Mark your calendar for the latest test dates.
Ready, Set, Go! Gearing Up for the New School Year
We can hear the groans already as you read the topic of the article, but ready or not, summer is winding down and it’s time to start prepping for the start of the new school year. Yes, there’s still a bit of summer vacation to squeeze the delicious juicy fun from, but with the Back-To-School signs beginning to pop up at the local shops and on TV, this is our cue to begin early prep. In fact, if you start now, you’ll be alleviating some of the stress that inevitably comes from waiting until the last minute. So what can you do now to prepare? Here are a few ideas:
To start, it’s a good idea to get the family into a school-time routine. Set the alarm clocks and get your children used to rising at a set time each day. It doesn’t have to be “school early,” but it’s a good idea to discourage everyone from sleeping-in at this point. On a similar vein, it’s a good time to jump back into regular bedtime routines and times. Start now and your school-year transition will be that much easier.
Hopefully, your family has been enjoying great books over the summer. Keep it up! If reading hasn’t been a part of the day, now is the time to head to the library, pick up a few good books, and set aside a time for reading each day. If your children are not independent readers, use that time to settle into a comfortable chair and read aloud to them. They'll not only enjoy the extra attention they’re receiving, but will soak in great tales while hearing the letter sounds, vocabulary, and cadence of the written word, now spoken.
Now is also a good time to set up play dates! Beginning the new year with friends will help to ease the transition and you too can benefit from getting reacquainted with their parents. Help your children refresh friendships by setting up a pool party or other get-togethers with classmates they probably haven’t seen since school’s end. It’s a fun way to get everyone excited about being together again once that school bell rings.
As the first day of classes gets closer, take the opportunity to take your children to their school for a walk-through, especially if it’s new to them. Search out the cafeteria, find the library, explore the hallways, and if possible, meet new teachers and say hello to the principal. It’ll certainly go a long way towards helping to ease any jitters on that first day of school.
Though you still have a bit of time, it’s not too early to start school shopping. Check to see if your children’s school has already posted a classroom supplies list, then buy a few items each week. If the list isn’t available yet, go for the basics: pencils, paper, markers, lunchbox, backpack, etc. Spreading out the new-year shopping allows you to take advantage of sales and coupons, is easier on your budget, and you’ll beat the crowds too. The same goes for school clothes. Instead of dealing with an exhausting day trudging through the stores for new outfits, just buy a few pieces here and there as these final weeks of summer vacation wind down. Bear in mind that you don’t need to buy for whole school year, you just need a few fresh, new pieces to start the year!
Treat yourself too, and pick up a fresh, bound notebook or organizer. Use this to record important contacts, messages, plans, questions and to-do lists. You can also store any hand-outs that come home from the school during the coming year.
Towards the end of summer or at the beginning of the school year, your children’s school with host an Open House. Make sure to attend and take your organizer with you! You’ll be showing the teacher that you are an active parent, it gives you the opportunity to spend a bit of additional time with the teacher, and allows you the chance to hear about and understand classroom rules. Having these recorded in your organizer will help you to better explain the rules to your children and answer any questions that they may have.
If your child has an IEP, now is a good time to reread it, make sure that you understand it, and think about any questions that you may have for the teacher or school officials before the year begins. Understand that during these final weeks of summer vacation, teachers are very busy readying supplies, getting classrooms in order, attending administrative meetings and planning for the year. It’s fine though, to make an initial contact and request a meeting with your child’s teacher to discuss the IEP and your child’s special needs now, rather than when it gets very busy.
We know it’s tough to switch gears and move out of summer vacation mode, but taking these steps now will definitely pay off and make everyone’s transition easier.
You Can Do It: Last Bit of Summer Fun
We all want to squeeze out every last drop of summer that we can before school starts up again, right? Here are a few fun ideas for you and your family:
Backyard camping
It's an inexpensive and easy entertainment for your whole family, no need to travel, and if you forgot to bring something, then just pop back inside the house! Want to make it even more special? Ban the screens and just enjoy each other’s company without the distraction those devices bring.
Beach day
You know you want to squeeze in one more trip to the shore!
Bonfires
The nights are just beginning to get cooler, so it's a perfect time to build a glorious bonfire. Invite friends, stock up on ingredients for s’mores, and enjoy!
Living history
Head to the library and check out a biography of Annie Oakley or one of your other favorite figures in Wild West history, read it to the kids, and then head to Wild West City in Stanhope! It’s an authentic western heritage theme park which features live action shows and living history in a setting inspired by Dodge City, Kansas in the 1880’s. Check out www.wildwestcity.com for details.
Local festivals
Harvest festivals, blueberry festivals, apple festivals, film festivals and local fairs abound this time of year. Check out www.visitnj.org/nj/events/festivals to find out more.
Water park
Never been? They can be loads of fun! Try out Crystal Springs Family Waterpark in East Brunswick, or Runaway Rapids Waterpark in Keansburg, but don’t forget the sunscreen because you’ll want to spend the day!
Letter from Betty for July 2019
Hello Friends,
Many parents of college freshmen are surprised to find themselves included in the orientation process, and further surprised to have it gently pointed out that their relationship with their child is about to enter a new chapter, requiring parent as well as child to adapt and adjust in profound ways to new circumstances. We have a helpful perspective to offer in our feature article this month, "From Helicopter Parent to Lighthouse: Sending Your Teen Off To College."
Happy July! What could be better than lemonade on a hot July day? How about 4 different kinds of lemonade. As you prepare for parades and cookouts and fireworks, stir up some thirst-quenching beverages for the whole family with our bonus article, "You Can Do It: Fabulous Lemonade Recipes."
Whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, and ISEE/SSAT test prep.
Don't hesitate to give us a call at 973-425-1774 or send an email to betty.foundationforlearning@gmail.com for a free consultation.
Best regards,
Betty
July 2019 Test Schedule
Mark your calendar for the latest test dates.
From Helicopter Parent To Lighthouse: Sending Your Teen Off To College
Helicopter parents are the moms and dads that hover, swoop in and solve every problem for their child. They intervene when it’s not appropriate to do so. If you’re sending your teen off to college, now is the time to back off. Helicopter parenting has become such a phenomenon that many colleges and universities are adding that very session topic to their freshman parent orientation programming.
You’ve spent your entire lives teaching, guiding, and protecting, but what your child needs now is to learn to become an autonomous, independent thinker, who does for himself, and takes responsibility for the choices he makes. He needs the space to learn to be a young adult, to grow, and even to make mistakes. He needs the space to decide on a major, to keep up with his own class schedule and assignments, his bank accounts and budgets, sleep schedules and eating patterns, and his new social world. And even though technology has erased many lines, what with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the many apps that are available to keep up with what’s going on, you have to learn to respect important boundaries, even if you get anxious about what is going on. It’s reasonable to check in from time to time, but moderation is the key.
More and more university students are seeking help from their school’s counseling centers, from their advisors, and from trusted professors. Parental meddling results in consequences that are completely unintentional but also very damaging. College students are experiencing more anxiety, depression, and dissatisfaction than ever before and part of the reason is the inadvertent message that helicopter parents have been saying to them: that they can’t be trusted to take responsibility and govern their own lives. According to a study in the Journal of Child and Family Studies, led by an associate professor of psychology at the University of Mary Washington, through their words and their actions, parents are sending unintentional messages to their college-aged children that they are not competent. The effect of this is exactly the opposite of their good intentions, but this is the result, none-the-less.
Learn all you need to about the college or university your child is attending. You’ll probably find that it is well set up to attend to you child's many needs. From personal advisors, career planning departments, financial aid services, resident life, social life, dining services, and more, there are many people and programs in place that do nothing but focus on the well-being of your teen. They just need to ask.
Go to freshman orientation, ask questions that will alleviate some of your concerns, and then trust and let go. For the sake of your young adult, resist the urge to be a helicopter parent. Be a lighthouse instead, standing strong, being available for navigation purposes, firmly planted on the shores at home.
You Can Do It: Fabulous Lemonade Recipes
July 4th and icy cold lemonade are a natural pair, but wouldn’t it be wonderful to have lemonade on hand throughout the season? Here are 4 delicious takes on our beloved summertime drink for you to try and enjoy!
Very Citrusy Lemonade
Ingredients
5 lemons
5 limes
5 oranges
3 quarts water
1-1/2 to 2 cups sugar
Directions
Squeeze the juice from 4 each of the lemons, limes and oranges; pour into a gallon container.
Thinly slice the remaining fruit and set aside for garnish. Add water and sugar to the juices; mix well. Store in the refrigerator. Serve over ice with fruit slices.
Berry Lemonade Slushy
Ingredients
2 cups lemon juice
1-1/2 cups fresh raspberries
1-1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 to 1-1/4 cups sugar
3 cups cold water
Directions
In batches, place lemon juice, raspberries, blueberries and sugar in a blender; cover and process until blended. Strain and discard seeds.
Transfer to a 2-1/2-qt. freezer container; stir in water. Freeze for 8 hours or overnight.
Just before serving, remove from freezer and let stand 45 minutes or until slushy.
Lemony Minty Spritzer
Ingredients
2 medium lemons
2 cans (12 ounces each) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
2 bottles (1 liter each) carbonated water, chilled
Ice cubes
Directions
Cut lemons into wedges and squeeze the juice into a large pitcher. Stir in the lemonade concentrate, confectioners' sugar and mint; add lemon wedges. Chill until serving.
Just before serving, stir in carbonated water. Serve over ice.
Lemonade Iced Tea
Ingredients
3 quarts water
9 tea bags
3/4 to 1-1/4 cups sugar
1 can (12 ounces) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
Lemon slices, optional
Directions
In a Dutch oven, bring water to a boil. Remove from the heat; add tea bags. Cover and steep for 5 minutes. Discard tea bags.
Stir in sugar and lemonade concentrate. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
Serve over ice. If desired, garnish with lemon slices.
Letter from Betty for June 2019
Hello Friends,
As teenagers push towards independence, a parent's role changes too, from caregiver and supervisor to guide and advisor. It is difficult to adjust on both sides. Typically, teens will resist the guidance and advice a parent wants to give. If you are in this situation, you'll find strategies to cope in this month's feature article, "Is Your Teen Resisting Your Help?"
June is here and the first day of summer with it. Get ready for warm weather fun with our bonus article, "You Can Do It: Watermelon Pizza." Enjoy!
Whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, and ISEE/SSAT test prep.
Don't hesitate to give us a call at 973-425-1774 or send an email to betty.foundationforlearning@gmail.com for a free consultation.
Best regards,
Betty
June 2019 Test Schedule
Mark your calendar for the latest test dates.
Is Your Teen Resisting Your Help? What’s a Parent To Do?
Independence
This word is important to the development and growth of teens and tweens as they move closer to becoming independent adults. It’s likely that they’re feeling conflicted between being an independent young adult and still needing, although reluctant to admit it, to rely on others. They may be feeling powerless and may use anger to push away the people they need the most, in order to gain power over a difficult or frustrating circumstance.
As parents, realize that the more energy you spend arguing with them, the stronger their resistance will grow. Change the focus. Take a step back and ask your teens what they think about the particular situation. They may have good thoughts and ideas to share with you. After they do, avoid the impulse to correct or argue. Instead, be encouraging and urge them to take action. This will give them the independence they crave and may motivate them to move ahead.
If your teens want to do well but are strongly resisting asking for help, reassure them that doing so is a sign of maturity and self-advocacy, an important skill they need to learn before setting off into the world on their own. They should practice this skill while still at home, in a warm and nurturing environment and you, as their parents, need to give them the space to do so.
This can be a trying time for both you and your teens, The best thing to do as a parent is to help boost their confidence, show respect, support their ideas, point them in the direction of appropriate community resources, and be there when they reach out to you…and even when they don't.
You Can Do It: Watermelon Pizza
Summer is here! One of the first things we put on our summer must-have list is...Watermelon! Here's a super easy recipe, very unusual, very easy to make (include the kids!), and very tasty!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1/2 c. ricotta
1/4 c. softened cream cheese
1 tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Watermelon slice, 1" thick
Fresh berries, for garnish
Fresh mint, for garnish
Toasted coconut, for garnish
Directions:
In a small bowl, mix ricotta, cream cheese, honey, and vanilla together until combined.
Spread mixture onto slice of watermelon and top with berries, mint, and toasted coconut. Serve immediately.
Letter from Betty for May 2019
Hello Friends,
Siblings play an integral part of one's younger years as well as their older years. The relationships between them vary day to day, even minute by minute, but in the end, parents want their children to form lasting relationships that keep them bonded for years. With the hustle and bustle of today's active lifestyle, it can be difficult to help to foster the relationships between siblings. For parents of two or more children, we've got some great advice for strengthening that sibling bond in this month's feature article, "Helping Your Children Build Strong Sibling Relationships."
May is the month of Mother's Day, so "Congratulations, Moms!" In celebration of the special day and just for fun, we have a bonus feature to enjoy with your family, "You Can Do It: Mother's Day Mad Lib." Enjoy!
Whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, and ISEE/SSAT test prep.
Don't hesitate to give us a call at 973-425-1774 or send an email to betty.foundationforlearning@gmail.com for a free consultation.
Best regards,
Betty
May 2019 Test Schedule
Mark your calendar for the latest test dates.
Helping Your Children Build Strong Sibling Relationships
All parents want their children to enjoy each other’s company, to support each other, and to remain close as they grow into teenagers and adults. The secret is to pay attention to the goal of creating a strong, lasting friendship while they are still young, and for you, as the parents, to nurture those connections. Below find suggestions to help build the relationships between siblings.
Find a passionate hobby or interest that they share
Perhaps your children love watching professional soccer matches or Marvel TV shows. Or maybe they both share a passion for Harry Potter or dinosaurs. Foster those mutual interests by creating opportunities for the siblings to share and while you’re at it, show your enthusiasm as well.
Enable them to have some time away from each other
Sometimes too much togetherness causes problems as well. When your children get a break from each other, spend time with friends, or even have the chance to enjoy some alone time, they value each other’s company even more when they reconnect. This gives them a chance to explore their own interests and friendships, while developing their own individual personalities and strengths.
Don’t step in to mediate their fights
Although they’re loud and uncomfortable to hear, sibling squabbles help children learn how to negotiate conflicts and manage outcomes. If they pull you into their argument, be sure to allow them each to express their own side and then let them know that you trust that they can come up with a fair solution by themselves. The bonus here is that by staying out of the exchange they won’t be able to accuse you of playing favorites!
Focus their energy into activities that help them connect
As a parent, guide your children towards activities that play to the strength of both siblings. Suggest activities that lend themselves towards duo teamwork whereby both children have equal decision making and input. Building a Lego village, planting a vegetable garden, and baking cookies involve cooperation, build partnership skills and they are a lot of fun!
Team up for chores as well
Assign tasks that your children can do together such as raking leaves, washing the car, or doing the dishes. Working together as duo enhances a spirit of cooperation and frankly, the chores are a lot more fun when you have a partner!
Create memories with family traditions
Weekly game nights, summertime yard sales, Fourth of July cook-outs, and New Year’s Day hikes are not only super fun, but they make great memories that your children will carry with them into adulthood and leave them with ties that bind them together. Create activities and experiences that your family can look forward to annually.
Create memories with family vacations
When you take your children away from their normal routines, you’ll find that they focus on and enjoy each other’s company all the more. Your vacations don’t have to be expensive either. You can put together a camping trip, a museum adventure, a road trip to visit far away family, a day in the mountains or at the shore. These escapades are bound to build great memories and fun stories to share.
Give these suggestions a try and develop other ideas of your own as well. Your efforts will result in big dividends for your children and for the whole family too.
You Can Do It: Mother's Day Mad Lib
Remember using silly Mad Libs books when you where younger? They were great for parties and road trips, and were always sure to lead to big laughs. Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 12th, is the perfect activity for the day as it is guaranteed to induce hysterical fun! Have one player prompt other family members for words to substitute for the blanks in the story, and when it’s completed, read it aloud for all to hear and enjoy!
My mother is _____________(adjective) because she ______________s (verb) me and always makes me ______________ (verb - emotion). When I’m feeling ______________ (emotion), my mom ______________s (verb) me, and when I feel ______________ (emotion), she ______________s (verb) everything feel ______________ (adjective). On my birthday, my mother ______________s (verb) my favorite meal, ______________ (adjective) ______________ (noun) on a ______________ (noun). My mom always makes sure I ______________ (verb) my homework, ______________ (verb) my teeth, and ______________ (verb) my room. My favorite thing about my mom is her ______________ (noun) because she always ______________ (verb) the ______________ (noun). She has a way of always ______________ing (verb) me feel ______________ (adjective), and that’s why my mother is so ______________ (adjective).
Letter from Betty for April 2019
Hello Friends,
Giving positive praise to your child is one of the most important acts of parenthood. And yet children have an uncanny ability to see right through false flattery and undeserved praise. What is a parent to do? We have specific, constructive answers to this age-old riddle in our feature article for April: "Helping Your Child Develop Positive Self-Esteem: Giving Good Praise."
I hope you are feeling crafty this month, because we have a doable craft project you are definitely going to want to try. Our bonus article for April describes the simple steps to create fantastic swirling designs on ceramic wares in "You Can Do It: Marbleized Ceramic Art." You have to see this to believe it. Enjoy!
Whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, and ISEE/SSAT test prep.
Don't hesitate to give us a call at 973-425-1774 or send an email to betty.foundationforlearning@gmail.com for a free consultation.
Best regards,
Betty
April 2019 Test Schedule
Mark your calendar for the latest test dates.
Helping Your Child Develop Good Self-Esteem: Giving Good Praise
We gain self-esteem by setting a goal, working hard towards that goal and feeling a sense of accomplishment once it’s been achieved. So, while it’s important to give your child praise, it’s even more important if he learns to recognize his own efforts and to feel good about the end result. Your praise can help motivate your child, but you need to think about the words that you are using. To help your child develop the important ability to self-praise and thus, develop good self-esteem, consider the following:
Make sure you are being clear about what it is you are praising. For example, instead of saying “You behaved so well in the grocery store,” make a more specific comment such as, “You were so patient while we waited in that long check-out line. I really appreciate that.” By being clear about what he did well, you can reinforce his good behavior and increase the likelihood that he’ll repeat this action.
For longer, more complicated, or multi-step activities, you might want to help him set realistic steps and give him positive feedback as he nears his goal. Be sure to use specific descriptive feedback that lets him know which actions are causing you to offer praise. You want to note your child’s progress and efforts and to help him see how his efforts are paying off. Comments like “I can tell how much you’ve been practicing” is a sure way to keep your child motivated.
It is important that you are giving sincere praise. The key is to be genuine and to avoid saying things like “You’re the best soccer goalie ever!”, because your child will instinctively know that this is not the truth and will start doubting other praises you give him.
Related to the effort to give sincere praise is that you should also do your best to avoid over-the-top compliments such as repeatedly saying “You’re so smart, you’re so pretty, your picture is perfect, etc.” This kind of comment does little to help motivate and again, over time, could lead your child to doubt himself. Instead, try to praise your child for the effort rather than his natural talents, emphasizing what he has control over and the abilities he can strive to improve upon.
Focus on the process rather than the outcome. For example, if your child is working on a project, let him know that you notice his effort to get the job done as opposed to waiting until he has finished and commenting on the final piece. For some children, it may take several attempts for them to get the job done or to get it done the way they wanted. This is particularly true for the child who has learning and/or attention issues. You can help him to stick with the project by noting his efforts, rather than commenting on the final work itself.
Avoid comparing your child’s work or skill to his sibling's or friend's. This can lead to him doubting his own abilities, avoiding competition, and it could affect his motivation and resilience. Praise your child’s skill rather than focusing on how he “stacked up” against his peers.
Do, however, emphasize how his efforts and actions affect other people. You can let him know how his action made you feel, or point out how something he did affected another family member by. Show your child that you notice his efforts and the affect he had on others, and he will feel like a valued family or group member.
Do help your child to express his feelings. Sometimes, a younger child may need help in identifying and owning his own accomplishments. He may need help in expressing his emotions about something he has achieved. One way to do this is to pair praise with an acknowledgement in a comment such as, “I’m so proud of you for working so hard to ace your math test” or “you must feel really great that all of your hard work paid off.”
By paying attention to the words you use when giving praise, you can help your child to self-actualize, to stay motivated, to gain positive self-esteem, and to continue to grow and develop in positive ways that are sure to benefit him throughout his school years and well beyond.
You Can Do It: Marbleized Ceramic Art
From Martha Stewart comes this fun and easy crafts project that people of all ages will enjoy.
Take a look around your kitchen: Dishes, cups, and glasses all lend themselves to this fun project, and adding style and polish to a bunch of mismatched vases can be as simple as, well, adding polish. Don’t have something in the kitchen for this project? Head to your local Target or Walmart and there you’ll find a huge selection of white ceramic pieces in their kitchen section.
Introduction
Nail lacquer, which floats on water, is an ingenious medium for marbleizing ceramics. And the design possibilities are endless: We chose pastels, but you literally have hundreds of options at your fingertips. We suggest picking two polishes you love, plus a brighter accent.
Materials
White ceramic cup, dish, vase, plate – whatever you choose to decorate
3 bottles of nail polish (different colors)
Nail-polish remover
Plastic bowl
Toothpick
Paper towels
Steps
Fill a plastic bowl with water, then carefully pour in a quarter-bottle of nail polish (too fast and it will sink; too slow and it will get brittle before you dip). Add additional shades, and swirl with a toothpick.
Dip in the part of the vase you want to marbleize, and twist it to transfer the pattern. Set the vase on paper towels to dry. Once the polish is totally dry, use nail-polish remover to clean up any stray marks.
Letter from Betty for March 2019
Hello Friends,
Encouraging an early love of reading bestows a lifetime of enrichment. Last month we gave you a suggested reading list of some of the best young adult books that were published in 2018. This month, we’re giving you a great list of some of the best books for younger readers in our feature article: "Best Children's Books of 2018."
March is a month that never fails to fascinate. Did you know it was the original first month of the Roman Calendar? Read much more all this month full of interesting days in our bonus article: "Did You Know? Fun Facts about the Month of March."
Whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, and ISEE/SSAT test prep.
Don't hesitate to give us a call at 973-425-1774 or send an email to betty.foundationforlearning@gmail.com for a free consultation.
Best regards,
Betty