Published monthly by Linda Silbert, PhD

In This Issue

Happening Now

Happening Now at StrongLearning.com Call 845-628-7910 today.

• One-to-one tutoring – all subjects, levels and grades. In your home, at a convenient location near you, or online. No contracts.
• Early bird special – Regents Review Classes in all subjects in Westchester and Putnam Counties,  NY – three options to save money.  More information.
• Early bird special – AP Preview Classes to give AP students an advantage in these challenging courses. In all areas in Westchester and Putnam Counties, NY – Summer 2010.  More information
• One-to-one tutoring for upcoming SAT and/or ACT exams. Friendly Reminder about SAT & ACT  Registration deadlines: Feb. 4 for March 13 SAT exam, March 25 for May 1 SAT & Subject Tests, April  29 for June 5 SAT & Subject Tests, March 5 for April 10 ACT and May 7 for June 12 ACT. (See your  school counselors for more info).

Call Strong Learning today at 845-628-7910.

Happening Now at DrLindasBlog.com

• Find news and updates about our events, online & offline
• Read articles – You’re welcome to reprint any article in full. Include my contact information. Great for a school or community newsletter, a blog or ezine.
• Email your comments, thoughts and observations about kids, school and learning. I love to hear from you!

Note from Dr. Linda

If you can’t untangle it, you can always make a pinwheel with your kids until you buy–or make–a new kite.

In this month’s newsletter, you’ll find directions for making the pinwheel. I’ve also got a great book and game to spark your child’s imagination.  If it’s not too far from you, you can even take them to the park that celebrates this author’s work.

Then you’ll chuckle over the answer a teen  gave on a standardized test.

From test taking to homework, from math to reading, twice a week, you’ll get short, effective tips to help your child learn. Sign up now and invite other parents to sign up. It’s my FREE gift to you and your children. Check out the bonuses you’ll get when you subscribe to the tips http://www.askdrlindasilbert.com/tips.html.

School Success Tips for Mom and Dad

For Little Kids: Make a Pinwheel

Making a pinwheel with a preschooler or even a seven- year old is fun, helps develop focusing and problem solving skills while developing manual dexterity and a healthy parent-child bond.

Here’s How: 1. Start with a square piece of paper. Fold along one diagonal, and unfold. Repeat along the other diagonal. 2. With scissors, carefully cut about 2/3 the way from a corner to the center of the page. Repeat for the other three corners. 3. Fold over every other point and carefully push a straight pin or push-pin through all four points. Continue pushing through the center of the paper. 4. Carefully push the pin into the eraser of an unsharpened pencil. Leave enough space for the pinwheel to rotate freely. 5.  Watch it spin when you swoosh it through the air.

For Big Kids: All about Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss, whose real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel, was born on March 2, 1904. He wrote and illustrated The Cat in the Hat, Go Dog Go, Green Eggs and Ham and a wealth of other outstanding children’s books. The event “Read Across America Day” recently celebrated his 106th birthday!

Dr. Seuss isn’t just for little kids! If you haven’t read, his famous book,  Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, you’ll want to get it and read it with the whole family. The Oh The Places You’ll Go! Board Game complements the book, sparks the imagination and promotes great family discussions. It opens kids’ minds.

Little kids, big kids, and parents can visit the popular Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden in Springfield, Massachusetts.

For Teens: Start Preparing for Finals

It’s time to start preparing for your finals. I know I mentioned this last month, but it’s so important that I want to remind you again.

Here’s how.

Step One: In order to do well on finals, kids need to start early. So, the first step to acing the finals is to get a calendar for your middle or high school child. As soon as you or your child know the date of an exam, together write it on the calendar. Then count or estimate how many days until final-exam week. You can find the test dates on line. For example, the New York State Regents Examination Schedule is already posted.

Step Two: Talk, Find, Gather, and Organize

Talk: Talk to your teachers to find out if they are having review sessions. Mark the dates on your calendar and make every effort to attend them.

Find: Find out if there are any review classes being given by other teachers in or out of your school on the material you need to learn. Mark the dates on your calendar and make every effort to attend them.

Gather: Gather all the notes, handouts, whatever, that you have gathered throughout the year and put them all in one place–one notebook, one folder, or one section of a file folder.

Organize: Organize them into topics and the topics into smaller chunks.

My April newsletter will list the next steps you and your child need to do to ace the finals.

Teens Say the Funniest Things

The following is a question that appears on a standardized test. “Who on television talks about high and low pressure systems?”

One of the funniest answers came from a ninth grader. He confidently answered, “Dr. Phil.”

If you have a funny story about your child, please email me and I’ll try to include it a future newsletter.

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. I love to hear from you. Let me know what you’d like to see in the next newsletter.

Thanks so much for all your emails, calls and comments. If one of my tips or articles has helped, please let me know and I’ll try to include it in as the next success story to share with my readers.

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