From the Fox's Den - April Newsletter
Staying Ahead of the Game LLC
Award-winning academic coaching & tutoring service based in Texas for students in 3rd grade through college.
Although May is when many students sit for?exams, April usually determines?the exam grades. The truth is final exams rarely boost a student's final average.?A student must achieve an exam score?approximately seven points higher than their current class grade to?increase their final grade by one point. Four or five?of these?stress-inducing cumulative tests in a ten-day period is a different kind of academic challenge. Thus, it requires a different approach. Our suggestion: start in April.?
The last two weeks of April are a much more potent final exam preparation period than the first two weeks of May for two reasons. First, April enables a student to attack class content without cramming. Second, while May exam prep is focused on learning strategies, April emphasizes the other three pillars of Executive Function: organization, time management, and impression management. Students who invest their time and energy into these three pillars will reap the rewards during the hectic exam season.?
For parents and support professionals ready to help students finish the semester strong, here are our expert EF tips:
The Last Step Is Choosing the Next Step?-Procrastination thrives on uncertainty. When studying for final exams (or completing any long-term project), the best way to beat procrastination is to clarify what's next. So, at the end of every study session, students should clarify the next task. The clearer the target, the better the aim. When students sit down to study for a cumulative exam, they should know the starting point, the end goal, and what "finished" will look like for that day's work. This time management technique lowers a daunting task's activation energy, helping to maintain consistent momentum.?
Embrace Alternative Learning Avenues?- By the time April rolls around, students have a clear picture of what their classes are about and how the teacher assesses their learning. For final exams, a student should shift their gaze from the micro to the macro, focusing on themes, principles, and fundamental concepts. Then, students should look for different avenues for mastering those tenets of the course. Here, we're asking students to combine an organization technique (focus on omni-relevant principles) with a study technique (learning overmany days in many ways).?
Audit the Grades:?We know that "audit" is a scary word this time of year, but not all audits are equal. An academic audit ensures students get credit for all of the hard work they've done. Make-up assignments after school absences, extra-credit opportunities, and test corrections can get lost in the shuffle. Besides confirming grade accuracy, an April grade audit can also highlight patterns in a student's performance. Maybe a student scored well on writing assignments, but then struggled with more objective portions of tests. Maybe a student slipped up on one unit, but then performed well on the rest. These patterns can pinpoint high-value study targets for final exam preparation.
Engaging in Our Community?-?It's been a busy month for SAOTG President and CEO,?Evan Weinberger. Evan attended the Westview School Luncheon to celebrate the amazing accomplishments their students have made throughout the year.?Thank you to Michele Baumen Joseph, Founding Head of School at Gateway Academy, for inviting Evan to attend this wonderful event. Next weekend, Evan and the SAOTG team will attend the Attention Deficit Disorders Association (ADDA-SR) event entitled?"Neuroscience for the Neurodiverse" on April 20th.?Learn more about the event?here. We hope to see you there!?
SAOTG Summer Courses Filling Up?- Two SAOTG summer courses are open for registration! Our popular 5-day?Quest: Executive Function?gives students critical Executive Function tools and teaches them proven strategies for conquering the upcoming school year. Every student?will receive targeted instruction in the four pillars of our?proprietary Executive Function?curriculum:?organization, time management, learning skills, and social competencies. We are also excited to announce a NEW course this summer.?In Conquer: Effective Writing, students will learn?the tools, tactics, and systems they need to write effective academic papers, college admissions essays, and everything in between.?We expect these courses to sell out quickly, so reserve your spot today!
Did Someone Say ISEE Prep??- Supporting local schools is integral to SAOTG's mission. In addition to working with students one-on-one, the SAOTG team is working in partnership with schools like Beth Yeshurun Day School to help students prepare for the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE). Success on the ISEE, like any standardized test, is about knowledge as well as technique. We're excited to help dozens more students demonstrate their potential on this tricky exam. To learn more about our various school partnerships and exam preparation services, check out our educational consulting page and?'reply' to this newsletter to discuss possibilities!
领英推荐
LATEST BLOG POST
POST OF THE MONTH
Copyright ? 2024 Staying Ahead of the Game
All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you provided your contact information.
Our mailing address is:
Staying Ahead of the Game
6575 West Loop S, Suite 570
Bellaire, TX 77401