Newsletter October 2008
October 22, 2008

Welcome to the October, 2008 edition of "How to Succeed in School," the A+ Home Tutors Newsletter.

Below are links to this month's headlines:

Beyond Basic Study Skills

Many Colleges Drop SAT Requirements

Engaging Your Child in Science

Failing Grade for Eighth-Grade Algebra Rule?

SAT Tips to Help Good Students Score Better

Let’s be honest, many textbooks can be boring. To our children who are growing up in the digital, Internet age of flash websites, blogs and high-tech video games, a print textbook can be enough to put a student to sleep. We trust that our children’s teachers are offering them important knowledge, but do the students understand how to apply this knowledge to the real word? Do they know how to not only read and complete the assignments given to them, but to also use their own critical thinking skills to connect the information across disciplines and to the world outside the classroom?

Even if teachers don’t spend much time teaching students valuable study skills, here are some ways you can help your child learn how to analyze facts and concepts, and grasp a higher learning that is about more than just memorization. These skills are great for middle-school aged students, but can also be helpful when adapted for students of any age.

Effective Note Taking
While this may seem obvious, many times when students are reading assignments they have difficulty deciding what is worth writing down in their notes and how to organize them. Venn diagrams can help students compare and contrast ideas. Outlines are great for topics that have many facets and smaller, but still important details. Webs are great for visual thinkers who prefer to have things mapped out with lines, boxes, circles, et cetera, rather than in list form. Bullets are good for writing down main ideas, and then going back later to reorganize and associate these concepts.

Taking Cues from Text
It is important for students to take in the big picture when tackling assignments. One of the best ways to approach a new book or textbook is to look at its features. What is the title of the book? What information do the book flaps, table of contents, and chapter titles convey? Being aware of these text cues helps students start with some kind of groundwork for the reading they will be doing. Teach them how sidebars, captions and other text boxes can add related ideas to the main topic.

Purposeful Reading
Students are often easily overwhelmed when they feel like too much information is being thrown their way at once. However, good readers know that the best way to improve their skills is to read something above their usual level, even if that means reading it more than once through. Let students know it is okay to have to read something twice to fully grasp the message. Also, learning how to sift through a slew of information to pick out the important ideas is a crucial skill that will be needed throughout their school and professional careers. If they are struggling with this, have your child read the chapter through once and decide on the major points. Once he or she determines these from the smaller details, he or she can go back and reread the chapter, further understanding how the ideas relate to each other.

To Skim or Not to Skim
In an ideal world, there would be enough time to read through everything so that skimming is not necessary. However, in the real world in real time, sometimes skimming is a good option when there is not enough time to go through everything carefully. Timed exams and tests are a great example of this. This can be hard for students, especially since they are taught to always read through everything. A great way to practice skimming skills is to have your child read something that you know is too long to finish in a particular amount of time. When the clock begins to run out, it is a great time to rely on text features for quick absorption of the material. Look ahead to see how much material is left and decide what to focus on. Check for bolded or italicized vocabulary words or concepts. Skip the side bars and captions to focus on the main text. Read the first and last sentences of each paragraph and determine which ones are the most important to read through in entirety.

Making Connections
Students should try to identify main concepts and write down any ideas or questions they have about the material. You can help students by being involved in what they’re reading and asking them to make connections to the larger world. Ask about how history can apply to modern day events, or how essay skills can help them communication better in real life.

What’s Next?
One good way to do a final review of the material is to try to anticipate what kind of questions the teacher might ask the next day. Where there new words or concepts that they might be discussing in class? What type of essay questions might apply to the material? This last step is very effective in helping children learn how to take information and further analyze it themselves.

Source: Lucas, Cheri. “Study Skills They Don’t Teach in School,” www.education.com.

There is a lot of pressure put on students to perform well on the SATs. But some universities and colleges are beginning to make the once required SAT optional for admissions processes.

Family Income and Test Scores
Connecticut College (CT), Wake Forest University (NC), and Smith College (MA) are just three of many selective schools to drop the SAT and ACT tests as requirements. According to a CNN report, Wake Forest has chosen to make the most largely used admissions exam optional in order to increase the student body’s ethnic and racial diversity. The Director of Admissions points to research that has shown the link between family income and test performance, and claims the test alone does not predict a student’s abilities or readiness for college. Smith College also pointed to the link between scores and family income as the reasoning behind their decision. Some argue that the popularity of test coaching for SATs gave students from high-income families an unfair advantage.

While the University of California school system has not dropped the SATs from its admissions requirements, in 2001 former president Richard Atkinson recommended the school do so. Atkinson claimed it was unclear what the test measured, leaving no structure for creating more fairness on the test or helping students gain the skills to perform better.

Not Necessarily a New Trend
This may come as good news to students who perform well and have high grade point averages but who do poorly on standardized tests. But is it really a new trend? In the 1990s some universities and colleges did go SAT-optional out of concern that the test impeded women, minorities and low-income students from getting into schools they were otherwise qualified for. Owners of the SAT, the College Board, say that the test does not discriminate in any way, and that despite recent media attention, schools have been making SATs optional for decades. They also report that students are continuing to take the SATs at a regular rate.

Benefits of the SAT
But the SAT scores can also help some students. Today, schools like George Mason University (VA) use the SAT for prospective students who don’t meet GPA requirements. Bowdoin College (ME) hasn’t required SAT scores since 1969, but nearly 80 percent of applicants submit scores anyway. Often the scores can help students set themselves apart from others with similar GPAs. Studying for the SAT can also help students improve vocabulary and mathematical ability, and develop better test taking skills.

Source: Landau, Elizabeth. “More colleges move toward optional SATs,” May 30, 2008, www.cnn.com.

Science can be a tough subject for students, even though it surrounds us in daily life. Here are tips to show children science can be interesting and even fun.

Create Curiosity
One of the best steps towards hands-on science is to get outside with your child. Start collecting specimens of plants, leaves, bugs, anything that children can research online or in a field guide.

Field Trips
Many towns and cities have great resources for scientific learning at science centers or museums. Check exhibits for topics that interest your child and then make the whole day feel like a fun outing rather than a science class. If you don’t have access to a museum or center nearby, consider renting DVDs like Planet Earth or going online for virtual lessons and games. Science and technology camps are a great resource for budding scientists too.

Hands on Experiments at Home
Find fun, but safe, experiments you can try at home. They don’t have to be complicated, just something that holds your child’s interest and prompts them to ask questions. Ask children to make predictions and then discuss the results of the experiments. Don’t worry if you don’t know the answers to everything, part of the fun of science is exploring the unknown.

Books and magazines can also be a great alternative to get students interested in science. There are great publications like Zoobooks and National Geographic for Kids created especially to foster science appreciation in children.

Source: National Education Association, “A Parent’s Guide to Raising Scientifically Literate Children,” www.nea.org.

California’s state Board of Education recently instated a new policy that requires all eighth-grade students to take algebra classes. While many people, including the Bush administration, were pleased by this mandate, others point out that the policy is problematic for both financial and logistical reasons.

The Reality of the Policy
While there is encouraging news in a study by Washington D.C.-based Brookings Institute that a record number of students are taking algebra than ever before, the study also finds that approximately 120,000 of these students are scoring in the lowest 10 percentile on the eighth-grade National Assessment of Educational Progress.

More Harm than Good?
One of the main arguments against this new policy is that it will hurt both the students who need extra assistance in math and those who already have solid or advanced math abilities. Many opponents of the algebra policy claim this is because students are thrown into algebra classes unprepared and without the proper foundations in math skills. This leaves many students in a situation where they are almost set up from the very beginning to be left behind other students. The idea is simple, if you place students in a class at a level where they don’t belong, how can you expect them to catch up and perform well? Furthermore, this slows down the pace of the class, which affects those students who have a natural aptitude in mathematical thinking and reasoning.

Statistics Show a Lack of Skills
The Brookings Institute found a frightening statistic—there are an average of two students in every eighth-grade algebra class who only have the math skills of a second grade level. They also found no correlation between eighth-grade enrollment in algebra and success on the math portion of eighth-grade national assessment test.

The Politics of the Policy
Apparently the policy developed from efforts to create an eighth-grade math test to satisfy federal officials. Rather than creating a new test with less difficult algebra problems, Gov. Schwarzenegger and the state board decided a full algebra test should be given to all eighth-graders.

The California School Boards Association and the Association of California School Administrators have filed a lawsuit in response to the decision, saying the decision was adopted by illegal means. Opponents also are concerned about the funding needed to prepare schools for the mandatory eighth-grade algebra by 2011, particularly given California’s recent budgetary concerns.

What You Can Do
Regardless of what happens with the policy and the lawsuit, you can help your child by ensuring that he or she stays on course with math skills, and will be ready for algebra in the eighth grade—whether by state policy or choice. Talk with your children about their math courses. Find out how they feel about their own math abilities and whether they are receiving the instruction they need. If they are struggling, math tutoring is a great way to help them build the foundation skills for their future, and make sure they will not be left behind.

Source: Blume, Howard. “California’s new 8th-grade algebra rule gets some poor marks,” Los Angeles Times, September 22, 2008.

When it comes to the SAT, there’s a lot of advice on how to help struggling students succeed on the big test. But often overlooked are the motivated, high-achieving students who have good GPAs, but yet don’t perform well on the SAT. Considering its importance in college admissions, it’s a good idea for all students to prepare for the test, even if they typically whiz through class lessons and study material with ease.

There are many variables that can lead to a lower-than-expected score, perhaps the most obvious being stress. While it is normal to feel stress over such a big and emphasized test, it’s important that the stress does not impede the student’s confidence level or cause them to freeze up and forget things they already know.

Here are some tips on how to beat SAT stress so students can focus on their abilities and trying their best.

Practice Makes Perfect
Practice tests are a great way for students to understand what to expect on their testing day. Prep courses and practice exams can be very helpful, particularly when they are timed, like the real test will be. This helps students learn to pace themselves, leaving enough time to go through every section carefully. Because of the SAT scoring system, it can also be helpful if they tackle easy questions first, leaving the harder ones for later.

Knowledge is Power
Make sure the student knows the logistics of the testing process. Where will the test be taken? How long will it take to get to the facility and find parking? Make sure they have all their materials ready the night before. Knowing what to expect and planning for these things helps students arrive on time and with a clear head.

Don’t Procrastinate
This seems obvious, but we all are tempted to procrastinate sometimes, especially when a stressful event is looming. Make sure students begin preparing and studying well in advance. This not only gives time for the material and study skills to sink in, but also makes the task of preparing seems less daunting when it is broken up over time.

Stress-beating Techniques
Even the best performers will experience stress. When students are prepared with stress-fighting techniques, they can stay focused and on track. Let them know it’s okay to stop and take a deep breath to re-center, or to take a quick trip to the bathroom or water fountain to calm their nerves.

In the end, it’s important that students try their best, and regardless of their score realize that this is only a test. Many schools admit that SAT scores are only one facet considered in the admissions process, in addition to high school coursework, GPA, activities and other factors that point to a student’s true potential.

A+ Home Tutors offers SAT tutoring on a one on one basis. We believe that students benefit from working with an SAT tutor to help them learn and practice strategies for solving test problems. If your child is not putting in enough practice, or is having trouble with certain sections of the SAT, call A+ Home Tutors and we can set your child up with an experienced SAT tutor!

Source: Boyd, Hannah. “Helping Good Students Do Better on the SAT,” from www.education.com.