Newsletter October 2009
October 21, 2009
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We strive to bring you the most helpful and up to date information every month, and this month's newsletter is no exception.
You can scroll down through the articles below, or you can click on a headline you like to go directly to that article.

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This Month's Headlines:

Overcoming Test Anxiety
SAT and ACT Myths Debunked
Tips For Tackling Tough Reading

Overcoming Test Anxiety

Now that the school year is pushing ahead, chances are your student has already had his or her fair share of tests. Even if students are starting to get into the pattern of learning, reviewing and then putting their new knowledge to work, many face anxiety when they are presented with quizzes and tests. This is common for many students, even if they are well versed in the material.

Test anxiety can bring a host of symptoms, from fear, headache and upset stomachs, to anger or even depression. New research helps examine how this emotional stress can affect students, including inhibiting their ability to understand and remember information. Anxiety can create distraction in the brain and nervous system, impairing our ability to not only retrieve information but also to comprehend it and think logically.

Conversely, positive feelings can lead to synchronization in the brain, allowing us to think more efficiently and clearly. One of the easiest ways to avoid undue stress for your student is to help him or her be prepared with the proper tools and approaches to test taking. Here are some tips, courtesy of the Institute of HeartMath.

Address Emotions and Fear
If your student is anxious about doing well on a test, help them stay neutral in their thinking. Negative feelings can cause a cycle that adds to self-doubt or discomfort. Helping them stay calm can avoid them entering the test day already expecting to do poorly. Some students get anxious over “what if” situations, psyching themselves out by asking questions like “What if I fail?” or “What if my mind goes blank?” While it’s important to acknowledge these often natural thoughts, it’s important to turn them into positive notions, such as “What if I am able to think clearly and remember the material well?” or “What if I go into the test feeling sure of my strengths in this subject?”

Arrive Well Rested and Fed
Big tests in particular can require mental stamina and focus. It’s important that students have a proper night’s sleep, typically 8 to 10 hours, the night before a big test so they are alert and ready to think. The same goes for breakfast. The brain needs fuel to maintain focus and clarity, and eating a healthy breakfast goes a long way towards being prepared. Cereals, eggs and wheat toast provide sustained energy, in contrast to high sugar foods like soda or cookies.

Review the Material and Questions
In addition to being psychologically prepared for a big test, it’s also important that the student has reviewed the material and addressed any areas where they remain unclear. This can include practice tests with parents or in tutoring sessions, including doing exercises such as having the student “teach” you the material so they can see where any holes in their understanding may be.

Source: “Helping Children Overcome Test Anxiety,” heartmath.org.

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SAT and ACT Myths Debunked

Myth #1: Standardized Tests Don’t Reflect Real Education
It’s true that some students naturally perform better on standardized tests than others, but there are important academic skills that are covered by these types of tests. For example, the ACT and SAT tests each have students write a timed essay, in which they must develop a thesis, organize information, and use persuasive strategies to drive their point home. This is an important skill that will pop up again in their college courses, as well as in their future place in the job market.

SAT and ACT tests also allow students to better recognize their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to grammar, reading and mathematics. Each of these disciplines, while they may not be the student’s favorite, will be important in their academic careers. Throughout their lives, students will be judged by their ability to communicate clearly, comprehend and respond to the written word, and employ basic mathematics.

Myth #2: Students Attending Good Schools Are Well Prepared
A good school curriculum does not necessarily directly relate to the material in standardized tests. In the SAT and ACT tests, students may encounter content that was taught to them several years ago, or that was never taught in an effective way. Some students are surprised to see material from middle school pop up on these tests, such as certain math or grammar foundations. That’s why it’s important for students to review their whole body of knowledge, not just rely on what they’ve learned recently to carry them through the test. Often sessions with tutors addressing SAT/ACT prep can help them review some of the foundation concepts that more advanced skills are built upon, making sure they are comfortable with their knowledge across the board.

Myth #3: You Can "Beat the System"
It’s true there is some strategy to taking the SAT and ACT tests (the tests are actually very coachable), but be weary of general advice that doesn’t rely on a true demonstration of what the student has learned. For example, picking a random letter when unsure of a multiple choice question isn’t always in the student’s best interest.

Other advice regarding essay questions can also hurt a student’s performance. For example, some people believe it doesn’t matter what students write their essay about, as long as the essays sound good and fill the given space. The truth is the scorers of these tests are well educated and are looking for appropriate tone, style and substance more than length and fancy wording.

When it comes to the math sections, some advise students to plug in each answer and use their calculator to test them. While this may allow students to arrive at the correct answer, it not only wastes time but also eliminates their efficient modes of thinking and reasoning through each question. It undermines the very knowledge the students have worked so hard to gain.

The same goes for the reading sections and those who suggest skipping a thorough reading of the passage and simply testing each answer. Many of the questions on the comprehension sections not only ask for specific details, but also test student’s understanding of the author’s tone and overarching message—an important part of developing proper reading and comprehension skills.

So how can you help your student avoid these tempting but inefficient strategies? A timed practice test goes a long way in locating areas where students can use some brushing up with their parents, teachers or tutors.

Source: “SAT and ACT Myth Busting.” education.com.

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Tips For Tackling Tough Reading

Aside from those people who enjoyed reading Shakespeare and Wuthering Heights, many of us may remember inching through difficult literary tomes in middle and high school. You can imagine that to today’s technologically-savvy students, making their way through Macbeth or War and Peace is just as hard as ever. But with some preplanning, you can help your student make it through the reading in time and with a fine grasp on the material.

Plan the Attack
It’s important to start daunting assignments with some kind of logical plan. Figure out how long the reading assignment is and how many days the student has to complete it. Make a general plan of how many pages must be read per night. However, remember to be flexible: some students will benefit from reading just a few dense pages per night, while others may like to “get in the zone” and do larger chunks of reading, less often.

Consider Different Media
Maybe your child needs an extra boost in making it through the difficult reading material. It’s okay to bring in audio recordings that they can listen to while reading along in their actual book. Movies and onscreen plays can be helpful (just make sure they stay true to their original version) in extending your child’s grasp on the plot, character development and main messages. Some children are more visual learners and would benefit from seeing the play in action, rather than trying to illuminate it with just their imagination alone.

It’s Okay to Get Help from Other Sources
No teacher would be disappointed or upset to hear that your student is using a study guide to help them make their way through a difficult text. As long as the study guide or cliff notes aren’t used in place of the real thing, there’s no harm in having it explained more in depth and in clearer language. Some of these things were written a long time ago.

Help From Parents and Tutors
In place of study guides, students may also benefit from seeking help from the adults around them. If you’re motivated, suggest reading the book at the same time as your child, so you can help them through difficult passages or unclear meanings, and also try to get them excited about the subject, or make modern day comparisons to the topics being addressed. If you feel your child is truly struggling, you may want to approach the teacher for his or her suggestions, or have a tutor walk through and review the material closely with your student.

Source: “Tackling Tough Reading Assignments.” life.familyeducation.com.