During the summer, most parents default to enrolling their child in a general summer camp or sports clinic, but what if there was an option for kids to explore an academic interest and build a competitive edge in the classroom? 

The Sylvan Learning Center of Richmond is introducing Math Edge — a new activity this summer for kids to build math skills and avoid summer learning loss.

Designed for kids in grades one through five, Math Edge helps nurture students’ natural math ability and builds on core math concepts in a fun, kid-friendly learning environment alongside other kids with similar interests. Well-trained teachers manage the small sessions of 12 students or less and offer encouragement, motivation and rewards in an effort to foster independent learning and encourage students to set personal goals. Math Edge is a unique learning experience that also allows students to build camaraderie with a small group of their peers. 

“There are few opportunities for young students to cultivate their passion for math outside of the classroom, particularly in the younger grades. With a growing demand for students interested in pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), it’s important to get them engaged now, our goal with Math Edge is to help foster a love of math when kids are young, helping to lay the foundation for a competitive edge in middle school and even beyond to a potential job in a STEM-related field.”

Steve Green, owner, Sylvan Learning Center of Richmond

Students interested in the Math Edge program need to take a qualifying assessment at the Richmond Sylvan Center to ensure that they are performing at grade level. The assessment will also provide students with an accurate starting point to begin the Math Edge program. From there, students will advance through the program track, which aligns to Common Core standards, in a low-stress setting at their own pace.

Math Edge will be offered in Richmond Sylvan Center at least three days a week initially during afternoon and evening hours. The program starts at $149 per month with two sessions per week and unlimited access to games and premium educational content through Sylvan’s online portal, mySylvan.

For more information on Richmond Sylvan’s Math Edge enrichment program, please contact Lisa Branner Stickley at 804-744-8002, email address [email protected], or visit the Sylvan website.

This article is sponsored by Richmond Sylvan Learning Center

Small people can do big things.  At the Goddard School kids are learning you are never too young to feel good about helping others.

From December 5^th until the 12^th, kids at The Goddard Schools  in Richmond are crafting for CJ! The tiny preschoolers are doing everything from decorating ornaments for auction, having a bake sale and hosting a spaghetti dinner to raise money. All proceeds from this week will benefit CJ’s Thumbs Up Foundation for deserving local families.

 “All of our children got into the holiday spirit making ornaments for a great cause!”

Ms. Mary, Kindergarten teacher from The Goddard School located in Ashland, VA:

CJ’s Thumbs Up Foundation provides assistance to families with children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses through financial aid, meals, emergency bill pay assistance and more.

The 9 participating Goddard Schools are in the following cities: Ashland, Chester, Chesterfield, Glen Allen, Midlothian, Henrico, Mechanicsville.

To find out more about The Goddard School and locations, visit their website.

By Steve Green, Executive Director
Sylvan Learning of Richmond

It’s that time of the school year again – report card time.  While many students will come home with good grades, 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 doesn’t reflect his or her academic potential?

Children get frustrated and upset when their report cards show they are not reaching their potential. Understanding your child’s personal 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 again.  It will also help establish an environment in which your child is not apprehensive about sharing his or her report card with you. 

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

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 and doesn’t ask for help.

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.     

Discuss your child’s performance with his teacher and/or guidance counselor.  Your child’s teacher and/or guidance counselor are the best sources 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.    

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 toward an attainable level for each class. 

Establish a personalized 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, he should include specific time for studying, projects and extracurricular activities.  The more comprehensive the schedule, the more efficient your child will be in completing his homework and the better he’ll do in school. 

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.

Praise your child’s successes.  Praise your child for what she 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 Twilight book, show her the connection between the two. 

For more educational resources for children in grades pre-K through 12, please visit Sylvan Learning Center online or call 804-782-2377

Steve Green is the Executive Director of Sylvan Learning of Richmond, the leading provider of tutoring to students of all ages, grades and skill levels with more than 30 years of experience and nearly 800 centers located throughout North America. Sylvan’s trained and Sylvan-certified instructors provide personalized instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, study skills and test-prep for college entrance and state exams. Sylvan also hosts MomMinded.com, a blog offering tips and resources from moms and education experts. For more information, call 1-800-31-SUCCESS or visit www.sylvanlearning.com

Sylvan Learning is a sponsor of Richmondmom
Get 25% off your assessment at Sylvan when you mention Richmondmom.com

What does the Montessori educational method have to do with today’s leaders? You might be surprised!

Clearly some of the key attributes of Montessori are essential elements for strong leadership:

• Self-directed learning
• Focus on creative problem solving and innovative
• Thinking
• Students teaching other students
• Stoking and encouraging curiosity
• Comfort with ambiguous situations
• Self-mastery of concepts to instill self-confidence
• Embracing failure as a learning opportunity

In a six-year study of 3,000 innovative executives, professors Jeff Dyer of Brigham Young University and Hal Gregersen of INSEAD in Europe discovered that a significant number of the respondents had gone to a Montessori school “where they learned to follow their curiosity.” Many of them are now some of the world’s strongest, most creative, and most innovative leaders among us.

The Montessori educational method encourages questions and creativity. It helps children look at problems as an opportunity to solve it versus being overwhelmed and intimidated by it. The teaching method instills confidence at the crucial age as children are developing skills, and helps create a crucial foundation for leadership skills.

According to the Montessori Method:

• teachers act as coaches and facilitators for children
• teachers have a deep respect for children
• children are taught to be kind and peaceful
• classrooms are diverse and include multiple age groups
• students are taught to help younger students
• children learn in their own way and at an individual pace
• students progress as they master new skills and move ahead when they are ready
• there are few texts, no homework, no tests and no grades
• rote memorization is eliminated in favor of helping children truly understand a subject
• children learn that failure is acceptable and mistakes are learning experiences

So are these precepts that emerge from creativity, curiosity and self-awareness also predictors of future success for leaders?

You may be surprised – and energized, encouraged, and inspired – by what you learn here. Click here to read more and let us know what you think.

Save 50% on selected classes when you enroll with a friend.

We have a few classes this summer that need some more friends!  And since Romp n’ Roll is always more fun with a friend, we are extending a 50% discount on the classes listed below when you enroll with a friend.

Hurry, this offer is only valid today andtomorrow (May 30-31)! Click here for website.

• You and at least one friend must sign up for the same class to receive the promotional price.
• Offer is for a 3-month contract to run June 10 – September 1.
• If you are currently enrolled in one of the classes offered in the promotion, we will make an adjustment as long as a friend enrolls prior to the deadline.
• This offer includes unlimited Open Gym during the summer but does not include make-up classes.
• Total tuition per child with this offer will be 3 payments of $32.50 or one payment of $92.62.  No other offers or discounts apply.
• To enroll, call us at 420-4100.

If your son or daughter has recently taken the SAT Exam or other standardized tests, you know how stressful and challenging those times can be. If your child is just now preparing for an upcoming SAT Exam or other tests, there are ways to help him or her be better prepared and more confident.

Tutoring Club of Richmond offers unique ACT Smart and SAT Smart programs for the ACT and the SAT can improve scores dramatically. A diagnostic test allows them to individualize your student’s program to maximize his or her time with professional tutors. Their special software system allows them to match up specific items on practice tests with those items missed on the diagnostic.

What does all of this mean?

1. It means that students know exactly what areas they need to study most to get the best scores.
2. They don’t waste time on a general study of everything – but they focus only on what they need to study for optimal performance.
3. Students spend less time and you spend less money to get the tutoring your child needs.
4. Students gain the confidence they need to successfully complete the exam and succeed.

Tutoring Club experts help your child choose the right test to take and the right time to take it too.  These tests are important to your child’s future and they may dictate whether or not your student is able to attend the college of his/her choice. Tutoring Club increases the chances of students scoring higher on tests for a better future.

Upcoming SAT Test Dates are just around the corner for many students. Let the Tutoring Club professionals prepare your student and give him or her the confidence, information, tips, and solutions he/she needs to perform at an optimal level.

For more information on individualized instruction that helps reduce stress and build confidence, visit the website to learn more.

More Information

Also, check out these great articles to help your student excel in school and in life:

• Amazing Math
• Rx Reading
• The Write Way
• Guaranteeing Your Child’s Success

Tutoring Club is an advertiser on Richmondmom.com

NOTE: From Commonwealth Parenting Facebook page: Due to the possibility of bad weather, they have postponed their Pajama Party this Friday for a date to be determined. Call their office 804-545-1272 if you have any questions. We’ll update this information as soon as the event is rescheduled! Thanks!

The Commonwealth Parenting Center will be hosting a Pajama Party Family Fun Night on Friday, January 25th from 6:00pm-7:30pm at the Canterbury Preschool.  The whole family is invited to wear your favorite pajamas for an evening of fun, pizza, cookies, and story-time with the super popular Mr. Chris from the Twin Hickory Public Library.  (Anyone who has taken their kid to see story time with Mr. Chris knows they’re in for a good time!)  There will be door prizes for kids and parents!  Tickets are $6.00 each or a family 4-pack for $20.00.  To purchase tickets, call 804-545-1272 or visit www.commonwealthparenting.org.

Family fun is guaranteed, and proceeds will help Commonwealth Parenting Center continue to deliver educational workshops and support to Richmond area families.

See www.commonwealthparenting.org for more information about the Family Fun Night and other scheduled programs and events.

And why is algebra such a big deal anyway? Will kids ever need that knowledge and training?

Absolutely and the Tutoring Club can explain why. The article below was written by the Tutoring Club to help kids and adults understand the value of learning algebra today for success tomorrow!

Why Algebra?

Algebra is the “gatekeeper” that lets people into rewarding careers — and keeps others out.  It is used by photographers, architects, upholsterers and just about everyone in a high-tech career. It is simply a civil right, says Robert Moses, a veteran of the civil rights movement.

Basic algebra is the first in a sequence of higher-level math classes that students need to succeed. Because many students fail to get a solid math foundation, an alarming number of them are graduating from high school unprepared for either college or work. Many are taking remedial math in college, which makes getting a degree a longer, costlier process than it is for their more prepared classmates. And it means they’re less likely to complete a college-level math course. For middle school students and their parents, the message is clear: It’s easier to learn the math now than to try to relearn it later.

What Makes Algebra So Important?

The first year of algebra is the prerequisite for all higher level math: geometry, algebra II, trigonometry and calculus. According to a study by the ACT, students who take algebra I, geometry, algebra II and one additional high-level math course are much more likely to succeed in college math.

Algebra is not just for the college-bound. Students headed straight from high school to the work force will need the same math skills as college freshmen, the ACT found. This ACT study looked at occupations that don’t require a college degree but pay wages high enough to support a family of four. Researchers found that math and reading skill levels required to work as an electrician, plumber or upholsterer were comparable to those needed to succeed in college.

Algebra is, in short, the gateway to success in the 21st century.

What’s more, your child develops abstract reasoning when he makes the transition from concrete arithmetic to the symbolic language of algebra. That helps him become an abstract thinker, a benefit that will carry over into his study of other subjects.

When Should Your Child Take Algebra?

Students typically take algebra in the eighth grade. The benefit of starting the sequence of high-level math classes in eighth grade is that if your child takes the PSAT as a high school sophomore, she will have completed geometry. By the time she’s ready to take the SAT or ACT as a high school junior, she will have completed a second year of algebra. Both of these college admissions tests have questions based on algebra II.

There’s a growing movement to have students take algebra in seventh grade. That may work well for students who are motivated, mature and prepared to tackle it. But many seventh-graders aren’t, math educators say.

“Some kids get turned off of math because they start algebra too early,” says Francis Fennell, president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the nation’s leading organization of math teachers.

Parents, he said, need to “make sure you ask yourself, ‘Is this move for you or for your child?'”  Fennell recommends talking to your child’s current teacher to help you assess her readiness to advance. The goal is for your child to learn algebra well and keep her engaged in math, not push her through the curriculum as quickly as possible.

Look for Homework Clues

W. Stephen Wilson is a Johns Hopkins math professor who teaches freshman calculus and is a former senior advisor for mathematics in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. He offers this advice to parents trying to evaluate their students’ math instruction:

“If a student isn’t bringing home work that requires lots of manipulation and lots of word problems, then there is probably a problem.”

Fennell suggests talking to your child and the math teacher about how homework is used. You may learn a lot from the answers if you ask:

• Are homework assignments corrected and returned in a timely way?
• Is homework reviewed in class so students can learn from their mistakes?
• Does the teacher change the pace or direction of his instruction, based on the feedback he gets in homework?

You don’t need to be a mathematician to ask good questions about the content of your child’s class, Fennell says. “Ask the teacher ‘What is the math? Is it a repeat of math that should have already been mastered? When my child finishes this year, will he be ready for high school math?'”

Bill Moore directs the Transition Mathematics Project in Washington state, which is working to better prepare students for the transition to college math. He summed up what middle school students need to get out of math this way:

“Students need to have a very solid foundation of basic procedural skills that really make problem-solving more fluid. There’s a fundamental set of stuff that just has to be memorized, and there there’s a sense of numbers, a sense of what’s a reasonable answer. That’s particularly important with the use of calculators. In some cases, in the elementary grades, they’ve been used as a crutch. Students go straight to the calculator and if the calculator says it’s right, then it must be right.”

Look at How Calculators Are Used

Talk to your child’s math teacher about how calculators are used in the classroom. Debate has raged for years over whether students are relying too much on calculators and failing to learn the standard algorithms – addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. But there does seem to be general agreement with the view expressed by Fennell that “the calculator is an instructional tool. It should support but not supplant anything. You don’t use it for 6 x 7.”

For more information on algebra or any other subject, contact the experts at the Tutoring Club. They offer kids the advantage they need to excel today and succeed in life.

The Tutoring Club is an advertiser on Richmondmom.com

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Making Friends

August is here and that can only mean one thing — it’s time to go back to school! A new school year brings lots of new things for children — schedules, teachers and maybe even a new backpack! With so much excitement, it’s important to remember that some children may need a bit of encouragement when it comes to one very important back-to-school component—making new friends.

By age 3, children are very aware of those around them. The friends they make at school will help them develop social skills such as sharing and taking turns. Friendships can also lead to a whole new appreciation and respect for differences. Once those first-day jitters are gone, your child is likely to begin observing others and recognizing classmates with shared interests. Here are a few tips to help your child feel more confident about saying, “Hi!” to new friends:

Set expectations.
As a parent, you are in a position to teach your child to treat others with kindness. The Golden Rule is a perfect way to introduce this idea to your child. Encourage her to show appreciation when a friend is kind or helpful. Also remind your child that hurting another child’s feelings is not something good friends do.

Teach him how to be a good friend.
Help your child understand that you need to be a good friend to have good friends. Your child must understand how his behavior can impact someone else, so it is a lesson you want to start teaching early and practice often. Point out when your child is demonstrating “good friend” behaviors, such as sharing. As your child repeatedly hears what attributes make a good friend, he’ll internalize the concept.

Turn to books.
There are plenty of children’s books with wonderful lessons in friendship. As you read the book with your child, talk about each character’s “good friend” traits and specific things the characters said or did that made them good friends.

• Will I have a Friend? by Miriam Cole
• Do You Want to Be My Friend? by Eric Carle
• Owen & Mzee: Best Friends by Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, and Dr. Paula Kahumbu

For more books and tips on friendship and helping your child make friends, visit Dr. Z and Friends.

Article reposted from Primrose School Pointers for Parents newsletter.