Executive Functioning: Defined, Supported…and Maintained!

In the classroom, the resource room, and in what we read online, there are frequent references to the importance of executive functioning skills for academic and personal success. It turns out executive functioning skills are much more than simply organization skills!

Executive functioning skills are brain-based skills required for all individuals to effectively execute, perform tasks and solve problems. The executive functioning gurus, Dr. Peg Dawson and Dr. Richard Guare, identify eleven executive functioning skills. Here are the top key skills for school success listed in developmental order:

Working memory: Keeping information in mind, while performing complex tasks. Drawing on past learning and applying it to the situation at hand.
Flexibility: Thinking about something in more than one way, finding different strategies to approach a problem, switching gears, changing schedules, or understanding two meanings of a word.
Sustained attention: Attention to a task despite distraction, fatigue, or boredom.
Task initiation: Starting projects in a timely manner without procrastination.
Planning/prioritizing: Creating a road map to meet goals and deciding what is important to focus on.
Organization: Creating and maintaining systems to keep track of materials and information.
Time management: The capacity to estimate and allocate time and stay within time limits and deadlines.
Goal-directed persistence: Having a goal, and following through without being put off by competing distractions/interests.
Metacognition: Self-monitoring, self-evaluating, and taking a bird’s-eye view of how to problem-solve.

This is an extensive list! It’s built upon the assumption that every individual, young or old, exhibits a wide variety of executive functioning strengths and weaknesses. Not to mention that it takes on average 20-25 years for these skills to fully develop! Here are some popular methods to boost executive functioning skills.

Visualization and self-talk: Working memory allows students in math class to “see” the numbers in their heads and on an English test, it allows us to read a text, hold onto information and use it to answer questions. Practice visualization. Make a movie in your mind and see yourself performing each step of the task. Visualization should be paired with self-talk. Repeat instructions! Say the steps out loud and boost your working memory. Visualization, rehearsing and self-talk have the added bonus of also impacting cognitive flexibility.

Digital and physical systems: Put organization systems in place early, revisit and revise every four weeks. Set up a quiet, equipped, at-home workspace with school supplies, good lighting, and storage. Set up school binders with a duplicate system at home, divided and labeled by subject for completed units. Map the backpack! Choose compartments for supplies, write it on your ‘map’ and keep supplies in the same place all year. Set up a Google drive folder with files for each subject. Title your Google docs and make sure to place work in the correct folder. Memorize passwords and practice logging into Google classroom from multiple devices, including your phone. Spend time understanding how each teacher sets up their Google classroom, assignments, and methods for “turning work in.”

Write it down, rank it and do worst first!: Writing things down is a huge boost for EF skills. Including writing down homework and instructions in your agenda immediately when assigned. It also includes To-Do Lists – every day! To-do lists help identify work that needs to be done. Each task should be ranked in order of urgency and difficulty. Students are often tempted to do easier assignments first, and when the time comes to tackle difficult work, they are fatigued. Use the motto: “Worst first!”

Timers, time bandits, and brain breaks: Have you heard, “This will just take me 5 minutes, Mom!”? Many students set aside too little time for assignments because they have an unrealistic sense of how long tasks take. Add a column to your daily to-do list for estimated vs. actual time. Estimate, set a timer, do the task, and compare! Students will quickly understand how long homework actually takes and learn to manage time effectively! Be aware of and manage sneaky time bandits that have a huge impact on productivity including phones, computers, and time in the kitchen making snacks. Clear your workspace and put your phone on airplane mode. Timed and screenless brain breaks for a maximum of 10 minutes per break help students sustain attention and work efficiently! Good time management skills help students work smarter, not harder!

Follow Prep Academy Tutors on Facebook and Instagram for executive functioning tips all year!

All About PSAT/NMSQT

PSAT stands for Preliminary Scholastic Aptitute Test. NMSQT stands for National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.The PSAT is a practice version of the SAT and a great strategic benchmark for your standardized test prep plan. PSAT is administered one time per year at the beginning of October. Students can opt to take this test in 10th and 11th grade.

Earning a high score in your Junior year can qualify you to receive a national merit scholarship. The National Merit Scholarship Program is a national academic competition for recognition and scholarships. Each year’s PSAT/NMSQT is the qualifying test designated for entry to a particular year’s competition. For example, the 2022 PSAT/NMSQT is the qualifying test for entry to the competition for scholarships to be awarded in 2024. All PSAT/NMSQT scores are automatically sent to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation to qualify as a semi-finalist for an award. Registration for the test is by high school rather than individual students. Interested students should see their counselor at the beginning of the school year to make arrangements to take the PSAT/NMSQT. PSAT 8/9 and 10 are not considered for entry into the National Merit Scholarship Program.

Students do not generally prepare for the PSAT, but it is used as a learning tool for future study for the SAT. The PSAT and SAT are structured and scored the same way. The PSAT score will give students an indication of how they will perform on the SAT. The PSAT score is helpful in preparing for the SAT by highlighting areas of strengths and weaknesses.

FAQs:

Duration: 2 hrs 45 mins
Highest score is a 1520
25 mins math no calculator
45 minutes calculator allowed
60 mins evidence-based reading
35 mins writing and language

The Advantages of Summer Learning

Summer is almost here and we’re excited! As the weather improves (finally!) and the days get longer, we are all less focused on schoolwork. However, it’s worth the time to consider how we might use summer downtime to polish academic skills and prepare for next year.

Signs Your Child Could Benefit from Summer Tutoring

Decrease in progress and attainment on their most recent report card
Decrease in motivation toward learning
Your child did not get enough one-to-one support for specific skills like reading, writing, math, or executive functioning during the academic year
Your child showed signs of boredom this year and is in need of a challenge, enrichment, and mentoring

The Advantages of Summer Learning

Outside of the constraints of the school day and a jammed extra-curricular schedule, summertime is an opportune time for learning. Here are some of the many benefits of summer tutoring.

Close learning gaps by practicing and reinforcing content from the previous year
Get a head start for September through enrichment and previewing key topics for next year
Practice and fine-tune essential executive functioning skills such as note-taking and organization
Explore subject areas of interest and engage in project-based, and outdoor learning – without deadlines or due dates!
Create some structure and add a routine to your summer plans
Get one-on-one attention to boost individual skills and regain academic motivation

The Advantages of Summer Learning for High School Students

Complete summer assignments and preview topics for AP and other advanced classes
Write your college essays!
Prepare and take the SAT or ACT

The Benefits of Learning a Second Language

There are many benefits associated with learning a second language. Here are a few:

Career opportunities in the modern world. Employers and businesses are seeking candidates who are best suited to navigate the modern, global marketplace. Knowledge of another language and sensitivity to other cultures is key.
Grow your brain! Studies show that the complex process by which we learn languages can increase the volume of white and grey matter in the brain which in turn boosts other skills including problem-solving, focusing, improved memory (short and long-term), flexible and creative thinking.
Cultural understanding: one of the essential elements of learning a language is understanding the different cultures that speak it. Cultural insight gives you the chance to travel, immerse yourself, meet new people, and improve your intercultural understanding in the workplace.

Prep Academy Tutors offers French, Spanish, Italian, and Latin languages for Kindergarten to 12th-grade students. Contact Vanessa & Sarah to learn more.

SAT and ACT Score Reporting: What Does the Middle 50% Mean?

Many high school students will opt to take an SAT or ACT even as the number of test-optional colleges increases. Many want to see how they score and have the option to submit.

When determining whether to submit scores, students will generally be advised to submit their scores if such scores land within a particular school’s middle 50% range of test scores. The middle 50% is the range of scores between the 25th percentile and the 75th percentile for a specific group, such as a group of enrolling students for a particular school in a particular year. The middle 50% range eliminates the top and bottom 25% outlying scores and gives prospective students good information about the group or pool.

For example, Vanderbilt’s middle 50% testing range on the ACT for the class of 2018 was 32-34. This means that of the approximately 1600 enrolled students, about 800 (or the middle half) had a score between 32 and 34. You also know that about 400 enrolled students scored higher than this range (35 or 36) and about 400 scored 31 or below.

Schools often opt to report the middle 50% range instead of an average score since averages can be statistically misleading and skewed by a small number of outlying scores. Plus, reporting a single average score is often misinterpreted by applicants as a benchmark or cutoff. Remember, test scores are only one component of the application. Schools prefer to use the middle 50% range, instead of an average or cut-off, to reinforce this important idea.

Prep Academy Tutors Hosts The Road to College: Strategies for Enjoying the Trip!

On Wednesday, November 2nd, Prep Academy Tutors hosted an informative panel discussion, ‘The Road to College: Strategies for Enjoying the Trip!’, at the Bronxville Field Club. This well-attended and interactive talk was led by Prep Academy’s directors, Vanessa O’Friel and Sarah Loader and Prep Academy’s college admissions counselor, Karen Rozanes. This dynamic team brought both their business expertise and their personal expertise as parents of freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors currently engaged in the college admissions process. Although there are many roads to college, and each student has a unique path, this talk served as an overview of the significant milestones most students will encounter along the way. The goal was to introduce these milestones to parents and students in grades 9 to 12 and inform them about how and when in their high school career to engage in these activities. The theme of the talk was to ‘turn the lights on’ for parents and students, help them make a road map through high school, and develop a strong college candidacy on a measured timeline for a positive (and less stressful!) college admissions experience.

Some of the highlighted topics include:

Staying strong in high school with good grades and rigorous courses
Extracurricular activities, honors, awards, and building impact in high school
Recent changes to the SAT and its impact on the current freshman and sophomore classes
SAT vs. ACT vs. test-optional, and how to choose
College lists, college visits, and demonstrated interest
The Common App and college essays

Prep Academy Tutors plans to bring this talk back to Bronxville this spring, so stay tuned for upcoming dates! For more information about subject-specific tutoring, SAT and ACT test prep, and college admissions counseling, call Vanessa and Sarah at (914) 303.7661.

The Benefits of Standardized Test Prep

Standardized tests such as SAT, ACT, SSAT and ISEE are not IQ tests but tests of acquired skills. These skills can be acquired and refined through practice and test prep. Aside from high scores on these tests, standardized test prep has other benefits, including:

Students learn about planning, focused practice, and goal setting
Test prep not only requires students to master content, but also to develop and execute a plan for such mastery
Leads to executive functioning development in time management, organization, and persistence, plus metacognition (thinking about how you learn and how to better learn)
Test prep teaches students to work in an efficient and measurable way against a deadline; a skill vital for those headed to college or into the workforce
Students learn to become active instead of passive actors in their educational journey
Students learn that hard work pays off and that they are the master of their own destiny. This is also known as Growth Mindset
Test Prep teaches discipline and emotional resilience

Sneak In Summer Learning

Our last blog post was about Summer Learning Loss and how parents can combat it. One way to avoid this setback is to sneak in summer learning. Hiring a tutor is an excellent way to provide structure and support throughout the summer so your child retains what they have learned during the past school year however, there are many easy ways to sneak summer learning into your child’s day-to-day activities throughout July and August.

Sneak In Summer Learning: MATH

As discussed previously, on average, students can lose approximately 2.6 months of math learning over the summer, which can take up to six weeks of re-learning old material to make up for the loss. But math is also one of the most accessible subjects to sneak in summer learning, with opportunities to practice basic skills daily.

Host a Yard Sale:

Your kids will need to analyze what they are selling to set a price, be able to calculate change, and offer percentage or dollar discounts.

Get Cooking:

Having your kids help in the kitchen teaches them life skills and is an easy way to sneak in math, specifically when it comes to measurements. As your kids go through each recipe step, have them convert a measurement. For instance, if the recipe calls for three tablespoons, ask them how many teaspoons that would be.

Math Games for The Family:

Nothing sneaks in summer learning like family game night! Some of the best games that focus on math are:

Yahtzee

Mastermind

Battleship

Uno

Monopoly

Sneak In Summer Learning: SCIENCE

The wonderful thing about science is that even simple hands-on experiments requiring only a few materials can spark an interest in the subject for the upcoming school year.

You can create your own experiments or get inspiration here. This Prep Academy article also has three boredom-busting science experiments that will keep your kids engaged using basic household items you likely already have lying around.

Sneak In Summer Learning: READING/WRITING

Summer Scrapbook:

Have your child delve into their creative side by making a scrapbook where they journal their summer adventures. Use everything you have on hand – magazine clippings, stickers, markers, and construction paper – the sky is the limit! Have your kids incorporate creative storytelling for a fun way to practice writing that also makes a memory book they can look back on in the fall.

Garage Sales:

Build up your kids’ home library by hitting local garage sales and having them choose and buy books they would like to read.

Rethink Screen Time:

While you don’t want your kids to be in front of a screen for an entire summer, you can turn television time into reading time by simply turning on the closed captioning when they are watching their favourite shows.

Sneak In Summer Learning: GEOGRAPHY

Latitude/Longitude Part 1:

Whenever your child reads a book, magazine or newspaper article, have them find the latitude and longitude of the location where the focus of the article takes place and find it on a map.

Latitude/Longitude Part 2:

Have your child find their birthday latitude and longitude on a map. Use the month for latitude and day for longitude. If the birthday is October 18, the coordinates could be 10°N, 18°E or 10°S, 18°W. To expand on this, have them find out facts about the area they found.

Take a Virtual Tour of the World

Google Virtual Tours allows you to visit thirty historic landmarks worldwide, including the Taj Mahal, Great Sphinx of Giza and Stonehenge.

On a final note, summer learning loss is not inevitable. A combination of at-home learning and working with our certified tutors will help your child retain what they’ve already learned and confidently start the school year.

How To Combat Summer Learning Loss

Summer is upon us, which means many children go from a structured school routine to a more
relaxed daily schedule. While downtime in the summer is great, the two-month gap in learning
can cause summer learning loss, also referred to as the summer slide, brain drain, and the
summer setback. This can be frustrating for parents. After watching their child struggle to
master vital skills like writing and math over the course of the school year, summer comes along
and seems to wipe the memory clean. In this post we will cover some tips on how to combat summer learning loss.

It’s the old adage of ‘use it or lose it’ come to life. Without regular practice, new skills and
knowledge fade. What’s even more worrisome is that these dips in learning can be even more
dramatic as kids enter middle school.

One area that is hit particularly hard is math. On average, students can lose approximately 2.6
months of math learning over the summer. These setbacks can take up to six weeks of
re-learning old material to make up for summer learning loss.

How Do You Combat Summer Learning Loss?

July and August are a chance for children to combat learning loss and stay academically
motivated so that, when they return to school in the fall, they’ll be more than prepared.

Bring Play Into Learning

Since math is an area with the most significant summer learning loss, one of the most important
roles you can play in how to combat summer learning loss, is modelling interest in the value of math. Instead of thinking about math as a
chore, connect it to your child’s real-life experiences.

Find something your child is already passionate about, then draw out the mathematical
features. It’s a great way to help your kids see that math touches everything. If they like to draw,
you can find books or videos to teach them the importance of ratios, scaling, and angles. If
they’re interested in sports, use the hockey rink, football field, or soccer pitch to show the
importance of fractions.

Games like Yahtzee, Monopoly, and Sequence utilize basic math skills such as counting, adding,
and categorizing.

Hire a Tutor

A tutor can provide structure and support so your child will not only retain what they have
learned throughout the school year but can also improve their knowledge in advance of the
year to come. It’s also an opportunity to help your child overcome personal learning challenges
in a safe environment.

Make Reading An Everyday Activity

The results of a 2004 study suggest that the effect of reading four to five booksis potentially
large enough to prevent a decline in reading achievement scores from the spring to the fall.
Furthermore, children who reported easy access to books also read more books.
A few things you can do to make books more accessible are:

Take a trip to your local library and allow your child to choose books of interest to them.
Bring books on car rides or when you go to the park or beach
Implement a quiet reading hour once a day
Create a summer reading challenge

Literacy Activities

Journaling
Journaling is an excellent activity for kids to develop as readers, writers, and communicators.
Have them write whatever comes to mind, whatever is bothering them, whatever they’re
curious about, or whatever they want to remember.

The Neverending Story:
This is a fun activity for middle-school children. In a notebook, write the line “Once Upon A
Time….”
Each family member then adds a short paragraph to the story every day, with the next person
adding on to what was previously written. Not only does this help with writing, but it also helps
to inspire your child’s creativity and nourishes their imagination.

Word Jar:
Write down vocabulary words on slips of paper appropriate for your child’s age/grade and have
them choose one word each day. The challenge is for both of you to use that word in
conversation (using the proper context) as many times as you can that day.
Summer learning loss is not inevitable. By incorporating math skills into daily life, reading
regularly, and encouraging your children to write and journal, you are setting them up for a
successful school year ahead.

If you want to explore the possibility of tutoring this summer, contact us to learn more.

How To React To Your Child’s Report Card

How To React To Your Child’s Report Card

The end of the school year is near, which means final report cards will be coming home. This can be stressful for kids, especially if they feel like they haven’t lived up to expectations. How parents react to bad grades on a report card is important as it can affect your child’s future approach to studying and attitude towards learning.

According to parenting expert Alyson Schafer, “When report cards come home, your child knows full well that they are being measured. They will be thinking, “Am I good enough?” Your answers and facial expressions need to convey that they are already everything they need to be, and a report card doesn’t say a wit about them.”

No parent wants to see poor grades on their child’s report card, but if you do, don’t react instantly while your emotions are running high. Poor grades aren’t a measure of your child’s worth or your parenting skills. Once you have had time to calm yourself, use this as an opportunity to communicate with your son/daughter and determine a path for future academic enrichment.

If your child does bring home a report card with unsatisfactory grades, here’s what you can do:

Focus on the Positive

Imagine going to work, and your boss only points out everything you do wrong. It would be defeating and unmotivating, not to mention a very stressful environment. It’s the same for your child. Yes, you want the grades to improve, but your child also needs to know what they are doing right. Starting on a positive note helps them understand that you care about all their accomplishments, not just the areas that need improvement. Involve them in the discussion and ask questions like which grade they are proudest of and why.

Listen To Your Child

Your child can give you good insight as to why they are struggling. Ask open-ended questions about what they think happened. Was the work too difficult? Is the subject being taught too fast for them to keep up? Are they asking questions when problems arise?

Talk To The Teacher

Since this is the last report card of the year, you may ask yourself why bother speaking with the teacher. However, this is the perfect opportunity to learn more about your child’s behaviour, habits, and performance in the classroom, which will ultimately help you develop a plan to improve your child’s academic performance.

Come Up With a Plan

Help your child set realistic and attainable goals for the coming year. Hiring a tutor for the summer months marks a chance for your child to combat learning loss and stay academically motivated so that, when they return to school in the fall, they’ll be more than prepared.

Last but not least, emphasize the importance of always trying their best and focusing on a love of life-long learning, not simply getting straight A’s.