Learning Skills

Academic ownership isn’t just being in control of what is expected: it’s owning the learning yourself

Today we are featuring a student who came to us for our Summer Mini-classes program as a high performing middle schooler whose parents just wanted her to keep busy and stay focused on academics. This student is super smart and engaged and very willing to learn. However, her approach to lessons was literal and not critical of the material or the lesson (critical meaning not disparaging but thoughtful). In other words, she has succeeded in school by following instructions and doing what is expected — but at the expense of critical thought. Starting with some classical tests (Plato, Cicero) we engaged in a discussion of the meaning of words and phrases. What does a word mean? How is it most effectively used? What makes for impactful writing and critical reading? From there we reviewed modern essays and essays of our own — student and teacher! On that one, she was fantastic, addressing the teacher’s own […]

Why are my child’s math grades low? Guided versus Indpedendent Practice and how to improve in math class

Guided Practice versus Independent Practice We so often hear from students that they “get it” when the teacher shows it to them, but they can’t do it on their own. When a student struggles in math class, it is usually a product of a disconnect between “being shown how” by the teacher and “doing it yourself” by the student. “Guided Practice” is where a teacher demonstrates a lesson and the students follow along. “Independent Practice” is where the student engages the material alone. So when a student “gets it” when shown but can’t “do it” alone, there is a disconnect between the Guided and Independent Practice. The Connector: Feedback What connects — or in its absence, disconnects — Guided and Independent Practice is feedback. When a teacher provides feedback by showing the answers to an entire class, students may not be getting any real feedback because the teacher is not addressing that student’s own process directly, […]

The Third Quarter Grind: How to find success in the toughest part of the school year

The third quarter is when best laid plans either triumph or fall apart. In fact, research shows that students who procrastinated during the first semester may have done well during the fall but they will likely perform worse in the spring, since all the build up of last minute panics, incomplete work and overall stress that had accumulated turns into a heavier and more stressful load in the spring.  On the other hand, students who worked consistently throughout the fall term will reap the benefits of that investment in less pressure, fewer challenges, and higher overall performance. It’s funny, though, because the same thing applies to teachers and schools. Year after year as a high school teacher, I saw how all the beginning of the year administrative, department and individual teacher planning was out the window by the Third Quarter, and it was panic and push time in order to meet the year end goals […]

Announcing: Sycamore School Lecture Series

March 1, 2017: featuring Michael Bromley of the A+ Club!  Wednesdays, March 2017, 7pm, Arlington, VAWednesday March 1st 7:30–9 p.m. Understanding and Overcoming ProcrastinationMichael Bromley will discuss strategies to help ourselves and our children overcome the urge to delay. Michael is a high school teacher, historian, published author and founder and president of School4Schools.com LLC & the A+ Club. Location: Arlington Central LibraryWednesday March 15th 7:30-9 p.m.Navigating Technology: How to help children address cyber bullying & manage electronicsBrooke Carroll, Ph.D. will lead an interactive discussion regarding parenting our tech-connected children. Brooke is an Educational Consultant & former Head of School at Seneca Academy; she has over 30 years’ experience in education. Location: Arlington Central LibraryWednesday March 22nd 7:30-9 p.m.Ways to support your anxious childChristina Tripodi Mitchell, Psy.D. is the Founder and Clinical Director of The Child & Family Practice of Washington, DC & is a Clinical Professor of Psychology at The George Washington University. Location: […]

Is your student getting missing work lists from teachers already? Try the A+ Club instead.

Developed by real high school teachers, the A+ Club approach to academic support gets beyond tutoring and standard academic coaching by bringing together and supporting the core aspects of academic success:1. Reflection & Goal SettingGuided by experienced and caring educators, we engage students in ongoing reflection, problem solving & goal setting.2. Executive FunctionWe scaffold executive function (organization, time management, prioritization) with daily assignment updates and weekly grades and missing work lists for both students and parents.3. Content support and enrichment.Our team of real teachers and university graduate and undergraduate students provide one-on-one tutoring in all subjects. Additionally, we review essays for grammatical correction and general improvement.Here’s how it looks: Click here to schedule a free, no-obligations Academic ConsultationOr call (888) 59-APLUS (592-7587) or (703) 271-5334

The Parent Tool Box: the A+ Club has all the tools for your child’s academic success

Struggles with procrastination and homework are all too common. Tutoring can help your child play catch up with schoolwork, but tutoring alone doesn’t solve the real problem.At the A+ Club, we help students fight procrastination and build time management and study skills. Students are assigned an academic coach and mentor who helps them monitor and manage their schoolwork. We believe in a holistic skills based approach to student success, rather than a rote, content-based tutoring approach.We help students become successful, and we help parents too: with the A+ Club, parents have peace of mind knowing that their student’s academic work is being monitored and regularly assisted by professional educators.So say goodbye to traditional tutoring and discover the A+ Club advantage.Click here to learn more or here to request a no-obligations Free Academic Consultation.

Piecing Together Academic Success: Study skills are essential for student improvement

Many parents of teens who are underperforming in school look to find a tutor for homework help or figuring out math and other subjects. While a tutor can help organize a class or learn certain information and skills, at the A+ Club we don’t rely on tutoring alone.In addition to online tutoring, we use academic coaches and mentors who help students who want better grades and overall academic improvement by addressing their fundamental academic skills and concerns. Our academic coaches and mentors are experienced teachers who help students identify what it really takes for academic success. These include:1. how to identify teacher expectations2. how take full advantage of resources such as textbooks, study guides, and essay or homework assignment rubrics, and3. how to develop effective organizational and time management skills.Lasting student improvement comes from our all-round approach, not just from hourly tutoring fees spent on one subject.Learn more at www.school4schools.com or call now at (888) 59-APLUS […]

The A+ Club Advantage: academic coaching, tutoring & mentoring

For a full page version of this chart, see The A+ Club Advantage Copyright School4Schools.com LLC, 2016 We build the skills needed for academic success, including:goal settingexecutive functiontime management study skillsAll this while still offering direct online tutoring in all subjects, including math tutoring, science tutoring, reading & writing tutoring and essay review.That’s Academic Support done right: the A+ Club Advantage! Tutoring is great, but we want our students to learn how to learn on their own.That is why our experienced classroom instructors, whom we call “Student Supporters” engage our students in fundamental skills development such as goal setting, time and calendar management and other executive function skills.All of our student interactions are shared with parents so that our parents can follow student progress and provide positive support for their child’s academic efforts.Additionally, we report assignments, due dates, grades and missing work lists to students and parents, so that student standing is understood the same […]