This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Tutors Reading Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in reading tuition, please do get in contact.

Many of our readers probably know, but we’re pretty heavily into helping people learn to read. In fact, we’ve even got a whole campaign running to make more people aware of the problem of illiteracy in the US.

Illiteracy in the USA is a massively controversial topic that’s often debated heatedly, even though most of us are accutely aware of the effects that illiteracy has on the lives of adults and children alike – the social and emotional issues that this can lead to.

So why, unbelievably are some people still not getting the additional help and support they need so they can at last learn to read?
This blog is going to cover some of the keys reasons as to why literacy is so important.

1. Literate Parents Make For Literate Children

If we want to raise children who have strong literacy skills, we ourselves need to have strong literacy skills.  Of the 93 million adults in the U.S. functioning at or below basic levels of literacy, 30 million are the parents or primary caregivers of children ages 0-8 (National Center for Family Literacy Fact Sheet).  Parents need to start the process of teaching their child to read before their child starts school.  Parents need to read to their children, buy their children books, and encourage their children to read.  Parents who are unable to read, or are not strong readers, will o course read to their children less than parents who enjoy reading.  Reading in and of itself in this scenario, is fundamental.

2. Being Literate Makes You Top Dog For Employment

If you have the ability to read, you will be a better employee, and have many more opportunities open to you (as well as being able to make more money from your job!).  Illiteracy and unemployment go hand in hand, with 50% of the chronically unemployed American’s not being functionally literate. (U.S. Dept. of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education, Presentation: Dr. Susan Sclafani, April 2005).  Employees who can read work better in a team, and are better at communicating with others around them, thereby making them more successful in their roles.  A rise in of 1% in literacy scores leads to a 2.5% rise in labor productivity and a 1.5% rise in GDP per person.  (The Economist, August 28, 2004). Not only this, but workers must be able to read safety regulations and warnings so they and their co-workers can stay safe on the job.

On a separate point, if you’re job hunting, you’re far more likely to land the job if you have at least a 2 year college degree. Most positions these days require at least this level of education.  As if it’s not hard enough as it is to get a job already!

To put this into a bit more perspective…The U.S. Census Bureau reports that “adults 18 and older with a master’s, professional or doctoral degree earned an average of $79,946, while those with less than a high school diploma earned about $19,915.”  That’s a $60,013 pay difference

3. For the health of you and your family (AKA ‘Health Literacy)

It sounds simple, but for those American’s who can’t read it is very difficult to understand what the doctor is telling you.  It can be impossible to work out how much medicine to take, or read information on your own health and your families.  This includes oral information given by physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and insurers.  Medication errors in the USA—many result from a misreading or misunderstood prescription labels—are the most common medical mistakes causing up to 7,000 deaths each year. (2005 White House Conference on Aging).

Low health literacy costs between $106 billion and $238 billion each year in the U.S. — 7 to 17 per cent of all annual personal health care spending.

4. Literate Voters Make For a Better Political System

The Elections are rolling around again, and we all hear about the need for more American’s to be ‘informed Voters’.  But without the ability to read and write, these American’s will not be able to follow the campaign properly and will then be forced make an UNeducated discision as to whom they want to run their country.

One in seven adults in the US cannot read this sentence.(National Assessment of Adult Literacy, 2003).  So how can they be expected to participate in Democratic Government Elections with the same advantages as someone who can read?

5.Problem Youths and Illiteracy

We are all aware of the statistics connecting crime and illiteracy.  85% of all juveniles who interface with the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate. (National Assessment of Adult Literacy, 2003)

Low literacy’s effects cost the U.S. $225 billion or more each year in non-productivity in the workforce, crime, and loss of tax revenue due to unemployment. (ProLiteracy).

American’s need to join forces to overcome this issue!  The most common reason for illiteracy in youths is lack of access to books.

This is something we can easily change together.  

If you know someone who’s struggling with reading and writing, as part of our ‘Help to Read: Help to Empower’ campaign, we’re offering FREE READING TUITION to as many people as we can, with the resources we have available. Find out more about this opportunity on the left hand bar on this page.

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Tutors Reading Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in reading tuition, please do get in contact.

Illiteracy, according to the United Nations, is the inability to read and write simple sentences in any language. In 1998, figures showed that 16 per cent of the world population is illiterate (Using the UN definition)

In 2009, 14% of Americans were illiterate. That’s 1 in 7. In a country as rich as ours, with a huge amount of wealth that overshadows the rest of the world, this figure is inconceivable. That is, inconceivable, but true. True, but horrifying.

• Imagine not being able to count the dollar bills in your hand
• Imagine having such little comprehension of safety, and hygiene, as you’ve never been able to understand those signs and warnings we see everywhere
• Imagine not ever being able to express yourself clearly
• Imaging never truly understanding the benefits that come through education so that you may pass this down to your child
• Imagine not being able to sign you name
• Imagine never being able to read the news, or check for dangerous ingredients in your food

These are just some of the effects that span from illiteracy, which feed into deeper issues such as;

• Low self-esteem
• Low self-worth
• Criminality
• Violence
• Drug Abuse
• Prostitution

Granted, not all people who cannot read suffer from any of all of the above, but there’s a massively strong trend. A trend that we must work hard in order to halt so as to bring those who were needlessly thrust into a lesser life than they hoped for as a child into a life that they are more fully able to live.

“The poor and the affluent are not communicating because they do not have the same words. When we talk of the millions who are culturally deprived, we refer not to those who do not have access to good libraries and bookstores, or to museums and centers for the performing arts, but those deprived of the words with which everything else is built, the words that open doors. Children without words are licked before they start. The legion of the young wordless in urban and rural slums, eight to ten years old, do not know the meaning of hundreds of words which most middle-class people assume to be familiar to much younger children. Most of them have never seen their parents read a book or a magazine, or heard words used in other than rudimentary ways related to physical needs and functions. Thus is cultural fallout caused, the vicious circle of ignorance and poverty reinforced and perpetuated. Children deprived of words become school dropouts; dropouts deprived of hope behave delinquently. Amateur censors blame delinquency on reading immoral books and magazines, when in fact, the inability to read anything is the basic trouble.”  Peter S. Jennison

 

We at Stepping Stone Tutors would love to talk to you or anyone else who may be unable to read to a standard they are happy with. We have online and offline tutors who’re dedicated to helping you read at any level, and for any age. If you think we might be able to help you, please, get in touch.

Summer vacation is all about long days in the sun, family getaways and taking a break from the daily grind of the regular school year. For many students, however, this is a peak time for learning loss. Unless previously learned information is reviewed or new information is introduced your child can forget a great deal of what they’ve learned the year before. In order to keep their young minds learning-ready it’s a good idea to introduce some summer in-home tutoring or activities that inspire them to continue learning.

Make it a Game

While learning is important there’s also something to be said for enjoying their summer break. Not to mention the fact that trying to make a child actively participate in tutoring and learning during the summer can be an absolute battle to the death. The trick is to make the learning activities fun for them. In particularly for younger children you’ll be hard pressed to hold their attention with classroom-style activities when the backyard beckons. A quick online search will yield a number of fun activities that you and your children can take part in that will not only keep them engaged and motivated but will also keep their minds sharp. Enrolling them in in-home or online tutoring is also a great way to get them involved without a fight. Professional tutors are experienced in dealing with youngsters who would rather be outside and many have their own techniques to keep the learning experience fun.

Get Them Involved

You might have noticed a time or two that trying to force your child into a plan that in no way requires or requests their input can be somewhat difficult. If you allow them to become involved from the very planning stages, however, you might find your child to be more agreeable to the idea of summer learning. If you’d like for them to engage in more reading allow them to choose the material (within suitable reason of course). If numeracy is what you’d prefer to review go through the various available study tools with them and allow them to decide which tools they might like to use. Allowing them choices might make them feel more involved rather than forced into learning which often yields a better result.

Engaging your children in summer online or in-home tutoring, learning activities and other learning tools will not only help them to retain what they learned the year before, it will also prepare their minds to get back into the flow of the regular school year.

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Tutors Study Skills Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in study skills tuition, please do get in contact.

Students spend practically their entire school year in eager anticipation of one event: summer break. The end to homework, test prep, and days spent taking notes is first and foremost in many young minds. Retaining what they’ve learned in the previous year might be the last priority on their summer to-do list, but it should be the first priority on yours. Online tutoring and other learning activities can help them continue to stimulate their mind without lamenting their summer.

Within 30 days of being outside of the academic realm many students have lost the vast majority of the information that they learned in the previous year. This is largely due to lack of review and mental stimulation. In particularly for those students taking the GED, ASVAB or other important examinations in the year to come this loss of information can have a devastating effect. After all, their scores on tests such as these effect not only their short-term goals but in some capacity the rest of their lives.

Unless you relish the idea of a continuous uphill battle that lasts all summer it would behoove you as a parent to seek out ways for them to learn during their break that won’t have them crawling the walls with boredom. There are a wide variety of activities that can be completed both online and off that will keep them learning and reviewing information, perhaps without their even realizing it. For instance, young students might enjoy learning-based video games that can be played with a friend. For older students that need the continued test prep an online tutor is an excellent option. Even as little as a few hours a week spent with a tutor can increase their learning retention and stimulation, resulting in improved test scores.

Summer learning might sound like a horrendous idea to your student, but they might find themselves surprisingly pleased with the result. Better learning retention and consistent stimulation will make for not only better scores in the coming year but also an easier transition from the laziness of summer days back into the classroom.

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Tutors Study Skills Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in study skills tuition, please do get in contact.

Every parent can remember and appreciate the feeling of the last day of school. That day is normally not so much about new learning but instead revolves around the promise of the coming summer vacation, the impending freedom of days spent outside and homework-free nights. While this downtime is a somewhat of a yearly rite of passage for students it can also be a time of learning loss.

What We Lose During the Summer

Teachers and homework are not the only things lost during the summer for the average student. There has been many a study that has confirmed that the summer break can result in a devastating loss of information for students. Without the introduction of new information or review of previously learned concepts most students have lost the vast majority of what they learned the year before by the time the new school year begins. And because many subjects, such as reading and numeracy, tend to increase in difficulty building from concepts already learned over the years this can have a horrid effect on a student’s ability to learn in the new year.

In-Home Tutoring to the Rescue

In particularly for students preparing for the SAT or GED exams time and information are priceless. Because these tests cover a wide range of concepts learned over years of schooling studying can be difficult, especially only short term cramming prior to taking the exam. Summer in-home tutoring or online tutoring can help students adequately review information commonly seen on the test as well as keeping them engaged in learning and ready to begin again in the new school year.

Whether your child is simply preparing for the next grade year or studying for the important GED or SAT exams summer learning is a great stepping stone to success. With the improved subject retention and continued acclimation to consistent learning they’ll see better test results and you’ll see an even brighter side of your rising star.

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Tutors Study Skills Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in study skills tuition, please do get in contact.

One of the greatest flaws in the education system is the idea that all students can learn in the same fashion. While it is true that all students possess the basic ability to learn, certain ones might require more attention than others in order to achieve that pursuit. Likewise the study methods that work for one student may do nothing to help another. The following is a list of articles relating to study skill alternatives to the traditional methods for students who might be less than conventional.

1. An Alternative Paradigm for College Reading and Study Skills Courses:  Jim Reynolds and Stuart C. Werner, Journal of Reading

This article discusses the different approaches to handling incoming college students who are ill-prepared for the advanced academic world that they are entering. It explores the idea of a learning paradigm in which students are allowed to develop learning skills in their own way or style. It embraces the idea that not every student benefits from the traditional “one size fits all” method of studying.

2. Homeschooling Study Skills: Gertrude Elizabeth Greene

This article discusses the specialized study skills that should be taught to homeschooled students in order to prepare them for entering the more public and advanced educational realm of college.

3. 4 Helpful Study Skills for Online Learners: Stefan Knapen,

In this article Mr. Knapen discusses the different study skills needed for online learning. Because learning online requires not only a different environment but a different mind-set altogether the study skills that students find useful for in-class tutelage often do not apply as well in the online learning realm.

4. 6 Study Tips for Adult Learners: courseadvisor.com,

Re-entering the academic arena after a prolonged absence can be difficult for even the most studious persons. This article provides study tips designed to help adult students balance their work, family and school lives into a smoother experience.

Not every student responds to traditional study methods, and in particular those learning in a non-traditional capacity tend to suffer from scenarios for which these methods do not fit. With the advice contained in the above articles any student can special tailor study methods that work for their specific methods of learning and situation.

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Tutors Study Skills Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in study skills tuition, please do get in contact.

Scott Young started his blog 6 years ago while a student. Since graduating though, his interest in building skills and further education has only been heightened. We recently posted on our Facebook 

page a link video that Scott recorded detailing his latest challenge: to complete a 4 year MIT course in Computer Science in just 12 months (see the video here).

But just today we came across an audio interview Scott had with Corbett barr of Expert Enough- a site we love over here at Stepping Stone Tutors! But what I wanted to share were a couple of points Scott made in that interview that should be of value to you, as someone who’s looking to improve their knowledge, whether you’re using one of our online or in home tutors, or simply self-studying online.

Scott often refers to the way people who learn fast are able to effectively link the data and knowledge they’re processing  together, which therefore generates a much more deep rooted understanding of the topic being taken on. This is an alternative to simple ‘rote memorisation’, where students are challenged with the almost impossible of simply learning a ton of facts only to regurgitate these when asked about them. This ability to link things together- to understand in a much fuller way is what he calls ‘holistic learning’.

A method that’s often used to utilise this method of learning called the ‘Feynman technique’, which is an informal philosophy of how we can learn something deeply. As an alternative to rote memorization, which could take hundreds of hours for some subjects, the Feynman technique can be applied effectively to almost any subject. The video below will explains exactly what this is, and how you can apply this to your own studies, whether that’s for your upcoming ASVAB test, GED classes, K-16 classes, or test preparation (read about how we can help with this here) and revision.

The reason this technique works so much is because most people simply don’t know what it is that they’re trying to learn. They don’t understand which bits of a subject they need to expand on in order to full understand what it is they’re dealing with. The Feynman technique, however, highlights the exact aspects of each subject that you need to look into more in order to holistically grasp any topic you like.

These days having an education isn’t just a good idea, it’s imperative. Many employers, including the U.S. military, are requiring workers to have a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalency in order to be considered for hiring. In today’s tough job market the more qualifications an applicant has the better! The following is a brief overview of some of the most important grade levels and tests to be completed on the track to a degree.

K-12

The term K-12 refers to the courses provided from Kindergarten to 12th grade for students. These classes normally take 13 years to complete and are marked in most every state by a graduation examination comprised of a few subjects: Social Studies, Math, Reading and Science. These subjects may of course vary from state to state. In addition to the graduation tests states are also required to implement End of Course tests, or EOCT’s, for each course that a student completes in grades 9-12. Completion of the K-12 program earns the graduate a High School diploma. This diploma can be used to obtain certain entry level positions and admission into a university or technical college.

K-14

K-14 refers to students who have completed Kindergarten through 12th grade, graduated with a high school diploma and completed two years of college. This normally owns a person an Associates Degree in their field of study, which is sufficient in some trades to obtain an entry level position of employment. Some industries, however, require more education for even entry level positions. Different programs have different tests, but in general students can expect periodical examinations throughout the semester in their courses to be followed by a final examination. Many universities require that students then pass an exit examination that serves as an examination to ensure that they’ve studied and grasped the general subjects that were taken during their instruction.

K-16

This term refers to students who have completed Kindergarten through 12th grade and 4 years of undergraduate study at a university or college. This generally earns a student a Bachelor’s Degree in their area of study. This degree often offers students a wider array of job possibilities when they graduate with more employers seeking students with a higher level of education, depending on the industry. Examinations for this degree are similar to those for K-14, with periodical examinations given during the semester and final examinations given at the end of each course.

GED

The GED, or General Educational Development, test is given to students seeking an alternative means of earning a diploma which is considered to be equivalent to that given to high school graduates. Students who complete the GED have not completed the traditional 12 years of school and therefore obtain this diploma as a means of applying to universities or technical colleges, or for the purposes of obtaining employment. These days most every employer requires at a minimum a high school equivalency diploma for entry level positions. This test covers Math, Social Studies, Science, Reading and Writing.

ASVAB

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude (ASVAB) test is administered to certain high school students and other persons interested in joining the military. The ASVAB consists of the following sections: the General Science, Arithmetic Reasoning, Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Mathematics Knowledge, Electronics Information, Auto Information, Shop Information, Mechanical Comprehension, and Assembling Objects. The scores from the test are used to determine the best vocational placement for the student within the armed services.

ACT

The ACT is a standardized test that can be taken by students for use in obtaining admission to a university or technical college. The test consists of 4 sections: English, Mathematics, Reading and Science Reasoning. Often universities and colleges require either an SAT or ACT score prior to granting an applicant admission to the institution.

These terms and tests are commonly associated with attending post-secondary education in the United States and in various other countries world wide. Depending on your goals as a student chances are that you’ll be encountering them as you navigate today’s educational systems. Practice examinations and other information about each test or term is available online for preparation purposes.

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Tutors Study Skills Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in study skills tuition, please do get in contact.

By the time many of us reach our thirties and forties we have long assumed that our test-taking days are over. The idea of re-entering the classroom after what may be decades of school-free existence can therefore be rather disconcerting.The idea of taking exams for GED, ACT, ASVAB etc seems often a distant dream.  But with today’s job market leaving many long-term employees suddenly out of a job thousands are flocking back to schools across the country. So how do you re-train yourself for studying after years out of practice?

But, through self-study, and with online tutoring, and in-home tutoring, it’s important to realize that you’re never too old to study…

Unconventional Students and Unconventional Obstacles

One of the most difficult challenges facing older students is the change in their obstacles since they were last in school. When you’re going to college in your early twenties much of your existence is dedicated to that cause. You may hold down a part time job, but the vast majority of your time is spent in class or studying (with the exception of various other free-time activities that you always seem to make time for). When you’re in your thirties and forties, however, the obstacles standing in your way of studying are generally much more pressing than a part time waitressing position, like kids, home maintenance or a full-time job. For this reason unconventional students have to find new study methods and ways to cope with these challenges that differed from what they may have used the first time around.

Making Time

The biggest problem facing most older students is simply making time. You must make time to go to class and make time to study for tests, which can be a huge challenge with a family or full-time job to consider. The bottom line is that if you want to accomplish it badly enough there’s a way. It’s important to make time at least on an every-other-day basis to study material, allowing for more frequent studying around test and exam times. Try to dedicate one room or a secluded area of your home as a study area and designate certain times of day strictly for studying. Discuss the importance of quiet while you’re studying with your family and ask for their cooperation in helping you set aside that time for studying. Another new element that many older students find bothersome during study time is the new temptation to surf the web instead of studying. For many older students this specific distraction wasn’t around the first time.

Unless your work requires you to be connected to the internet try to leave your browser down all together. If you do have to be online try to keep your mind on track. Try sticking a post-it note to the side of your computer with your task written on it, and don’t leave open tabs with distracting or tempting sites. This will make it less tempting to check your email as opposed to studying. Just as you have to push these types of distractions out you must also remove psychological distractions such as worrying over bills. Remember that your study time is for studying and studying only. If you find yourself having difficulty concentrating stop what you’re doing, close your eyes and take several deep breathes while concentrating only on breathing. This will help reduce your anxiety momentarily and allow you to regroup.

For students of all ages the same traditional study tips still apply. Being rested, eating as balanced a diet as possible and removing distractions are all good tips to follow for students at any stage in their academic lives. For those unconventional students with families, finances and other distractions to consider making time is one of the most important considerations for fruitful study time.

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Tutors Study Skills Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in study skills tuition, please do get in contact.

Our last post discussed Richard Feynman’s study method (the Feynman Technique), which involves writing out a lecture to yourself, explaining in simple terms the topic you’re working on. As you’re working through this, you’ll reach points where you stop and become slightly confused, or unsure about something. At these points, you know you need to brush up your knowledge in these areas. By the time you’ve finished writing your lecture, you’ll have a far fuller understanding of the topic than hours and hours of rote memorization could produce. To read what we wrote about this, see here.

As a way to build upon Richard Feynman’s teaching and learning philosophy (especially from 40+), we came across the following video, which we’re sure you’ll benefit hugely from watching.

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone GED Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in GED tuition, please do get in contact.

Test taking is a nerve-wracking experience for most people, no matter what you’re studying- GED, K-12. ASVAB. It’s the ultimate test prep.

While some can simply breeze through a written exam with no problems or intense heart palpitations the majority of the rest of us are completely bewildered come test time. The pressure to pass, the last-minute second guessing of answers and the sudden flooding of the mind with failure scenarios is enough to make anyone want to jump up and run out of the room. For those who have this completely normal fear of test-taking practice exams and test preparation tools are imperative. Practice tests in particular are an important staple in the preparation process for tests such as the GED.

Preparing For Testing-Taking

For those with an immense fear of testing the act itself can be enough to induce failure. Many find that they are unable to think straight, consumed with nerves over the implications of failing the test. This leads to rushed and scattered thinking, which can lead to rushed answering and misunderstanding questions themselves. All in all, this type of anxiety can lead to failure not because the student wasn’t prepared for the test, but because the act of testing itself caused them such distress that they were unable to recall the information they’d studied. Sitting for practice exams can help with this somewhat by allowing the student to practice test-taking tips such as breathing exercises or visualization techniques without the pressure of the actual examination.

Acclimating To Test

Anyone who has attended school for a long period of time, say K-12, knows that tests are different. Teachers ask questions differently, the types of test questions vary (multiple choice vs. essay), and even the type of material covered can vary (one teacher may harp on dates while another harps on event details). Practice tests such as those offered for the GED exam give the student a chance to see first-hand what the test will be like, including what types of questions they ask, what material they may expect to see covered, etc. This gives the student a leg-up in studying, offering them not only the opportunity to test their skills thus far in the studying process but also to get a handle on what and how they should be studying. After all, one preps differently for a multiple choice test than an essay exam.

Practice tests offer students a valuable opportunity to evaluate their study methods, acclimate themselves with the test itself and prepare themselves mentally for the act of test-taking. This experience is paramount for many pupils in their ability to adequately prepare for tests such as the GED, ACT, and SAT.

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone GED Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in GED tuition, please do get in contact.

In today’s working world having a basic education is a must. In recent years it has become difficult to land even the least skilled employment without some degree of education. For most workplaces at least a GED is required.

In particularly for those who have been out of school for quite some time the art of test taking and studying can be a daunting task to master. For most, simply sitting down and reviewing material is not sufficient preparation for taking a major test such as the GED. For students who haven’t had to burn the midnight oil in a while try the following top 5 GED study tips:

1. Identify the Material- The GED consists of 5 sections: mathematics, science, social studies, reading and writing. It is essential that you review and prepare for all 5 sections before attempting the test.

2. Identify Your Weaknesses- While it is important to go over each section diligently you should also pay special attention to your weakest subject(s). If you find that you’re lagging in mathematics allot some extra study time for that subject. Get your hands on as many different types of preparatory materials as are available and become familiar with them.

3. Obtain Study Materials- There are a number of different study materials available for the GED exam. From print media to video tutorials students today have access to whichever methods they find make them the most successful. If you find you respond better to reading print materials and taking practice quizzes, do that. If you can more easily and fully absorb material that you watch on a video, obtain as many videos as possible. When studying for any test having the right materials is essential. There are several websites that also offer free practice tests.

4. Take a Preparatory Course- Most every city in the United States has an institution that offers a GED prep course. If you don’t have an institution in your town there are a number of different online courses available, some of which are free. For many students the hands-on in-class approach is superior to going it alone. Group studying in such an atmosphere might also prove helpful.

5. Prepare Your Body- Be sure to get plenty of sleep the night before the test. An all night cram session might seem tempting, but you’ll be doing yourself a much larger favor by getting a good night’s sleep. If you feel the need to cram before the test try going to bed early and getting up early for some last minute studying. The morning of the test it’s also essential that you eat a good breakfast. Our bodies and minds function at their highest when they are rested and well fueled.

6. If needed, get extra help- there are companies like us here at Stepping Stone Tutors who offer online and offline tutoring for exams such as GED, K-12, SAT, ASVAB etc. We’ve masses of experience in helping people young and old to pass exams they never thought they could actually pass, and work with you one-to-one to make sure you make progress as effectively as possible.

So, with the correct preparation you could be just one step away from your GED and financial success. A good education is the cornerstone of a successful career and a happy worker.

One thing that’s been intriguing me lately is the use of blogging in education. Not just in traditional ‘classroom’ situations, but also for online and offline tutors.- the use of blogs to spark discussion, reinforce lessons and extend on topics that there wasn’t time to extend on in situ.

The past decade has brought so much of our world and our daily lives online. The world wide web and good ole’ fashioned reality collide in these days of social media and Google searches. One of the newest forms of online communication and expression is blogging. This platform can be used in several different ways, with some opting to utilize it as a publicized online journal and others using it to voice their opinions. Blogs can be informative, enticing, entertaining and occasionally… well, boring.

With much of the rest of our existence taking place online it was always a matter of time before we began to ponder online education platforms. These days students respond more to their Facebook status updates than to their teacher’s droning lecture (not that students were ever more apt to pay attention to a teacher than the not-so-private lives of their friends). As students become more stimulated by online media and platforms, some educators are reaching outside their classroom boxes and stretching their muscles online. But can blogging be an educational tool?

Blogging and other online educational tools could have what I call the “cool effect”. Students tend to respond better to technology that they know and use when outside of the classroom. It’s similar to the effect of rolling a television into a classroom: it may just be an educational film, but students are more likely to be engaged by it than a traditional lecture. Watching TV and blogging are “cool” for use in their free time, so utilizing it when they’re at school feels less like conforming to antiquated learning methods and more like learning on their own terms. Much like other forms of online education blogging makes it possible for students to interact with other peers across the globe, a feature that could be immensely useful for cultural or foreign language studies. Most blogs can also be pretty well controlled by an administrator (or teacher), even to the standard that comments cannot be published on the blog until approved by them. Blogging could also be highly effective in spurring discussion about topics that may even continue after school hours.

So outside of the possibility for foul play on the blog (which can be very well managed with platforms such as WordPress), it seems that educational blogging could provide a stimulating and modern way for students to gain, share and expand on their knowledge. If utilized correctly I believe that blogging could open up a whole new world of resources for educators and young minds alike.

Just today I came across Jonathan Martin’s posts detailing the “Open Internet” tests that he’s piloting with some teachers at St. Gregory School, Arizona, and I’m just loving the thinking. One paragraph truly stood out at me:

‘We know that content memorization must no longer be the goal of our learning programs; what our goal must be is that students can make the most sense of the voluminous and fast-accelerating quantity of information which will forever be at their fingertips, and about which they must be able to think critically, to select, to evaluate, to apply, and to amend as they tackle challenging problems. So why shouldn’t our school-tests evaluate our students ability to do exactly this? Why not structure tests appropriately, and then invite and welcome (and require) our students to use their computers on their tests? Isn’t this real world, and real life, preparation?’

The thinking behind this idea is, I feel, spot on. Although we’re still deep within the rote memorization aspect of education, in the future- that fast accelerating future that’s heading toward us at an alarming rate- what does that hold?

For sure, it must necessarily hold education, examination, coursework, homework and teaching which takes full advantage of the powerful tools at our fingertips. At Stepping Stone Tutors, we’re already doing this, providing online education for ASVAB, K-12, K-14, SAT etc tests. But we’re massively excited to see where these more modern forms of education might go.

We imagine a world where test are not based on mere memorization and writing ability, but that use the Internet, smart phones, laptops and the like to place students in like-working-environments, where they can use the knowledge they have gained in simulated real-life scenarios. Surely this would be a more telling, less ‘monotonous’ way of testing?

We also see places where where lessons are held online, with feedback being streamed through Google Hangouts, or Twitter Streams. We see children using interactive materials (ebooks, interactive PDFs), which use entertainment and interactivity to the best advantage whereby knowledge retention is hugely increased, compared to simple ‘paper-based’ learning.

The possibilities are simply Amazing, and we’re delighted to be a part- if only small- of this shift.

“Showing our children that we value learning and education is important and will pay off in the long run as they mature. When parents are involved in their children’s educations, student achievement improves.” (http://www.pta.org/topic_student_success.asp)

It is that time of year again! It’s the time when students, somewhat reluctantly, return to school and begin another part of the ongoing adventure that is education. No matter what their age, as your student heads back to school there is bound to be excitement, anticipation, and even some trepidation.

As a parent, the most important thing to remember when sending your student back to school is that they need your help and guidance in order to be successful. Time management and organization for a student of any age is important at school, but also in the home. The precedent modeled at home will be reflected at school. Doing simple things like committing to a schedule including time for chores, homework, dinner, and family time on a nightly basis will create consistency in your student’s life.

Set expectations for your student. Some parents feel as if setting expectations too high will cause a child to fail, and by doing so will create struggles with their confidence. Just the opposite is true. Setting challenging yet attainable expectations for your student allows them to better understand and realize their full potential. Obviously a student with no expectations will never do more than they want to, but also a student with low expectations will become complacent. Challenging your student in a comfortable, safe, home environment will help them mature and prepare for future challenges that define life. Help your student understand that failure is ok as long as they return to the drawing board, correct the mistake, and try again.

Your student’s success begins with you, and begins at home. Often times creating a home environment conducive to their success and showing that you care will go a long way. Also, establishing appropriate expectations and helping your student attain them will also facilitate success. Below are a few general keys to Setting your Student up for Success:

• Approach every year as a clean slate: Every year is a new opportunity to face new challenges head on and accomplish new successes
• Communicate: Ask your student specific questions about school (i.e. Are you still learning about China in Geography, or have you started a new topic? Tell me more about that.).  Talk to their teachers regularly, and offer advice when asked.
• Develop sound time management in the home. Have a routine for when homework, chores, and other activities need to be completed, including “chill” time
• Develop sound organizational skills at home that will be reflected at school. Set a designated place in the home where studying should be done and homework completed.
• Set expectations for your student, hold them accountable, and help them attain their goal

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Algebra Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in algebra tuition, please do get in contact.

Many of us grew up seeing Mathematics as a field only the gifted can enter. While the geniuses have fun with numbers, the rest of us wade through them either in hazy stupor or in mindless fear. The most we could do was pass the quizzes and exams that our teachers would give so we can move on to the next grade and finish our years in school. If we are lucky, then we’d land a job that requires minimal exposure to mathematical tasks.

However, there is no need to develop an adverse reaction to anything mathematical. The beauty of Math can be seen beyond what the numbers foretell, but how they configure the patterns in nature, and even, inside our bodies. Seeing the symmetry and harmony of patterns will show the presence of the divine and the essence of beauty as human beings see it.

A movie inspired on numbers, geometry and nature, by Cristóbal Vila. Go to www.etereaestudios.com for more info: theory behind, stills, screenshots, and tutorials.

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Study Skills Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in study skills tuition, please do get in contact.

UBC’s Learning Commons diagram has expanded on David Kolb’s Experiential Learning theory to include new factors in learning brought about by online technologies we use today. The integrated theory now includes Honey and Mumford’s experiential learning theory, which follows the same pattern as Kolb’s.

Similar to Kolb’s learning theory, Honey and Mumford view the learning process as a cycle that includes four phases, which also matches four learning types. These learning types include Activist (prefers doing and experiencing), Reflector (observes and reflects), Theorist (wants to understand underlying concepts, reasons and relationships), and Pragmatist (likes to try things and see if they work).

All these theories were incorporated into a flow diagram found at the UBC Learning Commons post. According to the diagram, the learning cycle consists of four quadrants divided by two types of learning activities: perceiving and processing. The upper right quadrant consists of Diverging Processes, which makes use of both concrete experience and reflective observation to create a myriad of experiences, which the in-home tutor creates through field trips and actual demonstrations.

Learners draw information from those experiences during the processing in lower right quadrant, which consists of Assimilating Processes. Assimilating consists of reflective observation and abstract conceptualization. This phase usually requires advice, guidance or support from the in-home tutor.

A student learns when the concepts gleaned from assimilating information from experiences are tested and proven true. This occurs when abstract conceptualization meets active experimentation. The results of the Converging Processes in the lower left quadrant lead to validation or approval from the in-home tutor, the parents, the teachers and the society, in general. This is the reason why scores and grades greatly affect a student’s performance in school.

The upper left quadrant seals the process of learning since it requires Accommodating Processes that encourage the student to repeatedly apply, tweak and improve on the skills and knowledge gleaned from previous processes. Whatever the student learns has to be adapted to the way society functions. Thus, it is not enough that a person learns something new, but that person has to develop a depth of knowledge that society expects him or her to possess after a certain period of study.

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone SAT Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in SAT tuition, please do get in contact.

Although in-home tutoring is commonly used to augment the school work of your kids, a one-on-one process for teaching children can also be an advantage when they need to take a crucial exam, which will determine their academic future. For example, grade school and high school children sometimes take entrance examinations to prestigious schools or qualifying exams for a high school or tertiary education. In-home tutors can help your child study for exams, cope with the pressure, and answer the exam as clearly and calmly as possible.

Study skills for school work are similar to studying for exams, but the latter requires students to absorb a huge load of information in such a short time that the students may experience mental fatigue. Mental exhaustion deters, rather than helps, learning and developing the right study habits.

The use of in-home tutoring is not new to the academe. In the United Kingdom, students enroll in cramming schools to learn all they can before taking the A-Level and the GSCE exams. India and Hongkong also have cram schools that not only help their students enter university, but also cope with strict academic requirements.

In the United States, the term “cramming” has a negative connotation. The word may mean studying too much information for too short a time, especially the night before, to pass an exam. It conjures nights of deprived sleep and too much caffeine. Because of this negative perception, cram schools in the States call themselves tutorial schools or tutoring agencies. They not only offer one-on-one tutoring or in-home tutoring, but also classes and study groups.

In-home tutoring is a one-on-one process where the in-home tutor guides the tutee (student) in learning. This kind of tutoring usually focuses on single subjects that a student has difficulty achieving good grades in school. Note that the emphasis here is on reaching high grades.

Although in-home tutoring does not neglect the more progressive concepts in education and learning, the process itself is more specific in its goals as well as in its methods. Seen as a more informal and personal form of teaching, in-home tutoring does not add burden to the student’s work load, which is a common misconception of what a tutor does for a student.

In-home tutors teach their students how to achieve clarity of thinking when reading or answering homework. Thus, instead of adding more assignments on top of those already assigned by the child’s teachers, the in-home tutor guides the child in doing homework, in reading assignments, and in studying for exams. The goal of in-home tutoring is to help the child understand, retain and apply the lessons he or she is learning at school.

In-home tutoring supplements the education system, and is not an alternative to it. Unlike homeschooling, which emphasizes freedom from the restrictive education system, in-home tutoring works in tandem with the education system. In-home tutors who are professionally trained educators are encouraged to seek the help of the child’s teachers in creating a tutoring plan that will complement the teacher’s lesson plan.

In-home tutoring is neither about memorizing or spoon feeding. In-home tutors may require their students to memorize some lessons, but afterwards, the students are required to state in their own words how they understood the lesson and what they can contribute to the topic aside from what was given to them by the teacher and by the in-home tutor. The goal here is not to spoon feed the answers to the student, but to encourage natural curiosity to build and for the desire to learn to grow in the child. Thus, the child is motivated to search the answers on his own as well as to test out personal hypotheses and observe its results.

In-home tutors, therefore, are not substitutes for the school teachers who practice systematic methods of measuring a child’s progress in intellectual development. You will only realize the effectiveness of in-home tutoring once the child’s grades in school improved significantly and her behavior towards learning and school has changed dramatically.

We all know reading helps develop a child’s intelligence and creativity. When a parent reads to a child early, the child develops speech and listening skills faster than average. More than the intellectual benefits, reading to your child also bring emotional benefits, such as the following:

• Reading to your childs builds an emotional bond between you and your child. The time spent on reading together gives your child a sense of intimacy and well-being.
• The sense of intimacy of reading to your child becomes a pleasurable experience to your child. It builds a positive attitude towards reading as your child grows up.
• Reading and listening to your voice calms your child, especially when he feels fretful and restless.
• Reading promotes increased communication between you and your child.

reading provides an excellent opportunity for one-on-one communication between parent and child. It also gives the child the attention he or she craves. Aside from attention, children also learn appropriate behavior when they are read to. They are exposed to new situations, making them more prepared when they encounter these situations in real life.

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Reading Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in reading tuition, please do get in contact.

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Reading Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in reading tuition, please do get in contact.

Some children have problems with focusing their attention to one task for a long period. Reading to them becomes a challenge, which parents and in-home tutors can overcome by keeping the child emotionally and mentally engaged with the activity. Here are a few tips that parents and in-home tutors can follow to make reading together with the child fun as well as enlightening.

• Put together a selection of children’s books with bright, colorful illustrations and written by popular children’s authors. The topics or stories should connect well with the child’s age group.
• Involve your child in selecting books for reading. Books should be read many times to practice reading aloud as well as develop a child’s reading comprehension. Encouraging a child to choose the books also ensures his or her interest in what he or she is reading.
• Get into the story and act out some of the scenes. Roar like a lion or squeak like a mouse. Sounds and actions paired with words expand a child’s imagination. As the child builds his or her ability to think and visualize the story, his or her creativity also expands. Creativity is actually an important aspect of learning.
• When the child encounters new words or does not understand the story, parents or in-home tutors should explain what the words mean or what the story may mean. They should also ask a child what he or she thinks of the story and how it relates to him or her.
• For parents, snuggling and cuddling with your child also makes reading an intimate experience. Because bedtime is usually the time for reading books or telling stories, children feel calmer and happier before sleeping. This often discourages nightmares and night terrors that are common occurrences during childhood.

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Reading Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in reading tuition, please do get in contact.

You have probably heard of the saying, “Charity begins at home.” In the field of teaching and in-home tutoring, literacy begins at home, too. Formal education for your children may start when he or she starts attending school, but learning begins before that.

As a parent, one of your responsibilities is to look after your child’s intellectual development. It is in your child’s best interests when you begin reading to him or her as early as possible. An advocacy group for reading and literacy, Literacy Connections, advises parents not to wait until their child is older before they begin reading to them.

Reading to your child has many benefits. The most important, of course, is building a close bond with your child. Make your reading sessions a nightly habit. Soon, this habit will turn into an important aspect of your child’s character. Reading with your child has life-long benefits, which include development of a longer attention span, listening skills and imagination. Pre-school children who learn the language by hearing words and listening to sentences tend to do well in school.

This assertion parallels the results from a Rhode Island study that compared two groups of 8-month-old babies. The parents of one group read to them while the other group’s parents did not. The study revealed that the group of babies who listened to their parents read aloud to them understood more words since babyhood than the other group of babies.

A life-long interest in reading leads to development of life-long skills in learning, which involves listening skills. Along with learning skills, children also develop their creativity and curiosity. As a result, children who read books more often perform better in school.

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Study Skills Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in study skills tuition, please do get in contact.

Perhaps, APD is more of a learning disorder than ADHD because it involves auditory processing, which is necessary for interpreting information through verbal communication. As we all know, verbal communication is necessary in the learning process.

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) symptoms include difficulty in paying attention and remembering information when coursed through multiple modes, such as audio and video at the same time. Better comprehension occurs when information is visual, such as images and videos.

Persons with APD also have trouble following directions or instructions when delivered in succession. They need to hear or read the instruction a step at a time. If the in-home tutor delivers the instructions orally, then the in-home tutor should speak slowly and clearly while delivering each step’s directions.

In-home tutoring for children with APD requires a quite location. Persons with APD do not like background noise. They also need more time to process information. This means the in-home tutor should exercise more patience than usual and provide some extra time for the student.

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Study Skills Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in study skills tuition, please do get in contact.

Let us look deeper into ADHD and understand how this disorder came to be. Some experts believe that people who have ADHD retain some of the “hunter” characteristics associated with pre-agricultural humans. ADHD behavior works well when applied in work that require searching, such as treasure hunting, or tasks that take risks or involves competition, such as sports.

Thus, in-home tutors who work closely with children with ADHD must integrate physical activities with learning. For example, instead of asking a child to write down the answers to a short quiz, the in-home tutor creates large cutouts of words and asks the child to select the right answer from the words and stick them on a large corkboard.

Another idea for in-home tutoring children with ADHD is to create a game wherein the child quickly finds answers to questions in different areas inside the study room. The child receives a reward for every correct answer found.

In another perspective, ADHD may have developed during pregnancy. The mother could have been drinking or smoking or she had exposure to lead, which causes pregnancy-related mutations. Likewise, a 2007 study linked to delays in learning rates and behavioral problems in children with the use of organophosphate insecticide chlorpyrifos on fruits and vegetables

This article was written by one of the Stepping Stone Study Skills Tutors. If you know of anyone who might be interested in study skills tuition, please do get in contact.

Among schoolchildren, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is the most common diagnosis by child psychiatrists today. This disorder has been controversial for many reasons, one of which is the frequent over-diagnosis of ADHD.

Some teachers, in-home tutors and parents see children who display too much energy or talk too much as disruptive, which leads them to think that those children have ADHD or ADD. Precociousness used to be an adorable quality in children. However, this same quality now elicits suspicion and disapproval.

ADHD has three subtypes:

• Subtype I – predominantly hyperactive-impulsive
• Subtype II – predominantly inattentive
• Subtype III – combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive

A child with subtype II ADHD may sit quietly, but may not be paying attention to what they are doing. Because the children get along well with other children and do not display behavioral problems, parents, teachers and some in-home tutors often overlook this subtype of ADHD. Children who commonly receive an ADHD diagnosis have subtype III, which shows six or more symptoms of inattention and six or more symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity.

Subtype I and Subtype III are what we understand as ADHD and Subtype II is actually ADD, or Attention Deficit Disorder. All types exist along with other behavioral problems or learning disorders.