A Winning Combination: Children, Computers and Time
by Barbara Frank
(excerpted from Thriving in the 21st Century: Preparing Our Children for the New Economic Reality)
Ultimately, schools have enough on their plates teaching children the three R’s; adding a requirement for insuring that children become computer-literate can often overwhelm even the best schools. So if children don’t learn to use computers in school, where can they learn this vital skill? ...read more
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ADHD: Catching Up and Calming Down
by Pennie Sempell
ADHD is the most common psychiatric childhood disorder in the USA and it is increasing globally, with use of stimulants drugs on the rise since the early 1990s.
A new study using brain scans is shedding light on ADHD. A report from the National Academy of Sciences
finds that most kids with ADHD grow out of it. The scans used new imaging technology to “watch” 40,000 points in the subjects’ brains over time. Apparently, the brain achieves a peak thickness in childhood. Typically, developing kids’ cortex mature at age 7-1/2, but in children with ADHD, this development was three years behind. Aside from time, however, the brains develop the same way... read more
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Hard Questions About Homeschooling (Part Six)
“I CAN’T CONTROL MY KID!!” - Part II
by Steven David Horwich
This is an extension of the fifth article in a series answering hard questions dealing with homeschooling. We’re dealing with this question:
- Some children may be a handful for the family to “handle”.
In the last article, we discussed the fact that every child is different, and that difference is GOOD and necessary.
This “truth” served us in the last article. Here’s another truth about difficult children...read more
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A Gentle Yet Effective Approach to Math Mistakes
by Josh Rappaport
Everyone who teaches math knows it’s easy for students to make mistakes. After all, there’s often just one way to get a math problem right, but many ways to get it wrong.
And in addition, the more steps a problem has, the greater the chances for making a mistake. When you consider all of this, doesn’t it seem miraculous that anyone ever gets a math problem right?!
As easy as it is to make math mistakes —and despite the fact that children know that mistakes happen — kids often get quite upset when math mistakes “happen” to them. I’ve watched students break down in tears when they make a slew of mistakes...read more
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 Keeping Teaching Fresh for the Homeschool Parent
by Ms.Tirtza Koren Gal
As homeschooling parents, we focus most of our attention on keeping our homeschool curricula interesting and engaging for our homeschool students. Many of us, however, forget that we are also a critical element, and that our enjoyment and engagement in the process directly affects the learning experience of our young charges.
That being said, how can we stay engaged in and excited about the process? Even the saintliest among us or the most natural teachers among us can get stuck in a rut once in a while. Here are some tips to keep the homeschooling process interesting for you... read more
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Do Re Mi, 1 2 3
by Mike Overly
Simply stated, music is heard as sound and seen as symbol. The symbols are given names which may create confusion because sometimes a different name is given to the same symbol. This confusion also arises in relation to concepts, thoughts and ideas. For example, melody is created when sounds are connected together and then played one at a time. Melody is often mislabeled by guitar players, but correctly identified by musicians playing guitar. For example, a guitar player will call playing a melody, lead guitar, while a musician playing guitar will correctly call it, melody guitar..... read more
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SAT vs. ACT
by Jean Burk
Years ago, deciding whether to take the SAT or ACT wasn’t even an issue. Back then, the ACT was traditionally required by colleges in the Midwest, and the SAT was the test of choice for the South and both east and west coasts. Now the majority of universities in the United States widely accept both SAT and ACT results. Even if a school prefers one over the other, admissions officers will usually convert the scores interchangeably.
Thanks to grade inflation, differences in curriculum difficulty and teaching quality, a 4.0 at one school can vary greatly from a 4.0 at a different school. Colleges rely on standardized tests to help compensate for these differences. In addition, these scores serve as a reliable predictor of how a student will perform academically in their first year of college...read more
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The Impact of Hemispheric Dominance on Learning to Read
by Sarah Major, M.Ed
As is often the case when we discuss people in terms of classification, we tend to over generalize and label people. This is certainly the case when discussing right- or left-brain dominance. I would love to have a dime for every time I’ve heard someone say, “I’m right brained” or “I’m left brained.” A picture flashes into my head of a hemisphere in the brain running around on little legs and bare feet.
The fact is, we think and learn using both sides of our brain. Having said that, however, it is a fact that each of us has a dominant hemisphere that dictates our learning strengths, impacts our view of the world, and how we function in it. It is particularly important, then, for us as parents to understand our child’s dominant learning style and adjust our practice to that preference. If we don’t, chances are very good that the child will struggle with academics to one extent or another...read more
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Featured Resource of the Month
Got math anxiety? ERASE IT!
Too many students find math confusing and anxiety-provoking.
Here at Singing Turtle Press, we believe that everyone should succeed at math, no matter how math-phobic, no matter how right-brained, no matter what.
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4) Step-by-step instructions
5) Lots of practice problems
These five elements pack a powerful punch, making algebra not only easy to understand, but also enjoyable. But don't just take our word for it — read a sprinkling of quotes from homeschooled children and their parents.
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Contact info for Singing Turtle Press or “Now I Get It” Tutoring
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