Language Articles

Advice to my younger self- the student

By Lisa B. | 3/19/2013 8:54 PM CST |

IF I could go back in time and give my younger self some advice on how to be a better student, be more successful in school, life, etc, I would definitely tell myself that being involved in everything comes at a cost. It is better to find a few things that you like to do, do them well and often, than feeling stressed because there is so much on your plate at one time. Being a 'Jack of all Trades' it is natural for me to dip my toes in different waters- all at the same time, but that does not mean that I can give 100% to any of them at that time.

While I was able to get good grades (A- average)...

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What helped me to learn a second language? Flash cards!

By Matthew G. | 2/11/2013 10:35 PM CST |

I recently purchased an iPhone and came across a few vocabulary builder applications. However, what happened to using regular index cards to study new vocabulary? When I started to learn Spanish in high school, I was a huge fan of flash cards. Not only were they inexpensive to make, I could take them wherever I went.

When learning a second language, it is important to acquire new words. Cannot have much of a conversation if you have a limited vocabulary! I am currently sitting in on a Catalan class at East Carolina University and flash cards have become my new best friend.

Instead of creating...

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Not Accepting New Students Until April

By Bethany A. | 2/6/2013 5:25 PM CST |

Salvete Omnes! (Greetings all!)

This post is to inform all potential students that I am currently about 35 weeks pregnant and will not be accepting new students until April 1st. Current students should be advised that my schedule may become severely limited in the next two months. During this time, I may be available for short sessions or for one-time-only students. I will not be able to make any long-term commitments until April 1st.

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Speed does not equal sucess

By Katelyn M. | 2/6/2013 12:59 PM CST |

Recently, as I've been working with students on reading, I noticed something interesting. Students tend to want to read the material quickly, whether or not the word is being read correctly.This presents in two different ways that I have noticed so far: If it is a new word, the letters and syllables might get read out of order. If it is a root word, verb or noun, they are already familiar with, the prefixes or suffixes may be read incorrectly.

This made me wonder where the drive for speed was coming from. Was it a desire to sound natural? Was it the students' way of getting through the daunting...

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Tutorial assistance for a variety of important disciplines

By Stephen M. | 1/23/2013 11:41 AM CST |

Let me know!

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Find the word within the word to master spelling

By Julie C. | 12/7/2012 12:36 PM CST |

Have you always struggled with spelling words correctly? Would you be lost without the spell-check feature? There is one trick with spelling that I have taught students young and old: Find the word within the word that you know how to spell, then work on the parts you don't know.

For example, the word reconfigure. You may not know how to spell configure or figure, but maybe you know how to spell fig. Start with that simple word and add onto it. Most know the spelling of "re-", and the word "con-". Now you have reconfig-. If you sound out the ending, you should be able to add the '-ure" without...

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Helping Kids Become Lifelong Readers

By Jeff S. | 11/12/2012 1:04 AM CST |

I remember a public service announcement about reading from my childhood. I don’t remember the images, but the message said, “Reading is fundamental.” Growing up in a book – filled home with a family of readers and frequent library trips, I naively thought everyone knew this. I was saddened to learn that not everyone loved to escape into fictional worlds of words as much as we did. This article gives parents five tips for helping their kids learn to enjoy reading and become lifelong readers.

1. Let kids make their own reading choices.Young children enjoy the bonding experience that comes from...

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Special Education Resources for Parents

By Lisa M. | 10/28/2012 11:02 AM CST |

Massachusetts Specific Resources:

· http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/

· http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/iep/proguide.pdf

· http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/prb/pnps.pdf

· http://www.masspac.org/

· http://www.mcpap.com/pdf/NavigatingTheSpecialEducationSystemInMassachusetts.pdf

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act:

· http://idea.ed.gov/

· http://nichcy.org/laws/idea

· http://www.help4adhd.org/education/rights/idea

General Learning Disabilities Information:

· http://www.ncld.org/

· http://www.ldonline.org/

· http://www.ldanatl.org/

· http://nichcy.org/disability/specific/ld

· http://www...

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What are my top 3 study tips for kicking off the school year?

By Omayra R. | 10/24/2012 9:23 PM CST |

The start of a new school year is full of changes and new challenges. In my experience, depending on the student's age or academic level, he or she should set goals starting with the most difficult subjects or classes.

These are the steps that I usually advise my students to follow:

1. Review the curriculum for the school year. This step is very important because it helps you plan in advance the volume of assignments, projects and exams. If the teacher does not provide this information to students, parents should contact the professor and get it (An outline or syllabus, at minimum). All...

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