The Tutoring Center of Upland, CA

How one California elementary school sees success after overhauling its reading program

The "reading war" intensifies ...

https://edsource.org/2022/how-one-california-elementary-school-sees-success-after-overhauling-its-reading-program/668351

How one California elementary school sees success after overhauling its reading program Nystrom Elementary ditched a popular, yet criticized curriculum and put a greater focus on phonics to improve students' reading skills.

America's Best Customer Service 2022

The Tutoring Center has earned NewsWeek's "Best Customer Service" award two years in a row under the category of Tutoring Services. What a splendid way to close a year full of challenges! Stay safe, remain strong, and keep learning...

https://www.newsweek.com/americas-best-customer-service-2022

America's Best Customer Service 2022 All of us want to feel listened to and accommodated, particularly when we are shopping for something. Being treated respectfully and helpfully is just as important as finding the right item at the right price.

Educational Activities for Students During the Winter

Even though schools are closed for the Christmas break, there are still plenty of learning opportunities. Let's see what Dr. Thalheimer recommends...

https://dredwardthalheimer.co/educational-activities-for-students-during-the-winter/

Educational Activities for Students During the Winter With winter break upon us, you may be scrambling to try and find something for your kids to do. You don’t want them to plop down in front of the television or the computer for the whole time! It’s so easy for boredom to set in for them, so there are a couple of things […]

Woke Math Won't Deliver Equity | RealClearPolitics

Math gets political :(

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/11/14/woke_math_wont_deliver_equity_146719.html

Woke Math Won't Deliver Equity | RealClearPolitics According to California's draft

Benefits of early math experiences add up

Did you grow up with math anxiety? It does not have to be that way with your children. Flex that math muscle early on with memorable characters, and you can make it sticky...

https://edsource.org/2021/benefits-of-early-math-experiences-add-up/663989

Benefits of early math experiences add up In kindergarten, some children already have a sense of what math means and how it functions while others lack a basic understanding of numbers.

How to Make the Most of Conferences with Your Child’s Teachers

During the school year, there are set times for parents to sit face to face with the teachers and discuss the progress of their children. The next time a parent-teacher conference comes up, be proactive and follow some of Dr. Thalheimer's advice.

https://dredwardthalheimer.co/how-to-make-the-most-of-conferences-with-your-childs-teachers/

How to Make the Most of Conferences with Your Child’s Teachers Communication between teachers and parents is essential to a child’s education. For many parents, almost all of that communication takes place during parent-teacher conferences. If you never know what to make of these conferences, here are some tips that might help. Ask Questions First of all, don...

How a flawed idea is teaching millions of kids to be poor readers

What in the world is Three-Cueing System? It seems like every day I am learning a new term...

Well, the system centers around three cues that young readers are taught to use when seeing words that they do not recognize:

- graphic cues (what do the letters tell you about what the words might be?)

- syntactic cues (what kind of word could it be, for example, a noun or a verb?)

- semantic cues (what word would make sense here, based on the context?)

As I read the article, I notice that many young children coming to The Tutoring Center to seek help with phonics and reading instruction exhibit the same habits that Three-Cueing System teach them to develop!

And then I realize that this article was published back in 2019, before the pandemic hit. Now after 18 months of school closures and remote learning, where are these kids in their reading levels? The simple thought makes my head spin and my heart ache! 😓

https://www.apmreports.org/episode/2019/08/22/whats-wrong-how-schools-teach-reading

How a flawed idea is teaching millions of kids to be poor readers For decades, schools have taught children the strategies of struggling readers, using a theory about reading that cognitive scientists have repeatedly debunked. And many teachers and parents don't know there's anything wrong with it.

Expert: Fall learning needs to build on mental well-being - Futurity

Schools around the country have started or about to. But are they focusing on the most critical and urgent issues that our students face?

“The academic aspect will be a challenge—but learning isn’t going to happen unless kids feel safe, valued, and taken care of.”, said the author of the article below.

Spot on! I could not agree more. And that is what the staff at The Tutoring Center is trying to accomplish year-round — caring for the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of our students while providing them with personalized academic support.

https://www.futurity.org/school-counselor-advice-return-to-school-2615632-2/?utm_campaign=school-counselor-advice-return-to-school-2615632-2&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss

Expert: Fall learning needs to build on mental well-being - Futurity Professor for school counseling Erin Mason has advice for how schools can support mental and emotional well-being this fall.

Should schools use temporary new money to hire new staff?

If you were in the shoes of a public school administrator, what would you do?

https://www.chalkbeat.org/2021/8/6/22612719/stimulus-money-schools-staff-funding-cliff

Should schools use temporary new money to hire new staff? Educators say that’s what schools need. But hiring now could mean layoffs later.

New California law gives students a do-over for failing grades in COVID-19 year

On July 1st, AB-104 was signed into California law to deal with students' retention, grade changes, and exemptions after a year tainted by pandemic-induced remote learning . Each family with school-age children might be impacted, so it makes sense for you as parents to be duly informed. If you think a third-party input can help you make the decision, feel free to contact The Tutoring Center at (909) 579-0274 and schedule a free diagnostic assessment.

Here are the Bill Text
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB104

and a summary article.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article252317208.html

New California law gives students a do-over for failing grades in COVID-19 year Do you know a young person who fell behind during distance learning?

3 Best Tutoring Centers in Ontario, CA - Expert Recommendations

We feel honored to be voted Top 3 Tutoring Centers by
https://threebestrated.com/tutoring-centers-in-ontario-ca

Continue to grant us, O Lord, the desire and the courage to serve our communities with quality, authenticity, humility, care, and compassion. 🙏

3 Best Tutoring Centers in Ontario, CA - Expert Recommendations Expert recommended Top 3 Tutoring Centers in Ontario, CA. How do we actually find? ThreeBestRated.com 50-Point Inspection includes everything from checking reputation, history, complaints, reviews, ratings, satisfaction, trust and cost to the general excellence.

How the Pandemic Helped Fuel the Private School Choice Movement

The pandemic did not create the school choice movement. But it has put the issue of school choice front and center once again. Read this week's article by Eduction Week, and you'll feel the stakes are indeed high, very high!

https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/how-the-pandemic-helped-fuel-the-private-school-choice-movement/2021/07

Regardless of one's position on this issue, one idea seems to gain consensus: Empowering parents with the tools to do what is best for their children. After all, aren't the parents entrusted by God to raise the next generation according to His divine purpose?

On the eve of Independence Day, I cannot thank enough for the many choices that this country has afforded with regards to education: public school, private school, private tutor, boarding school, charter school, homeschooling, learning pod, micro-school, unschooling, world-schooling, apprenticeship, etc. with every shade and twist in between.

By the way, have a blessed Fourth of July!

How the Pandemic Helped Fuel the Private School Choice Movement State lawmakers got a new talking point as they pushed to create and expand programs to send students to private schools.

Brad Taylor’s address to school board District 196

Awareness is good, but can we have too much of it? I am talking about diversity, equity, inclusion in this case. Is it possible that, as a result of aggressive promotion, we end up accomplishing the exact opposite of what the pursuit sets out to mitigate in the first place?

Take a few minutes to watch the video clip below and draw your own educated conclusion. BTW, the look of the school district representative at the end of the clip is very telling...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM1YWxff_4Y

Brad Taylor’s address to school board District 196 A student at Rosemount high school shares his experience as a Freshman.

Planning Ahead: Keeping Your Child Mentally Active this Summer

Summer is upon us, and the excessive heat we are experiencing is here to remind us of that. Now that the state has re-opened, we want to engage our children with plenty of fun and stimulating activities, preferably away from too much screen time. Here are some time-tested ideas from Dr. Thalheimer's latest blog.

https://dredwardthalheimer.co/planning-ahead-keeping-your-child-mentally-active-this-summer/

Planning Ahead: Keeping Your Child Mentally Active this Summer The long summer months can be a time of rest for children, but they still need to remain active for the sake of their physical and mental health. The good news is that children can engage in plenty of fun activities to keep them mentally and physically active over the summer months.   Something as ...

What Is Juneteenth?

Today, the United States of America recognizes JuneTeenth as a federal public holiday for the first time in its history. You can read some historical background about it here.
https://www.history.com/news/what-is-juneteenth

What Is Juneteenth? Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) is a holiday commemorating this day, which marked the effective end of slavery in the United States.

America Is Flunking Math

Recently, we heard that California was proposing revised math instruction from middle school through 10th grade. According to the revised framework, everyone in the public schools will be receiving the same math courses until 10th grade, under the banner of equity and inclusion. I won't comment on it here, but below is an article worth reading.

https://www.persuasion.community/p/why-america-is-flunking-math-education

America Is Flunking Math We need to get racial politics out of the equation before it's too late.

How to Teach Your Children About Money

Two concepts that a lot of students fail to grasp are time and money: more specially, how to tell time on an analog clock and how to handle coins and change. Both actually can serve as great introduction to skip counting / multiplication and decimal operations. Read Dr. Thalheimer's blog on money and perhaps find some nuggets in the form of summer game activities to play with your youngsters..

https://dredwardthalheimer.co/how-to-teach-your-children-about-money/

How to Teach Your Children About Money Teaching your kids about money is the first step in helping them learn good personal finance habits. They can begin learning about money at an early age, and familiarizing them with financial concepts will give them a better understanding of mathematics. Here are a few ways that you can help your ch...

‘Parents are powerless’: Students face being held back after a year of remote learning

This sounds like a drastic, one-size-fits-all, measure to a problem that begs for personal considerations... The ultimate "victims" are still our dear students. 😠

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/22/repeat-school-year-482336

‘Parents are powerless’: Students face being held back after a year of remote learning Pandemic-related learning loss means some parents are weighing whether their children should repeat a grade. In 18 states, they won’t have a choice.

Common Strategies That Teachers Use with Struggling Students

Here are some common strategies teachers use for their struggling students. As parents, we can use them too!

https://dredwardthalheimer.co/common-strategies-that-teachers-use-with-struggling-students/

Common Strategies That Teachers Use with Struggling Students For many students, knowing how to study effectively, how to process the material presented in the classroom, and knowing how to apply knowledge in new contexts is a challenging task. While most parents of struggling students believe that their children will set themselves up for success if they work...

Addressing Your Child’s Sensory Needs While Learning From Home

Making sense of your child's sensory needs? Read this blog entry by Dr. Thalheimer. And while you are there, check out the other entries, including the one on "Helping Kids Remain Socially Connected During the Pandemic." 😊

https://dredwardthalheimer.co/addressing-your-childs-sensory-needs-while-learning-from-home/

Addressing Your Child’s Sensory Needs While Learning From Home Learning from home can be challenging and, at times, downright exhausting for students and parents alike. While many parents may be focused on keeping their children on track academically, it’s crucial to acknowledge the health impact – both mental and physical – that children may be experienc...

CDC researchers find 'little evidence' of major school outbreaks, with precautions

It is upsetting to read about the rise of student suicides in this article ...
https://www.businessinsider.com/rising-student-suicides-prompt-country-largest-district-to-reopen-2021-1

At the same time, CDC researchers are looking at the science that may help reopen our schools sooner rather than later.
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/535926-cdc-researchers-find-little-evidence-of-major-school-outbreaks-with

Pray expectantly and keep our fingers crossed!

CDC researchers find 'little evidence' of major school outbreaks, with precautions Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers on Tuesday said that there is "reassuring" evidence about a lack of widespread coronavirus transmission in schools, amid sometimes-intense debate over reopening.

Fewer kids are enrolled in public kindergarten – that will have a lasting impact on schools and equity

One of the pillars from the land of equal opportunity on shaky grounds?

https://theconversation.com/fewer-kids-are-enrolled-in-public-kindergarten-that-will-have-a-lasting-impact-on-schools-and-equity-151817

theconversation.com Kindergarten enrollment dropped 16% this year, according to an NPR survey of 60 school districts across 20 states.

Schools Rethink Covid Rules. ‘We’re Over-Quarantining Kids Like Crazy.’

New Year is around the corner? What is in store for us? Are we following science, or are we following our emotions?

https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-surge-schools-reopen-rethink-quarantines-11608247643

wsj.com Some district administrators and parents, armed with new data and fearing more disruptions caused by keeping students out of class and extracurriculars, are pushing to reconsider policies.

Editorial: Teachers say remote learning is even less than it's cracked up to be

Take the time to thank your student's teacher. They are trying their best, and yet with distance learning, their relentless efforts have not produced the expected outcomes, yet.

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-12-18/teacher-survey-remote-classes-not-working

latimes.com How is remote education working? Just ask the people who know best: L.A. Unified teachers, who in a survey speak to a downright depressing scenario of missed classes and poor learning outcomes.

CDC director: Schools are not a major coronavirus transmission source

"Schools are not major sources of coronavirus transmission," thus said CDC Director, Dr. Redfield.

https://www.foxnews.com/health/schools-coronavirus-transmission-redfield

foxnews.com Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday reiterated his advocacy for in-person learning, citing evidence that schools aren’t a major source of coronavirus transmission.

Newsweek magazine, in partnership with global data research firm, has ranked The Tutoring Center #1 in tutoring services for America's Best Customer Service 2021.

We are thankful for Newsweek's ranking but most importantly for the vote of confidence that each TTC family bestows on our staff.

San Diego Unified School District Changes Grading System to ‘Combat Racism'

There are great changes, and then there are horrible changes. What do you think of San Diego Unified School District's recent decision to overhaul its grading system? Feel free to comment...

https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/san-diego-unified-school-district-changes-grading-system-to-combat-racism/2425346/

nbcsandiego.com The San Diego Unified School District is overhauling the way it grades students.

California voters, including parents, have deep concerns about distance learning

Distance learning is definitely not the answer, at least not if the virtual format lasts for too long. The reasons cited in the article below correlate well with my observations about my engineering lab students at Cal Poly Pomona - harder to sustain interest, more difficult to motivate, no one standing by to help when getting stuck. So, if adult students face similar challenges, how can one expect a better outcome for children in general and for the more vulnerable ones in particular?

https://edsource.org/2020/california-voters-including-parents-have-deep-concerns-about-distance-learning/640685

edsource.org Parents worry that if children are at home for the rest of the year it will result in learning loss for all students, but especially for the most economically vulnerable.

A Parent’s Guide to Making Math Fun

For some of our children (or even for some among us), making math fun is tantamount to oxymoron. The sheer thought of endlessly dry math drills with no purpose whatsoever is enough to destroy any connections between math and fun, isn't it? But maybe, it does not have to be that way, according to Dr. Thalheimer, the brain behind The Tutoring Center Franchise...

https://dredwardthalheimer.co/a-parents-guide-to-making-math-fun/

dredwardthalheimer.co As parents, we want our children to succeed in school because we know that academic success will open doors for them in the future. We are the first teachers our children have. When it comes to our children’s attitudes toward learning, we help set the stage. As kids develop in early childhood, we ...

Solving Math Word Problems Without Numbers?

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a 2nd-grade math word problem that proved to be ill-written. However, instead of getting frustrated with your students or their teachers, turn this into a golden opportunity to have a math table talk with your kids using the approach highlighted in this article I just wrote for Macaroni Kid. Let me know what you think.

https://upland.macaronikid.com/articles/5f4917ecac2006308ec8fe21/solving-math-word-problems-without-numbers

upland.macaronikid.com That’s right. Solve a math word problem with no numbers thrown in. At least not at the beginning. Take this baffling 2nd-grade word problem,  shown at right, that I recently came across on the internet. This particular problem has a big flaw, as we shall find out. For now, let&r...

Baffling Second-Grade Math Homework Results In 42.5 Dogs

Someone posted a 2nd-grade math problem that resulted in a partial dog answer! Here is the link.
https://www.fatherly.com/news/math-homework-baffling-dogs/

This is the epitome of poorly written common core math problem. To see its insanity, let's list the numbers of small dogs and large dogs and contend that there are 36 more small dogs than large dogs.

Small dogs + Large dogs = Total dogs
36 + 0 = 36
37 + 1 = 38
38 + 2 = 40
39 + 3 = 42
40 + 4 = 44
41 + 5 = 46
42 + 6 = 48
43 + 7 = 50

If we keep counting like this, it becomes obvious that the total number of dogs in the dog show can never be an ODD number!

Next time there is a dog show in town, I'd think twice about signing up to compete because I may get half my dog back. 😳

fatherly.com How do you get half a dog? With terribly designed math homework!