IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO STUDY BEFORE SCHOOL IS IN!

If you're a student, you're probably not going to study over the holidays (unless you have exams after the break). However, it may be a good idea to spend a bit of time studying and keep your brain active. Here are some practical tips.

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• note cards
• text books
• motivation
• determination

1.  
   If you have exams after the break, then you know what you need to study. However, the difficulty often lies in finding the time to study when you're spending time with family and friends.
   
   If you're done with your courses and don't have any tests, then here are some additional tips that may help.
2.  
   Set a practical goal for yourself. How much time do you want to spend each day studying? It can be chunks of time, broken up throughout the day.
3.  
   Identify the topics you want to study. Everything you learned this semester in the subject that is giving you the most challenge.  Are you preparing for the CRCT, SAT, the MCAT, or some other type of standardized exam? Do you have difficult courses next semester?
4.  
   Use your note cards and start writing some key points to help you study. Refer to these note cards during mini breaks (like TV commercials, time in the car, etc.)
5.  
   Play trivia games like Trivia Pursuit or Cranium. Keep a computer handy. This way, you can look up more information about specific answers.

MORE LINE SEGMENTS, RAYS, AND LINES....

No matter what grade your child is in as a parent you should ask them if they know the difference between a line segment, ray, and line...This is the foundation of Geometry that a typical child learns in the 3rd grade and will use as long as they are in MATH!!:>).  Learn the definition of all 3 and you will be ready for a quiz.  Always remember never write a definition without an example just like you see in this photo.

COASTAL HABITAT 3RD GRADE GOLDEN RULE STUDENT ROCKS!!!

I just had to share this with everyone...with the approval of my student of course:>).  Truly wanting to be engaged in the various things my students are doing outside of the subject they may be getting tutored in has led me to post a photo of an AWESOME science project completed by student and his parent!!  It is soooo nice to hear when parents are still actively involved in their childs' education!!!  Anyway my student, who is in the 3rd grade by the way provided me a brief summary of his project...He has been learning about the 5 habitats and he chose to do the coastal habitat as his Science Project for this particular assignment...Take a look at what he used to create his habitat.  Totally Awesome!!!
I will be sure not to be gone tooo long next time with my post..my apologies but I have learned from my students, my brother, and my other followers that they just want me to SHARE tips, whatever is on my mind, or things that they have done!!:>)  Don't make post an over complicated assignment but keep the F in FUN!!!  Ok now check out this pic.

SATURDAY SCHOOL....LET'S BE PROACTIVE AND NOT REACTIVE:>)

SATURDAY SCHOOL?

From my recent observations with various children around the world and among all grade levels, I have noticed that many students are not on grade level with mathematics due to not having a solid foundation in the BASIC FUNDAMENTALS OF MATH.  My definition of fundamentals are categorized as the following:

1.    Multiplication Tables …..for example, 7 * 9

2. Subtraction with borrowing…for example 386 – 289

3. Division…..for example LONG AND SHORT

4. READING COMPREHENSION..for example, “Does your child understand the directions to assignments given…do they truly understand what is being asked??

As you are aware Golden Rule Tutorial Services create programs for the children based on the need.  We are currently considering developing a SATURDAY program for 3^rd-5^th grade students because this is where I see students struggling the most and it is important to ensure the child have a solid foundation of the fundamentals to survive in MIDDLE SCHOOL!!  Typically children who do not get the BASICS prior to transitioning to middle school will have low self-esteem, may have behavior problems in the classroom, and ultimately will struggle academically.

Parents we always like to hear your voice.  Do you VALUE your child’s education enough to set aside the time and finances to bring your child to Saturday School to get the remediation that they so deeply need??  The sessions will be challenging, your child will have the desire to study so that they can COMPETE with their peers…FUN, FUN, FUN.

HOW TO WRITE AN EQUATION & SHOW YOUR WORK

 E.O. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS PROBLEM TO YOUR SESSION TODAY!!! 

QUESTION:

Billy has 22 Guitar picks.  All his guitar picks are either purple or green.  He has 6 more purple picks than green ones.  How many guitar picks does Billy have?

WHAT DO YOU KNOW:

Total Guitar Picks = 22

6     MORE purple picks than green ones = ADD

STEP 1:  IDENTIFY VARIABLE:

*Remember a variable can be a letter or a symbol

Green Guitar Picks = X

Purple Guitar Picks = X + 6 (Remember that there are 6 MORE purple picks than green guitar picks so this has to be X + 6 and NOT just X)

STEP 2:  WRITE THE EQUATION:

X + X + 6 = 22

  

   2X    +  6 =   22

            -6        -6   REMEMBER YOUR GOAL IS TO GET X BY IT SELF SO SUBTRACT 6 FROM BOTH SIDES

   2X     =      16      DIVIDE BY 2 TO GET X BY ITSELF

X = 16 ÷ 2

X =   8

GREEN = 8 GUITAR PICKS

PURPLE = 16 GUITAR PICKS

Remember you can not go over your TOTAL number which is 22!!!  To Double check, add 8 +16 = 22.

I will show the another way to check your answer for this problem at your next ACADEMIC MATH SESSION.

WORD PROBLEMS...DON'T QUIT!

WORD PROBLEMS

Through my tenure of assisting students gain the concept of word problems I have noticed that many students will do every problem but the ones that contain a lot of words and more than 3 sentences….Typically the students SHUT DOWN because they feel like they have no “inkling” of what the problem is asking them....the student totally forgets that either they are going to add, subtract, multiply, and/or divide.  The first step in completing a word problem is to ensure the student truly COMPREHENDS what they have read.  If they comprehend, then they are promoted to the HEAD DETECTIVE in the Golden Rule Academic Session(s) :>)… In our academic sessions I am a step ahead of the student who wants or thinks they are going to SHUT DOWN or QUIT.  The Head Detective must locate clue words, draw illustrations, indicate the order of operation used, and prove their answer with substantiating evidence …yes, yes, SHOW YOUR WORK!!!  If a student feel like they are unable to do anything else always remember they can set up the problem.  I had a student today who realized if they set up the problem properly they could be independent from me in solving the problem through my coaching…..Is your child doing at least TWO word problems a day?

WHAT HAVE WE ACCOMPLISHED?

WHAT HAVE WE ACCOMPLISHED?

In spite of the initial rocks in the road, I am happy to say that GOLDEN RULE STUDENTS have improved their grades by a 10% increase, some have been accepted into accelerated classes at their respective school, and we have 100% of our students who passed the CRCT in the state of Georgia!!!  We are growing daily, maintaining differentiated instruction, teaching students how to study through our workshops, and most importantly still holding strong to our initial small teacher to student ratio as a means to be consistent with our mission. 

WORD PROBLEM PRACTICE-A HELPFUL LINK:>)

Select your childs's grade level and allow them to practice word problems daily with this link:

 http://www.ixl.com/math/practice/grade-4-multi-step-word-problems

WORD PROBLEMS....RUNNING SCARED??

Through my tenure of assisting students gain the concept of word problems I have noticed that many students will do every problem but the ones that contain a lot of words and more than 3 sentences….Typically the students SHUT DOWN because they feel like they have no “inkling” of what the problem is asking them....the student totally forgets that either they are going to add, subtract, multiply, and/or divide.  The first step in completing a word problem is to ensure the student truly COMPREHENDS what they have read.  If they comprehend, then they are promoted to the HEAD DETECTIVE in the Golden Rule Academic Session(s) :>)… In our academic sessions I am a step ahead of the student who wants or thinks they are going to SHUT DOWN or QUIT.  The Head Detective must locate clue words, draw illustrations, indicate the order of operation used, and prove their answer with substantiating evidence …yes, yes, SHOW YOUR WORK!!!  If a student feel like they are unable to do anything else always remember they can set up the problem.  Is your child doing at least TWO word problems a day?

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR........

If for one moment you ever questioned whether you made the right decision to enroll your child in GOLDEN RULE TUTORIAL SERVICES allow me to put your mind at ease.  Depending on where your child is in our program I hope that you have seen that with our nurturing environment, no hidden agendas, and character building skill sets that your child has been REPOSITIONED for the better!!!
  My mother has always told me that you get what you pay for and today marks the day that your child's ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT SPECIALIST KARRIE G. SANFORD will be honored !!!  She will be receiving an EDUCATION AWARD from FULTON COUNTY.  The PLAQUE she will receive represents Karrie as the PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR for 2009-2010.  Karrie will walk the RED CARPET and will PARADE across the STAGE to receive this honor:>).  Every child I helped and the professionalism that I represent is necessary when you are in a position of support and service.  My character came natural and  it was never my intent to go after an award... but guess what....??  THIS IS WHAT WAS FOR ME BY GOD AND I THANK HIM!!!  When I receive this award today I must say with me it has been always about the children and helping them as best I can no matter the circumstances!!  Sometimes you will find Educators who are supposed to practice professionalism and not get caught up in whether or not you like the child!!  At the Beginning and End of the Day it is ALWAYS about what is BEST for the children!!! So as far as how you have allocated your spending,  REMEMBER THAT YOU HAVE INVESTED IN THE BEST!!! 

PARENTS-HELP YOUR CHILD "GET AHEAD OF THE CLASS"

Parents please help your child get AHEAD OF THE CLASS.  Get your child in the habit of asking the teacher what CONCEPT they will work on the following day.  For example, finding the area of a circle.  This Golden Rule Method will  BENEFIT your child in the following ways:

1.     Training your child NOT TO CRAM!

2.    Afford your child the option of coming to class PREPARED with Questions, thus allowing them to stick out in a POSITIVE light amongst their peers because the student that has reviewed the previous night will be capable of PARTICIPATING in the CLASS DISCUSSION.

3.    Teaching your child INDEPENDENCE, LEADERSHIP, & RESPONSIBILITY

4.    Allow the teacher to see that your child is SERIOUS about EARNING an OUTSTANDING grade!! 

Just from being PROACTIVE at learning will make all the difference in the world from receiving an 89% versus a 90%!!!

This concept is easy to implement!  Start Today!!

WHY WAS IT SO HARD TO GET MY VOICE HEARD?

It was so hard to get my voice heard because certain schools would already have in their mind what they would like to do with the title one money they had been awarded….yes the “GOOD OLE’ BOY SYSTEM” is still out there….  I just wanted to COMMUNICATE to parents that they had another option and allow them to make the choice…my, my, my you would not believe how this was a challenging task!!  Their were times where even the counselors told me that we don’t offer tutoring here or that we have our own program with our own teachers…well my thought was this…if you have a child who is being tutored by the same teacher and in the same subject in which they have a failing grade, why wouldn’t you want them to have another option…??  Wouldn’t another option, even if it is NOT Golden Rule be beneficial for number one the child, number two the teacher’s performance, and number three the school as a whole in relation to the county standards..hmm…. I am just asking a question.. What do you think…?

MULTIPLCATION TABLES CONTRIBUTE TO CHILDREN'S SELF-ESTEEM

Today many students struggle with learning their multiplication tables.  Parents do you realize that when a child learns their multiplication tables that it builds their confidence and that it is the foundation for learning the next skill in math (i.e. division, counting money, algebra etc..)???  If your child does not learn their multiplication tables early this can attribute to a child’s low self-esteem, especially amongst their peers, low math grades,  and their dislike for math……..

Do Some Drill and Practice
Since kids like computers, they seem to be more willing to do math on the computer. Programs like Honor Point's Multiplication Madness are good for drill and practice through the 12's. The child should master ONE fact family before moving on to the next one. There's also an option where students can take online tests.  Mastering a fact family means that the child can provide the product of a fact family in any type of order given to the child.  GO TO http://www.honorpoint.com/

If you are in your vehicle turn off your radio if you are not playing a multiplication CD and do ORAL MULTIPLICATION DRILLS!!!

PARENTS HEAR MY VOICE

It has taken me more than two years to finally develop a parent network that supports my endeavors for today’s youth.  I always teach my students not to quit and would like to get them to the level of truly memorizing the poem “DON’T QUIT” for their own survival in this unchanging world.  I must say after many doors being closed, no call backs from YOUR children’s' principals etc.  Their came a point in my life where I wanted to throw in the towel but I could not because I would be letting the YOUTH of today down and most importantly God would not let me give up on his purpose for me!  Through my journey of building my business I realized, it only took one person to say YES in order for others to open their doors….Isn’t life interesting??? 

 I learned many life lessons as I ventured to open a boutique tutoring service that is a FEE paid service for the middle class and above ….?? Many people have asked me why don’t I do a grant OR I should be an Supplemental Educational Service Provider….I thought about it and had to go back to my mission for the parents who enroll their child in Golden Rule’s program (i.e. no hidden agendas)…Why does Golden Rule target the middle class?…because there is so much out there for low income such as free tutoring etc.. but if you are a parent that is seeking the help and willing to pay you may find that it is not available (i.e. . you do not qualify because you make too much money on paper) or if it is available it is a little too costly for your budget; for example, if you sign up for one of my competitors they encourage you to get a loan to pay for their HIGH tutoring fees…..WOW…for elementary, middle, or high school students….At the end of the day my Academic Achievement Specialist are trained to provide instruction that will service the best interest of the child because everyone learns differently!!!