Summer Algebra Seminars

30 Hours Of Instruction Plus Pre-Test and Post-Test

 

Pre-Algebra- for students entering 8th or 9th grade
Concepts:
Add, subtract, multiply and divide mixed numbers
Arithmetic, algebraic and geometric patterns
Find Square roots of numbers, classify real numbers
Evaluate algebraic expressions
Apply order of Operation to evaluate expressions
Translate sentences into mathematical expressions, equations or inequalities
Check solutions for simple equations or inequalities with emphasis on mental math
Organize and interpret data using tables and graphs
Describe the concept of functions and associated essential characteristics
Graph, compare, and order real numbers
Solve absolute value equations
Add, subtract, multiply and divide real numbers
Apply distributive property to simplify expressions
Simplify expressions by combining like terms
Evaluate and simplify expressions involving division
Includes a pre-test and post-test

Algebra-for students entering 9th or 10th grade
Concepts:
Linear Equations and Inequalities:
Simplify expressions using basic operations
Solve one-step equations
Solve multi-step equations
Solve equations with variables on both sides
Solve an equation for one of its variables
Solve problems involving proportional reasoning
Write single variable equations to interpret real-world situations
Solve and graph inequalities in one variable
Solve and graph compound inequalities
Solve and graph absolute value equations or inequalities in one variable
Polynomials:
Identify and simplify a polynomial
Use division properties of exponents to evaluate powers and simplify expressions
Read and write numbers using scientific notation
Classify polynomials by degree and number of terms, and express in standard form
Simplify polynomials using addition and subtraction
Includes a pre-test and post-test


Pre Algebra Seminar
June 6 - June 23, 2011
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Algebra Seminar
June 27 - July 18, 2011 (Closed July 4th)
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM


Classes are held on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
Mesa Sylvan Learning Center
4121 E. Valley Auto Drive #106
Mesa, AZ 85206

Space is limited to 8 students per seminar, so register today!

Contact us for more information:
Phone: 480-361-3500

Now Enrolling for 2011-2012 School Year

The Early Learning Academy Program is uniquely designed for children ages 4 and 5 to help develop an on-going love of learning.


Children learn in a 1:8 ratio via multi-sensory approach that uses sight, sound and touch.
Engaging use of books, manipulatives and activities to keep students’ attention.
Introduction of skills through practice, review and repetition.

Classes are held on Monday/Tuesday/Thursday - 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Monthly Tution - $215.00
Registration/Material Fee - $100.00 (Non-refundable)


Sylvan Learning Center
4121 E Valley Auto Drive
Suite 106
Mesa, AZ 85206

Call today for more information and registration information: 480-361-3500

FREE SAT PRACTICE TEST

FREE SAT Diagnostic Test!


March 5, 2011

Sylvan will host a free SAT Diagnostic Practice Test Day for juniors and seniors in need of college prep who are attending Mesa, Gilbert, Higley and Queen Creek area high schools. The test will be proctored at 11:00 AM at the Mesa Sylvan Learning Center on East Valley Auto Drive. The session will follow exact SAT testing rules. All students and parents will receive a complete scoring analysis within a week of completing the full-length practice exam. This free test allows students to gain valuable insight into what to expect on test day and helps parents gauge their student’s readiness for the exam. Call Sylvan at 480-361-3500 to sign up for this free practice SAT Test.

Space is limited.

Check List For Academic Success

Pilots famously have them. Surgeons do, too. So do engineers, technicians, nurses, and most other professionals and service providers. I’m talking about simple checklists, quick, simple lists of behaviors and duties that remind us of the basics and guide us toward success. If all those professionals find checklists helpful, why shouldn’t students and their families?

Yes, checklists are general and simple (some say simplistic), but isn’t that exactly their advantage? They’re meant to be a helpful reminder to those of us who are rushed, busy, spread too thinly, and battling absent-mindedness because of our hectic lives. If that describes you and your family at times, click on the heading above for a journey to the Dr. Rick Checklist for Academic Success!


Check List For Academic Success!

New Study Finds Achievement Gap Among High Ability Students is Widening

A new report from the Indiana University Center for Evaluation and Education Policy (CEEP) finds that the achievement gaps among high ability students from all different backgrounds and socioeconomic status is large and growing.

To read more details about this report,    http://newsinfo.iu.edu/web/page/normal/13369.html

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.