Remedial Class:What Is It and Why Do Some Kids Need It

It’s important to understand that not all children learn at the same pace, and some may struggle to keep up with their peers. This is where remedial classes come in. Remedial classes are designed to provide extra support and help to students who need extra help in specific subjects. Now, you may want to learn more about this. This is why we’ve put together a brief discussion on these classes. If you want to learn more about this, read on as we explore what remedial classes are, why some kids need them, and how they can be a huge help to kids that have fallen behind.

What Are Remedial Classes?

Remedial classes are classes that are designed to help students who are struggling in a particular subject or skill. These classes are smaller than regular classes, allowing teachers to provide more individualized attention to each student. Remedial classes can be offered in a variety of subjects, including reading, writing, math, and science. They may be taught during the regular school day or after school hours.

Why Do Some Kids Need Remedial Classes?

There are several reasons why some kids may need remedial classes. One reason could be a lack of foundational knowledge in a particular subject. For example, a student who struggles with multiplication may not have a solid understanding of basic addition and subtraction. Another reason could be a learning disability or a difficulty with processing information. These children may need more support to help them understand and apply information effectively.

In some cases, students may also struggle with a particular subject due to factors outside the classroom. For example, a child who is dealing with personal issues such as family problems or emotional stress may find it challenging to focus on their studies. In such cases, remedial classes provide a supportive and structured environment that can help them catch up with their peers.

What Are the Benefits of Remedial Classes

Remedial classes offer several benefits to students who require additional support. First and foremost, remedial classes provide a more personalized learning experience. With smaller class sizes, teachers can spend more time working with individual students to help them understand the material. This can be especially helpful for students who may be too shy or embarrassed to ask questions in a larger classroom setting.

Remedial classes also provide students with additional practice and reinforcement of skills. For example, a student who struggles with reading comprehension may benefit from additional reading assignments and practice exercises. These extra assignments can help them build up their skills and confidence in the subject.

In addition to providing academic support, remedial classes also provide emotional support to students. Students who struggle in school may feel frustrated, embarrassed, or overwhelmed. Remedial classes can provide a supportive environment where students can receive encouragement and guidance from teachers and peers. This can help boost their self-esteem and motivation to succeed.

Finally, remedial classes can help students catch up with their peers and reduce the risk of falling further behind. For students who are struggling, falling behind can be a common occurrence. Remedial classes can help prevent this by providing students with the support they need to stay on track with their studies.

Conclusion

Whether due to a lack of foundational knowledge, a learning disability, or external factors, remedial classes can provide students with the personalized attention and support they need to catch up with their peers. By providing academic, emotional, and social support, remedial classes can help students gain the confidence and skills they need to succeed in school and beyond.

If your child is falling behind, then it may be best to work with the best tutoring service available. We here at Prep Academy Tutors are proud to offer personalized in-home and online tutoring services. Find a local tutor today!

Tips for Students: How to Improve Memorization Skills

One of the essential skills to develop as a student is memorizing and retaining information. Strong memorization skills can greatly impact your academic success, whether for a test, a presentation, or to better understand your course material. 

In this article, we will discuss various tips and tricks to help students improve their memorization skills, making it easier to excel in their studies.

1. Use Mnemonic Devices

Mnemonic devices are aids that help you remember information by associating it with something more familiar or easier to recall. A popular mnemonic device is an acronym, where you create a new word using the first letters of a list of items.

For instance, the acronym “ROYGBIV” can help you remember the colours of the rainbow (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet). Many other mnemonic devices, like rhymes, acronyms, and visualization techniques, can help you memorize information more effectively. Experiment with different methods to find what works best for you.

2. Leverage the Power of Visualization

Transforming information into a visual image can make it easier to remember. For instance, if you’re trying to remember a list of grocery items, you can create a mental image of a shopping cart filled with those items.

The more vivid and detailed the image, the easier to recall the information later. Visualization works best when you involve multiple senses—imagine the textures, smells, and sounds associated with the information you’re trying to memorize.

3. Employ Spaced Repetition

Spaced repetition is the practice of reviewing information at gradually increasing intervals. This method works well because it takes advantage of how our brains naturally learn and retain information. 

Spacing out study sessions gives your brain time to consolidate the information into long-term memory. Various spaced repetition techniques and apps, such as the Leitner System and Anki, can help you manage your study schedule effectively.

4. Break Information Into Smaller Chunks

Our brains are better at processing and remembering smaller pieces of information than large chunks. This is called chunking. Breaking down complex concepts or long lists into smaller, more manageable parts can make remembering easier. 

For example, when memorizing a phone number, it’s often easier to remember the digits in smaller groups (like 123-456-7890) than a single string of numbers (1234567890).

5. Teach Someone Else

Teaching or explaining information to someone else can help reinforce your understanding and improve your memorization. When you teach, you have to organize and articulate the information in a way that makes sense to others, which helps solidify the concepts in your own mind. 

Additionally, discussing the material with someone else can lead to new insights and a deeper understanding of the subject.

6. Use Multiple Senses

Engaging multiple senses while studying can improve memory retention. For example, you can read your notes aloud, listen to recorded lectures, or use physical objects to demonstrate concepts. The more ways you can engage with the material, the more likely it is to stick in your memory.

7. Test Yourself Regularly

Self-testing is an effective way to reinforce your memory and check your understanding of the material. Use flashcards, practice quizzes, or try to recall the information from memory. By testing yourself regularly, you can identify areas where you might need more time studying and gain confidence in your knowledge.

8. Establish a Consistent Study Routine

A consistent study routine can significantly improve your memorization skills. Set aside specific times each day for studying and stick to that schedule as much as possible. This will help train your brain to be more focused and productive during those designated study periods.

Conclusion

Improving your memorization skills takes time and practice, but with dedication and the right techniques, you can see significant improvements in your ability to retain and recall information. 

By incorporating these tips and tricks into your study routine, you’ll be well on your way to achieving academic success and making the most of your educational experience. Remember, everyone’s learning style is different, so don’t be afraid to experiment and find the best methods for you.

Prep Academy Tutors provide in-home and online tutoring for all grades and subjects. With the help of our certified teachers, we can work together to unlock new skills, improve grades, and learn! We believe report cards shouldn’t be scary, so we’re here to help. Contact us today to get started if you’re looking for the best tutoring service. Enroll now!

5 Signs of a Slow Learning Child and What Parents Can Do

Having a child who is slower to learn than their peers can be difficult for both parents and the child and difficult to identify. Parents may feel overwhelmed or confused when it comes to understanding their child’s learning needs, so it is essential to discern the signs of slow learning in children. This article will provide five signs of a slow-learning child and what parents can do to help their child.

Signs of Slow Learning

It’s crucial to note that all children learn at different paces and in different ways. Slow learning is only relative to an established control group and does not mean a child will not learn eventually. Therefore, fostering an environment that supports multiple learning styles and encourages children to reach their full potential is crucial. However, before you can find ways to support your child’s needs, it’s crucial first to recognize the signs of slow learning. Here are five signs of slow learning in a child.

1. Difficulty Understanding New Concepts and Ideas

Children who are slow to learn often struggle to keep up with their peers when learning new concepts and ideas. They may not be able to understand the material as quickly as their peers and may need extra time to process the information. They may also have difficulty understanding abstract concepts and ideas.

2. Problems Retaining Information

Children who are slow to learn may have difficulty retaining information. They may need extra time to remember new material and be reminded of previously learned material. They may also have difficulty transferring information from one situation to another.

3. Struggles with Reading and Writing

Slow learning children may struggle with reading and writing tasks. They may have difficulty understanding the meaning of words or making connections between words and ideas. They may also have difficulty with spelling, grammar, and writing mechanics.

4. Challenges with Organisation and Time Management

Children who are slow to learn may have difficulty with organization and time management. They may have difficulty keeping track of their assignments and need help staying on task. They may also have difficulty managing their time and need extra time to complete tasks.

What Parents Can Do

Having a slow-learning child can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. The crucial thing to do is to be supportive and understand that children learn best when given the space to learn at their own pace. Here are five tips that parents can use to support a slow-learning child.

1. Talk to the Child’s Teacher

Parents must talk to their child’s teachers to understand their learning needs. The teacher can provide valuable insight into the child’s learning style and any struggles they may have in the classroom. This can help parents better understand their child’s needs and how to support them best.

2. Encourage the Child to Ask Questions

Encouraging children to ask questions can be beneficial for slow learners. It can help them to understand the material better and to make connections between concepts and ideas. Encouraging children to ask questions can also help them become more engaged in learning.

3. Provide Extra Time to Complete Tasks

Providing slow learners extra time to complete tasks can help them be more successful. This may include allowing them extra time to finish tests or assignments or providing additional support to help them stay on task. 

4. Hire a Private Tutor

Hiring a private tutor can be a great way to help a slow-learning child. A private tutor can work one-on-one with a child, tailoring the instruction to their needs. A tutor can provide customized instruction and personalized feedback. Tutors can also provide support by helping the child develop strategies to better understand and retain the material.

Conclusion

Having a child who is slower to learn than their peers can be a challenging experience for parents. However, by talking to the child’s teacher, encouraging the child to ask questions, providing extra time to complete tasks, and hiring a private tutor, parents can play an essential role in helping their slow-learning child succeed.

Prep Academy Tutors is your go-to resource for online tutoring in North America! Our experienced and knowledgeable tutors are here to help your slow-learning child reach their full potential. From developing strategies for better understanding and retaining material to providing full-time support and guidance, our tutors are here to help. Contact us today to get started. 

Why Remedial Support Is an Essential Service for Your Child

Every child has a unique style and learning pace. Some children may learn faster than others, while some may need more time and repetition to grasp the concept. They may also understand an idea through different learning styles, like visual, auditory, or kinesthetic. However, some may struggle with some aspects of their academics, which can hinder their performance. For this reason, you should find remedial tutoring for your child. 

While remedial teaching is available for all students who need short-term support in their learning journey, you must immediately start it to prevent your child from falling behind permanently. 

If you want your child to grow well-rounded and stay ahead of their academics, this article will enumerate six important reasons to seek remedial support.

1. Get Personalized Support

Sometimes, your child may struggle academically not because of the classroom environment but because their educators’ teaching style may not match their learning pace and styles. For this reason, you should invest in remedial support. 

This tutoring service provides individualized assistance to your child to address class concepts, reinforce learning, offer effective work methods and learning strategies, provide additional challenges if necessary, and prevent them from falling behind in class. Getting help from a professional tutor has various benefits, like improved concentration, increased comfort in asking questions, and personalized explanations of complex concepts.

2. Bridge the Gap Where Your Child Has Fallen Behind

Remedial support aims to help students catch up on any subjects they may struggle with in school. A reputable tutoring service will carefully find a tutor for your child based on their characteristics and the topic they struggle to grasp. 

The tutor and student will then collaborate to establish specific and attainable goals for the short and long term. That way, everyone involved, including the learner, parents, and tutor, can monitor progress.

3. Avoid Learning Attrition

Taking time off school during the summer, winter, or spring is essential to help students recharge and prepare for the following academic challenges. The student may also need an extended break if they struggle financially or have a health condition. However, excessive time off can be detrimental because they’ll likely lose the necessary knowledge and skills to move to the next grade. 

Fortunately, learners can regain skills they may have lost during their extended break by investing in remedial teaching. This tutoring service involves tutors using various methods like flashcards, games, and fun activities to reinforce phonics and basic math.

4. Boost Self-Esteem, Confidence, and Motivation

When your child feels confident in their abilities, they’re more likely to participate in class and have a greater interest in school. You can help them perform better academically by seeking remedial support. 

Once a tutor and a student have established trust, it creates a positive learning environment because the educator motivates the student and inspires them to do better. Tutoring services recommend finding personal educators with specialized training because they can give each student more attention and support, which is easier to do when they have fewer learners than in a regular classroom. 

5. Improve Communication Skills

Besides impeding a learner’s communication skills in the classroom, students with speech disorders usually fall behind in their academics. These disabilities may also negatively affect their self-esteem, but remedial reading instruction can help them. 

However, if the student shows limited progress, it may indicate they have a learning disability and need more specialized education.

6. Ideal for Dyslexic Students

Remedial teaching can help dyslexic students overcome reading difficulties by rewiring brain connections, resulting in increased neural connections and improved reading proficiency in the long term.

Seeking the Right Academic Help

Every child deserves to learn well at school, regardless of their learning pace, style, and abilities. You can help them succeed academically by enrolling them in tutoring services like remedial support. 

If your child needs professional tutoring, call Prep Academy Tutors! We’re committed to improving your child’s academic performance by offering personalized in-home and online remedial teaching. Find a tutor now, and let’s make getting their report card a stress-free event!

Learning Disabilities: How to Know the Best for Your Child

As a parent, it is important to be aware of learning disabilities and differences that your child might face. Learning disabilities and differences can majorly impact a child’s education, so it is important to understand what they are and how to support your child best. 

This article will provide an overview of learning disabilities and differences and discuss what parents need to know to help their children succeed. We will discuss the different types of learning disabilities and differences, their causes, signs, and symptoms, and the strategies that can be used to support a child with learning disabilities and differences. 

By understanding these topics, parents can better provide the necessary support for their child’s educational success. Learn more about learning differences and where to find online tutors in North America. 

What is a Learning Disability (LD)?

A wide range of cognitive and learning problems that can affect how the brain gathers, arranges, retains, and transfers information are called “learning disabilities.” Some children have learning disabilities (LDs), including math or reading comprehension challenges. 

Hearing loss and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are two learning difficulties that may affect others. Many children who struggle in school may also have different health issues or academic challenges.

What Causes Learning Difficulties?

There are several reasons why a child can have trouble learning. Even when the causes aren’t always known, children sometimes have a parent or other family member who experiences similar or comparable learning and thinking difficulties. 

The first step in addressing a child’s learning issues, regardless of the underlying cause, is acknowledging that your child is struggling and letting teachers and doctors know about your worries. You can determine the underlying causes of the problems by working together and ensuring your child gets the support they require.

Signs of learning Differences and Difficulties in Children

Although learning and cognitive issues aren’t always obvious, several warning signs indicate your child may require help. Keep in mind that children learn and develop at different rates. If your child displays the following symptoms, talk to their teacher and inform the doctor.

Children in preschool may be impacted by the following:

• Delays in learning a language. By the time they are two and a half years old, your preschooler should be able to talk in short phrases or sentences.
• Problems with the conversation. By the time they are three, your child should be speaking well enough for most of what they say to be understood by adults.
• Having problems understanding shapes, colors, numbers, and letters.  
• Having trouble developing rhymes.
• Having difficulties coordinating. Your youngster should be able to hop, use scissors, and button clothes by age five. They should be able to arrange themselves into a circle, square, or triangle.
• The inability to concentrate well. When your youngster is between 3 and 5, sit still and listen to a brief story. As they grow older, your child should be able to concentrate for more extended periods.

Younger students and teenagers may have difficulties:

• Follow directions.
• Retain order at home and in the classroom.
• Understand spoken directions.
• Gain knowledge and understanding of facts.
• Read, spell, or sound out words.
• Write clearly (may have poor handwriting).
• Compute answers to math or word problems.
• Take care to fulfill your obligations.

Who Can Help?

Inform the teachers and doctor if your child is having trouble learning. Pediatricians can diagnose developmental delays and other conditions that might impair a child’s capacity for learning. 

Also, they can recommend authorities in child psychology, developmental and behavioral pediatric medicine, and pediatric neurodevelopmental issues. Teachers employ tests for screening or evaluation to pinpoint problems and determine if school-based or early intervention programs could be beneficial. 

Psychologists and learning specialists are frequently found on school evaluation teams. Lastly, a full-time private tutor can provide one-on-one, comprehensive tutoring for your child. 

Conclusion 

Learning disabilities and differences are important topics for parents to understand. Parents need to learn about the different types of learning disabilities, the signs of learning disabilities, and the different interventions available for a child with a learning disability. 

Furthermore, parents should create an open dialogue with their children and be mindful of the potential signs and symptoms of a learning disability. Parents can ensure their child receives the best education and support available by educating themselves on the subject and being proactive.

Prep Academy Tutors provide services for private in-person and online tutoring. Find a full-time private tutor close to you!

Reasons Why Learning French Is Essential for Students

Learning a second language has become an essential skill for students in today’s globalized world. French is among the most popular languages spoken worldwide, and it is an official language in twenty-nine countries. 

It is also the second most taught language in the world, after English. There are several reasons why learning French is essential for students, and this article will discuss them in detail.

Opens Up Job Opportunities

The ability to speak French can open up a world of job opportunities for students. The economy of France ranks sixth in the world, and French companies have a significant presence in many countries. 

The International Olympic Committee, the European Union, and other international organizations all utilize French as a working language. Therefore, students who learn French increase their chances of getting a job in these organizations and French companies. 

One of Canada’s official languages is French, so students who learn French can work in Canada’s bilingual provinces.

Enhances Travel Experiences

France is one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, and several famous attractions, like the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, and the Palace of Versailles, are found there. Learning the language can enhance a student’s travel experience in France and other French-speaking countries. 

It allows the student to communicate with locals, understand the culture and traditions, and explore the country more authentically. It can also make travelling more convenient, as signs, menus, and other information are often written in French.

Improves Cognitive Skills

Learning a second language has been shown to increase cognitive abilities like problem-solving, decision-making, and multitasking. Research has also revealed that multilingual individuals have superior cognitive control, which allows them to transition between tasks more efficiently. 

Learning a language improves memory and concentration, as it requires the brain to store and retrieve information. Therefore, students who learn French can improve their cognitive skills, which can benefit them in their academic and professional lives.

Boosts Academic Performance

Learning a second language has also been found to improve academic performance. Studies have shown that students who learn a second language perform better in subjects such as math, science, and reading. 

This is because mastering a second language enhances cognitive abilities like memory, focus, and problem-solving, all of which are necessary for academic success. 

It also enhances cultural awareness and empathy, which can improve social skills and relationships.

Enhances Cultural Awareness

French is not just a language; it is also a culture. Learning French allows students to understand the culture, traditions, and history of French-speaking countries. 

It exposes students to different ways of living, thinking, and communicating, which can broaden their perspectives and enhance cultural awareness. 

Learning French can also promote intercultural dialogue and understanding, which is essential in today’s diverse and interconnected world.

Increases Self-Confidence

Learning a second language can also increase self-confidence. It requires students to step out of their comfort zones and communicate in a new language. 

This can be challenging, but it can also be rewarding. As students learn and improve their French skills, they gain confidence in their abilities and feel more comfortable communicating with others. 

It also promotes a sense of accomplishment and achievement, which can boost self-esteem and motivation.

Conclusion

With the growing importance of globalization and diversity, learning French has become increasingly relevant and necessary for students. Therefore, it is highly recommended that students consider learning French as a valuable investment in their future.

Prep Academy Tutors provides quality French tutoring for students. We offer personalized in-home and online tutoring services for elementary school, high school, and university prep in math, science, English, French, and every subject in between. 

We aim to make sure your child has the tools and confidence to score straight A’s—while enjoying the process! Find your local tutor!

Understanding the Main Causes of Academic Difficulty

It’s not uncommon to experience academic difficulties when going through major life transitions like relocating, starting college, becoming unwell, forming new relationships, or suffering financial difficulties. If you’re having trouble in school, you can get more information about the various factors that contribute to this problem and start thinking about what you can do to improve.

What Are the Usual Instigators of Academic Difficulty?

Most of the time, students’ struggles in the classroom are just one manifestation of a deeper problem. A few instances of potential influences on your academic success are shown below. A student’s struggles in the classroom may stem from more than one source.

• Transitioning to college life.
• Choice of courses; taking on too many credits, a too-difficult course load, or studying topics in which you have little interest.
• Poor study techniques, refusal to get assistance, or both.
• Dilemmas in generating motivation.
• Disconnection from social groups (such as peers, family, and extended kin).
• Family, health, money, stress, and time management at work and in relationships are all examples of “personal difficulties.”
• Choosing a field of study that isn’t a good fit.
• A traumatic experience.
• Inability to make decisions on majors and electives due to lack of clarity regarding the intended path of study.
• An impairment that has not been properly identified or treated.

Study Obstacles That Most Students Face

As part of the learning process, overcoming obstacles to studying, especially when one has a heavy workload, is inevitable for everyone. Problems can be short-term hiccups or indicate a deeper underlying cause of decreased motivation and productivity. Sometimes it seems like an enormous effort of will is required to overcome these challenges, but the key is to keep in mind that anyone with the correct mindset can succeed. This article provides solutions to some of the most prevalent academic challenges faced by students at any point in their education.

• It’s Hard for You to Focus

Even if you’ve managed to get rid of all the interruptions, focusing on your work may still be difficult. It’s not just possible, but typical, for concentration to fade and output to plummet. Almost everyone has experienced the agony of looking at a blank page, unable to get started because their mind keeps wandering. Suppose you’re continually checking Facebook or texting when you know you should be working. In that case, you need to make efforts to increase your concentration levels because procrastination is a symptom of a lack of concentration.

With low motivation, concentration issues have multiple potential root causes. If you can’t get anything done because you can’t stop thinking about something, it’s best to take some time to declutter your thoughts before beginning your task. If you’re having trouble getting started on your task, it might help to write down the problem, talk it over with a friend, go for a brisk walk or do some exercise to get it out of your system. Speaking with a school counsellor about more serious issues might be a good way to work through them and gain some perspective.

• You Often Forget Important Information

Students of all levels frequently express frustration that they cannot memorize everything they need to know to perform well on exams. Remembering all you’ve learned across multiple disciplines can feel like an insurmountable task when you’re juggling a full course load at GCSE and A-level. If you have trouble remembering what you need to know for an exam, you might benefit from learning how to use a few memory aids, even if you did well in learning the material in the first place.

• You’re Missing Necessary Resources

This is perhaps the simplest issue to resolve here. To do well in school, one needs all the tools available to them, including books, computers, a mentor, and a place to ask questions. If you require literature, it’s best to get recommendations from your instructor to avoid going down the incorrect path academically. You should talk to your parents about getting the necessary equipment, such as a laptop, textbooks, and other school supplies.

Talk to your parents about getting a new piece of technology (such as a laptop or an iPad) if you think there’s a good enough reason to justify the expense. You may have a fighting chance of convincing them if you explain how these items will improve your study time.

Conclusion

Academic difficulty is a common problem for many students but can be avoided with proper planning and understanding of the main causes. By understanding and addressing each of these causes, students can improve their academic performance and reach their educational goals. Additionally, it is important to seek help from teachers, family, and friends to ensure that students stay on track and succeed academically.

If you are looking for an experienced full-time private tutor in Canada and the United States, look no further than our experts here at Prep Academy Tutors. We are here to provide you with personalized in-home and online tutoring services. Call us today for more information about our tutoring services and enrichment programs.

Test Anxiety Tips: What is Test Anxiety and How to Avoid It

The difference between being nervous before or during a test and having test anxiety is that test anxiety interferes with a student’s ability to do well on a test. Nervousness can be productive. Test anxiety, however, is not.

Even for a student who does everything she can to prepare for a test — take detailed notes, study often, do all assigned readings and homework — test anxiety can cause her to underperform.

Standardized testing anxiety can be particularly detrimental to a student’s education. Students with standardized testing anxiety experience anxiety when doing standardize tests like the SAT or MCAT, which are an important gateway to success.

Test anxiety can be experienced by many different types of learners — the experience is not limited to one type of student.

Symptoms of test anxiety can be behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and physical. Some of these include:

• loss of focus
• inability to remember information
• hopelessness
• negative self-talk
• increased heart rate or heart palpitations
• muscle tension or soreness
• shortness of breath
• stomach pain
• headache
• dizziness
• shakiness
• nausea
• irritability

A less common, though severe, symptom is selective mutism, whereby a student becomes unable to speak while taking an exam.

Students preparing for online tests will benefit from understanding what testing anxiety is and what they can do about it. Test anxiety is a serious obstacle, but it’s an obstacle that can be overcome.

What is Test Anxiety?

Test anxiety is a psychological condition that shares many of the same symptoms as anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), separation anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and agoraphobia.

Commonly experienced among those who suffer from anxiety, including test anxiety, are anxiety attacks and panic attacks. (The chief difference between anxiety and panic attacks is that anxiety attacks build gradually while panic attacks happen with little to no warning.) These attacks can be both frightening and debilitating. A student who experiences one of these attacks during an exam may be unable to complete it.

Test anxiety manifests differently in every student who experiences it. For some, symptoms may be mild. For others, symptoms may be extreme. To make things even more complicated, children with testing anxiety may not know they have it. They may confuse it with simple nervousness, or believe they’re afraid of tests because they’re not good enough.

Other students may recognize their anxiety but refrain from speaking about it for fear of being negatively perceived or made fun of.

Although test anxiety is common, it’s not a widely understood condition. Teachers and parents with testing anxiety may not be able to identify it in their students if they are not adequately informed.

Unfortunately, some teachers and parents may even believe a student with testing anxiety does poorly on exams not because he has anxiety but because he is underprepared, uninspired, or even lazy. Students who are perceived in this way may come to perceive themselves in this way — which only leads to more anxiety, fear of failure, or humiliation.

Causes of Test Anxiety

Test anxiety can be a symptom of an overarching anxiety disorder. On its own, test anxiety is considered a form of performance anxiety. Performance anxiety is a fear about one’s ability to perform at a specific task.

For this reason, test anxiety has the potential to become a vicious cycle. Because students suffer anxiety during an exam, they come to associate exams with anxiety, and become even more anxious during exams. As a result, they may feel that they have no control over their anxiety, and stop trying to overcome it. This can lead to a state called learned helplessness.

If students don’t learn to recognize their anxiety for what it is, they aren’t likely to seek help. And if they don’t seek treatment, they’re not likely to overcome their anxiety. On the contrary, their anxiety can become worse.

Due to test anxiety, even the most dedicated and promising students can become so distressed by tests, or so humiliated by what they perceive to be personal shortcomings, that they will become fearful of school and fall far short of their academic potential.

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Test Anxiety Tips and Help

Fortunately, there are ways to overcome test anxiety. The first step is to identify test anxiety; the second is to seek help. Prep Academy Tutors can identify test anxiety in their students and help them overcome it in order to become the kind of students they have the potential to be.

Parents living in Ontario may look at tutoring services in Ontario. Parents living in New York may consider private tutoring in NYC — although online tutoring services are available to anyone anywhere.

In addition to enlisting the help of tutors, parents may also seek help for their kids from mental health professionals.

Medication is an option. So too is counselling and different kinds of therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, psychotherapy, and exposure treatment therapy.

Natural remedies are another option. These include:

• meditation
• exercise
• diet
• sleep
• avoiding stimulants like energy drinks or coffee

The goal is to find the sort of help that best suits your child’s needs.

Communication

If you think your children may have test anxiety, it’s important that you communicate with them and help them understand that test anxiety is neither permanent nor inescapable.

There are questions you can ask your children to find out whether they have test anxiety:

1. Do you worry about taking tests?
2. Do you feel different when you take tests?
3. When you take a test, do you feel like you know as much, or remember as much, about the subject as you do when you’re not taking a test?
4. Do you find that, when you take a test, you suddenly forget what you’ve learned?
5. Do you find it tough to concentrate when you take a test?
6. Do you experience physical symptoms while taking a test that you tend not to experience otherwise?

As parents, another beneficial thing to do is talk to your child’s tutors and teachers. They may be able to tell whether your child behaves differently during tests, or seems to underperform compared to their performance in class or on homework assignments.

For example, if a teacher notices that your child doesn’t fidget during class, but does fidget during tests, this might be a sign that your child experiences test anxiety.

Test anxiety damages students’ self-confidence in their ability to do well in school. Our certified tutors understand how to identify test anxiety and teach coping strategies that boost confidence and in turn improve students’ academic performance.

Keeping Students Focused with Homeschooling

Online learning and homeschooling are our new normal, which is why it’s essential to ensure that students have all the tools and resources they need to thrive in a remote learning environment.

As it stands right now, primary students and their parents are choosing between in-class and online learning. Prep Academy Tutors offers online tutoring services and small group tutoring to help students adjust to this new normal.

The reality is that parents are at different comfort levels when it comes to sending their students back to school, and more are turning to learning pods and other homeschooling alternatives to help continue their child’s educational journey.

Common Distractions

While there are distractions everywhere, the home does pose some unique distractions for students. The good news is that, with the help of parents, teachers, and tutors, students can learn to focus and stay on task despite these environmental factors.

Some of the common distraction’s students experience learning from home include:

Electronics: Students have more access to technology when learning at home. It’s important to monitor access to technology and set boundaries.

People: Having everyone at home —parents, grandparents, and siblings alike — can distract students who want to spend time with their family or find it hard to focus when others are around.

Procrastination: When students procrastinate, even leaving a room to get a glass of water can be a distraction. When procrastinating, students will use everything as a reason not to tackle the task at hand

Noise: While some students may learn well with background noise, others can get distracted by noise from the television, room chatter, or general bustling. Consider the ways you can accommodate for the noise level that your student requires to be productive. 

Limiting Your Student’s Distractions

The good news is that long time homeschooled students, and remote workers alike, have learned how to best combat the common distractions experienced at home to maximize their productivity.

With the right tools, students can thrive by learning at home. A CCHE study revealed that homeschooled students score 15 to 30 percentile points higher than public school students on standardized academic achievement tests.

The 4 Habits All Successful Students Share

The way we learn new information and skills may have changed significantly over the past twenty years, but no matter how many new technological tools we acquire, basic study skills are still a central part of education at all levels.

Consistently, the most effective students — the ones able to rapidly master new disciplines and incorporate new information into their understanding of the world — are those who have built a reliable set of habits that help them synthesize new information quickly and to retain what they have learned over the long run.

Good study habits can:

• Make studying easier
• Make studying faster
• Reduce the time needed to synthesize new information
• Improve grades
• Lock information into the long-term memory

So what are these habits, and how can students who want to study more efficiently acquire them?

In this article, we’ll go over four of the most important study habits a high school or college student can develop and explore some of the strategies that can help you make them part of your daily life.

1. Regular Goals

When you start out in a new subject or discipline, learning is often stimulating and fun — after all, it’s empowering to discover new things about the world. But once the initial excitement wears off and your realize just how much you don’t know, it’s easy to get discouraged. Learning a handful of words in Japanese makes you feel smart and accomplished: putting in the hard work to master the language’s complex grammar is another thing entirely.  

We often imagine that the thing that separates students who learn a few words and then give up from those who go one to achieve a degree of fluency is simply a matter of motivation and dedication. But motivation is about more than just drive, and motivated students tend to be good at providing themselves with incentives.

Setting regular goals is an essential part of this, because regular goals help students to feel that they are making a progress. Learning a language or mastering calculus takes a long time; if you are constantly measuring yourself against some kind of perfect ideal, it will be hard to stay the course.

But if you find ways to set regular goals — learning a cluster of words every week and a grammatical tense every month, for example — you can measure your progress more effectively.

Having outside help can make this a bit easier, which is why you might want to find a tutor near you if you’re worried that you won’t be able to hold yourself to your stated goals on your own.

2. Good Time Management

We tend not to think of time management as being a studying skill, per se, but effective studying is all about making the most of the hours available: the problem most students face is not that they can’t master the material, but that they struggle to balance all of their different time commitments, and can’t dedicate the time a given learning task requires.

For this reason, becoming a better student typically means finding ways to use one’s time more efficiently.

One common problem students run into with time management is that they aren’t sufficiently realistic about how long certain tasks will take. This leads to forms of magical thinking whereby students convince themselves that they can do more with their study time than is actually possible.

It is important to find out how long certain routine learning tasks actually take (how long, for example, does it take you to read a page of a history book, or write a thousand-word position paper), and then base your study plan on realistic metrics regarding what you can accomplish with the time you have.

Time management isn’t just about allocating yourself enough time to complete a learning object, however. It’s also about using that time strategically.

Cramming is an excellent example of where this often goes wrong: if you have four hours to prepare for a major test, that time will be far better spent in half hour or forty-five minute blocks of studying time spread out across the week, rather than a single intensive session the day before the test. 

While certain mnemonic techniques can help you remember key information more easily, scientists who study how memory works know that there are no real shortcuts for mastering complex material: you need regular exposure over time in order to lock major and minor details into your long-term memory.

Again, when you find your local tutor they may be able to help with time management simply by virtue of requiring you to do regular, weekly work, thereby keeping you on task and not giving you a chance to fall behind in your studies.

3. Willingness to Use the Resources at their Disposal

We are living in a time of unprecedented access to educational tools. Companies like Udemy, Duolingo, Masterclass and other online learning sites have all become massively popular by making learning software, games, and lectures widely available to the public. You can now receive high-level instruction in everything from German and literature to cooking and coding on your phone.

And the resources that are available are not only digital — even small Canadian cities now feature thriving innovation hubs that can help students of all ages connect to quality instruction and learning opportunities. And of course, tutoring services like Prep Academy Tutors can help students get hand’s-on help with English, French, math, science and other challenging subjects.

The most effective students don’t just set regular goals and manage their time well — they also look beyond the textbook to find resources that can help them learn more effectively.

Studying is, for many people, a deeply social act, and using the resources other people provide to make learning easier is an important way to make the information really stick. After all, a student who is regularly meeting with tutors and peers will have new material regularly reinforced, which plays an important role in locking it into the long-term memory.

If you want to find out how tutoring can help you meet your learning goals, contact us to learn more about our tutoring services or take a look at the tutoring opportunities we offer in your city or community.

4. Routines

Study habits are just that: habits that form an almost unconscious part of our everyday lives. The routine nature of habits is part of what makes them so effective. Once you have developed good study habits, it is easy to make learning a regular part of your life even when you aren’t preparing for final exams.

But developing good study habits is easier said than done, especially for busy high school or college students who have a lot of activities to schedule in every week. For this reason, building these studying routines into your life requires an intentional and strategic approach, one that avoids overly optimistic thinking and focuses on what is doable.

There are plenty of tools online that can help you create a study routine that works for you, but here are five easy steps that can get you started:

1. Make a list of your learning goals for the month.
2. Determine how long each of these goals will take to complete — and be realistic.
3. Sit down with your calendar and map out what your week and month look like. What activities and events are locked in? Where do you have time to spare?
4. Portion out your study time into twenty-five minute blocks, with five minute breaks between, and see how many blocks you have over the course of the week.
5. Allocate the tasks you need to complete to these time blocks, being sure to spread out major tasks like exam prep over a few days.

Like many things in life, there are no shortcuts when it comes to studying. If you want to see positive results, you just need to put the hours in.

But this can also be a liberating thing to realize. After all, if acquiring a new skill, learning a new discipline, or mastering a new language is simply a matter of studying smart enough and long enough, then the only thing holding you back from achieving your goals is proper planning.

One of the most important benefits that comes with professional tutoring is the feeling that you are not alone. Intellectual work can be tiring and isolating, and working with a tutor is a great way to feel not only that you have the expert help you need to overcome the obstacles in your path, but also have the human support you need to stay motivated.

If you want to overcome your personal learning challenges in 2020, get in touch with Prep Academy Tutors today and find the tutor in your city who is right for you!