The following survey is intended for me to gather research regarding the study habits of students in our “Age of Technology.” To access the survey, please click on the following link:
To see common questions asked by parents to The Tutor Whisperer, please click on:
http://modernmom.com/expert/41733/
To see my article titled “Looking Backwards to Move Forward,” about calendaring one’s academic and social schedule, click:
http://modernmom.com/blogs/tutorwhisperer/3767/
To read my article “Active Learning: Get Out of Your Seat!” about how learning can be effective outside of a classroom environment, please click:
http://modernmom.com/blogs/tutorwhisperer/3767/
To read about a website that is both educational and service-oriented, please click below to see “Keeping Minds Bright During the Summer Months.”
http://modernmom.com/blogs/tutorwhisperer/3846/
The front of the notecard 
The back of the notecard The majority of my students are required to memorize weekly vocabulary lists. Looking at the words and the definitions the night before the test DOES NOT WORK for most students. I suggest studying for vocabulary a little bit each day for several days in a row after putting the words onto notecards. Once you master the process, it is easy to repeat week after week:
1) Write the vocabulary word on the front of the notecard. Either draw a picture or cut and paste an image also on the front of the card. The picture provides a visual to help imprint the meaning of the word into long-term memory.
2) On the back of the notecard, write the definition of the word, the part of speech, and a sample sentence (most students do not know how to put a new word into a sentence without help. Therefore, a student should use the exact sentence from a dictionary or vocabulary book. Parents may also want to help their children create sentences).
3) A student can quiz himself/herself by looking at the front of the vocabulary cards, reciting the answer, and then flipping the card to check the answer on the back. By preparing the cards in advance, he/she will be ready to hand them over to a parent, babysitter, brother, sister, etc. who can then easily quiz the student.
4) Cards should be saved in an index-card box for future, cumulative exams.
Just as an artist uses colors and textures to enhance his or her painting, the writer wants to add layering to his or her work.
The use of figurative language, which is language enriched by word images and figures of speech such as similes, metaphors, and personification, is an excellent way for writers to “paint.”
A simile is a figure of speech in which two unlike things are compared with the use of the words like or as. Read More
I have an unconventional way of teaching five-paragraph essays. Typically, a teacher will assign the students the introductory paragraph first and have them write a thesis, typically the last sentence of the first paragraph, which states what the entire paper will be about.
I believe that it’s difficult to write an introduction when you don’t know the direction of the rest of the paper. I teach my students to first find their evidence (quotes or supporting details) for the three body paragraphs. After finding the evidence, such as quotations, I have them analyze the quotes and then write their three body paragraphs. Many times this leads them to realize their conclusion, so they write their fifth paragraph after paragraphs two, three, and four.
The students write their introduction LAST, as a result of having a clear direction for their paper…like I said, this is NOT CONVENTIONAL at all!
Here are some samples. I asked my students to take a position on schools requiring their students to wear uniforms.
I feel that society is failing many of our children in the teaching of writing skills. A solid paragraph should start with a topic sentence that tells what the entire paragraph will be about. That topic sentence is then followed by supporting details. The paragraph ends with a concluding sentence. Typically paragraphs are 6-8 sentences, but in high school, some paragraphs tend to be one page typed (double spaced) or longer.
To practice writing skills, I make up questions or find pictures from the Internet, have my students bullet point some notes, arrange the notes in order, and then write a paragraph using vivid, descriptive language. Here are some samples:
I am a firm believer in using mnemonics as a memorization tool. Shoving information into the brain in large amounts can be absolutely overwhelming. I have found that when the student makes a fun sentence out of a series of information, not only does that child learn the information quicker, but he or she is likely to retain the information over time.
This example involves memorizing the states on a map. Many of my students would complain about the length of time it took them to remember 50 states, their locations, and their spellings. I made up these mnemonics (although it is better for the child to make up ones that are meaningful to him or her), and my students memorized these first 17 states in a matter of minutes, not hours.
Here is a sample of a technique I use with my fourth graders for learning history. Most young children think that if they read the chapter two to three times, that constitutes “studying.” I try to teach them what I call “active memorization.” They transfer the words from the pages of the history book to a word document. Because they only choose the most important information, the outline will be considerably shorter than the amount of pages in the book. To make the words more meaningful, we then cut and paste pictures from the Internet, so that the children implant the information in their minds using both words and visuals.
Many parents express that their young children, pre-school age or older, are interested in letters and/or numbers. I am asked by the parents whether they should work with their children or not. I believe that a love of learning can be instilled at a young age. Similarly, distaste for learning can also be introduced at a young age. So, Parents, make the learning experience fun, visual, memorable, and not too long!!! Be patient with your child, and try to experience how he or she learns. I recommend not spending more than ½ hour working with your child on letters or numbers, unless the child is begging to continue.
My favorite activity to do with young children is to make an ABC or number book with pictures under each letter or number. Some children like to draw the pictures. Some color in their parents’ pictures. Others cut and paste pictures from the Internet. Be careful not to look up images on Google or other search engines with your child. Sometimes, inappropriate pictures pop up for a word you would least expect to be “X-rated.” I have had this happen even with child blocks on. Either check the pictures first, or have a series of pictures already in a file that your child can cut and paste.
Typically, I let the children work on three letters at a time, so that they don’t get too tired out. Please see the sample below. My daughter and I created this when she was three years old: Alphabet-Book-for-Young-Children
