School’s out for summer! It’s time to celebrate all the hard work that went into another academic year, and take a little break from the busy schedule that overtakes our lives during the winter.

But the break in the school year doesn’t – and shouldn’t – mean a break from all academic activity. In fact, wise use of the summer months can make or break the coming school year. The months of June through August offer a prime opportunity to catch up, work ahead, and otherwise prepare for the rigors awaiting in September.

As the school year comes to an end, now is the perfect time to get in touch with your child’s teacher one last time before summer vacation. Do not wait until the last week of school. This is a hectic time for teachers, and they may not be able to give you their full attention and insight if you contact them in June.

It’s hard to believe that the end of the school year is already here. Wasn’t it just August? It was a busy year at Connections Tutoring, and we’re grateful for each and every family that chose to partner with us. Just because school is ending doesn’t mean we’re taking a break for the summer. There’s a lot to be excited about in the coming months.

Every parent knows the value of a good night’s sleep for their child. For many parents, this is easier said than done. Studies consistently show that as children transition to adolescence, the number of hours slept each night drops. Approximately 60% of middle school students sleep less than the recommended 9 hours per night on school nights and this figure rises to almost 90% among ninth grade students and to 95% by the end of high school. Given the changes in the body and brain during adolescence, as well as increased academic and social demands, shortened sleep duration has become an area of concern for many parents and schools.

I know reading with my kids is incredibly important. I’m an English teacher, for heaven’s sake.  I also know reading needs to happen every day. And I know that for quite a while now, I’ve been doing an awful job of it. Reading with emergent readers isn’t exactly fun, especially for someone with a secondary mindset. It takes lots and lots of precious time while the “to do” list sits on the counter and seemingly gets longer by the minute. So even though my six-year-old has been reading to me every day, I recently realized that my approach wasn’t doing him any favors.

There is great power in choice. This is true for adults, and it is true for young readers. When every book is chosen for a reader, by either a parent or teacher, or worse, when students are restricted to books within their reading level, motivation and interest are quickly lost. One of the greatest ways to empower young readers is to teach them to independently choose books they will love. This will set them on a path to becoming a lifelong reader.

Happy January, Connections Families!

It is hard to believe that the school year is already (or almost) halfway over! As always, fall semester saw Connections students growing, learning, and challenging themselves to achieve academic success. We are so proud of the work our tutors and students are doing!

It’s December! All the joy and bustle of the holiday season is upon us, along with all the stress. If you have teenagers, your household is probably dealing with another source of stress: exams. Whether your school system gives exams before or after winter break, most likely you are seeing signs of the pressure your teen is under.

After observing hundreds of math students over many years, from peers to students under my own instruction, I have noticed that one of the most difficult things to learn in math is not the content but often how to study the content. Math is unique from some other subjects in that looking through notes and examples, while somewhat beneficial, is often not enough to ensure an understanding of the material. Studying for math requires completing practice problems similar to those that may be included on an assessment independently and checking them for both correctness and completion

When you hear the word “tutoring”, most likely some preconceived ideas pop into your mind. Tutoring is commonly viewed as a solution for struggling students, a last-resort of sorts when all other interventions have failed, perhaps even a consequence for students who aren’t giving their best effort. In reality, tutoring relationships look very different depending on the unique need, and students and parents are using tutors to leverage learning potential in all sorts of creative ways.

Welcome to the Connections blog! We will use this platform to keep you in touch with Connections throughout the year, and share information about current trends in education!   

A lot has been written lately about the importance of self-directed learning. Students who fail to take ownership for their education do not grow; “Spoon feeding in the long run teaches us nothing but the shape of the spoon.”