Dr Linda’s School Success Newsletter | February 2011

In This Issue

Happening Now: Private Tutoring in all subjects, kindergarten through college; SAT and ACT Prep for Spring Exams, and College Advisement
Note from Dr. Linda: Valentine’s Day for Everyone
School Success Tips for High School : Preparing for SATs
School Success Tips: Books about Our Presidents for Young Readers
Family Fun: “The Adventures of Berticus Barns,” Part Seven
Now It’s Your Turn: Let Us Know What You’d Like

Happening Now at Strong Learning.com

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Note from Dr. Linda

Hi Parents, Grandparents, Teachers and Friends:

Several of you asked me to repeat my February 2010 note. I appreciate your emails and am happy to republish my thoughts about Valentine’s Day.

I recently heard a guest on a radio show complain about Valentine’s Day. She disclosed how sad this day made her because she never had anyone person to share this special day with. She never gave nor received flowers, candy or cards.

I thought about her comments and realized how important it is for people to say, “I love you,” to special people in their lives. It doesn’t have to be only to one special person. It doesn’t have to be sending or receiving flowers, candy or a card.

Valentine’s Day needs to be a day of little reminders that we care about each other, whether it is a child, parent, grandparent or friend.

* * * * *

In this month’s newsletter, you’ll find the SAT books our tutors use at Strong Learning because we believe kids need to practice with the real thing . And I’ve got some suggestions for books to help your young readers celebrate President’s Day.

Now call your family together to read and chuckle as Berticus struggles with choosing members for his new club. After all, he and Thatch can’t just let in anybody!

Have a happy Valentine’s Day and enjoy the rest of the school year from all of us at Strong Learning!

Best wishes,
Dr. Linda

P.S. Help your children develop skills with Strong Learning’s Improve Your Study Skills, Memory Skills, Reading, Writing and Math Skills Workbooks. These workbooks offer advice and activities to improve basic skills. Appropriate for fifth grade and up. Order these books from our website.

Is homework a hassle in your home? Discover easy, effective strategies in Dr. Linda’s “25 Top Homework Tips,” a FREE mini-ebook. Subscribe now and you’ll also receive our weekly tips to help your child raise test scores, improve study skills, increase reading, writing and math abilities.

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School Success Tips for High School: Preparing for SATs

Practice tests and vocabulary building are two of the best ways to help your college-bound kids do well on their SAT exams. Several books and vocabulary sets can help them prepare

To Improve SAT Scores

Study Guides by The College Board are the only test prep books that have actual SAT questions. “The Official SAT Study Guide,” 2nd edition, by The College Board gives your student 10 practice tests plus valuable information to help your child master the SATs.

To Improve Vocabulary for the SATs

Hot Words for the SAT by Linda Carnevale helps kids increase their vocabulary in preparation for taking the SATs.

School Success Tips: Books about Our Presidents for Young Readers

Valentine’s Day isn’t the only day we celebrate in February. February 21st is President’s Day, the 3rd Monday of the month. For many it’s a time to celebrate George Washington’s birthday which is on February 22. Others also celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on President’s Day even though his birthday is February 12. So February is a good month to read about our presidents.

For ages 9-12, the DK book “Presidents“ by James Barber is a great introduction beginning with Washington and continuing with all the presidents including Obama.

Little Kids (ages 4-8) can read all about President Obama in “Meet President Barack Obama” by Laine Falk, from Scholastic News.

Family Fun: “The Adventures of Berticus Barns” by Brian Silbert

If you’re living with or teaching one of those kids often labeled an “unmotivated, disorganized, procrastinating, mind-wandering underachiever,” you’ll love Berticus. He represents all those children who don’t fit into the system. I hope you enjoy this read-aloud story for the whole family.

Part Seven: Who Should be in The Club?

When we last left Berticus and Thatch, they had just started deciding who should be in their club.

We were back to scanning. “Wrong Way” Rooney? Negatory. The kid couldn’t be counted on. Earlier that day, Ms. Vanderbeek had asked him, “Rooney, what is eight times seven?” To which he replied, “Cupcakes!” Either he was daydreaming about dessert items or the kid needed to really start applying himself in math. “Wrong Way” Rooney was out of consideration.

Farley Finnigan? She was smart and enthusiastic, but she liked school too much. She must have a screw loose somewhere. Plus, she was too bossy, demanding, controlling and I couldn’t stand her. Definitely out.

Unless I was forming a super-secret, nose-whistling club, I knew M’Gerkin wasn’t going to make the cut.

What about Crazy Bobby Bigglia?” asked Thatch. I quickly reminded him that unless we wanted to receive daily beatings within our own club, we needed to make sure Crazy Bobby Bigglia never found out what we were doing. Thatch agreed.

Amy Appleton is kinda cute. What about her?” I thought to myself.
“WHAT?” Thatch responded.
“Huh?”
“What did you just say?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Yeah, you did.”
“Nope. Wasn’t me.”
“Yeah it was. You just said Amy Appleton was cute!”
“Hmm… Noo…”
“Yeah, you did!”
“Um, NO, I didn’t! I said,.. er… Gamy Hampleton plays the flute.” Luckily, my comment confused Thatch. And he forgot what we were talking about.

“Hey!” I said too loudly as I quickly darted around the table to make sure no one heard me. In a low whisper I said to Thatch, “What about Dicky Snyder?” There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with him. In fact he was perfect for the club because he was cool, nice enough and very durable. He never got hurt. It was mind-boggling. He could fall out of a tree, jump off of a roof or spill out on his bike and it didn’t matter. He was unbreakable. He wouldn’t cry, nor would he complain. He was the opposite of me.

One time we were in art class and our art teacher, Mr. Schmutz turned around for a moment to help “Wrong Way” Rooney, who accidentally got his head stuck in his paper machete hat. Dickey seized the moment, quietly sliding open the window of our second story classroom, and jumping out! I couldn’t believe my eyes. I looked out the window to see him, stand up, brush himself off and walk away unharmed. That was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. The kid was indestructible. He was perfect for our club. Brave, tough, a risk taker and cool. I told Thatch to put Dickey’s name down as our first official member. How exciting!

My bubble burst immediately when Thatch informed me that Dickey had moved to Florida three years ago. Hmmm. That will put a slight wrinkle in my plan and also explained why I hadn’t seen him around lately.

Okay, so we needed to re-group. I asked Thatch to read off the membership list thus far, which he did. “There’s you. There’s me. And Dickey Snyder.”

I looked at him confused. “You just told me Dickey moved to Florida, like two seconds ago!”

Thatch nodded his head in agreement. “Oh yeah, that’s right,” he said, as he crossed Dickey’s name off the master list. At this point, I felt confident that Thatch might be the weak link in our airtight organization.

Don’t miss the March “School Success Newsletter” where Berticus hosts the first meeting of the super-secret club and is startled when someone who wasn’t invited arrives at the door.

Now It’s Your Turn

Go over to Dr Linda’s Blog now and subscribe by email or RSS feed so you won’t miss anything. Leave a comment. I love to hear from you. Let me know what you’d like to see in the next newsletter and on the blog.

Thanks so much for all your emails, calls and comments.

Wishing a happy school year to your children and all you loving and hard-working Moms and Dads.