we emphasize the following five critical steps to help students be more productive and successful with their studies. The most common problems that keep students from studying effectively are in a few key areas, including knowing how to manage their time, how to set study goals as well as knowing how to approach information, comprehension, test-taking methods and personal learning styles. By implementing a few simple steps, families and students can look forward to a more productive school year.
MAINTAIN A ROUTINE : 1) Design & follow a study plan – and stick to it! 2) study the same subjects in the same order, starting with one easier subject before moving on to the harder, more time-consuming subjects. 3) Do the memory work at the end of the study session.
SET GOALS: It is important to set goals for each study session – determine what you need to learn and how you will approach each assignment and determine how much TIME is required to complete each task. 2) Set short term goals for long-term assignments. Be sure to record all upcoming quizzes, tests and projects on the weekly or monthly calendar. Highlight important dates and deadlines. 3) Reward yourself for meeting your goals.
KEEP UP DAILY: Be prepared for each class – read ahead and bring all needed materials. 2) Review and /or rewrite your class notes daily. 3) Get help when you need it – your teachers are there to help. Take advantage of every extra before or after school review that is offered. 4) Form a study group before a large test or exam. 5) Do NOT miss turning in homework.
TAKE NOTES: Use an outlining or mapping technique or SQ3R (Survey, question, read, recite, review). 2) Note main ideas in your own words. 3) Be selective – review your notes and highlight key points. Create potential questions that could be on the next test or exam.
REMEMBER, REMEMBER, REMEMBER: 1) Schedule memory work at end of study session, and before a test, review first thing the next morning before school. 2) Evaluate/apply/discuss the information learned. 3) Use mnemonic devices (songs, letters, acronyms, etc.)
For more information on how we can help lay the foundation for a successful school year though our study skills program or one of several individualized tutoring programs in reading, writing, math or science, feel free to stop by or call the Center to speak with Gwynne M. Campbell or Kathy Greene Center or visit our www.sylvandarien.com.

 

 

 

 

Raising Successful Children

 

Posted on by Gwynne

This is a very good article from the New York Times August 5, 2012 issue. Here are the last 3 paragraphs, but read the entire article.

It is well written and informative.

“So how do parents find the courage to discard the malpractice of overparenting? It’s hard to swim upstream, to resist peer pressure. But we must remember that children thrive best in an environment that is reliable, available, consistent and noninterfering.

A loving parent is warm, willing to set limits and unwilling to breach a child’s psychological boundaries by invoking shame or guilt. Parents must acknowledge their own anxiety. Your job is to know your child well enough to make a good call about whether he can manage a particular situation. Will you stay up worrying? Probably, but the child’s job is to grow, yours is to control your anxiety so it doesn’t get in the way of his reasonable moves toward autonomy.

Parents also have to be clear about their own values. Children watch us closely. If you want your children to be able to stand up for their values, you have to do the same. If you believe that a summer spent reading, taking creek walks and playing is better than a specialized camp, then stick to your guns. Parents also have to make sure their own lives are fulfilling. There is no parent more vulnerable to the excesses of overparenting than an unhappy parent. One of the most important things we do for our children is to present them with a version of adult life that is appealing and worth striving for.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/opinion/sunday/raising-successful-children.html?pagewanted=all