Seven Days of Holiday Fun and Learning

Once the presents have been unwrapped and the initial excitement of new toys and games has faded, how do you keep your children busy for the rest of their holiday vacation? While children are out of school for the holidays, parents can keep children learning with fun and engaging projects throughout the last seven days of the year – from December 25 through December 31.


“Holiday vacation is an ideal time for parents to help instill a joy for learning in their children and show that they enjoy learning themselves,” said Jennifer Allen, Director for Sylvan Learning. “Sharing fun, learning activities can help children improve their attitude toward learning and provides a great opportunity for busy families to spend quality time together during the holidays.”

Seven Days of Activities for Family Learning Fun is a free, activity booklet available online from Sylvan Learning Center at http://tutoring.sylvanlearning.com/learning-activities/brochure.cfm, and includes seven days of fun learning activities that the whole family can enjoy. Interactive, educational projects detailed in the booklet help nurture reading, writing, research and math skills. Activities for the final seven days of the year include:

 December 25 - Start a memory book. Create a memory book of your family’s favorite holiday memories. Purchase a photo album and decorate it together.

 December 26 - Family reading. Spend at least 10 to 15 minutes a day reading to your children. For help selecting great family books, visit Book Adventure - a free, reading motivation program created by Sylvan Learning - at www.bookadventure.com.

 December 27 - Family history. Create a family tree and incorporate pictures of aunts, uncles and grandparents. Ask family members about what they were like when they were children.

 December 28 - Make your own play dough. Use the play dough to make letters, shapes, numbers or figures. Create games using the figures you have created.

 December 29 - Dress up as your favorite book character. Choose your favorite book character and play dress-up, re-enacting your favorite parts in the book.

 December 30 - Have a book-inspired feast. Bring ideas from literature to life by experimenting with foods from classic books. For instance, make your morning breakfast memorable with Green Eggs & Ham by Dr. Seuss.

 December 31 - Explore nature. Take a walk with the whole family to explore nature. Use the Internet to learn more about this time of year and the plants and animals in your area. Or, check out books about nature and local foliage from your public library.

For more information on fun learning activities from the experts at Sylvan Learning , or to download Sylvan's free activity booklet, Seven Days of Activities for Family Learning Fun, log onto http://tutoring.sylvanlearning.com/learning-activities/brochure.cfm or call 480-963-5900

How to Choose the Best Toys for Children this Holiday Season

It’s that time of year again, and many parents will soon find themselves in the same dilemma – do they buy their children the most popular toys or the toys that can help their children learn. Fortunately, the wide variety of toys available creates a number of options that enable parents to buy their children toys that are both fun and educational.


Children use toys to experiment and increase their knowledge base. In fact, playing is an effective way of introducing and mastering educational concepts. By introducing children to quality toys, learning is encouraged and expanded as they play.

“A well-chosen toy can greatly benefit your child. Good toys nurture your child’s ideas and imagination, while growing with your child’s changing interests,” explains Robert Satter, Executive Director of Sylvan Learning in Gilbert, AZ.

“Knowing how to buy the right toys for your children is a skill that can be learned. Look for toys that are challenging, but allow for success and also leave room for a variety of play. It’s easy to be a good judge of the play value of any toy, if you know the skills that each toy can teach,” says Satter.

Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of in-center and live, online tutoring at home to students of all ages and skill levels, offers parents the following suggestions to keep in mind when shopping for toys that are fun and educational.

1. Building Toys. To most parents, LEGO’s® Bionicle and Bob the Builder were the must-have toys of last year’s holiday season. Popular building toys like these can actually help children more quickly acquire the reasoning skills necessary for mathematics.

2. Computer Games. Last year, Microsoft’s Xbox, Sony’s Playstation 2 and Nintendo’s Wii were the hot games with older kids. While video games are not often thought of as educational, they do help build reasoning skills and logic as children navigate the different levels of each game.

3. Games. Games can be a fun way to encourage math discovery in children. In fact, many popular board games, such as Monopoly®, reinforce basic math skills. While children roll the dice and buy real estate, they also develop number sense and practice their basic math skills (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division). Even classic games like Connect Four® and Yahtzee® help with problem solving skills and computational speed and accuracy.

4. Projects. Project-based toys, such as model airplanes, cars, ships and rockets, are good for older children (ages 9-14). They help children build motor skills and teach them how to follow directions as well. Science kits, chemistry sets and ant farms also enhance reading comprehension (instructions) and critical thinking skills. While popular Harry Potter Snape’s Potion Lab looks like just another toy, in order to make the potion, children practice following directions, measuring, mixing and analyzing the results through taste and consistency.

5. Pretend Games. Young children love to pretend, especially with child-size versions of everyday adult objects. Pretending can be both fun and informative for your child. For example, the ever-popular Easy Bake Oven introduces children to basic food preparation skills, how to follow a recipe and may help ease them into helping with kitchen chores. A toy cash register helps children understand math and making change with money.

A Break from School Doesn't Need to be a Break from Learning

School holidays are great refreshers for children and parents alike. But, just because children are out of school, doesn't mean they can't continue to learn by taking part in fun and educational activities with their families. Sylvan Learning Center, the leading provider of in-center and live, online tutoring at home to students of all ages and skill levels, recommends that parents take advantage of the holidays to spend fun, learning time together.

Robert Satter of the Gilbert Sylvan Learning, explains, “Everyone needs a break away from school work for a while. During the holidays, parents can help to show how the lessons learned in the classroom apply in day-to-day life."

Here are tips from Sylvan Learning concerning how to keep the learning process alive during the Holiday Season:

 Writing -- To help writing skills, encourage your child to start a diary or to write letters together to a grandparent or friend. If you are traveling on a vacation, ask your child to keep a travel journal and record where you stayed and what you did. At the end of every day, talk through the activities with your children and help them create their journals. It not only helps with their writing skills, but creates great family memories.

 Mathematics -- Helping mom or dad with the regular grocery shopping creates opportunities to use math skills - making change, weighing fruits and vegetables, etc. Providing assistance with cooking can also familiarize them with weights and measures, organization and planning, and following a recipe. Perhaps you and your children could make a special dessert for the whole family. Help them pick a recipe, make the list and go shopping together.

 Reading -- Local libraries offer infinite resources for children. Librarians can recommend books appropriate for your child’s reading level and interests, and many libraries offer free children’s programs and clubs. Children also learn by example. If parents are setting time aside to read, it reinforces the fun and enjoyment of reading.

 Internet – Visit www.bookadventure.com, a free Sylvan-created interactive, reading motivation program. Children can create their own book lists from more than 7,000 titles, take short comprehension quizzes and redeem their accumulated points for prizes.

 Analysis and Logic -- Many family games and puzzles are not only fun, but help children to develop and reinforce skills. A simple card game can involve mathematics, analysis and logical thinking. Be sure to select games appropriate for your child's age level.

Nation’s Largest Educational Services Provider Re-Opens

Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of in-center tutoring to students of all ages, grades and skill levels, is re-opening in Mesa, AZ on December 1, 2009. Sylvan offers a variety of educational programs and personalized learning plans that help students develop the skills, habits and attitudes needed for lifelong success.

Cathie Veals, Director of the Mesa Sylvan Learning, explains, “Only Sylvan offers a proven process that sets us apart from tutors and other educational services. Our nationally-acclaimed programs incorporate a proven system of learning that will help your child reach the potential you know is there.”

The newly re-opened Sylvan Learning in Mesa offers programs for children and teenagers at any level of learning. Sylvan’s personal instructors can help meet your child’s academic needs in many areas, including beginning reading, academic reading, math essentials, algebra, SAT Prep, homework support, academic writing,

Sylvan’s approach to supplemental education focuses on creating personalized academic programs using mastery learning and incorporating the following elements:

• Preliminary assessment to determine learning strengths and weaknesses
• Learning programs customized to address the exact skills your child needs in order to obtain academic success
• Student/teacher ratio of 3:1 or below that allows for personal attention and support
• Unique motivational programs using positive reinforcement and rewards
• Regular updates and progress reports with the student’s parents and teachers to ensure the progress made at Sylvan is realized in the child’s classroom
• Trained and certified personal instructors who create an environment for learning that helps students master the skills necessary for success in school and in life

About Sylvan Learning:

Sylvan Learning is the leading provider of in-center and live, online tutoring at home to students of all ages, grades and skill levels. Sylvan Learning is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2009 and has about 1,100 centers located throughout North America. Sylvan’s proven process and personalized methods have inspired more than 2 million students to discover the joy of learning. Sylvan's trained and certified personal instructors provide individual instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, study skills and test-prep for college entrance and state exams. Sylvan helps transform unique kids into uniquely inspired learners with the skills to do better in school and the confidence to do better in everything else. Visit www.DrRickBlog.com to share your personal academic experiences and comment on academic trends. For more information, call 480-361-3500

Sylvan Math Prep

Sylvan Learning Center of Gilbert and Mesa is proud to offer a new online math tutoring service to students in middle and high school. The Sylvan Math Prep website gives kids and parents access to math tutoring every day from any computer with Internet access. Students can access Sylvan Math Prep online (with no special installation of software required) to catch up, keep up, or get ahead of math coursework.

Sylvan Math Prep was created by math teachers who also tutored extensively. Middle school and high school level mathematics are covered, including Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II material. It is not only an excellent tool for learning, reviewing and mastering math skills but also a great way to prepare for the SAT exam. The program contains 2,000 videos that are organized into 750 lessons, each correlated to the specific Sylvan tutoring lesson or math text used in school classes! If a text is not on our list, students can simply use a keyword search to find related lessons.

With Sylvan Math Prep, students are in control of their learning experience. They can review a video or practice problems numerous times in order to master math concepts. Parents are empowered to help their child(ren) to better understand and apply math concepts using the site from home.

Each lesson includes four step-by-step video demonstrations of a math concept, practice problems (with the ability to check answers, receive hints, view detailed work, and hear audio to work them out), a deep thought challenge question, and self-test (that can be taken several times, each with a different set of questions). Extra problems and notes that summarize main points of the lesson are printable.

Sylvan Math Prep is available for $39.50 per month. This program will provide more opportunities for a student’s growth and understanding in math education. Please contact us at 480-963-5900 if you would like further information or to sign up for our Sylvan Math Prep product.

College Competition Means New Stress for Today’s Teens

The pressure is on. To compete in today’s global economy, which includes international students attending North American colleges in record numbers, U.S. teenagers must obtain collegiate degrees now more than ever. According to the latest research of the U.S. Department of Education, college enrollment grew 16 percent between 1985 and 1995. Between 1995 and 2005, enrollment increased at a faster rate (23 percent), from 14.3 million to 17.5 million. The number of graduating high school seniors is expected to peak in 2011, with 67% trying to gain admission to an institution of higher learning.

What does this mean for students with college aspirations? Acing the college entrance exam is critical. Most students applying to competitive colleges now take the SAT* more than once, and as early as sophomore year.

Our growing global economy has made it necessary for more students to attend college in order to obtain good paying jobs. New tools, such as the common application, encourage students to apply to more schools - which increases the competition. Thus, making it more difficult for students to gain acceptance into the top institutions and colleges that were once seen as “safeties.”

More students and parents today are learning the secret that top colleges have known for years - systematically preparing for the SAT gives students more confidence and more confidence can lead to higher SAT scores.

New college admissions rules now allow students to score their best by taking the SAT as many times as they like, but educators suggest taking the tests no more than two or three times. Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of in-center tutoring, offers the following advice to ensure students properly prepare for their college entrance exams – Sylvan’s 10 STRESSFREE Steps to Reduce the Stress and Ace The Test!

- Studying for the SAT* takes weeks, even months, of review. Don’t try to cram overnight.

- Trust yourself. Rely on your instincts. Never leave an easy question blank.

- Read the questions and answers critically.

- Easy questions have easy answers.

- Stop and check. Every few questions, ensure the question number on the answer sheet corresponds with the booklet.

- Save time. Make sure you have enough time to answer as many questions as possible, in order to rack up as many points as possible.

- Focus on what the question is really asking. If you don’t fully understand the question, finding the correct answer is going to be tough.

- Rushing only hurts you. Keep track of the time remaining for each section.

- Eliminate answers. If you can eliminate at least two incorrect answers, make an educated guess.

- End each section by reviewing. If time permits, revisit the questions you didn’t answer.

 It’s never too early – or too late – to begin preparing for college and lifelong economic success.

ACE THE SAT!

Is your student ready for the SAT? There is a lot of pressure for students to score well on the SAT and the next test date is just around the corner. SAT scores play a critical role in the admissions process at top colleges and universities. The test score can affect the chances of getting into a first choice school. To do your best on the SAT and increase your college options, prepare with an SAT Prep course at Sylvan Learning Center. If you enroll now, you can start the course that will help you perform your best on the upcoming fall and spring test dates.

What’s the best way to prepare for the SAT exam? Academic test research indicates that the most effective way is through small classes with highly trained teachers and a personalized program. This is exactly what you will find with Sylvan SAT Prep. You’ll have plenty of individual attention with teachers who will give you the help you need to prepare for the big exam. In this supportive Sylvan classroom atmosphere, you’ll gain the confidence to do your best.

Sylvan SAT Prep is offered exclusively through Sylvan Learning Center, a worldwide leader in personalized K-12 supplemental education and test preparation. Successfully delivered to college-bound juniors and seniors, the Sylvan SAT Prep program provides powerful test-taking strategies, all-inclusive course materials, and solid content review. Sylvan’s trained teachers work with students individually in math and verbal skills, giving them the strategies they need to succeed. Most importantly, Sylvan SAT Prep produces results. Students who have attended our prep classes have raised their scores— and are now enrolled at their first-choice colleges!

To learn more about this effective program call 480-963-5900. As soon as we hear from you, we’ll rush you a FREE practice diagnostic SAT*. Take it on your own at home, and just return it to us and we’ll send you confidential results which show you how prepared you are right now.

As you review your SAT Prep choices, you’ll find Sylvan’s unique personalized program costs about the same as larger classes with less individual attention offered by other test prep companies. Call today to receive your free practice SAT and find out how Sylvan can help you achieve your best score.

2009-2010 Test Dates and Registration Deadlines

How To Handle A Poor Report Card

It’s that time of the school year again – report card time. While many students will come home with good grades, many others would rather stuff their report cards deep into their backpacks than show them to their parents. As parents, you want your child to do well in school, so what do you do when your child’s report card isn’t as good as it could be?

“Children get frustrated and upset when their report cards show they are doing poorly,” states Lanette Satter, Director of Sylvan Learning in Gilbert.

“Every child learns and tests differently. And not every child will be a straight A student,” continues Satter. “Understanding your child’s ability and determining if your expectations are too high will allow both you and your child to set appropriate goals for each class before report cards are distributed. It will also help establish an environment in which your child is not apprehensive about sharing his report card with you.”

Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of in-center tutoring to students of all ages and skill levels, offers the following tips for parents on how to deal with a poor report card:

1. Set expectations. Not every child will earn all A’s, but that doesn’t mean your child should strive for less. Talk with your child before the school year starts and explain that you won’t be upset if he doesn’t bring home all A’s -- but that you will be upset if he doesn’t try his hardest or doesn’t ask for help.

2. Communicate with your child. Don’t wait until report cards are issued to talk with your child about school and grades. Talk with her every night and every week about homework. Ask how she is doing in school and what subjects she finds challenging.

3. Discuss your child’s performance with his teacher and/or guidance counselor. Your child’s teacher and/or guidance counselor is the best source for information about your child’s scholastic performance. Your child’s teacher can recommend ways to help your child or point out difficulties he is having. His guidance counselor can provide progress reports between reports cards or help set up additional parent-teacher conferences when necessary.

4. Set goals for improvement with your child. If your child is currently a C student -- then setting a goal of getting all A’s may not be reasonable. However, creating an improvement goal for each subject will help her work towards an attainable level for each class.

5. Establish a study plan with your child. Your child should keep a schedule of all classes, assignments and key dates (e.g., project deadlines, big exams, etc). As part of that schedule, she should include specific time for studying, projects and extracurricular activities. The more comprehensive the schedule, the more efficient your child will be in completing her homework and the better she’ll do in school.

6. Seek outside help. Some children may need additional attention that can’t be provided in school. Speak with your child’s teacher about tutoring or supplemental education providers to help your child work towards better grades in school.

7. Praise your child’s successes. Praise your child for what he is doing well, whether it’s a specific academic subject or an extracurricular activity. If your child is not doing well in English, but loves to read the latest Harry Potter book, show him the connection between the two.

Did Your Child Make The Grade?

Progress reports and/or report cards will be arriving soon. Did your child make the grade? If your child is not doing as well as you want, Sylvan of Gilbert/Queen Creek can help. Call 480-963-5900 and one of our directors can advise you on the best way that our certified tutors can help. Remember, we can help with reading, writing, basic math, study skills, upper level math (including algebra, geometry) and much more. Help is just a phone call away!


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Your Local Education Experts!

Sylvan Learning is the leading provider of tutoring and supplemental education services to students of all ages and skill levels. At Sylvan, our warm and caring tutors tailor individualized learning plans that build the skills, habits and attitudes students need to succeed in school and in life. Affordable tutoring instruction is available in math, reading, writing, study skills, homework help, test prep and more at more than 1,100 learning centers in the United States, Canada and abroad. Contact a Sylvan Tutoring Expert: 480-963-5900

Sylvan has helped more than 2 million students learn to read, write, calculate and organize themselves to reach their potential. Every day, local Gilbert tutors help children develop a love of learning and a confidence that they carry throughout their lives. Help your child catch up, keep up or get ahead with a Gilbert tutoring program. We offer a choice of quality Gilbert tutoring programs to help students improve overall. Our proven process begins with a Sylvan Skills Assessment test that is designed to identify your child's strengths and needs, so that we can then create a personalized program that's right for your child. Our trained and certified Gilbert tutors ensure that your child receives the individualized attention necessary to master the skills needed to do better in school and better in life.