Letter from Betty for November 2014

Hello, 

The holiday season will soon be upon us! Do you have students on your gift-giving list this year? Don't miss the fresh, creative ideas in this month's feature article, "Educational Gifts for the Holidays."

New Jersey is the perfect stop-over for many varieties of our feathered friends this time of year. Test your brain about birds in this month's Puzzler, "Atlantic Flyway."

At Foundation for Learning, we are ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring. Please don't hesitate to give us a call at 973-425-1774 for a free consultation.


Best regards,

Betty

Betty Bodenweiser
Director
Foundation for Learning

Focus on one: SAT or ACT

Free diagnostic test offered at FFL

Currently many high school juniors take both the SAT and ACT to determine which test is best for them. We feel it would be beneficial for the students to focus on only one test. In order to accomplish this, we can administer a complimentary SAT/ACT diagnostic test, including the essay portion, to help students determine which test is better suited to their abilities. Testing will take place the second Saturday of each month from November-March and then periodically throughout the other months. Testing will start at 8:45 AM and end at approximately 12:45 PM. Our next testing session is December 13. Please call (973) 425-1774 or email betty@foundationforlearning.com by December 5th to secure a spot as space is limited.

Test Schedules for November

Mark your calendars! Here are the latest test dates.

Note: ISEE - Independent School Entrance Exam dates are for testing at the Morristown-Beard School, located at 70 Whippany Road, Morristown NJ, for any students entering grades 6-11 who are applying to independent schools. Learn more about ISEE at erblearn.org.
 

Educational Gifts for the Holidays

It’s time to think about holiday gift giving and putting together a shopping list with the kids in mind. Need some ideas for creative and educational gifts this year? Here are some suggestions for you as well as links to some really great online sources for easy-chair shopping.



Wild Detectives DVD Collection from National Geographic explores nature as only Nat Geo can! Answers questions like “What do lion cubs do in their den when no one is looking?” and “Why do penguins swim so deep in the ocean when their food is on the surface?”  Beautiful camera work, interesting critters, fun information!


Put together a craft box for unlimited creativity! Purchase a colorful plastic box (with closure) and then head to your favorite crafting store to stock that box full of markers, colorful ribbons and pipe cleaners, stickers, watercolor paints, glue or glue sticks, crayons, colorful papers, cute Japanese Washi tape, pompoms, glitter, beads, and anything else that strikes your artistic fancy.


Let’s get physical! Hula hoops, scooters, skates, skateboards, bikes, boogie boards for the beach, jump ropes, mini exercise trampoline, stilts, climbing rope ladder, hop balls, anything that will get the kiddos up and moving is a very good thing!



Open-ended imagination toys such as Brio trains, Playmobil sets, Lego, hand-puppets, Lincoln Logs, all these things are perfect for freestyle fun.


Qwirkle is a fun mix of Scrabble and dominoes. For 2-4 players, colorful wooden blocks get matched together based on color and design and really make the players strategize as they go. Loads of fun for all ages, so parents and older kids can play along too.


Simon is another fantastic game that is guaranteed to bring lots of laughter. Flashing lights and colors exercise and build memory skills that are critical for academic success, while at the same time increasing manual dexterity. The kids, of course, won’t know that they’re growing and learning – they’re having too much fun!

Globes, atlases, maps: Do you have a little Dora the Explorer in your family? Maybe a young Indiana Jones? Consider the gift of a globe, an atlas, or an interesting collection of maps! Kids can not only learn to identify places they are learning about, but they can do some route tracking during your family’s holiday travels. Learning to read maps is an important life skill, and it’s never to early to start!

For the budding scientist in your family, how about a microscope kit or telescope? Rock tumblers are noisy but so fun, with a “prize” at the end of each session. Robotikit also offers a series of do-it-yourself kits that allow kids super-fun while building working miniature motorcycles and more! Geosafari also offers a whole line of really interesting scopes, kits, and other “toys” for exploratory fun, both indoors and outside in nature.

Let’s not forget books! To see a list of recommended reads, take a look back at our two-part article series. Part 1: Great Children's Books for the Early Years and part 2: Great Books for Older Children.

Online, one great resource for creative games and toys for kids is Hearthsong.com. Also check out shop.nationalgeographic.com, shoppbs.org, or the fabulous Museum of Natural History store at shop.amnh.org.

Above all, when you’re thinking about gift giving for the holidays, make sure to include toys, games, and other gifts that you can share with your kids. Spending fun time with them is the best gift of all!

The Puzzler: Atlantic Flyway

We know you’ve heard about bird migration, where different species of birds migrate north during breeding season and south during colder months. But did you know that New Jersey is a part of what is known as the Atlantic Flyway? This is the route that many species take on their journey. It is defined to the west by the Appalachian Mountain Range and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean.  Did you know that New Jersey’s latitude on the globe puts the state about halfway between the equator and the Arctic? This location and many varying habitats make New Jersey a perfect stopping point for thousands of species of migrating birds who find just what they need here. 

Here are 9 birds in our area that are on the move during the month of November.



Can you match each bird in the photo to its common name? Here are your choices: 

Yellow Warbler
Dark-eyed Junco
Hooded Merganser
Bufflehead
Indigo Bunting
Gray Catbird
Common Goldeneye
Ruby Crowned Kinglet
Common Yellowthroat



Answers in the next issue.



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LAST ISSUE'S PUZZLER: Leaf Pile 

Remember when you were a kid and jumped into great big leaf piles? Well, here is a big pile of 8 words to jump into: Elm, Birch, Oak, Cherry, Chestnut, Ash, Beech, Maple. Can you pick up the correct words from that pile and pair them with the 4 leaves in the photos below?


 

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Letter from Betty for October 2014

Hello, 

What do driving, cooking, and learning have in common? More than you might suspect. Find out in this month's feature article about "Styles of Learning."

It's that time of year for the leaves to transform our world into a red, yellow, and orange landscape. I imagine you have probably jumped into your share of autumn leaf piles, right? Check out our Puzzler for October, "Leaf Pile," and see if you can name those leaves.

Remember that at Foundation for Learning we are ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring. You are most welcome to give us a call at 973-425-1774 for a free consultation.


Best regards,

Betty

Betty Bodenweiser
Director
Foundation for Learning

SAT, ACT, SSAT, and ISEE Test Schedules for October 2014

Mark your calendars! Here are the latest test dates.

Note: ISEE - Independent School Entrance Exam dates are for testing at the Morristown-Beard School, located at 70 Whippany Road, Morristown NJ, for any students entering grades 6-11 who are applying to independent schools. Learn more about ISEE at erblearn.org.

Styles of Learning

You probably don’t realize it, but in most things that you do throughout the day you are using several different channels, senses, or styles of learning.



When you drive, you are listening to the sounds of your own car, hearing noises from other vehicles, and straining to detect the source of emergency sirens. You use your sense of sight to track and gauge the speeds, distances, and directions of other cars on the road, and to take a stream of cues from instructional, directional, and caution signs. Meanwhile, our sense of touch enables us to operate our vehicles—shifting gears, braking, and accelerating, all without having to look at the stick shift or pedals.



We learn to cook using all our senses. We can smell when something is burning, or experience a wonderful aroma that tells us the cookies are ready to come out of the oven. We use our fingers to tell us when the baked potatoes are done. We can look from all the way across the room to see a steaming pot that tells us the water is at full boil. We use our ears to listen as we thump on the newly baked loaf of bread to test that it is cooked through, and we hear the rapid-fire “pops” slow down when the popcorn is ready. And we enjoy taste-testing the Thanksgiving stuffing. Too much salt? No, just right. Yum!

We all have different learning styles, different ways of taking in information and experiences, and different ways of recalling information or processes that we’ve already learned.  We often use a mix of styles in order to learn new things, relying on one method over another depending on what we’re trying to learn or the circumstances that we’re in. By using a mix of learning styles or methods we greatly enhance our ability to learn new information or a new skill.  You might discover that you have a dominant style, but by learning or consciously developing another method you can positively enhance your learning experience—increasing your speed, your comprehension, your ability to recall, and the overall quality of your learning.

So what are the different learning styles? Do you know which is your dominant style?



Visual vs. Aural vs. Kinesthetic Learning
If you prefer using images and spatial comprehension then you are a Visual learner. Do you use sounds, music or auditory repetition when you’re trying to memorize? If so, then you are an Aural learner. Do you use touch, your body, or your hands to learn a new skill? Then you are using physical or Kinesthetic skills.

Interpersonal vs. Intrapersonal Learners
People who prefer to learn, practice, or study with other people or in groups are social or Interpersonal learners, while those who would rather close themselves off in their room or in a study carrel are identified as solitary or Intrapersonal learners.

Logical vs. Linguistic Strategies
Do you find that you prefer logic, puzzles, reasoning, or systematic processes? Those are characteristics of someone who uses mathematical or Logical styles of learning. If you rely heavily on words, either in speech or in writing, then verbal or Linguistic strategies are your dominant form of learning.

By discovering your dominant learning style and trying to develop and utilize other methods as well, you can become a better learner!

The Puzzler for October 2014: Leaf Pile

Remember when you were a kid and jumped into great big leaf piles? Well, here is a big pile of 8 words to jump into: Elm, Birch, Oak, Cherry, Chestnut, Ash, Beech, Maple. Can you pick up the correct words from that pile and pair them with the 4 leaves in the photos below?




Answers next month.



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LAST ISSUE'S PUZZLER: Summer Flashback 

This beach umbrella displays 3 of the following 6 colors: indigo, magenta, puce, malachite, cyan, chartreuse. 



Can you name the correct three colors, left to right, on the umbrella?

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Letter from Betty for September 2014

Hello, 

According to the calendar, summer comes to an end in a few weeks, and a new school year is upon us. I hope that you and your children have had a smooth transition into the schedule of a new year. Hopefully you have successfully shifted into a consistent routine for homework and a comfortable schedule for school-night bedtime and waking hours.

For this month's newsletter, note that our test schedule dates have expanded to include SAT, ACT, SSAT, and now also ISEE test dates.

Speaking of testing, we are hosting a complimentary PSAT test at Foundation for Learning on Sunday, September 21st. If you are interested please contact me by Wednesday the 17th at 973-425-1774.

In our feature article we focus on test prep and overcoming anxiety. Finally, we take one last backward glance at the recent sunny season in a "Summer Flashback" Puzzler.

Remember that at Foundation for Learning we are ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring. You are most welcome to give us a call at 973-425-1774 for a free consultation.

Best regards,

Betty

Betty Bodenweiser
Director
Foundation for Learning

SAT, ACT, SSAT, and ISEE Test Schedules

Mark your calendars! Here are the latest test dates.

Note: ISEE - Independent School Entrance Exam dates are for testing at the Morristown-Beard School, located at 70 Whippany Road, Morristown NJ., for any students entering grades 6-11 who are applying to independent schools. Learn more about ISEE at erblearn.org.
 

Test Prep and Overcoming Anxiety

Whether you are in the season of taking standardized tests or college entrance exams, you’re likely feeling some level of worry or stress as the date approaches. You’ve studied, you’ve taken the practice tests, and now is the time to take those final preparatory steps. Do you have any last minute questions or concerns? Now is the time to talk to your teacher or tutor. Beyond that, avoid cramming. Light reading and short spurts of study are in order now. Also, prepare yourself physically and psychologically for the big day.

You need to pay special attention to maintaining good personal and physical habits during the week leading up to your test. Make sure that you’re eating well, exercising, and scheduling some time to hang out with friends and family. Downtime is essential. All of these things add up to bolster your well-being. Make sure to get plenty of sleep for at least 3 nights before test day. You want to build up your store of energy and recharge now so you’ll be ready. Also, think up a special reward for yourself at the end of your test day. A meal at your favorite restaurant, a visit to your favorite park, a splurge on your favorite music—whatever it is that brings you happiness.

On the night before, gather all the materials you’re going to need, including any admission tickets, writing implements, etc. Have everything ready so you don’t have to rush around in the morning.

On test morning, eat a good breakfast but avoid caffeinated beverages. You may already be charged up from the added adrenaline that is naturally occurring in your system today.

If time allows, put on music and relax. No last minute cramming allowed. Just relax.

Make plans to arrive at your test location early so you have time to settle in.

If you find that your anxiety level is increasing while you wait to begin, try to distract yourself with a Sudoku puzzle or magazine, or sit quietly and gaze out a window while you breathe easily.

At test time, read directions carefully and think about the best way to organize the time allotted to you. Start with the easiest portions of the test to gain confidence and to allow yourself more time for the sections where you’ll need more concentration or brain-power.

For multiple choice questions, read the question carefully and all of the possible answers before making your selection. Rely on your gut feelings or first impulses when you’re not sure of the right option.

For essay questions, formulate a loose outline then flesh out our answer, making sure to be concise rather than giving a rambling response. Take your time, but keep an eye on the clock. Use your allotted time well but do not rush. If you find that you’re running out of time and won’t be able to finish all of the sections, focus on the areas of strength where you can do best. Avoid rechecking or rethinking your answers. You can trust your initial answers at this point.

During the test, pay attention to the tension in your shoulders, jaw, back, and hands, particularly if you’re starting to feel anxiety. Tense and relax those key muscles while at the same time taking a deep, cleansing breath. Let the tension escape and then keep on with your task. If you’re taking a long test, look up from your paper for 15 seconds every 20-30 minutes. Straighten your neck and gaze out at the horizon. This will help you to avoid eye-strain while at the same time giving you a very brief respite. Slowly, steadily, and thoughtfully keep moving through your test until you’re done. If you find that your mind is wandering then pay attention to that—rein it back in and get back down to business. Watch your self-talk during this time too. Keep it positive and encouraging. You can do it!

When you are done, be sure to follow through on the reward you promised yourself – and enjoy it! Try not to dwell on the mistakes you might have made. You’ve done your very best. Now is the time to relax!

The Puzzler: Summer Flashback

Summer is almost over, but we can still enjoy some happy memories. Let's grab our body boards and beach towels and head to the shore. But wait—before we go, let me just name 6 colors: indigo, magenta, puce, malachite, cyan, chartreuse. Got that? OK.

Now, back to our beach trip. Imagine the sounds of the surf and the calls of seagulls. What a beautiful day! And now envision a beautiful tri-colored beach umbrella.

Alright, now what if I told you that the beach umbrella in the photo below displays 3 of the 6 colors mentioned above—could you tell me their names, left to right, on the umbrella?



Answers next month.



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LAST ISSUE'S PUZZLER: Other Worlds of Color 

Most humans see the familiar rainbow of colors. But other animals see different worlds of color. What does the world look like to them? There is still more to learn, but scientists have discovered a lot about animal vision.

The following 4-part image shows (in no particular order) how the world looks like to a bird, a shark, a horse, and a dog. Can you guess which is which?




Can you tell which animal sees what?

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ANSWERS
Top left: Dogs see mostly drab blue and yellow hues. Luckily, their sense of smell offers a whole world of useful information.
Top right: Birds are believed to see more colors than humans—thus the groovy psychedelic graphic, hinting at what we can only imagine!
Bottom left: Horses have a blind spot straight in front of their head, leading to sideways glances.
Bottom right: Sharks see very little in the way of color, but make with their other senses, including motion detecting. 

Letter from Betty for August 2014

Hello,

A new school year is coming soon! Although I will miss the long summer days, I enjoy the structure that the school year offers. School shopping has begun and college students are preparing to say their goodbyes. There is a sense of excitement and energy as well as the uncertainty and nervousness in the air as the new school year approaches.

This time of year is a perfect opportunity to help students set goals. Everyone sets academic goals, but many students also set goals to improve their athletic skills, their position in the school band or chorus, or as part of a theater production. The most effective strategy to help your children succeed in all their school goals is very simple, though perhaps it's easier said than done: a good night's sleep before every school day! Remember to start the school year morning and nighttime routines at least one week prior to the start of the school year. This way when the year starts, your children will be ready to go!

We have some more tips for back-to-school preparations in our feature article this month, plus some creative ideas for what to pack in lunch boxes, so enjoy that. And please remember to call us at Foundation for Learning for ACT and SAT Prep!

Betty

Betty Bodenweiser
Director
Foundation for Learning

SAT / ACT / SSAT Test Schedules for August 2014

Mark your calendars! Here are the latest SAT, ACT, and SSAT test dates.

Back-To-School Preparations

Summer is starting to wind down, and during these final weeks it’s time to begin back-to-school preparations. It’s time to head to the local office supply store to stock up on fresh notebooks, pencils, glue sticks, and organizers. It’s time to head to your local music store to rent your child’s instrument for another season of band, orchestra, and lessons. It’s time to get on the schedule for another fun year of individual after-school tutoring and test prep. It’s time to do a little shopping for new school clothes and shiny new shoes, and it’s time to think about fun new ways to put nutritious food into your kid’s lunch boxes.

We all know that fueling our children with healthy food is important, and a good midday lunch is vital so they can steam their way through the second half of their school day at full attention. A little forethought goes a long way, particularly since we want to create something that is not only nutritious but that the kids will really love. We don’t want the lunches to end up in the bin or get traded away for a Twinkie across that table, right? Here are a few recipes, hints, and ideas to get you started!


PB&J Sushi Rolls

2 T creamy peanut butter
2 T jam
2 slices whole-grain bread

Cut the crusts off of each slice of bread and use a rolling pin to flatten. Spread each slice with ½ of the peanut butter and the jam. Roll tightly and slice into 4 rolls. Hint: Spread the peanut butter on the bread first to prevent the jam from getting the bread soggy.


Fruity Yogurt Bars

1 ½ c whole wheat flour
1 t baking soda
½ baking powder
1 t cinnamon
½ t ground ginger
1 (6 oz) package mixed dried fruit, chopped
1/3 c chopped walnuts, if desired
1 c vanilla yogurt
1 large egg
¼ apple juice concentrate, thawed
2 T canola oil
Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients. Add dried fruits and walnuts.  In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, egg, apple juice concentrate, and oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients until blended. Coat a 9 X 13 inch pan with vegetable spray, spread batter in pan. Bake 45-50 minutes or until done. Cool 10 minutes before slicing. Slice into 8 servings. Hint: freeze individual portions and add a frozen bar into the lunchbox in the morning. It will keep the other contents cool and be thawed by lunchtime.


Zucchini/Corn Muffins

1 c flour
1 c cornmeal
1 T sugar
1 T baking powder
1 egg
½  c milk
¼  c vegetable oil
1 ½ c creamed corn
2 small zucchini, grated

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 12 segment muffin tray or line with muffin papers. Sift dry ingredients into a bowl.  Mix wet ingredients including vegetables in another bowl. Combine the two mixes, lightly stir together. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake 25-30 minutes, until golden.



Cheesy Dippers

This snack is super easy! Just slice up a block of yellow cheese (cheddar) and a block of white cheese (muenster or jack) into bite-sized cubes. Insert a pretzel stick into each cube. Store these in a baggie or plastic storage box and include a small container of honey mustard for dipping. Simple!

The Puzzler: Other Worlds of Color

Most humans see the familiar rainbow of colors. But other animals see different worlds of color. What does the world look like to them? There is still more to learn, but scientists have discovered a lot about animal vision.

The following 4-part image shows (in no particular order) how the world looks like to a bird, a shark, a horse, and a dog. Can you guess which is which?




Answer next month.



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LAST ISSUE'S PUZZLER: True Colors 

Perhaps you think you know about the 3 primary colors—those basic hues that when mixed together in the right proportions can create any other color? Well, here is a true colors puzzle.

Which of the following trio of colors is the most useful for mixing paint together in art class to make all the colors of the rainbow?

The correct answer might surprise you.

Do you think you know?








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ANSWER
2. Yellow, Cyan and Magenta.

Letter from Betty for July 2014

Hello,

The school year has come to an end, the days are longer, and camps are gearing up for days and days of summer fun!  This certainly is a wonderful season for trips, vacations, and family time. In fact, our main article this month will give you some great ideas for family travel games.

With such a change in schedule, it is important to keep in mind that learning must continue. Research reveals that on average, students lose approximately 2.6 months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer months. Reading skills fare a little better in that students who are readers can actually increase their scores, but non-readers lose a month or more.

At Foundation for Learning, we strongly believe that summer months provide an excellent opportunity to fine-tune skills learned the previous year and to learn skills that will be taught within the first few months of the upcoming school year.  It's also a good opportunity to complete summer reading novels while learning how to manage time and analyze text. You can read more about the benefits of summer tutoring in the article below.

Have a safe and wonderful summer, but give us a call or shoot us an email to keep on learning!  

Betty

Betty Bodenweiser
Director
Foundation for Learning

Benefits of Summer Tutoring

1. Fill in the gaps. Our tutors can review past material with your student, find out what type of learning style or teaching methods work best for them, and customize a plan that will target your student’s weaknesses and turn them into strengths. 

2. Get ahead of the game. Summer is the optimal time! Our tutors can work with you to figure out a plan that would best fit your child’s needs and introduce activities and concepts that your student would normally learn in the upcoming school year. 

3. Enrich and spark an interest. If your student worked with a tutor over the school year, then it is extremely important to keep sessions consistent over the summer. This will provide a sense of continuity for your student and help them maintain the newly learned skills they have acquired over the school year. 

SAT / ACT / SSAT Test Schedules for July 2014

Mark your calendars! Here are the latest SAT, ACT, and SSAT test dates.