In last week’s Tip of the Week, I suggested that improvement in writing is often “caught” by continuous exposure to good writers. However, at a basic level you may be asking, can a student’s grammar be improved through direct teaching? I would answer yes, but not as a result of the common methods you find in…
When I was completing undergraduate studies in California, I took an advanced writing class. I was consistently pulling B+’s to A-‘s. Because I wanted to earn an A for the class, I gathered up the courage to ask the professor what I was doing wrong and how I could improve. She was quiet for a moment. While she couldn’t put…
My wife and I are native Californians. As young adults and new Christians, we grew up in Orange County, a densely-populated part of the state filled with mega churches and a continuous stream of end-time teachings and rapture frenzy. We wanted to re-locate. We wanted to find a simpler and slower pace of life. We…
Will my student be required to take a test that is Common Core aligned? The short answer, at least here in the Northwest, is… that depends. Students enrolled in any of the online public school programs such as K-12, Clackamas Web Academy, or Connections Academy will definitely face tests that are Common-Core specific. For privately…
Spring testing is here! Perhaps you’re in a state that requires achievement testing. Or, you test regardless of state requirements in order to gain the valuable information it yields. Either way, your student’s attitude toward and during this important activity is a vital key to doing well and showing what he or she knows and…
Twice in the last four months I’ve gotten text messages from my carrier that I’m about to exceed my data limit. Twice I paid overage fees. The warning didn’t work. Maybe I should have listened to that Sprint commercial that told me “I have the right to be unlimited” and changed plans. Our culture is…
Here’s something to try at home with your elementary age children. Ask them this question: “If you could receive one million dollars right now or a penny doubled every day for 30 days, which one would you choose?” Some will take the “million dollars right now.” Others may sense this is a trick question. Regardless…
I don’t know about you, but by Sunday night I’d had my fill of media coverage of the last three days of “events.” And you, like me, probably have some strong feelings one way or another over what’s taken place. The thoughts below are not an invite to debate; they’re simply my reflection and serve…
I’ve been thinking about what it was like when we were home schooling our children back in the 90’s. Back then, distinctions beyond simply being part of a group that had decided to teach their children at home began to emerge. In other words, sub-groups began forming. Members or advocates of these groups would say…
Spring achievement testing officially begins March 1. Normally I would wait until then to tell this story, but since I just heard it, I want to share it with you before I forget it and let it slip away. Here it is: A tutor was working with a student helping her prepare for the SAT….