Welcome to Educational Connections Inc.

The iconic overstuffed student’s backpack is quickly becoming a relic of the past and as a result, the way parents oversee their children’s progress in school will never be the same.

Paperless Schools

With an estimated four out of five K-12 schools having some sort of presence on the internet, teachers are quickly turning to paperless web portals with names like Edline, Blackboard, Homelink and MyBackPack to make assignments, provide virtual handouts and communicate with parents.  The advantages to students and parents alike are many.  Students no longer have to retrieve reams loose pages from their backpacks.  And instead of relying on handouts and notices hand-carried by their children, parents now have a direct line of communications with the school staff.

The Dark Side to Portals

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Thinking of a last-minute gift that will make learning fun? Take a look at our recommendations for stuffing your kid’s stocking with gifts that will be both popular and educational.
 

E-readers such as Amazon’s Kindle or Barnes and Noble’s Nook – All ages
E-readers are perfect for students of all ages. They have internal dictionaries that make learning new vocabulary words a breeze and students can highlight text, bookmark pages, and take notes with the click of a button. Reluctant readers will often find themselves caught up in the novelty of reading on an electronic device while struggling readers will love the large font and narrow margins options.

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Does your child erase and redo homework over and over again until it’s just right?  Is anything less than 100% not good enough?  Welcome to the world of perfectionism, where unrealistic expectations are daily and unrelenting.  Perfectionists engage in frequent hypercritical self-talk, bringing themselves down and creating a whole lot of stress within the family.  With these children, the goal is to change their mindset.  Begin by using the following techniques:

Reward efficiency, not grades

Studies show that the majority of perfectionist children have parents that are demanding and overly critical.  Although this certainly isn’t the case with every child, it’s important for parents to pay attention to how they act and react when it comes to grades.  Let’s say your daughter brings home a 90% on a writing project.”  Instead of saying, “This is good, but you could have had a 100% if you had a stronger thesis statement.” Consider “Way to go!  You worked hard on this project, but didn’t spend too much time revising it.  It turned out just fine!”  Instead, praise your child’s efficiency when she gets her work done in a timely manner without redoing it multiple times.

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I’ve always been interested in research-based ways to help students complete their homework more efficiently.  As parents, it’s our natural instinct to say things like “Turn that off!”, “Stop texting”, or “Facebook can wait.  Do you have to check your account while doing homework?”.  But in reality, our kids may “need” their technology and perhaps rewarding themselves in a disciplined way may just help them to focus a little bit more.

Author and psychologist Larry Rosen suggests some counter-intuitive solutions for students who are being distracted and overwhelmed by numerous tech gadgets and applications. Among them: a “tech break,” in which students are allowed to spend 15 minutes or so focusing only on technology — checking social-media sites, texting or watching videos on YouTube. Rosen suggests this disciplined approach allows students 15 minutes of tech time for each 30 minutes of focused study.

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These workshops, presented by Ann Dolin, are free and open to the public!

Thursday, November 15th 7pm – Cunningham Park Elementary, Vienna, VA
Starting Off on the Right Foot: 10 Powerful Solutions to Ensure a Stress-Free School Year

Wednesday, November 16th 7pm – St. Charles School, Arlington, VA
5 Proven Strategies for Raising an Academically Successful Student

Thursday, November 17th 7pm – Chesterbrook Elementary, McLean, VA
Homework Made Simple: Tips, Tools, and Solutions for Stress-Free Homework

Tuesday, December 13th – 9:30am – Wolftrap Elementary, Vienna, VA
Homework Made Simple: Tips, Tools, and Solutions for Stress-Free Homework

Thursday, December 15th – 7pm – Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
ADHD Boys vs. Girls: Does Gender Matter? Patricia Quinn, MD — Part of the Parent Link Seminar Series

To take a look at additional workshops or to book a presentation at your school, click here!

Picture two students, side by side, reading a fairytale from a storybook.  One student easily reads with expression and enthusiasm, “Once Upon a Time”.  The other student slowly reads “On up a tim.”  Both students live in the same neighborhood, have educated parents that read to them at night, and were exposed to literature at a young age.  So why can the one read and the other cannot?  Is it a fairytale story to think that reading is a natural process?  The answer is “yes”.

How Prevelant Is the Problem?

Almost 20% of children have a reading problem that impacts their ability to learn to read through traditional teaching methods. Most reading instruction in American classrooms is taught through the whole language approach where students are expected to learn to read naturally through exposure to literature.  While this methodology works with many students, it doesn’t work for all.  Critics of the whole language approach state that students also need phonics-based instruction.

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Let’s face it, math is different.  The study skills and processes your child has used in other subjects won’t necessarily serve her well when the time comes to prepare for a big math test.

What is the best way to study for math tests?  Our language provides an important clue.  We don’t say “do the history” or “do the English”, but we do say “do the math.”  Thus, it goes without saying that the first step in doing well in math is for your student complete her assigned homework problems on time before every class.  For the gifted few, this will be enough.  For the vast majority, this is only the beginning.  Here are some key steps to ensuring success on that big test:

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Forty years ago an Indiana electronics company brought a product to market that did more to change American K-12 education than almost anything else. The company, Bowmar Instruments, began selling the first handheld pocket calculator for a whopping $240!  By 1976, the cost of the cheapest four-function device had dropped to a few dollars and calculators were available to children in virtually every home.  And as a result, the way children learn and do math in the U.S. was forever changed.

Just the other day I was helping my eighth grade son with his algebra homework.  He was solving a fairly complicated equation and got down to the last step 7x=42.  He whipped out his calculator.  I said, “Will, you know this.  7 times what number is 42?”  He replied, “Uh, I really don’t know.  Why does it matter?  I’ll just use my calculator.” He proceeded to punch the numbers into his T1 84.

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In classrooms across America, teachers strive to provide engaging lessons, meaningful homework, and assessments, but more often than not, our students aren’t learning how to learn. Kids walk out of their classrooms armed with study guides, notes, and chapters to read, but they don’t know how to put that information into storage for retrieval tomorrow, next week, or three months from now.

For many teens, studying means quickly reading through their textbook or notes. Wrong! Studying isn’t passive; it is a full contact sport. In order to really study, students need to get engaged in the material. This type of studying is very different from merely reading over the material. The following tips will help your child to properly prepare for the next upcoming test.

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Helping your child to study effectively for tests is vitally important in the elementary years. When the groundwork for good habits is set early on, students are more likely to experience success and increased motivation. You can make a difference in your child’s academic performance now and in the future by trying some of the following tips.

Studying for Math

1. Use a dry erase board

   To practice for an upcoming test, write a few math problems on a small dry erase board. Kids love using dry erase boards and many prefer them over traditional pencil and paper. Try out different color markers, too. Color increases attention, so don’t be afraid of using bold hues.

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