Letter from Betty for March 2015

Hello,

It's hard to say when spring will come, but eventually and surely the warmer weather will arrive!

Have you ever wondered how to speak in a calm and effective manner with a teacher, and develop a strong relationship with one of the most important people in child's life? That is the subject of our feature article for March: "Build a Strong Parent-Teacher Relationship."

Saint Patrick's Day is coming here on our own planet, in our own solar system, in our own Milky Way galaxy. But what about elsewhere? Check out our imaginative Puzzler for March set in a galaxy far, far away: "Lucky Clover of Clovoid." See if you can solve the alien-themed word problem.

At Foundation for Learning, we are ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, SAT/ACT test prep, and educational evaluations. 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

March 2015 Date: 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 is beneficial for the students to focus on only one test. In order to accomplish this, we can administer a complimentary SAT/ACT diagnostic test to help students determine which test is better suited to their abilities. The next test will be given Saturday, March 14th. Please call (973) 425-1774 or email betty@foundationforlearning.com by Monday, March 9th to reserve a spot.

March 2015 Test Schedule

Mark your calendars! Here are the latest test dates.

NOTE about ISEE - Independent School Entrance Exam: For test locations and to learn more go to erblearn.org.
 

Building a Strong Parent-Teacher Relationship

Your child’s school sends out multiple calls for volunteers during the year. Do you respond? Are you active in the classroom or in behind-the-scene activities? Studies show that students whose parents are involved in their school and have a good relationship with the teachers, staff, and principal will usually perform better and have a better school experience. So how do you go about building that great one-on-one relationship with your child’s teacher? The clear way to start is by meeting with the teacher to introduce yourself. After the initial face-to-face encounter, find out whether she prefers e-mail contact or phone calls so that you can be respectful of her time. A teacher’s workday does not end when the final bell rings and there are many people needing a moment of her time, so be considerate in that regard.

Say something nice! That seems obvious, but with the amount of effort that the teacher makes to create a relaxing and positive classroom environment, a nice comment or compliment will be much appreciated. If the teacher has gone the extra mile for your child when a little extra help was needed, then most definitely say thank you and maybe even send a card or small gift. Then spread the word to the principal and let him know that you appreciate the teacher’s effort.

And show up whenever possible! Parent/teacher nights, field trips, and other events are important times for parents to show up, help out, and show support for their child’s school and educational experience.

So you’ve set up a meeting with your child’s teacher or you’re going to meet with her about a particular issue. You might be a little nervous, so think ahead about what you’d like to talk about and the information that you’re seeking.

Here are some tips for having a fruitful conversation with your child's teacher:

• USE "I" STATEMENTS INSTEAD OF "YOU" STATEMENTS so you don’t come across as confrontational or blaming. “I’m wondering about…” for example.
• BE CONSTRUCTIVE, EVEN WHEN YOU DISAGREE. Be kind and helpful in your language, be clear in what you want to get across, and above all, listen to what the teacher has to say. “Help me understand…” will go over much more smoothly than “Explain to me why…”

• MAKE SURE YOU ARE WORKING TOWARDS THE SAME END. Clarify with your child's teacher what the goals or final results should look like. It’s important that you’re both on the same page and that you understand what the teacher is looking for. Also make sure that the teacher knows that you’re both on the same team. Teamwork is everything when it comes to your child’s educational experience. “What is the goal…” is a good way to start your question.
• TWO DIFFERING PERSPECTIVES CAN BOTH BE VALID. Teachers and parents obviously see the student from different viewpoints and in different settings. You probably have information that you want to share about strengths, weaknesses, interests, or behaviors that you’ve observed. “I’ve noticed that…” is a great way to kick off that conversation and will allow you to share what you’ve seen while acknowledging your differing perspectives. Following that, “Have you considered…” is a respectful way to insert your thoughts into the conversation without making the teacher feel defensive.
• TRY NOT TO SPEAK IN ABSOLUTES when you’re talking about observations you’ve made or when you’re making interpretations of a situation. “It seems as if…” or “It appears that…” allow for you to state your point of view while leaving the door open for the teacher to share her observations or thoughts as well. Again, listen to what the teacher has to say, because it may clear up some misconceptions, misunderstandings, or even allow the teacher to hear other options or avenues not yet considered without making her feel defensive.

• IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND SOMETHING, ASK, particularly if your child has and Individualized Education Program (IEP). Don’t make assumptions, and remember that you are part of a team that is working to help your child. Understand and be clear about what your child’s IEP provides and ask how it translates in his classroom experience. “How does (this) work in the classroom…” or “How does (this) work into the daily routine?” Be a willing listener.
• INQUIRE "HOW CAN I HELP?" Those words are music to a teacher’s ears. Let the teacher know that you are willing and desire to be a support, to be a part of the team.

A positive, willing, listening, and respectful relationship with your child’s teacher is absolutely key to ensuring that your child has the very best classroom experience. You are your child’s best advocate, and the extra effort that you make will pay dividends and benefit everyone who is a part of your child’s education team.

The Puzzler for March 2015: Lucky Clover of Clovoid

In a galaxy far, far away, on the tiny lush planet of Clovoid, the land masses are entirely covered by clover, from east to west and pole to pole. By sheer coincidence, the local intelligent lifeforms—called Clovoidians—consider a four-leaf clover a sign of good luck, just like a tradition we have here on Earth!

However, on Clovoid, clover comes in three varieties: Common Green Clover, Red Heart Clover, and Hopeful Blue Clover. Each of these three-leaved clover varieties has a rare version with more than three leaves, each of which are highly prized as lucky for the finder, each in their own way. Common Green Clover sometimes has 4 leaves, and than means good luck. Red Heart Clover sometimes has 5 leaves, portending true love. Hopeful Blue Clover sometimes has 56 leaves, foretelling all of one’s hopes coming true.

Once, during the Clovidian holiday of Saint Clover’s Day, with the big and little suns riding high in an orange sky, little Zindi Loo Cloo was out walking in the rolling fields near her home collecting various clovers into 3 baskets. Zindi Loo found 4 Common Green Clovers and—crossing her six fingers for good luck—put them in the first basket. She found 4 Red Heart Clovers and placed them lovingly in the second basket. She found 4 Hopeful Blue Clovers and laid them hopefully in the third basket. "Ah, exactly twelve clovers in all," thought Zindy Loo with satisfaction. "Such a nice round number, and one for each of my fingers!"



As the smaller sun set, little Zindi Loo Cloo returned home to a tantalizing aroma filling the whole house. She found her father preparing the Saint Clover’s Day feast. Papa Cloo looked at the baskets of clovers and exclaimed: “Oh my, each of your baskets contains one lucky clover. This is a wondrous omen indeed of good fortune for the entire family this year! Quick, pluck all the leaves off the stems and toss them all into my Saint Clover’s Day soup!”

Question: How many individual leaves of clover did Zindi Loo pluck and toss into the Saint Clover’s Day soup?

Bonus question: We humans have a base 10 number system. We can connect the invention of this number system to our own anatomy. What is the most likely base of the Clovoidian number system?

The answer will be revealed next month. 

ANSWER to The Puzzler for February 2015: Message of Love

Did you spot the one grammatically correct phrase among the candy heart messages?

Answer:

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Answer: "LOVE WILL BLESS YOU AND ME."

Oh, and by the way, here is why "CUPID HIT YOU AND I" is incorrect: The proper use of "I" versus "me" does not depend on who else is included in your sentence. It is easy to prove this to yourself by removing that other person from the sentence and listening to the result. Clearly, "Cupid hit I" sounds wrong to the ear, whereas "Cupid hit me" sounds right and is right. Therefore "CUPID HIT YOU AND ME" would have been correct.

Letter from Betty for February 2015

Hello,

As these winter months continue with more snow—and more snow days—than we could have expected, I hope your children are expanding their minds and progressing in their learning.

Sometimes students can overcome special challenges with extra aids and techniques, and that is the subject of our feature article this month: "Assistive Technology and Adaptive Tools."

Valentine's Day is coming up. For all you secret admirers, remember that no one likes to receive a grammatically incorrect Valentine's message! So check out the newest Puzzler: "Message of Love" and see if you can spot the one perfectly worded candy heart.

At Foundation for Learning, we are ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, SAT/ACT test prep, and educational evaluations. 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

Test Schedule for February 2015

Mark your calendars! Here are the latest test dates.

NOTE about ISEE - Independent School Entrance Exam: For test locations and to learn more go to erblearn.org.

Assistive Technology and Adaptive Tools

Assistive technology is any device, piece of equipment, or learning system that helps a person work around his challenges so he can learn, communicate, or simply function better and boost his learning and attention too. While assistive technology can’t make learning and attention issues disappear, if used properly and consistently, these tools will build on your child’s strengths, helping him to gain confidence, work more quickly, negotiate classroom routines, reach his goals, and become independent. If your child is struggling with attention issues, math, reading, or writing, there are simple adaptive tools as well as more high-tech tools you can explore.

If your child has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) at school, talk to your child’s teacher or team about these tools and perhaps request an assessment. Discuss with them the possibility of adding them into your child’s instructional day. You can use these tools and techniques at home as well so look into these ideas and see what works best for your child.

Listen while you read
Some children benefit from being able to listen to words as they are reading them on the page. These days, many e-books have audio files attached to their books, while tablets often come with text-to-speech software that will broadcast aloud what your child sees on the screen. If you don’t have these tools readily available, then a quick search will turn up options such as TextAloud which you can purchase for this purpose.


Record the lesson
If your child struggles with note taking or recalling what was said in class once home, an inexpensive, small, handheld mp3 recorder might be helpful. Also, a new smartpen can record the voice of the teacher as you take notes, and the exact portion of the audio recording can be replayed just by tapping a word in your notes! Check with your teacher first, though, to make sure she gives her approval before recording audio in class. By using one of these devices, your child can record lessons and instructions while at school and then playback the audio at home.


"Watch" the task
Does your child have difficulty with timed activities or rigid scheduling? Visual cues may help and are not disruptive in class. A fun wristwatch is fashionable, inexpensive, and can help your child pace her work—even cluing her in to how much time is remaining to complete the task she is working on. Take your child with you when watch-shopping so she can pick out her favorite color, Disney character, or super-hero themed watch, and she’ll take pride in wearing it to school.

Take a line at a time

A reading guide is terrific if your child struggles with visual tracking while reading words on a page or tablet. A simple, solid colored strip of plastic or paper is placed underneath the line being read, making it easier to read the single line because it blocks out surrounding words or lines that are likely causing visual problems or distractions. The strip is light-weight and can easily be moved up and down the page.






Get comfy
For kids who struggle to sit still for long periods of time, causing attention issues and other problems, a soft seat cushion just may be the answer. The padding in the cushion will provide a bit more comfort on hard school seats while allowing for enough movement as well. This just might lessen your child’s need to wiggle about in his chair or get up and move around, resulting in better focus on the classroom activities.





Amplify the teacher
If auditory processing or more severe attention issues are a concern, then a frequency modulation system may be the answer. Your child’s teacher wears a small microphone that transmits to a personal receiver worn by your child, reducing background noise, amplifying the teacher's voice and avoiding classroom disruption. This is a tool that can also help kids with hearing impairment and language-processing issues.





Type or speak to write
Everyday, basic word processing programs will assist with spelling and grammar issues, while more advanced software such as Dragon allows your child to speak aloud and the recognition software processes the words and recreates them as text on the computer or tablet screen.




Diagram the lesson
A low-tech way to help your child organize his thoughts and ideas for a writing assignment is with the use of a graphic organizer. There are so many different styles to consider, but this tool will help to focus and order writing tasks into smaller steps in order to achieve a finished project. For some really excellent graphic organizers that you can adopt for your use, check out this webpage and decide which one you like the best.
 

Make the numbers large
A basic calculator might help if math is a struggle for your child. Some have large displays and there are even some with speech capabilities that can broadcast numbers, symbols, and other functions as the keys are pressed.

 

Get a grip on handwriting
Soft plastic pencil grips are perfect for the child who may struggle to hold the implement, while the use of a computer or tablet can eliminate that need in many cases.








Exploring these different options, considering the specific needs of your child, and finding the right tool may take some time, but it can make all the difference in educational success for your child. We are happy to help you in this process and to help design a plan for your child, so give our office a call!  

The Puzzler: Message of Love

If you want to impress a loved one this Valentines Day, you certainly want to do it with excellent grammar! Only one of the candy hearts in the photo below will impress the word-wise sweetheart in your life. Can you spot the one grammatically correct message of love? 



The answer will be in next month's issue.
 

 

ANSWER TO LAST MONTH:S PUZZLER: Classic Characters

Illustrated children's books are full of memorable characters. Here are nine classic examples that will probably make you smile in recognition. How many of these classic characters can you name?

Answers:

Top Row, left to right:
Max is the boy in the wolf costume in Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.
The Cat in the Hat is a cat in a hat in The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss.
Mary Poppins first appeared in Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers.

Middle Row, left to right:
Paddington Bear of deepest, darkest Peru stars in Paddington Bear by Michael Bond.
Babar the Elephant first appeared in The Story of Babar by Jean de Brushoff.
Madeline debuted in the self-titled Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans.

Bottom Row, left to right:
Pippi Longstocking is the central character in the Pippi Longstocking series of books
     by Astrid Lindgren.
Curious George and “The Man with the Yellow Hat” star in Curious George by
     Hans Augusto Rey and Margret Rey.
Charlotte the spider and Wilbur the pig are featured in Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White,
     illustrated by Garth Williams.


Give yourself 5 points for each correct character and 1 bonus point for each correct book title, author, and names of secondary characters shown above. A total score of 50 or more is outstanding!

Letter from Betty for January 2015

Hello,

Happy New Year! I hope your 2015 is off to a great start. 

Every year new books are published. Some are destined to become beloved classics for future generations. It is hard to tell from our perspective here in this present moment which books are bound for future glory, but this month's feature article offers a brief list of some of the most promising children's books published in 2014.

Hindsight is 20/20, though, so challenge yourself to name all nine of the deservedly acclaimed children's book characters in this month's Puzzler.

At Foundation for Learning, we are ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, SAT/ACT test prep, and educational evaluations. 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 at FFL next offered on Jan. 17

Currently many high school juniors take both the SAT and ACT to determine which test is best for them. We feel it is beneficial for the students to focus on only one test. In order to accomplish this, we can administer a complimentary SAT/ACT diagnostic test to help students determine which test is better suited to their abilities. The next test will be given Saturday, January 17th. Please call (973) 425-1774 or email betty@foundationforlearning.com by Monday, January 12th to reserve a spot.

Test Schedule for January 2015

Mark your calendars! Here are the latest test dates.

NOTE about ISEE - Independent School Entrance Exam: For test locations and to learn more go to erblearn.org.

Best of Children's Books 2014

Towards the end of each year, the folks at NPR put together a best-of list for readers looking for newly published gems. This year’s list has some fabulous recommendations for us, conveniently categorized into sixteen groupings including children, adults, music-lovers, science-lovers, tales from around the world, and more. Here are four recommendations from the NPR Book Concierge list for 2014 that you and your children are sure to enjoy. 

Draw! by Raúl Colón is a beautifully illustrated, wordless book about a young boy who goes on an imaginary safari. Paper, pencils, and supplies in hand, Leonard goes on an amazing adventure and takes us along with him. No words are needed to thoroughly enjoy this gorgeous book. Your children will want to have their own adventures after making their way through it.

The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat is another fabulously illustrated adventure book. On an island far away, there are imaginary friends just waiting to be chosen by a real child. When Beekle is overlooked time and again, he bravely sets off for the real world to find a child to adopt him. It’s a great story of friendship sought and found.

Shoe Dog by Megan McDonald is a charming story of a newly adopted dog, so full of love, playfulness, and gratitude for the lady that brought him home from the animal shelter. But there’s a problem. As you might guess, Shoe Dog loves to chew….shoes! This is a great tale of animal adoption, perseverance, creative problem solving, and of course, an adorable dog that your family will love!

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier is a spellbinding book. Irish orphans journey to England and find employment in a country manor full of secrets and magic. Older sister Molly spins tales for her disabled brother Kip, and readers will be riveted. This is a great book for children in grades 4-9.






Want to check out more of NPR's recommended children’s books and perhaps some great reads for yourself?  Follow this link to the full list. 

The Puzzler for January 2015: Classic Characters

Illustrated children's books are full of memorable characters. Here are nine classic examples that will probably make you smile in recognition.

How many of these classic characters can you name? 

Bonus points will be awarded for book title, author, and names of secondary characters shown above. Come on, you know you want some bonus points!

Answers in the next issue.

Letter from Betty for December 2014

Hello,

Happy Holidays! I hope you have a chance to relax and enjoy your family and friends. But also remember that the beginning of a new year is a good time to establish goals for yourself and children. See our feature article, "Resolutions and Goal Setting" for some great tips and hints about this. Planning ahead will make your whole year better!

Please remember to call us at Foundation for Learning if we can help your child reach his or her academic goals in 2015.

Happy Holidays!

Betty

Betty Bodenweiser
Director
Foundation for Learning

Focus on one: SAT or ACT

Free diagnostic test offered January 10 at FFL

Currently many high school juniors take both the SAT and ACT to determine which test is best for them. We feel that it is more beneficial for 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 January 10. Please call (973) 425-1774 or email betty@foundationforlearning.com by January 3 to secure a spot as space is limited.

Test Schedule for December 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.
 

Resolutions and Goal Setting

The holidays are here! Decorations, family, friends, celebration, tradition, gift-giving, food, food, and more food. Many of us mark the end of the year by making New Year’s resolutions. We look to achieve something in the coming year that will enhance our lives or make us better people, but how many of us actually achieve our goals? By properly and formally setting goals, we stand a much better chance of staying on track and keeping these promises to ourselves.

To begin, think about where you want to go in life and what you want to accomplish in the coming year. 

This is an important step and will help you narrow down your focus, so do a little brainstorming. Now look at your list and narrow it down to just a few goals that are truly important to you. Pick one thing on your list and envision the end result. Break down the overall process into a series of small targets. If at all possible, break those small targets down into even smaller steps.  Use this strategy for each of the goals that you have chosen.

Hints on picking your goals:

State each of your resolutions in a positive way and be as precise as you can about what it is you want to achieve. Set realistic goals that you can achieve rather than shooting for a grandiose outcome that will only set you up for failure. Include timeframes for completion.

Now write it down! The act of putting pen to paper makes your aspirations real. Write down those steps to achieving your goal too. Post your goals in a place where you will see them often and set a regular time to sit down and review your target and your action plan for the coming week.

Pick a quiet time each week, perhaps every Sunday, to review your tasks for the upcoming week. If you’re finding that your action plan needs tweaking, then make the needed adjustments and reset you direction. Refining as you go is essential to achieving your final goal.

This is also the time to cross each step off your list as you get the job done. You’ll be able to actually see that you’re making progress on your self-improvement journey. When you’ve finished your tasks for the week, enjoy a steaming mug of hot chocolate. Who doesn’t like a reward for a job well done!

Now here’s the tough part: Stick with it! Remember, this is a process, an on-going journey. Those New Year’s resolutions and goals are much more than just stating that you want something to happen. You have to clearly define what you want and how you need to get there. By taking the time to move through these steps you greatly increase your chances of success.

Good luck to you as you begin your journey into the new year!
   

The Puzzler: Happy Holidays Word Search

We wish you a very merry and relaxing holiday season. Get those new pens and pencils out of your stocking and give this word search a try!

 

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LAST ISSUE'S PUZZLER: Atlantic Flyway 

New Jersey is a part of the Atlantic Flyway, a well-traveled migration route for birds. As it happens, New Jersey makes a perfect stopping point for thousands of species of birds.

Here are 9 birds that migrate through New Jersey. Match the names to the photos:
Yellow Warbler
Dark-eyed Junco
Hooded Merganser
Bufflehead
Indigo Bunting
Gray Catbird
Common Goldeneye
Ruby Crowned Kinglet
Common Yellowthroat



Can you match each bird in the photo to its common name? 


Answer below...

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ANSWER: