In This Issue

Happening Now: Private Tutoring in all subjects, kindergarten through college; Regents, AP, SAT, PSAT, ACT prep, SSAT, TACHS and ISEE prep, and College Advisement

Note from Dr. Linda: Back to School

End of Summer Discoveries: Washington, D.C.

Tips for School Success: Routine is the Key to a Great School Year

Books for Young Readers: Books about school from kindergarten through high school.

Family Fun: “The Adventures of Berticus Barns,” Part Thirteen

Now It’s Your Turn: Let Us Know What You’d Like

Happening Now at Strong Learning.com

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Register Today. Call Strong Learning at 845-628-7910

Note from Dr. Linda: End of Summer and Back to School

Hi Parents, Grandparents, Teachers, and Friends:

Doesn’t seem possible that it’s already the end of summer, and the kids are on their way back to school.

In this newsletter I’ve got a couple of suggestions to help kids of all ages stay healthy, calm and focused.

You’ll find recommendations for books about school including a book for toddlers and a book for high school kids.

For our final Summer Discovery this year, we’re taking you to Washington, D.C. to check out the memorials on the Mall and take in a couple of museums.

Then there’s Berticus. He’s a mess. He waits till the last minute to write his campaign speech, does a practice debate, and ends up punching Thatch.

Best wishes for a wonderful school year to all you wonderful, caring Moms and Dads and Grandparents too.

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.

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Do your kids have trouble with math? With basic arithmetic facts?

Some kids who struggle with math have a learning disability called “dyscalculia.”

Find out more about dyscalculia and how to help your kids with our free “Dyscalculia Toolkit.”

Download your copy today

• Discover what to do if your child has trouble with addition and subtraction
• Learn great ways to teach measurement, money and time
• Use singing as a mathematics tool
• Play games that really build self-esteem and improve all kinds of math skills

Don’t wait. Get your free copy of Strong Learning’s “Dyscalculia Toolkit” now.

Summer Discoveries: Washington, D.C.

School has started for many children. For others, it’s just around the corner. But whenever your kids go back to school, you’ve still got time left for one last summer trip over the Labor Day weekend.

Start by letting kids download a fun map just for children so they become familiar with the city before they get there.

Whether you’ve been to Washington before or not, you won’t want to miss the newly opened Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on the Mall plus the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials. While you’re at the mall, be sure to take the elevator all the way to the top of the Washington Monument. (Assuming it’s running now after it was closed because of the earthquake.)

Washington has oodles of museums. Of course you can’t see them all in one weekend so you’ll want to choose ones that have exhibits your kids are most interested in. Many of the museums (and the zoo) are part of the Smithsonian Institute.

Three museums that kids usually enjoy include the Natural History Museum, the National Air and Space Museum, and the Spy Museum.

The Natural History Museum has 125 natural science specimens and cultural artifacts including dinosaur skeletons and the Hope diamond. Kids can try on clothes from around the world or play in The Discovery Room with lots of hands on activities.

 

At the International Spy Museum kids can learn the tricks of the trade and see all kinds of spy paraphernalia.

For the largest collection of air and space craft in the world, take the kids to the National Air and Space Museum.

Check out this list of kid-friendly things to do in Washington and when the kids are home, they can play games based on our Nation’s Capital.

Be sure to check online before you leave home for hours, cost, directions and other information.

School Success Tips: Routine is the Key to a Great School Year

What works for both that little guy going off to kindergarten and an almost grown up girl in college?  The answer: Routines.

Following a routine not only helps assure school school success, routines are also good for helping you keep your sanity as a parent.

Two of the most important routines to help 2nd graders and college sophomores alike stay healthy, calm, and focused include:

1. Breakfast time. Breakfast doesn’t have to be oatmeal or eggs. Could even be a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or left overs from last night’s dinner. But breakfast is a must, every morning. (A donut or mostly-sugar cereal isn’t breakfast–that’s junk food.) Bottom line: A healthy breakfast is essential. Your child’s brain requires it in order to function at its best.

2.Bed time: Children, including teens, need plenty of sleep to be alert at school. Research has shown that lots of kids aren’t getting enough sleep. Lack of sleep will affect grades and test scores. Bed time should always be the same time during the school week. WebMD has recommendations for the number of hours children need to sleep according to their age.

Books for Young Readers: Going to School

“First-Day-of-School” books are so popular that it seems every TV cartoon character and every book hero has a school book, from Dora the Explorer to Clifford the Big Red Dog. Even Sea Monster has a first-day-of-school book. But the old stand-by, “Curious George,” is still a recommended favorite.

 

For 9-12 year olds, especially girls, “The Little House on the Prairie” books have stood the test of time. Several have been adapted as chapter books. “School Days” follows Mary and Laura’s adventures at school during pioneer times.  Or treat your children to the complete 9-book  set of the ever-popular  “Little House” books.

 

Do you have a curious, adventuresome high school student (or wish your student were more curious and adventuresome)?  Get them “97 Things to do Before You Finish High School.” They’ll discover how to host a film festival, plan a road trip, or make a time capsule.  And lots more. It’s a wonderfully creative book sure to spark the imagination of even the most “bored” teen.

 

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

If you’re living with or teaching an ADHD kid who has grandiose ideas but is also a disorganized, procrastinater, mind-wandering underachiever,” you’ll love Berticus. He represents all those children who don’t fit into school. I hope you enjoy this read-aloud story for the whole family.

Part Thirteen: Berticus Adds Campaign Promises, Argues a Practice Debate, and Punches Thatch

Last time Berticus gets Thatch to work on campaign promises. Berticus watches TV with his sister and eats four pudding cups before adding more campaign promises to Thatch’s list.

I promised to build a new school that was a hundred stories high, with super fast glass elevators. On top of the building there would be a roller coaster and a Ferris wheel that we could ride at recess. (I would never take part in either of these rides because I’m afraid of heights and get nauseous on amusement park rides.) I would also have soda pop come out of the drinking fountains. Lastly, I would add video game skills as a new subject.

I looked over the list. Seventeen promises. I was okay with that. It was eighty-four promises short of my initial goal, but campaigns are about quality more than quantity.

It was late and we were starting to get tired, but we couldn’t quit since we still had to practice for the big presidential debate. After looking up the definition earlier in the day, I explained to Thatch that a debate is “an organized discussion where two or more people pick a point of view and argue their side.”

My parents often had debates. Like their ongoing debate whenever my dad left the toilet seat up. Or the time they “debated” very loudly for a couple of hours when my dad used my mom’s best guest towels to clean the lawn mower. (I’m pretty sure my dad lost that particular debate.)

My sister and I also “debated” regularly which usually ended with her crying. This was a very effective technique. My parents always seemed to take her side whenever she cried. I wondered if crying hysterically would be a good strategy during our class presidential debate if I felt things weren’t going my way.

The first thing I did was drag my sister into the bedroom to be the judge for our mock debate. I then told Thatch to pick a topic that we should argue about. He thought for a moment and then blurted out…

“Berticus, I saw you kiss Mary M’Gerkin behind her locker door.”

“No way! I did NOT kiss Mary M’Gerkin!”

“Yes, you did.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Did!”

“Did not!”

“Did!!”

“Did not!!!

“Did too!”

“Did not–infinity.”

“Did too. Triple-chicken infinity.”

“Did not, quadruple mad-monkey infinity!”

“Did too, no backsies!”

“Did not, I had my fingers crossed and I call an automatic, super-sonic backsie erase!”

Thatch paused for a moment, his eyes darting back and forth, desperately thinking. Then he shouted back at me. “Infinity! Infinity! Infinity!”

Oh, no! I thought as I started to panic. Three infinities in a row were irreversible. But were they?… Suddenly an idea quickly came to me, “Reverse accusation, no backsies, infinity, infinity, infinity!” Then I made a fist and punched Thatch in the arm.

I stood with a smug grin on my face, waiting for a response from Thatch. But there was none. He just rubbed his arm with a defeated look on his face. I removed my plastic Mr. Potato Head glasses with one hand in a cocky manner and put my normal glasses back on. I had just won my first practice debate.

I was good. Real good. Quick thinking. Smooth. A force to be reckoned with. Thatch and I both looked toward my sister who was moderating our “debate” and waited for a decision as to who had won. She looked at us both and quietly said, “Tie.” Then she started sneezing like crazy from all the dust in my room and walked out.

Tie? That was no tie! I clearly won, fair and square. I used my patented reverse accusation, no backsies, infinity, infinity, infinity move. With a punch to seal the deal. It was unbeatable. What an un-debatable gyp!

Thatch asked me if he could go home. I nodded my head and then apologized for hitting him. I explained that when doing battle with words and wit, getting punched is sometimes to be expected. He started toward the door still rubbing his arm and then extended his hand as a gesture of good will.

I thought this was a fine example of sportsmanship, so I extended my hand to shake his. But the moment I stuck out my hand, Thatch quickly closed his open hand and punched me in the arm. Hobbling out fast he turned and yelled, “See you tomorrow, Mr. President!”

Before I went to sleep that night, I called Thatch to make sure his arm was okay. Plus, I gave him one more important job as my future vice president: make big cue cards for me to read off my campaign promises during my speech.

I drifted off to sleep that night dreaming of victory parades with marching bands, monkeys riding unicycles, and lots of confetti.

Don’t miss the October “School Success Newsletter” to find out what happens when Berticus gives his campaign speech the next day at school.

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 all you terrific Moms and Dads and your kids a wonderful new school year.

Watch for my October Newsletter for more school success tips and good books for kids.