Blog Archives

Education Focus: Tutoring

Posted on 2012/07/02
by

Private tutoringFor today’s Education Focus I want to take a quick look at tutoring.  When Americans talk of “tutoring,” they generally mean any kind of private, one-to-one academic instruction.  Sometimes, it is possible that a student might be eligible to receive specialized, one-on-one instruction from his own school.  For example, a student might have a lengthy absence from school due to a chronic or long-lasting medical condition.  In this case, the school would assign a private instructor to tutor the student at home or in the hospital to help the student keep up with his classmates and schoolwork so he will not be behind when he is finally able to return to school.

Most of the time, though, tutoring takes place independently of the student’s school.  Because of this, it is the parents’ responsibility to arrange for this independent instruction and pay for it.  There are many options available for parents who wish to arrange to have their student tutored.  It depends on the reason why a parent wants to make such arrangements.

Most Americans view tutoring as a remedial activity.  This means that they are concerned that their student is falling behind in his school subjects, or has difficulty understanding what is going on in class or with doing his homework, and needs extra help beyond what the teacher can provide.  The parents want to make sure that their student can keep up with his classmates, so they enlist the help of a private educational center that focuses on providing remedial instruction, such as Sylvan Learning Centers, Huntington Learning Centers, or Kumon.  Strictly speaking, these places generally provide semi-private instruction rather than true one-on-one instruction, as students usually share an instructor with two or three other students.  In addition to the national franchises mentioned above, there are other private educational centers that also focus on remedial instruction.  Other options for parents in this situation might include hiring a college student or retired teacher to come to the home and provide individualized, independent instruction.  Of course, one-on-one instruction is going to cost more than semi-private instruction at one of the private educational centers, but some parents prefer this arrangement for its convenience and efficiency.

Some Americans, however, view tutoring as an enrichment activity.  They are concerned that their student is not being sufficiently challenged in school, and they wish to provide their student with more intellectual stimulation than is available in a normal school setting.  They might be interested in helping their student to accelerate, or get ahead in school, and thus they seek out tutors who can help their student progress at a faster pace than in a normal classroom.  Most parents seeking such a challenge for their student are generally not well-served by the national tutoring franchises, and so must look elsewhere for private tutors, such as searching online or inquiring at a local college.  It is more difficult to find a tutor for this type of instruction, but once one is found, the parents generally try to retain such a tutor, as they find it to be a worthwhile investment in their student’s education.

Additionally, most parents are concerned that their student get into a good college. To this end, then, many parents arrange for their student to have tutoring that focuses specifically on the SAT and / or ACT, which tests play a major role in the college admission process.  Although many SAT prep classes may claim to guarantee a specific point gain as the result of the student having gone through their program, the fact is that the degree to which a student’s performance will improve depends heavily on the circumstances of the individual student.  For example, a student who is already scoring at the 90th percentile will probably not see a point gain of one hundred points or more.  However, a student scoring at the 25th percentile could very well improve his score by two hundred points or more with practice and training.  It is important for parents and students alike to have realistic expectations from an SAT prep class, and recognize what such a class can and cannot do.

At Summit Language Institute, we provide private instruction for your student, whether you are interested in getting your student up to speed, or you want to help your student prepare for the SAT/ACT.  If you live in the Chicago area and would like more information, please contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Google

Leave a Reply ?

Education Focus: School’s Out!

Posted on 2012/06/04
by

School's out, school's out!

With the start of June, many students are eagerly anticipating their summer break, if it hasn’t already started!  Most elementary, middle, and high schools generally have their last day of school sometime around the end of May or the beginning of June.  For school districts in northern states, a school year might be extended or not, depending on whether any “snow days” were used in the course of the academic year.  Some districts do not include any snow days in their calendar, so if they have to cancel any school days because of too much snow, they make up for it by extending the end of the school year by an equal number of days.  Other districts include extra snow days in their calendar in advance, and any unused snow days convert to summer vacation.

Sometime during the final days of the school year, some schools might have a school / class picnic or other celebration before the students are dismissed for the summer.  Before the final day of class, textbooks have to be returned, desks and lockers have to be cleaned out, and art projects have to be taken home.  It used to be that on the very last day of the school year, students would attend school to pick up their report card and find out if they would be promoted to the next grade for the fall.  They would also say goodbye to their classmates and teachers.  Now, most schools mail out the report cards, so there is not much to do on the final day except take care of any loose ends – make sure that locker is cleaned out, or finally pay the fine on that overdue library book – and say goodbye.  Both students and teachers look forward to several weeks of freedom from the normal grind of school, until classes start up again in late August or early September.

There are two short rhymes about the end of the school year:

School’s out, school’s out – teacher let the monkeys out!

and

No more pencils
No more books
No more teacher’s dirty looks!

(“dirty looks” is an expression that describes the disapproving way a parent or a teacher might look at a child who misbehaves.)

Google

Leave a Reply ?

Education Focus: Scholarships

Posted on 2012/05/28
by

money

Today, let’s take a look at scholarships.  With the average cost of attending college / university somewhere between $8,000 and $28,000 per year (depending on factors such as public/private school, location, and so on), many people are concerned about the price of college tuition.  Indeed, in the 20-year period from 1988 to 2008, the average price of tuition and fees at a public college / university increased by 130% – more than double, and it doesn’t look like price increases are going to slow down anytime soon.  Small wonder, then, that people look for ways to find money to fund a college education.  Scholarships can help.

When Americans talk about a scholarship, they generally mean “money to study at school,” or money given to a student to cover some (or all) the costs associated with attending school.  Broadly speaking, this could be any school, including a private elementary school or high school.  But usually, most people think of scholarships in the context of attending college or university, and that is what we’ll be taking a brief look at here.

There are different kinds of scholarships.  Some scholarships are what we call a “full ride,” where all expenses are paid for – not only tuition (i.e., the price of instruction), but fees, book, and room and board (i.e., paying for the student’s living arrangements and meals while attending college).  Other scholarships might be for tuition only, or only for books.  Sometimes a scholarship is for a set percentage of a student’s college bill, and other times a scholarship will be for a designated dollar amount, such as $500 per year, or $5000 per year.  Some scholarships are granted through the college or university, while others are granted through private organizations.

Not only do scholarships differ in the amount of support they provide a student, but they can also differ as to the reason why scholarships are awarded.  Some scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit – if a student earns excellent grades, he may be granted a scholarship.  Some scholarships are awarded to students who come from a disadvantaged background – perhaps the student comes from a poor family that otherwise could not afford to send him to college.  Some scholarships are given to students of a particular ethnicity or ancestry – for example, if the student is of German ancestry, or Mexican ancestry, etc.  Some scholarships are given to children of members of a particular group – for example, there are scholarships reserved for students whose mothers are members of DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution).  Some scholarships are given in exchange for commitment to future service – for example, if the student agrees to serve in the military during college, or after graduation.  Some scholarships are for sons or daughters of employees of a particular company, and some are for sons or daughters of veterans.  Some are for students who plan to study a particular field, such as medicine.   There are even oddball scholarships:  believe it or not, there are special scholarships for people who are left-handed, for people who have red hair, and people who attend their prom wearing a dress or suit made entirely of duct tape!

As a matter of fact, there are simply too many scholarships available to list them all here.  If you are thinking about attending college, it pays to investigate and see if there are any scholarships that you are eligible for.  If you don’t like the idea of spending hours of research online, you can even sign up for a service that will hunt for scholarships on your behalf.  Of course, such services generally have some sort of fee associated with them, but some people prefer the convenience of having someone else do the digging for them.  Regardless of which option you choose, it’s worthwhile to see if you qualify for one or more of these scholarships.  Every little bit helps!

Google

Leave a Reply ?

Education Focus: Prom

Posted on 2012/05/21
by
Prom

Click for larger image

 

For this week’s Education Focus, we’ll take a look at a quintessential American school experience:  Prom.

Prom comes from the word “promenade.”  It is one of the major high school dances held in the year.  It is sometimes referred to as the senior prom, as it typically marks one of the final social events in a high school student’s career, but sometimes there are other students (for example, juniors) who attend as well, as long as one of the couple is a senior.  Most often, a boy will ask his steady girlfriend to the prom, but sometimes a couple will go as “just friends.”

Prom is a formal dance.  Girls usually wear a fancy, expensive dress and get their hair done professionally at a beauty salon.  To go with his date’s dress, a boy will get her a corsage, often worn on the wrist.  Boys, on the other hand, rent a black or white tuxedo.  His outfit is completed with a boutonniere from his date.  Many parents will take pictures of the couples before they ride off in a hired limousine to take them to the site of the prom.

Sometime the prom is held at an outside venue, like a banquet hall, but of course such an arrangement would add to the cost of the ticket, so to keep it affordable for most students, many schools opt to have the prom in the school gymnasium, which is decorated for the big day.  Food may be served, but the focus on the evening is on dancing.  There are often other activities at prom, such as voting for a prom king and prom queen.

Afterwards, there is often a post-prom party.  These are usually chaperoned, to help reduce the incidence of teenage drinking.  Post-prom activities range from bowling parties to picnics at a park, or even a trip to an amusement park.  Many students look back at prom as a highlight of their high school years.

Google

Leave a Reply ?

Writing Assignment: At Graduation (Solution)

Posted on 2012/05/19
by
receiving the sheepskin

Click for larger image

1.    Where was this picture taken?
This picture was taken outside, on an athletic field.

2.    Whom do you see in the picture?
We see a man and a girl in the picture.

3.    What are they doing?
They are standing, and the man is passing something to the girl.

4.    What is the man dressed in?
The man is dressed in a suit and tie.

5.    What is the girl dressed in?
The girl is dressed in a cap and gown.

6.    What is in their hands?
A diploma is in their hands.  The man is handing out a diploma to the girl.

7.    Why is the man giving the girl a diploma?
The man is giving the girl a diploma because she has graduated from school.

8.    What is this ceremony called?
This ceremony is called a graduation ceremony, or commencement exercises.

9.    Who is usually present at a graduation?
The people that are usually present at a graduation include parents, the graduates, the faculty, friends and family of the graduates, and the members of the band and choir.

10.    What parts are usually in commencement exercises?
Commencement exercises often consist of procession, speeches, awarding of honors, distribution of diplomas, and recession.  There is also often special music by the band and/or the choir.

11.    What kinds of awards are usually presented at a graduation ceremony?
The awards that are usually presented at a graduation ceremony include graduation cum laude (with honor), magna cum laude (with great honor), and summa cum laude (with highest honor).  In addition, the school recognizes the top two students, based on grade point average (GPA):  valedictorian (highest GPA) and salutatorian (second highest GPA).

12.    Who might give a speech at commencement exercises?
The principal of the school, or a well-respected teacher, might give a speech at commencement exercises.  Sometimes there is also a guest speaker at commencement exercises, especially at a college or university.  And usually the valedictorian and/or the salutatorian will give a commencement speech as well.

13.    How is it determined which students will give a speech?
The valedictorian and salutatorian are chosen to give a commencement speech based on their class rank.

14.    How do the graduates get their diploma?
The graduates line up to get their diploma, and they walk across the stage after their name has been called.  They walk up to the person handing out the diplomas and shake his hand as he gives them the diploma.

15.    What does a graduate do right after he receives his diploma?
Immediately after receiving the diploma, the graduate switches the tassel on his mortarboard from the right-hand side to the left (undergraduate and high school).

16.    What does the graduating class often do after everyone has received his diploma?
After everyone has received his diploma, the entire graduating class often toss their mortarboards high into the air.

17.    What can take place after a graduation ceremony?
After a graduation ceremony, there usually is picture-taking.  People also like to have celebrations like a graduation party.

18.    How might a family celebrate a son or daughter’s graduation?
A family might celebrate a son or daughter’s graduation by taking family and friends out to dinner, or hosting a dinner party at their home.

19.    What kind of graduation present might be given to the graduate?
Graduation presents that are often given to the graduate range from nice pens or dictionaries (especially for those who are going on to college or university) to cars or apartments (especially for those who have graduated from college or university, and are starting off on their own life).

20.    How might the graduate celebrate?
The graduate might celebrate by attending a graduation party with his friends or classmates.  This is usually separate from a graduation party with the family.

Paragraph:  Graduation

When I graduated from high school, the weather was nice.  It wasn’t too hot, it wasn’t too cold, and it was sunny, so we were able to have the graduation ceremony on the football field.  The commencement exercises were scheduled for 1 p.m., so all the graduates gathered at the high school beforehand to get ready.  The girls wore nice dresses, and the boys wore suits and ties.  Of course everyone would wear a cap and gown for the graduation ceremony, but we still dressed up.  Many of us would have some sort of celebration, such as a graduation dinner, afterwards, so dressing up was appropriate.  A number of the girls wore a corsage on their gowns.  Just before the start of the graduation ceremony, we lined up at the end of the football field and waited for the band to start playing the traditional graduation music, Pomp and Circumstance.  We marched in procession to our seats and sat down, row by row.  One of our classmates was handicapped and thus in a wheelchair, so a couple of the boys wheeled him in the procession.

Once everyone had taken their seat, the principal gave some opening remarks.  A local pastor opened with a word of prayer, and then there several speeches – one by the superintendent, one by the principal, one by the valedictorian, and one by the salutatorian.  Although the speeches were all different, they all had a common theme – the secret to success in life lay in hard work, dedication, and perseverance.  Like most commencement speeches, they were meant to inspire us to work hard and dream for our future.

It was difficult to remember exactly who said what, because we were all excited to be graduating from high school – it was an important milestone in our lives, a marker that we were finally adults:  some of us would start working full time and move out on our own, some of us would go into military service, and some of us would be getting ready to attend college or university in the coming fall.  Before we knew it, all the speeches were over, and it was time to begin handing out the diplomas.  Row by row, we stood up and got in line, waiting for the moment when our name was called and we would march across the stage, shake hands with the superintendent as he handed us our diploma, pause a moment for the photographer who took a picture of our personal milestone, and switch the tassel on our cap from the right side to the left, to signify our new status as graduates.  We then finished the walk across the stage and went back to our seats.

After everyone had received his diploma, the principal then addressed the audience of family and friends:  “Ladies and gentlemen, I now present to you the Class of 1981.  Congratulations!”  At these words, a number of the graduates took off their caps and tossed them high into the air, happy to hear those magic words.  Then the band struck up the recessional music, and we marched off the field, marching away from high school, away from our childhood and into adulthood, into the future.

Google

Leave a Reply ?

Writing Assignment: At Graduation

Posted on 2012/05/18
by
big milestone

Click for larger image

 

Vocabulary

commencement
commencement exercises
graduate
cap
gown
tassel
diploma
announcement
Class of 2012
speech
Valedictorian
Salutatorian
grade point average
class rank
mortarboard
procession
recession
awards
honors
cum laude
magna cum laude
summa cum laude
graduation party
graduation present

1.    Where was this picture taken?
2.    Whom do you see in the picture?
3.    What are they doing?
4.    What is the man dressed in?
5.    What is the girl dressed in?
6.    What is in their hands?
7.    Why is the man giving the girl a diploma?
8.    What is this ceremony called?
9.    Who is usually present at a graduation?
10.    What parts are usually in commencement exercises?
11.    What kinds of awards are usually presented at a graduation ceremony?
12.    Who might give a speech at commencement exercises?
13.    How is it determined which students will give a speech?
14.    How do the graduates get their diploma?
15.    What does a graduate do right after he receives his diploma?
16.    What does the graduating class often do after everyone has received his diploma?
17.    What can take place after a graduation ceremony?
18.    How might a family celebrate a son or daughter’s graduation?
19.    What kind of graduation present might be given to the graduate?
20.    How might the graduate celebrate?

Paragraph:  Graduation

Have you completed your education?  Did you have a formal graduation ceremony?  What was it like?  Write a brief paragraph describing graduation ceremonies or customs in your country.

Google

Leave a Reply ?

Education Focus: Graduation

Posted on 2012/05/14
by

proud graduate

 

For this week’s educational focus, I want to take a look at graduation. “Graduation” just means that the student has completed the necessary work for a particular grade level, and can then be moved up to the next level. However, when you say the word “graduation,” most people will think of a specific ceremony marking the end of a particular stage in a student’s life, and his moving on to the next stage. This “moving on” is also called “commencement,” and the graduation ceremony is also often called “commencement exercises.”

In the American educational system, the transition from junior high school to high school, from high school to college, and from college to the working world are all marked by graduation ceremonies. Thus, we have 8th grade graduation, high school graduation, and college graduation. For the ceremony, the graduates (the students who are moving on) march in to solemn music (traditionally, “Pomp and Circumstance” by Elgar – midi, or see Wikipedia’s sample (which is played too fast for commencement exercises) at the bottom of its page) and take their seat in an auditorium. All the graduates are dressed in cap and gown, with a tassel hanging from the right side of the cap. Various speeches are given by the principal or other school officials, the valedictorian (the top-ranked student in the class), and the salutatorian (the student who is ranked second in the class). Sometimes, in the case of a college graduation ceremony, a notable person may be awarded an honorary degree from the school (for outstanding work in a particular field, for example), and then that person would most likely give a speech as well. The speeches tend to be motivational, encouraging the students to continue to do their best and be a positive influence wherever they may be. After all the speeches, the students line up to get their diploma (the symbol of the degree that they earned), and the principal or dean reads off the names of the graduates. As his name is called, the graduate crosses the stage, shakes hands and accepts the diploma, and switches his tassel from the right side to the left. The switching of the tassel symbolizes that the student is now a graduate. Afterwards, the student steps off the stage and returns to his seat. When all the students have received their diplomas, they are presented to the audience by the dean or principal: “I now present to you the class of [year],” and many graduates then throw their caps in the air in celebration.

The graduate’s family often prepares some sort of celebration as well, and graduation parties are very common. Particularly in the case of 8th grade and high school graduations, it is common to have a graduation picnic or pool party for the whole class. Many parents also give a nice graduation gift to their graduate, such as money, a new bicycle, or other reward for having successfully completed school.

Google

PlayPlay

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Leave a Reply ?

Education Focus: Spelling Bees 2

Posted on 2012/05/07
by
2011 Contestants - Scripps National Spelling Bee

Photo: Scripps National Spelling Bee

Last week, we briefly discussed spelling bees and how they are generally conducted at the local level.  Now, let’s take a look at the premier event:  The Scripps National Spelling Bee.

The first National Spelling Bee was held in 1925.  Initially, it was formed by a Louisville, Kentucky newspaper, The Courier-Journal.  Later, in 1941, the sponsorship of the National Spelling Bee was changed to the Scripps Howard News Service.  The name was changed to the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee, and eventually shortened to Scripps National Spelling Bee.

There continues to be a close relationship between newspapers and the Scripps National Spelling Bee, as many of the spelling bee participants are sponsored by their local newspapers, who may view sponsorship as an opportunity to support education and literacy.   According to the official website, the purpose of the Scripps National Spelling Bee is “to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts, and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives.”

The Scripps National Spelling Bee is held every year in Washington, D.C., at the end of May.  This year, the 2012 Scripps National Spelling Bee will be starting with Round One Test on May 29, and continuing with Preliminaries (May 30) and Semifinals (May 31).  The highlight, of course, are the Championship Finals on May 31, starting at 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.  (The Scripps National Spelling Bee can be viewed on the sports channel ESPN, which has exclusive live coverage rights.)  Participants compete for a number of prizes, including a $30,000 cash prize and trophy for the spelling champion.

Who can participate in the Scripps National Spelling Bee?  There are a number of rules for eligibility, but basically the contest is for students who are in the eighth grade or younger, and are age 15 or younger.  This year, the youngest contestant is only 6 years old!  However, 84% of this year’s 278 spellers are between the ages of 12 and 14.  Students may be from public schools (193 contestants, or 69.4%), private schools (39 contestants, or 14.0%), parochial schools (16 contestants, or 5.8%), charter schools (2 contestants, or 0.7%), or home-schooled (28 contestants, or 10.1%).

2011 Scripps National Spelling Bee winner Sukanya Roy

2011 Scripps National Spelling Bee winner Sukanya Roy. Photo: Scripps National Spelling Bee

The winner of the 2011 Scripps National Spelling Bee was Sukanya Roy.  Her winning word was cymotrichous, which means “having wavy hair.”

You can read more about the Scripps National Spelling Bee here.

Google

Leave a Reply ?

Education Focus: Spelling Bees 1

Posted on 2012/04/30
by
spelling bee

Who will be the spelling champion?

One of the subjects that American schoolchildren study is English.  Of course they must study reading, writing, and grammar, but another thing they need to study is spelling.  Every week the teacher gives the students a list of words to study, and the students are tested at the end of the week.  Sometimes, as a fun way to practice spelling, the teacher might have a spelling bee, or spelling contest.

Generally speaking, a “bee” is when people get together to accomplish some task.  When people help each other, it is easier to finish a project.  In the old days, for example, women would get together for quilting bees – where the women would work together to make quilts, or blankets – and men would get together for a barn-raising bee, and so on.  Other types of bees are apple bees, husking bees (or shucking bees), knitting bees, logging bees, paring bees, and spinning bees.

Spelling contests became especially popular in the 1800s.  The term “bee” was adopted to describe these competitive events, even though a spelling bee isn’t really a communal effort like a quilting bee or a husking bee.  There were spelling bees not only in schools, but also local ones which the community could participate in, sometimes for prizes.

Often, spelling bees are intramural:  a teacher will have a spelling bee for the class, and then the winner of the spelling bee might have the opportunity to compete against the best spellers in the other classes of that school.  For each round, the participants are each given a word to spell by the pronouncer.  Any participant that spells his given word incorrectly will be eliminated from the competition.  If all the participants in a round misspell, all remain in the competition, and there will be a new round.  If only one participant in a round spells correctly, there will be a final round, and the participant will have to spell that final word correctly to win the spelling bee.  If he misspells the final word, then all who had misspelled before that final round are back in, and a new round starts.  The spelling bee continues in this manner until only one speller is left – the champion.

In a formal spelling bee, the pronouncer is the one who reads the spelling words from a list for the spelling bee participants.  He has to pronounce the words as indicated in the dictionary.  The speller may request the pronouncer to repeat the word, define the word, use it in a sentence, provide the language of origin, provide the part of speech, or give an alternate pronunciation.  Judges uphold the rules, and make the final determination whether or not words are spelled correctly.  The speller must pronounce the word before and after it is spelled, and he must face the judges so they can tell by the speller’s lip movements if the word has been spelled correctly.

Sometimes, though, spelling bees are extramural – the winners might go on to compete against the best spellers from other schools in regional contests.  Excellent spellers can advance to the state level, or even the national level, competing against the very best from all across the country.  In the United States, the most famous of these national contests is known as the Scripps National Spelling Bee.  We’ll take a look at this well-known contest next week.

Google

Leave a Reply ?

Education Focus: Turnabout

Posted on 2012/04/23
by
Girls asking boys out

Hey, do you want to go to the dance with me?

Today, let’s look at a relatively recent custom to have emerged at many American high schools:  the Turnabout Dance.  The Turnabout Dance may go by different names at different schools, but the basic idea is the same – it is a dance where the girls ask the boys out, instead of vice versa.  Turnabout is a semi-formal dance:  it is not as informal as a Sadie Hawkins dance, and not as formal as Prom.

Since the girl gets to ask the boy to go to the dance with her, she is then responsible for the other aspects of the date:  picking the boy up and paying for the dance, as well as any post-dance activities, such as dinner.  The advantage of Turnabout is that it gives girls who might otherwise be “wallflowers” (someone who doesn’t get asked to dance) an opportunity to go on a date, instead of waiting around and hoping that a boy would notice them or ask them out.

Sometime a group of girls might decide to double date (two couples going out together) or group date (more than two couples going out together) in conjunction with going to Turnabout.  This can be beneficial to all involved, because it is usually less stressful than a traditional one-on-one date, especially for first dates.  Parents also generally prefer group dates for their teens, because it helps to reduce the temptation for teens to get in trouble or make mischief.

An alternative to Turnabout is for the girl to ask the boy to go with her on an alternate activity, such as bowling or skating, or some other pastime that can be enjoyed by a group of teens.  Afterwards, they may go out for pizza or dinner afterwards.

Google

Comments Off on Education Focus: Turnabout