by Andrea Reaka, Owner, The Tutoring Center-Edwardsville

How motivated is your child?  If your child has inner motivation, count your self among the lucky few!  Most kids need an extra dose of outside motivation to get things done and move forward with their lives - getting their homework done, making good grades, practicing piano - you name it!  So, what is the best way to provide this extra dose of motivation?  The following is a guideline on teaching your child to set and reach goals.  This important skill will make anything in their life possible.      

1.  Set Goals Together.  
• The first thing that needs to take place is for you sit down together and discuss your child’s goals. Help your child set reasonable goals that have an endpoint.  Remind your child that it’s alright to dream big.  That’s how great tasks are accomplished.  You just have to remember that the bigger the goal, the more time and work it takes to get there.  (Competing on the Olympic ski team is a workable goal if you are 15 and already a star skier.  But, if you’re 18 and taking your first lesson, you may have to extend your time frame.)  Part of staying motivated is being realistic about what can be accomplished in the time frame planned.  The idea is to balance a realistic goal within a reasonable time frame.  People often abandon their goals because their expectations are unreasonable.  Anything is attainable, you may just have to allow more time to get there. 

by Andrea Reaka, Ph.D, Center Director/Owner, The Tutoring Center

Oh, no!  Three tests in one week!  How could the teachers do that to you (and your child)? 

Since taking a test is actually something your child has to do on their own, pass this article
on to them to read, or read it out loud to them. 

Strategies for Studying

Luckily, there are few things that you can do to ease the pain.  Follow these tips to make your studying more effective and allow you to breeze through the week without feeling a thing.  

Whether you are the student studying for a test or a parent helping your child study, one of the most important things to do to make studying easier is to get and stay organized.  It is important to know ahead of time when tests and major assignments are coming.  Armed with this knowledge, you can carve out time in your schedule to study.  

Taking good notes during class is the first line of defense for studying.  This starts even before you know you have a test coming up.  Good note taking is the best way to remember what you were taught or what you’ve read.  Some keys to good note taking are to write down facts that the teacher mentions or writes on the board during class.  If you miss something, write a note about it in your notebook and then ask the teacher to go over it with you after class.  Also, make sure you can actually read your notes and be sure to leave space within your notes for clarification and adding detail.  As you read through your textbook, add information to your notes.  These facts and details will help you remember the information.  Also, if the teacher spends a lot of time discussing a particular topic in class, be sure to write it down in your notes.  Usually, the amount of time spent on particular points in class relates to how important these points will be on the test. 

When you find out a test is coming up, get organized.  Look at your calendar and schedule time to study for it.  Otherwise, you can easily become overwhelmed and procrastinate your way to a failing grade.  Sometimes people put off studying because they feel they are behind on things or they just feel really disorganized.  Don’t let this happen.  Keep your notes organized, stay on top of required readings, and follow the other study tips mentioned to stay focused and in control.  The best way to study is to set aside time each day to review.  If you cannot do that, try to set aside time early on so you have time to digest and clarify any points that are not clear to you.  You can ask classmates, parents, or teachers for help. 

If you can, find out the format of the test.  This can help you tailor how you study.  For example, if you know you are going to have multiple choice questions, you’ll want to focus on facts and details.  If, on the other hand, the exam will contain essay questions, you’ll want to think about which topics are most likely to be covered on the test (ask yourself what the teacher spent a lot of time on in class) and practice using your notes, books, and other resources to put together essays regarding those topics. 

Whatever kind of test you will be taking there are a few tricks that can help you remember the information.  You can use memory triggers that the teacher may have suggested or ones that you invent yourself.   Read over your material several times, writing down any thoughts or phrases that will help you remember main ideas or concepts.  Some people find it helpful to teach what their studying to another student, even if it’s an imaginary student.  Or, it can be helpful to study with another student and take turns explaining the concepts.  For some people, studying in a group works well.  But, be sure the dynamics of the group will work for you.  When you’re with a bunch of friends, you may spend more time hanging out than actually studying.  One way to ensure quiet and focus when studying with a group is to do it in the library.  You’ll be forced to keep things more low-key than at someone’s home.

Believe it or not, your brain needs time to digest the information.  When you go over the material early on, your brain has the time it needs to process the information and store it away in a place that it can be accessed again and again.  What you need to practice for the test is not just knowing the information, but accessing the information.  If you cannot access the information when you need it, all your studying may be a waste of time.  Having someone quiz you on the information by asking you the questions in several different formats, can help you practice accessing the information you will be tested on and remembering the details of the information.  

Making note cards to summarize important facts or ideas can also help you review.  This will also help you practice finding the right information you need to answer a question or solve a problem.  As you practice finding the information on the note cards, you will be reviewing the other concepts as well.  You will probably start sorting the cards to find the ones you need more quickly.  This means you will physically be doing what your brain is doing, which is categorizing the information.  

Reading through your notes each day for a week before your test is also a good idea.  By far, the best way to study for a test is a little bit each day.  Research has shown that to retain information, it is better to study in short bursts more often, than one long study marathon.  Repeating the material in separate sittings helps your brain digest it.  In college, I had a friend who put up a bulletin board in the bathroom that we shared.  Each night she put a set of notes on it and in the morning, while she was getting ready, she read through them.  I found that by using this trick, I could easily go over my notes twice a day.  And, since the notes were fresh in my mind, I paid more attention in class because I remembered the material from the previous day. 

When you’ve finished studying, you should feel like you can approach the test or quiz with confidence.  You may not get 100% of the answers correct, but you should feel like you have a good understanding of the information.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help.  But, don’t wait until the last minute to talk to your teachers, or you’ll just look like a procrastinator.  Teachers respect students who are thoughtful and interested in learning and doing well. 

Also, don’t forget the obvious.  One thing you can assure yourself of by keeping up with your work and studying early, is that you will be able to get a good night’s sleep before the test.  So, be sure to do that.  When you get up in the morning, eat a good breakfast and wear something that makes you feel good about yourself.  At this point, the increase in confidence will do more to help you on the test than any last minute cramming. 

In the end, it comes down to what works best for you.  If you like to study alone and feel most confident doing it that way, that’s great.  If you think you’d like to work in a group, try it out - just be aware of the drawbacks. 

Most of all, when you’re taking the test, don’t panic if you can’t remember some of the information.  Move on.  Go to the questions that you know you can easily answer and then go back and work on the more difficult questions.  You’ll be surprised what comes back to you as you continue working.  The worst feeling comes when your time has run out and there are questions that you didn’t get to finish that you know you could have gotten right.  Do the easy ones first.  If you have time, always go back and check your work.  We are human.  Mistakes get made.  Always double check your work, there are no points given for being the first one done.  By doing this, you may avoid the exasperating, “Oh, I knew the right answer.  I don’t know why I put that!”  when you get your test back. 

Lastly, don’t forget to reward yourself for a job well done.  No matter how you did on the test, give yourself a reward for working hard and putting in so much effort.  No doubt you have learned a thing or two and now have a better understanding of what works for you when you study.  This will help you in the long run.  So, if you truly put your best effort in, be proud of yourself! 

by Andrea Reaka, Owner, The Tutoring Center

Most teachers believe that parental involvement is an important factor in students’ success.  So, most teachers are willing to listen to parental input. Parent-Teacher conferences are designed to open the door of communication for the sake of your child’s education.  And, it’s in the best interest of your child for you to be doing some preparation also.  Most teachers appreciate anything that will help them help your child.  The following are some suggestions to help you prepare for your conference.

Andrea Reaka, Ph.D., Center Director/Owner of The Tutoring Center

Can you really teach your child to be organized?  The answer is a resounding “Yes!”  Organization is a learned skill.  So how do you teach your child to be organized? As with anything else, a good example is the best teacher.  However, even if you are not the epitome of organization, you can teach your child to be organized. 

Andrea Reaka, Ph.D., Center Director/Owner of The Tutoring Center

By far, the number one concern I hear from parents at The Tutoring Center is about the difficulty of doing homework. Whether you have to help your child or they can do it on their own, homework is usually something students put off until it becomes an overwhelming task. Here are a few tips to help your child make homework less work, or at least less stressful:    

1.  Create a Plan.

First, be sure your child understands the assignment. They should write down their assignments in a notebook or day planner. And, encourage your child to ask their teacher for an explanation of the assignments. It is much easier to take a minute to ask the teacher during or after class for clarification than to struggle to figure it out later that night. Additionally, have them ask how long the particular homework assignment should take to complete, so they can budget their time.

• Second, encourage your child to use their time wisely. Unless they are working on a major project that requires a lot of material, they should be working on their homework any chance they get. It may be tempting to chat with friends, but the more work they get done at school, the less they’ll have to do that night.
• Third, learn to budget time. This is a valuable skill to teach your children. You and your child need to think about what is going on that day and how much work needs to get done. If it is a heavy homework day, more time needs to be devoted to getting it done. Look at their schedule and think about what can be cut. Take a critical look at your child’s activities. If your child is over-booked, you may need to consider cutting back to leave more time and energy for learning.

Andrea Reaka, Ph.D., Center Director/Owner of The Tutoring Center

1. Start early.  Don’t wait until the last minute to fill out paperwork and buy school supplies.  Print out the registration forms and have them filled out before you go.  This way you also have time to get the medical forms dropped off to be filled out before you go to registration.  Make a list of all the things you need to get done before school starts and try to do a little each day.  District 7 has the school supply list on their web-site for each school and grade level.  http://www.ecusd7.org/schools/  Start early and hit the sales.  

10 Tips To Keep Kids Reading Through the Summer

Andrea Reaka, Ph.D., Center Director/Owner of The Tutoring Center

 I am often asked by parents how to keep their kids reading, especially over the summer.  Reading over the summer months, when school is not in session, is especially important to keep students up to speed academically.  All kids naturally regress over the summer.  Continuing to read over the summer is one of the easiest ways to keep regression under control and get students ready for their next school year.  For some kids, this is easier said than done.  The following are some tips to keep your child reading through the summer: 

1. Show your child how important reading is.  Behaving the way you want your child to behave is the best way to get your point across without having to say anything.  Kids are incredibly observant when it comes to watching what you do.  When you model good behavior, it’s infectious.  If you read every day, chances are they will end up doing the same.