Click here to view on the Study Skills website
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Click here to view on the Study Skills website
How to Help Students Manage Anxiety
The key to helping students manage anxiety is to understand what’s happening in their brain.
“Emotions are the on/off switch to learning,” says Priscilla Vail, author of Smart Kids with School Problems. You and I both know this is true.
We know from our own experience that it’s pretty hard to learn geometry theorems when we are heartbroken over a break-up. A history lesson about something from 200 years ago doesn’t mean much when we’re worried about an argument with a friend… or, worse.
I’m trying to get my Christmas shopping done early this year. Somehow, I expect I’ll still be scrambling at the last minute, but I’ve already managed to stash a few boxes into the closet—like a writer squirreling away great ideas in a notebook.
The downside of my ingenious planning? Friends and family have to suffer through me—repeatedly—reminding them, “I got your present already!” grinning and cavorting impishly. I can’t help it, though. I’m excited about the presents I’ve chosen.
We’re teachers. We’re professional writers. AND we’re parents. So we get it. Some kids can write a 17-page journal entry without coming up for air. Other students would rather clean a bathroom as write a single paragraph. Writing is a joy for some—but painful for others.
Yet, writing is one of life’s most valuable skills. Like it or not, we are often judged based on our ability to express ourselves well. And like it or not, doors to future opportunities for our children may open or close, based on their writing skills.
A Pen and A Plan: A Writing Workshop for the Middle School Student
Led by Ms. Sherry Parnell: Independent Professional Writer & Editor, Master of Arts in
English
Middle school age students can lose as much as 30% of their school year
learning over the summer. 1 This includes a loss of critical writing skills your child
needs to succeed. For the student seeking to keep up and get ahead, spending
as little as 2-3 hours per week during the summer can make a big difference.
Above Grade Level understands that as a parent you want to put your child in
the best position for success each new school year. That’s why we created the
Writing Skills Workshop for middle school students.
Most every parent recognizes the scene: “Yaayyy! It’s summertime!” inevitably morphs into, “I’m sooo bored…there’s nothing to do.” It’s mind-numbing for parents to attempt to plan entertaining, meaningful activities for a nearly three-month stretch. When those dull summer moments eventually arise, they beckon even the most resourceful kids to turn to electronic gadgets to fill the boredom. The result? Summer skill plunge.
In multiple studies, research has demonstrated that our children lose up to 30% of their learning from the previous school year over the long summer break. Admittedly, students in other countries continue their schooling through the summer, giving them a distinct academic edge over many of our graduates.
Well those are disheartening statistics, you may be thinking. But they don’t have to be. There is a solution to the summer skill plunge.
Successful Learning
Study after study has shown that “spaced repetition” is the most effective form of learning. That means, we ought to be helping students to continually review and repeat prior concepts…then add new skills on to the previous skills. This not only helps students to completely master learning concepts, but it also helps them to retain their knowledge long-term. No more “in-one-ear-and-out-the-other” learning!
The 1st marking period is already drawing to a close….
Are your child’s report card grades not as strong as you had hoped? Don’t wait too long to reach out for help!
The first step in helping your child to be successful this year is to accurately identify their skill levels. We can help parents to identify any underlying skill gaps and create a solution to fill them. This is the best way to answer the question: “WHY is my child struggling in a subject.”
Anticipating the opening of the Downingtown Fall Fest. A wonderful day to meet new friends!