Huntington Connects
Writing is one of the most important skills a child will acquire as a student—and also one of the most difficult to master.
If you’re the parent of a college-bound student, you know well all that goes into the college admissions process. From taking the SAT or ACT to the researching of colleges, there’s a lot to do in a relatively short amount of time. But what about the application essay? “If the college to which your teen is applying requires or strongly recommends that he or she write an essay, there are a number of things your teen can do to put his or her best foot forward,” says Eileen Huntington of Huntington Learning Center. Here are five tips:
If your senior is preparing application packages for college next fall, holiday break is a great opportunity to put the finishing touches on some of the more personal elements—like the application essay. The college application essay is easily one of the most important pieces your teen will ever write, and Eileen Huntington, Co-founder and CEO of Huntington Learning Center says that students should give it the attention and care it deserves. “Essays that are well written and sincere give admissions officers a glimpse into who an applicant is ‘off paper’,” she says. As teens prepare to send in their applications in the new year, Huntington encourages them to use the downtime of holiday break to polish their application essays. Here are several tips as they do so:
No matter what age your child is, communication is an essential skill. It helps children confirm their understanding of what they are supposed to learn in the classroom, collaborate effectively with other students and people, advocate for themselves, and of course, create clear, effective written work. How can you help your child strengthen those verbal and nonverbal communication skills? Here are several tips:
A lot changes when students transition into high school and one skill that becomes more important than ever is that of note-taking. “In high school, students are expected to become proficient note-takers, and those notes will become essential study tools that they use to review material for quizzes and tests,” says Co-Founder Eileen Huntington of Huntington Learning Center. “Note-taking should augment student learning and help students recall difficult concepts more easily and remember what teachers teach. Our goal when working with students is to share some of the basics that will help them retain what they learn and study smarter.”
Dr. Ray Huntington of the Huntington Learning Center urges parents to engage their children in learning activities to avoid summer regression. Put simply, summer regression is the loss of academic knowledge gained throughout the school year. “Learning loss or the ‘summer slide’ among students over summer break is a very real problem that we see often,” says Huntington, adding that most students can lose several months of grade-level equivalency in math and reading achievement during this period. He offers several ways for parents to help minimize summer regression.
It’s summer break, which means relaxing, recharging and plenty of fun for students. Even though your child is probably eager to toss the backpack into a closet until September, Eileen Huntington, Co-founder of the Huntington Learning Center encourages parents to develop a summer learning schedule that will deter regression (learning loss), and maintain a schedule. “There are many advantages to incorporating a little structure into your child’s summer schedule,” says Huntington. “Children who continue to exercise their brains have a far easier time going back to school in the fall, plus, keeping the mind active during break can remind children about the fun of learning.
To build a foundation for college and career readiness, students need to learn to use writing as a way of offering and supporting opinions, demonstrating understanding of the subjects they are studying, and conveying real and imagined experiences and events.
It's a common problem among students: summertime regression. Studies show that most students lose at least some knowledge that they gained during the school year over the course of summer vacation. According to Eileen Huntington, co-founder of the Huntington Learning Center, a little effort can go a long way when it comes to helping children avoid significant regression during the summer months. "It doesn't take eight hours a day of studying for your child to stay fresh," says Huntington. "Try projects and activities that make learning fun."
Is it possible to be a top student and a terrible test-taker? Many parents and caregivers would answer a resounding "yes" when speaking of their own children. And they may be especially worried in the springtime, when many schools use tests to determine which students will graduate and move on to the next grade. But with careful preparation and strong test-taking skills, all students can take positive steps to improve their scores. Here are some tips:
