Tutoring and Learning Center for K-12th grade kids in math, reading, writing and science. We are partnered with The Princeton Review to provide SAT exam prep classes. We offer ABC Music and Me powered by Kindermusik for the pre-schoolers. We are your all encompassing learning center. Athena, Where Learning is Within Reach
Here are some free math ideas to keep those young minds sharp. Nothing sparks learning in a child's mind faster than having fun while being taught new ideas or re-enforcing already learned concepts. It's good to take advantage of holidays to incorporate not only the occasion but learning opportunities as well. Here at Athena Learning Centers, one of our tutoring concept motto's is Always Be Learning!
Ignite the math spark in your classroom with these activities for math that are Easter and spring themed . Students enjoy sorting, graphing, adding, ordering, journaling and more since many of these math activities have a free download. With this range of inspiring ideas, your primary mathematicians will definitely enjoy the colors of spring as they work on building their math skills.
What’s your spring or Easter math idea? We’d love to have you share your tip, free download or tutorial. Be sure to share it with teachers in the Teach Junkie community and I’ll see that it gets organized into the place where you’ll get the most spotlight. Plus, I feature lots of ideas like yours in a goodie bag post. Don’t you just love how sharing and generous teacher are? Find more free downloads that are just as fantastic!
Our kids are under a lot of pressure these days to perform. This can lead to a high amount of anxiety right before a major school test which can impact how they do on the test. Here are a couple easy to do exercises that will greatly reduce their worries and help in their test taking.
Expert Annie Murphy Paul shares two techniques where kids put pen to paper and scribble their worries away.
Tutoring and affordability is a subject that is very near and dear to our hearts here at Athena. We deal with it every day. We would love to see professional, quality tutoring available and affordable to every child who needs it. While our legislature has made some attempts to deal with the problem, they are often short sighted and lacking. What's worse, the children who some of these programs were designed to help the most are often ineligible due to technicalities that weren't very well thought out. This article deals with the subject very well. Look for more insights at the end.
Have you ever struggled in school? A common solution to that problem is to hire a tutor. However, a problem today is the lack of affordable tutoring for those in need of it. Providing more academic aid to students can help them get better grades and hopefully get into a better college.
The fee for a tutor can range from $10 for a high school student to $75 for a certified teacher per hour. This can be extremely expensive, especially if a student receives frequent tutoring. Students and parents in lower income areas may be unwilling to spend that extra money or be unable to afford it, but students who can afford it gain an advantage over others who cannot and have been shown to have significantly higher mean scores in both language arts and math standardized tests when compared to an untutored control group.
In 2012, over 50% of students in U.S. public schools were considered low income for the first time in
at least 50 years. A lack of affordable tutoring is an increasingly large issue that now affects the majority of public high school students and the gap between low-income and wealthier students is only increasing.
Students should be given as equal a chance as possible to do well in school, regardless of their economic situation and should be able to receive extra help if needed. Tutors can focus on a specific student’s needs, which is often hard to accomplish in large groups.
It was due to similar concerns that Congress passed its No Child Left Behind Act in 2001. The goal of the act is to provide federal funds to schools with poor students and “improve educational equity for students from lower income families”.
Although the act can also cover tutoring costs, less than 15% of eligible students are currently receiving it. Also, districts are only qualified if they attend Title I schools, which are school districts with at least 35% of students’ families categorized as low income. Students are qualified if they attend the district and receive a free or reduced-price lunch.
Much more can be done to raise awareness of these programs and further encourage students to seek tutoring, especially if the costs are covered under the act. Since the program already exists, people should be encouraged to us it. However, one issue with the No Child Left Behind Act is that it caused a rise in companies charging the maximum covered by the act of $2,000 per student for 50 hours for unqualified tutors. This problem can be solved by an increase in oversight and increased monitoring of the tutoring companies, which would save money being spent on overpriced, unqualified tutors.
While the No Child Left Behind Act does help many of those who need it, it only targets those in
relatively high-poverty areas. Those attending school districts that don’t meet the criteria or whose families are not considered low-income are not affected, even if they need it.
A solution to this problem is volunteer tutoring. Many high school and some college students are required to provide community service and many are members of community service organizations that are willing to help. Tutoring could also be beneficial to the elderly and retired - a study in 2009 indicates that tutoring can delay or reverse brain aging in the elderly. Another study found that tutoring led to measurable improvements in physical activity and mental health of the tutors over those who did not.
Organizations such as the Experience Corps, which tutors in 22 cities across the nation, are already working with the interested elderly. Tutors receive no income other than “an annual stipend of about $2,800 that helps cover transportation costs, school lunches and occasional treats for the kids”.
Programs like the Experience Corps should be more widely implemented and in more flexible groups so that a wider range of people can participate. Funding could come from donations and from states or the federal government. Funds are already being used for the No Child Left Behind Act and some could be used for volunteer programs, which could also reduce existing costs for other tutoring under the act.
What amazes me is that well intentioned programs like No Child Left Behind can have such overarching requirements like the child can only be in a Title 1 school. So basically, if you are a poor kid in a rich school, you are out of luck. I understand the thoughts behind it like richer schools should be able to supplement tutoring for poor students easier than poor schools, instead of having nicer football stadiums, or huge marching bands, or....I better just stop there. And don't get me started on blithely handing out ipads to every student thinking this will magically jump them into the 21st century. See an entire article we published about that here: http://athenabcs.blogspot.com/2015/10/why-ipads-and-chromebooks-wont-save.html
So what do you think? What are some of the more pressing concerns we have when it comes to our poorer students? How can we help them best? Leave your comments below.
Threatening isn’t bullying—it’s criminal behavior that is against the law in any situation.
This is becoming more and more prevalent in our schools due to overcrowding, parents not monitoring their child’s school life for one reason or another and the overall moral decline of our nation. This is a good list of what to watch out for and actions to take if you believe your child is the victim of bullying.
Schools and districts take bullying a lot more seriously now than when we were in class, but unfortunately that doesn’t mean it has gone away. What has happened is there are now some actionable steps that will get results. If you find out your child is being bullied at school, here are the steps you should take.
· Support your child
It takes a lot of courage for them to come to you. Support their feelings about the incident and never suggest they could have done more or they should “toughen up”.
· Get as many details as possible
Reporting a bullying incident requires specifics. Names, dates, times, locations, and what was said/done are all needed. If there were witnesses, get their information as well.
· If a threat was made, contact the police
Threatening isn’t bullying—it’s criminal behavior that is against the law in any situation.
· Research the school’s anti-bullying policy
It might have been bad behavior, but the incident might not fit the definition of bullying.
· Cyberbullying
If the bullying is occurring online, make sure cyberbullying is covered in the school’s policy. It might not be. If not, most states now have legislation regarding online bullying. If that’s the case, the police need to be notified.
· Contact school personnel
Severity and regularity dictate who you talk to. One time, minor offense? The teacher is probably fine. Anything more than that, make an appointment with the principal.
· Relay the information calmly
No matter how angry you might be, you’ll be much more likely to be able to work with the school if you come off as rational.
· Work together to come up with a plan
There should be specific steps that everyone involved need to accomplish after the meeting is concluded. Write these down and confirm after the meeting. Everyone, especially the school personnel, need to be held accountable.
· Follow up
A lot of parents don’t ask for updates from their child. Give it about a week and ask what has happened. Also, if you haven’t heard from the school, now is the time to make sure they are doing their part.
· If bullying continues, move up the chain of command
Most districts have administration-level personnel that are responsible for anti-bullying steps. If yours doesn’t, the superintendent is the next step. Copy the principal on all correspondence.
If the district is ineffective, file charges with the police and the school board.
Continuing on with our subject of parents getting involved with their child's school, this is a timely article by our friends at Mom's Everyday. Being engaged with our children and their school life can have a huge impact in their learning, growing and just every aspect of their lives. It really is that important! Get involved.
We spend a lot of time getting our kids prepared for a successful experience in school. We send them to preschool, help with homework and sign them up for enriching experiences.
But there's one thing that not all parents do that can be just as important: getting involved in your child's school.
Research shows that communicating with teachers, being involved in the school work, volunteering and just being present at the school as much as you can is important to your child's success.
Parental involvement is also associated with fewer problem behaviors and better social skills
compared to children whose parents are not involved.
Here's some advice on how to get involved:
First, initiate contact with your child's teacher early in the year. If you pick your child up from school, make it a point to touch base with the teacher occasionally. But don't try to have a meeting in the parking lot.
Ask if there are opportunities to volunteer in the classroom or at school events, and attend those school events whenever possible.
Maintain a consistent homework routine. Check in with your child daily regarding school work and be available to help with homework.
It can be difficult to make homework a priority with busy schedules and sports, but it shouldn't be the last thing you try to cram in at the end of the day.
This is another great way to interact with your children and show them that you are involved and care about them....and keeping an eye on them! ;) Read on for tips to keep in mind for this important event.
Back to School Night really is a great event to get everyone on the same page and help start the school year off right.
The start of the school year is sneaking up on us. Before you know it, Back to School Night will be popping up on our calendars. Here is a checklist to make sure you meet all of your goals for the event while not overstepping.
· Bring your child
Students spend more of their time in school than they do with you. Bringing them to BTS gives them an opportunity to show off their “other world”. Besides, it’s entertaining to watch them act shy in front of you and their friends.
· Collect information about the PTA/PTO and upcoming events
Yes, you’re on the email list and the Facebook group. It doesn’t hurt to take some hard copies
of any relevant information, especially about
upcoming events. Put them up on the refrigerator.
· Introduce yourself to the principal
You may never see the principal but for Back to School, but it can’t hurt to show you are engaged with the school community. You never know when you’ll need to call him or her for something important.
· Learn about this year’s curriculum
Curricula has changed a lot in the past few years, not to mention since we were in school. Take time to flip through the textbooks (if they’re still being used) and ask the teacher(s) content-based questions.
· Ask about technology
Also ask about any technology needs your child might have for the class. There might be special apps to download or websites they might need to join.
· Do not discuss your child in specifics
Introduce yourself nicely so the teacher(s) can put a face to the name, but don’t take up the time of the other parents by trying to talk about your child in specifics. If you want to talk specifically about your child, send an email or schedule a conference.
· Make sure to ask when conferences will be held (or how to schedule one)
Speaking of which, some schools have designated times of the year for mandatory
conferences. Others rely on the parents to make appointments.
Make sure you know how to take advantage of your first opportunity to talk
“business” with your child’s teacher(s).
Back to School Night really is a great event to get everyone on the same page and help start the school year off right. Afterwards, everyone should be working toward the common goal of student success.
The web is loaded with landmines for our children and it’s up to us as parents to, not only steer our kids around them, but to make them aware of the dangers out there. Here’s 3 to watch out for.
The Information Era has dramatically changed the way we educate our children. We live in a world of rapid change and the resemblance to yesterday is fleeting. Above all, communication has changed, and an enormous variety of information is now accessible to almost everyone at the click of a mouse or swipe of a finger.
From the accessibility of online learning to students who otherwise would struggle in traditional settings to assistive technology for students with autism, there are lots of great technologies that teachers need to keep track of to be effective.
However, it is not just important to know which technologies will assist in the education of students, but to watch out for certain disturbing trends that have arisen as a result of the availability of these new technologies. Here are just three of those trends:
1. Texting and awful grammar in K-12 schools.
Internet and cell phone cultures have brought a whole new meaning to American slang. Not only are kids these days speaking informally, but now those relaxed rules of grammar are sneaking into written words too.
The biggest problem with these digital avenues of composition, according to surveyed teachers, is the blurring of lines between formal and informal writing. Abbreviations are common, particularly on platforms like Twitter that have a 140-character limit. Most smartphones now have no limits on texting characters, but students that owned phones with the 160-character limits of just a few years ago have already formed short, abbreviated habits. In the digital realm, short and sweet is the key - even if grammar, punctuation and writing formalities fall by the wayside. The same is not true of educational writing pursuits though, as K-12 writing instructors must prepare students for the demands of strong, professional writing in college and the workplace.
A report released by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills found that over 26 percent of college graduates have deficient writing skills. These findings were not based on graduation assessment exams, but compiled by interviewing actual employers. These employers said that many college-educated employees could not even accomplish the basic writing tasks of the job proficiently. How are these students earning college degrees if their writing is not up to par though? With the average U.S. student accruing $35,200 in college debt, it would seem learning the basics of writing, at least above a "deficient" level, would be a given takeaway.
2. Sexting and sexual harassment.
Today, sexual harassment between students is even more widespread because of the viral nature of
the internet and sexting. A photo that a young man sends his latest crush can quickly become fodder for a school-wide joke when it appears on a social media account or is texted to a large group of other students. It is also much harder for students to get away from harassment because their school lives follow them more closely than ever outside classroom hours, due to technology. It is also difficult to know where a school's jurisdiction ends when it comes to harassment between students that takes place outside of school hours.
The problem of sexual harassment in schools is persistent. Schools can act more responsibly on the issue by formulating proper and specific sexual harassment policies and providing special training programs for teachers, students and other administrative staff. Seeking the support of parents is also beneficial. The challenges around implementing sexual harassment policies are made even more difficult because students shy away from reporting incidents, for fear of suffering additional consequences or being ridiculed. The solution is to create a safe environment in the school so that such instances of harassments simply do not take place and the students feel secure, although this is often easier said than done.
3. Cyber bullying.
VoicED.org.uk, a poll of 2000 11-16 year olds found that almost three in five (57%) have done something 'risky' or anti-social while online. In addition, almost two in three (62%) said that they felt under pressure from peers to act in this way on the internet.
According to an article published on
The activities described included saying negative things about other people, viewing unsuitable websites and, perhaps most worryingly, sharing unsuitable videos or pictures of themselves. Moreover, a fifth of those surveyed admitted to having pressured someone else to act in a negative way online (this rose to 32% in London).
Of the 2000 respondents, almost half (47%) said that they had viewed something on the internet that they did not think their parents would want them to view, whilst around one in seven (14%) said they had sent images of either themselves, or of someone else, that they did not think their parents would want them to send.
A tenth had signed up to online sites or services which were not meant to be viewed by their age group.
In terms of cyber-bullying, almost three quarters (72%) of respondents aged 14-16 had witnessed
some form of online bullying, or had been subjected to it. While this is a bleak statistic, there are positive signs. Three quarters had blocked another user of an app or on a website, two thirds (68%) had supported someone else who had suffered cyber-bullying and 74% had 'stood up for themselves.'
Classrooms are becoming more high-tech, and a lot of innovation has come from that. However, it is important to keep in mind how these new technologies influence disruptive behaviors.
How we, as teachers present the educational experience to our students is so vitally important. It can greatly affect how they view learning as a whole. We can create a vibrant, engaging, fun learning environment with a little effort and a lot of creativity. Read on to learn a couple neat ideas brought to you by our friends at Edutopia.
My daughter Sadie-Belle just had her birthday, and as tradition demands in our family, we must decorate her door with crepe paper, balloons, and candy before she wakes up that day. The difficulty this year was that we were visiting her sister in Missouri, and the birthday girl was sleeping on an air mattress in the front room.
One of my other creative daughters found a way around this. She found a foam presentation board, drew a door on it, and wrote, "Happy Birthday Sadie!" We put all the candy on this and laid it beside her air mattress. We then decorated the archway into the kitchen with strands of crepe paper and balloons to satisfy the tradition.
The power of this tradition is that every time anyone, especially the birthday child, goes through the decorated door into the room, they have to remember that this is a special day.
Putting a Fun Spin on Pre-Testing
Imagine something similar at school. Start the school year with a party -- a celebration of learning, as teacher and education writer Harry Wong suggests. As every elementary teacher can tell you, enticing student participation often depends on what kind of spin you put on the learning activity.
Envision students that are enthusiastically engaged in discovering how much they know as they take a
diagnostic of some sort -- on paper or via computers or tablets. Rather than a "testing day," students realize that it's a special occasion because the room is decorated with crepe paper and balloons, and they are given party hats. Some unimaginative folk might call this assessment a simple pre-test, but in fact it's a great opportunity to bolster and build a child's academic future.
Why Diagnostic Testing Matters
Blended learning tools can make this an easy and enjoyable experience for the student and the teacher, rather than a nonessential chore that is often skipped in the course of learning. If the students have tablets, the teacher can possibly send each student a knowledge and skills test that will preview what the students will be learning this semester. Most textbook companies include diagnostic testing with their textbooks and curriculum resources. Teachers can also utilize the commercial diagnostic tools to which many school districts already subscribe.
Having a pre-test party is only part of the celebration. The most important element of the fiesta is providing individual feedback by taking the time to show each student what he or she has already learned and mastered, and then giving the student a preview of the learning during the coming semester or course.
It's so incredibly important to establish a baseline for each student at the beginning of the year. How can we expect to be successful in inspiring learning if we don't know what our students already know and where the gaps in their learning might be? How do we know if they have learned anything from all our effort in creating engaging learning environments and activities unless we determine what they know to begin with?
A teacher must find the answers to these questions, and this has to happen the first days of school. And as Harry Wong convincingly suggests, it should be a celebration.
Pep Talk Follow Up
It seems obvious, but when a teacher takes the time to give a pep talk, explains why the students should try
their best, and shows confidence in their ability to overcome difficulty, students are more apt to be resilient and persistent when learning gets more difficult. The conversation that follows the pre-test is a perfect time to give those one-on-one pep talks. As education expert Carol Dweck reminds us, learning is hard work, and even gifted students need encouragement.
Not only can we prep students for success with pep talks, but with the information gathered from each student, we can design custom learning plans to help them accelerate their own learning -- and fill in gaps where incomplete learning has occurred.
In what ways do you assess, encourage, and prepare students at the start of the year for their upcoming learning? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below.
Unless you were born with that “early morning riser” gene,
most parents, and kids, would prefer to hit the snooze and get an extra hour or
so sleep in the morning. I usually moan and groan when the alarm goes off but
after a hot cup of joe and getting the blood flowing in my toes again, I’m
normally bright-eyed and bushy tailed, ready to tackle whatever life throws my
way. What about you? Do you agree with the findings in this article? Let us
know in the comments section. We’d love to hear your take or how you react to
the blaring of the alarm clock.
As
any teenager will mumble from beneath the covers on Monday mornings, it's
too early.
The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agrees.
In
a new report, the CDC says that middle and high schools in the country start too early. Five out of every six U.S.
middle and high schools start before 8:30 a.m., possibly leading to
insufficient time slept and academic struggles, and increases in health risks
and safety concerns.
"Getting
enough sleep is important for students' health, safety, and academic
performance," said Anne Wheaton, PhD., lead author and epidemiologist of
the CDC's Population Health division, in a press release. "Early school
start times, however, are preventing many adolescents from getting the sleep
they need."
students don't get that recommended amount, a statistic that's been
steady since 2007. As puberty sets in, adolescents experience a later release
of melatonin and an altered sleep drive that indicates "the average
teenager in today's society has difficulty falling asleep before 11:00 p.m. and
is best suited to wake at 8:00 a.m. or later." But with such early start
times, schools are making those precious eight to nine hours all the more
elusive. (Especially problematic for
Only
two states—Alaska and North Dakota—start after the recommended 8:30 a.m. start
time, LiveScience found. Iowa, Minnesota, and Florida
all have the next latest starting times sometime after 8:15 a.m. Louisiana has
the earliest average start time (7:40 a.m.) followed by Delaware, Connecticut,
New Hampshire, and Mississippi. Approximately 43 percent of the more than
18,000 public high schools in the U.S. start before 8 a.m., according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Schools in
suburban areas tend to start the earliest, at 7:51 a.m. on average, the 2012 Schools and Staffing Survey found, while
schools within cities start an average of 14 minutes later. Some schools have
even seen start times moved earlier in recent years.
Too
little sleep has been proven in studies to lead to an increased prevalence of
anxiety and mood disorders, use of stimulants (coffee, for example), drowsy
driving-related crashes, and subsequent risk of cardiovascular diseases and
metabolic dysfunction. By starting later, studies have shown students' academic achievement
improving, less absences, and better end-of-year test scores.
But
changing the beginning of the school day can affect other aspects of life.
School athletics, student jobs, and family schedules all top the list of
barriers that would need to be adjusted for later school times,
according to a 2011 Brookings Institution report. But the same report suggests
that the positive effects of later start times on students' health could lead
to improved achievement, and thus, future economic gains.
Related
article:
So
what do you think? Are kids getting enough sleep these days? Are parents? How
do you react to the dream shattering tones of an early morning alarm clock? Let
us know! Keep up with us on Facebook
It’s
that time again. You can’t help but notice, what with all the TV commercials,
radio ads, store fronts shouting in your face….it's back to school time! Walmart
has rearranged their entire store just to cater to this big yearly event. If
you have kids it is important to plan ahead and having a school supply list is
a must. These are easy to find but here are a few things you won’t find on
those lists but can definitely help out during your child’s school year.
Terracycle
takes those millions of juice pouches and upcycles them into backpacks, pencil
boxes, folders, and other school organizational items. Stuff like this is all
over Etsy. Get creative!
School
supplies have been on display in local stores for weeks now. It gets earlier
every year. Pretty soon, the schools will start posting their supply lists with
all the items that make sense. But that list isn’t complete. Here are some
things you might want to pick up that your child will be glad to have when the
time comes.
Laminating
sheets
For
the older kids, laminate things that they need to keep in good condition.
Schedules and important phone numbers fall into this category. It can also give
certain projects a more professional look. For the younger kids, laminate their
best art work throughout the year.
Fancy
sketchbook
You
don’t have to be an artist to find sketching and doodling relaxing. Investing
in a good one gives
the book a better chance at survival. Who knows? You might
spark a serious artist.
Fancyjournal
Self-reflection
is a big 21st century skill. There are plenty of online journaling options, but
nothing beats having the ability to sit down with a pen and jot down your
thoughts. Again, investing in a good one is an investment in survival.
Lap
desk
Where
is all this drawing and writing supposed to happen? Teachers are starting to
use a more free-form design in their classrooms. It spurs collaboration and
creativity. A lap desk gives your child the opportunity to work anywhere,
including the floor.
App
store gift card
School
means using a lot of devices and a lot of different apps. Most tools a school
uses are either free or through their subscription, but that’s not always the
case. Other times, your child will want to use something specialized for a
project. Buying a gift card now and setting it aside for these purchases is a
great way to budget.
Multi-portcharger cable
By
now, your child is carrying around chargers and cables for their primary
device. But what if they want to charge the school’s digital camera or a
strange laptop? This adapter cable goes from USB to either
Lightning (newer iDevices), 30-pin (older iDevices), as well as mini
and micro USB (most Android phones and other small electronics).
Cool
organizational stuff
Boring
folders are 1,000 for 99 cents. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make
your child stand out. For
example, Terracycle takes those millions of juice
pouches and upcycles them into backpacks, pencil boxes, folders, and other
school organizational items. Stuff like this is all over Etsy. Get creative!
I
hope you found a couple ideas you can use or at least started those creative
juices to “think outside the list”. Having the necessary supplies is important
for your child’s education but if they are having a hard time with concepts or
struggling in an area or two, that’s where we come in. If they need a refresher
course, homework help or a deeper interactive study lesson to bring them up to
where they need to be, we can help.
Our
tutors are all certified, licensed teachers or former teachers who are
experienced with training young minds and know what to look for to help them
the best way possible. Want to know where your child stands and what possible
weaknesses they might have? Schedule a free assessment with us. In just a short
evaluation, you can see where little Johnny might need help in one area or
where they are really strong in another. Give us a call at (979) 314-9132, we’d
love to talk with you! We’re located at 3505 Longmire Drive College Station, TX
77845. Or visit our website. Be sure to visit our previous post about what to do the first day of school.
