You Can Do It: Attracting Butterflies to Your Garden

We all love butterflies, right? So let’s do what we can to attract these beauties to your new garden. Adult butterflies are attracted to red, yellow, orange, pink and purple blossoms that are flat-topped or clustered and have short flower tubes. Look for sunny spots for your new flowers, because ideally, key butterfly nectar source plants should receive full sun from mid-morning to mid-afternoon.

Here is a list of common nectar and pollen-rich plants that you can add to the space that butterflies just love:

• Alyssum

• Aster

• Bee Balm

• Calendula

• Cosmos

• Daylily

• Delphinium

• Fennel

• Hollyhock

• Lavender

• Marigold

• Nasturtium

• Oregano

• Phlox

• Purple Coneflower

• Queen Anne’s Lace

• Sage

• Shasta Daisy

• Verbena

• Zinnia

Letter from Betty for March 2021

Hello Friends,

"First of all, don't panic — you can do this!" says the kind high school guidance counselor to her students every year as they prepare to apply for admission to college. That applies in 2021 just like every other year, even though conditions are different from every previous year. Still, there is good news and there are reasons for optimism in this trying time. Find out why in our feature article for March, "Applying to College During the Pandemic."

Daylight Savings Time begins on March 14th. Some devotees of regular routines might think of this sleep-disrupting biannual occurrence as a bad joke. In fact, a joke is at the heart of the historical origins of this time-keeping practice! Read about that in our bonus article for March, "Did You Know? Daylight Savings Time!"

Mark your calendars! Make sure to look over our presentation of the "Test Schedule for March 2021" along with important notes about 2021 testing, including information from the College Board about the coming discontinuation of the SAT Subject Tests and the Essay Test.

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

Test Schedule for March 2021

Important notes about 2021 testing:

SAT
From the College Board:

“Search here to find out if your test center will be closed on an upcoming test date and if it's offering a makeup test. Remember, test centers may close or make changes on short notice, including on test day, and they may close for the scheduled makeup date. Test center data is updated every three hours—be sure to search any closings the night before and morning of your scheduled test.

Only fully closed test centers will show in the search results. Check any recent College Board notifications for your personal registration status and any test center updates, and make sure they have your contact information.

Our top priorities are your health and safety. Learn the latest test center policies.”

Note from the College Board regarding the coming discontinuation of SAT Subject Tests and the Essay Test:

Why discontinue the SAT Essay portion: “We’re adapting to respond to the changing needs of students and colleges. This change simply streamlines the process for students who have other, more relevant opportunities to show they can write an essay as part of the work they’re already doing on their path to college.”

Why discontinue the Subject tests: “We’re reducing demands on students. The expanded reach of AP and its widespread availability means the Subject Tests are no longer necessary for students to show what they know.”

We know that this news may raise a lot of questions and concerns for you, especially if you’ve already scheduled the tests or are in the process of submitting to colleges. For more information regarding Subject tests and the Essay test, please see the College Board FAQ sheet.

ACT
The ACT organization is working to offer on-line testing in 2021.

SSAT
There are currently no paper-based tests scheduled at this time. There are at-home test openings on March 20 and March 21. At-home testing provides students in the US a secure computer-based testing option as COVID-19 limitations continue to evolve. Learn more about this option, test dates, and registration here.

ISEE
ISEE at Home via ProProctor is now available in the US. Find out how to register for this option here.

All Tests: Please make sure to check with the testing center ahead of the test date to make sure that there are no closings.

Applying to College During the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot of aspects of our daily lives, and for our high schoolers, there are the additional changes and challenges to how they go about the college application and decision processes. For many months now, students have been forced into social isolation, halting extracurricular activities, in-person learning, employment, and even testing. Family circumstances have changed, sometimes affecting teens' ability to do well in school.

The good news is that colleges are taking all of this into consideration. They understand that students have been facing unprecedented challenges and they are looking well beyond grades, test scores, and extracurriculars. The essay part of the college application has become more important than ever before. Admissions committees are encouraging students to write honestly about the obstacles they have been facing during the pandemic. Have students had to share in care for younger siblings or elderly family members while parents worked from home? Have they had to take time to help with their younger siblings' remote learning? Have they been doing the shopping for elderly family members or neighbors who aren’t feeling safe doing so for themselves? Schools genuinely want to hear how students' home life has changed and what they’re up against. It’s an important part of your high schooler’s story.

Here are a few things that your teen should keep in mind when thinking about and going through the college application process:

Test-optional: Many schools have gone test-optional or even test-blind, meaning that it’s just one factor in all of the things they are looking at, and is a smaller consideration than during “normal” times. Again, really focus on your essay. This is where you can tell your story and show them who you are, what your passions are, and how you worked to adapt and overcome the challenges of this new restricted reality. The essay allows admissions administrators to get to know you beyond the numbers, transcripts, and letters of recommendation.

Virtual visits: College visits might be out of the question at this time, but many colleges have developed a means to experience virtual visits. Applicants can “stroll” the campus, attend information sessions, even chat with current students, professors, and counselors. So make sure to sign up for these online events. You’ll not only learn a lot while staying safe, but the college will notice that you’re taking an interest in their school. And thanks to the current explosion of videoconferencing technology, you can now participate in online interviews.

Gap year trend: There is a larger than normal number of students who have decided to take a gap year due to the pandemic. Will that phenomenon impact the number of admissions offered by the school for the next class? Colleges understand this trend and are working to adjust for the potential impact of having so many gap year students.

So, our advice to you is to really engage in the college search and application process this year. Put extra effort into the essay that you’ll be submitting, whether one is required or not, and make sure that it truly reflects who you are, and the reality of the life you are experiencing during this pandemic era. And don’t be discouraged. With all of its differences, this era offers some advantages to college applicants. Admissions offices are adjusting the traditional methods they have used for their outreach and review processes, and this is a great opportunity for students to shine who might not have otherwise.

Did You Know? Daylight Savings Time

On March 14th, at 2 AM, we all change our clocks for the beginning of Daylight Savings. Did you know that Benjamin Franklin came up with the original idea?

But it was a joke!

In 1784, Franklin penned a satirical letter to the editor of the Journal of Paris outlining how many pounds of candle wax the city would save (64,050,000 pounds, according to his calculations) if only its clocks were better aligned with the rise and set of the sun. If residents had trouble adjusting, he suggested the city “let cannon be fired in every street, to wake the sluggards effectually.”

Though daylight savings wasn’t officially proposed until 1895 by George Hudson, an entomologist from New Zealand, it was Ben Franklin that introduced the idea more than a century earlier. Though his letter was humorous, he was only partially joking. Franklin was a very thrifty man, always looking for ways to save money, to conserve, and to get things done more efficiently.

So George Hudson proposed his idea in 1895, hoping for more sunshine to go bug hunting during the summer months (yes, really), and the notion was revived again during World War 1, when the country was faced with energy conservation concerns due to the war effort. Daylight Saving was officially passed into law in 1918.

Letter from Betty for February 2021

Hello Friends,

As soon as a child discovers books and reading, millions of doors open. Every year many new books are published and 2020 was no exception. For fresh inspiration from a reliable and familiar source, take a look at our feature article for February, "New York Public Library's Best 2020 Children's Books."

And what could be better when curling up with a good book than having a tasty snack to accompany it? It's February, the month of love. Here is an easy and delicious way to show your loved ones how you feel about them in this month's bonus article, "You Can Do It: Pop Hearts." Yum!

Mark your calendars! Make sure to look over our presentation of the "Test Schedule for February 2021" along with important notes about 2021 testing.

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

Test Schedule for February 2021

Important notes about 2021 testing:

SAT
From the College Board:

“Search here to find out if your test center will be closed on an upcoming test date and if it's offering a makeup test. Remember, test centers may close or make changes on short notice, including on test day, and they may close for the scheduled makeup date. Test center data is updated every three hours—be sure to search any closings the night before and morning of your scheduled test.

Only fully closed test centers will show in the search results. Check any recent College Board notifications for your personal registration status and any test center updates, and make sure they have your contact information.

Their top priorities are your health and safety. Learn the latest test center policies.”

ACT
The ACT organization is working to offer on-line testing in 2021.

SSAT
At home testing is also available, providing students in the US with a secure computer-based testing option as COVID-19 limitations continue to evolve. Learn more about testing details, test dates, and registration here.

ISEE
ISEE at Home via ProProctor is now available in the US. Find out how to register for this option here.

All Tests: Please make sure to check with the testing center ahead of the test date to make sure that there are no closings.

New York Public Library's Best 2020 Children's Books

A survey sponsored by The Guardian found that people have almost doubled the amount of time they have spent reading during this pandemic, and only 10% are reading less. In case you are running out of reading material in your home, we’ve put together a list of books, newly released in 2020, and recommended by the New York Public Library. From their list, we’ve selected 6 books for teens and 6 for younger children, though we suspect that you parents will enjoy them as well!

NYPL Best Books for Teens: 2020

Almost American Girl: An Illustrated Memoir, by Robin Ha
Being the new kid is tough. It's even tougher when you don't know the language, or anyone else in the entire country.

Beyond the Clouds, Volume 1: The Girl Who Fell From the Sky, By Nicke
Theo has dreamed his whole life of the adventures in his beloved fantasy books. When he stumbles across a mysterious new friend, he might just have found an adventure of his own.

Blue Period: Volume 1, by Tsubasa Yamaguchi
Yatora Yaguchi struggles with his lack of passion as he goes about his usual routines. That all changes when art turns his colorless life bright.

Fable, by Adrienne Young
Abandoned by her father on an island of cutthroats, Fable fights to prove her worth and claim her rightful inheritance as pirate royalty.

The Inheritance Games, by Jennifer Lynn Barne
Avery just inherited billionaire Tobias Hawthorne's entire fortune, but she has no idea why. To figure it out, she's going to have to solve the most difficult puzzle of her life... and survive his cutthroat family.

Legendborn, by Tracy Deonn
Away from home for the first time, Bree discovers a world where magic exists through King Arthur's legacy and her ancestors' Rootcraft. Now, she's in the fight of her life, for her past and for her future.


NYPL Best Books for Kids: 2020

Bear, by Ben Queen
What happens when a service dog loses his sight? Well, he takes dubious advice from raccoons, ventures into the forest, and goes on a “sense”-ational journey to find his best friend . . . his owner.

The Blue House, by Phoebe Wahl
A boy and his father live joyfully in their beautiful blue house, but change is coming. Distinctive art accompanies a touching story about dealing with transition and what it really means to make a home.

Crabapple Trouble, by Kaeti VanDorn
The Summertime Fair is around the corner, and everyone is excited to enter the produce competition! Everyone except Callaway, who keeps losing her head with worry. A fairy named Thistle may be the perfect friend to help Callaway calm her nerves.

Dark Was The Night, by Gary Golio
From street corners to a recording studio, musician Willie Johnson found success despite his many hardships. Beautiful watercolor illustrations tell how his legacy continues to live among the stars on the Golden Record.

Eva Evergreen: Semi-Magical Witch, by Julie Abe
Eva Evergreen has only a pinch of magic, and she'll need every ounce of it to obtain the rank of Novice Witch - or she’ll lose her power forever! Eva sets up an enchanted repair shop, but will her fixes be enough when a magical storm threatens her new home?

A Hatful of Dragons, by Vikram Madan
Silly wordplays, letters all over the place, fill-in-the-blanks, and funky pictures make this poetry collection a delight!

You Can Do It: Pop Hearts

Valentine's Day is coming up this month, so here's a fun and easy baking project to win over the hearts and stomachs of your loved ones!

Ingredients

1 refrigerated, ready-to-unroll piecrust
1 large egg
4 tbsp. raspberry jam

Directions

• Preheat the oven 425 degrees F. Line a jelly-roll pan with parchment paper.

• Unroll the piecrust and cut into 8 large hearts. Use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter to stamp out smaller hearts from half of these (these will be your peekaboo top crusts); brush edges with egg.

• Spread 1 heaping teaspoon raspberry jam in the center of the 4 solid hearts. Put the peekaboo crusts on top; seal the edges by crimping them with a fork (lightly floured, if needed). Transfer to prepared jelly-roll pan.

• Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until golden. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Letter from Betty for January 2021

Hello Friends,

Happy New Year! While we are busy writing down our resolutions for 2021, perhaps this is a good time to reflect on the power and effectiveness of the written word. Many people "think" best with pencil and paper: making lists, scribbling in margins, or keeping a journal. Others are professional poets, songwriters, screenplay authors, technical writers, news journalists, or novelists. Your teenage children might just be discovering the many joys of writing. Please take a look at our feature article for January on this subject, "Helping Your Teen Cultivate a Love of Writing."

The weather outside might be frightful, but most of us like to let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Enjoy gazing into the magical microscopic world of snowflakes in our bonus article for this month, "Did You Know? Let it Snow!"

Mark your calendars! Here is the test schedule for January 2021.

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

Test Schedule for January 2021

Important notes about '20/'21 testing.

SAT
From the College Board:

“Search here to find out if your test center will be closed on an upcoming test date and if it's offering a makeup test. Remember, test centers may close or make changes on short notice, including on test day, and they may close for the scheduled makeup date. Test center data is updated every three hours—be sure to search any closings the night before and morning of your scheduled test.

Only fully closed test centers will show in the search results. Check any recent College Board notifications for your personal registration status and any test center updates, and make sure they have your contact information.

Their top priorities are your health and safety. Learn the latest test center policies.”

ACT
The ACT organization is working to offer on-line testing in 2021.

SSAT
At Home testing provides students in the US a secure computer-based testing option as COVID-19 limitations continue to evolve. Learn more about testing details, test dates, and registration here.


ISEE
ISEE at Home via ProProctor is now available in the US. Find out how to register for this option here.

All Tests: Please make sure to check with the testing center ahead of the test date to make sure that there are no closings.

Helping Your Teen Cultivate a Love of Writing

The winter months are upon us and we are all indoors a lot more than we have been. Combine that with the many months ahead of social distancing due to COVID and our teens have a lot of free and solo time ahead of them. Now is a great time to encourage them to explore and develop their writing talents. Not only is it a wonderful and very necessary life skill, writing is an excellent outlet where they can express their emotions, put their thoughts in order, do some personal problem solving, and explore ideas.

How can parents help their teen cultivate a love of writing?

1. Provide them with good books to read. Why read? Because many successful authors actually describe themselves as word lovers, particularly from an early age. Reading, especially an engaging and well written book, will lay out how themes are developed, well structured sentences and paragraphs are put together, and how the story itself is presented. A really good book can be inspiring!

Check out these great book lists from previous Foundation for Learning newsletters: 

• "Best Young Adult Books of 2017"

• "Best Young Adult Books of 2018"

2. Give your teens a dedicated journal, like a Moleskin or other beautifully bound volume. Encourage them to write down their thoughts, questions, ideas, and dreams. Many people enjoy and find value in doing an exercise there they write anything and everything that comes into the mind, once a day (usually first thing in the morning) and to just fill up a page or two without worrying about spelling, punctuation, or structure. Just let loose and let go. It can lead to interesting ideas and discoveries about one’s self. Along these lines, Austin Kleon’s Steal Like An Artist Journal is an excellent tool for getting those creative juices going in a lightly structured but freeing way.

3. Does your teen have a favorite author? Suggest that he write a story the way that person might. In other words, to write the (author’s name here) story that hasn’t been written but that they’d like to read themselves. Or take a couple of intriguing lines from a favorite book and build a whole other story using those lines as a jumping off point. We all soak up influences during our life, especially as teens, while trying to discover who we are. Imitating and learning from a favored author is a fabulous way to pursue the enjoyment and excellence in writing.

4. Graphic novels are hugely popular among teens right now, so another way to encourage writing might be to gift him a blank book and encourage him to write his own, complete with pictures. This kind of writing is quick, it’s compact, and it’s perfect for someone who is a visual learner. And yes, graphic novels do count as literature!

5. Is your teen musical? Songwriting is about telling stories, it’s poetry, it’s a venting outlet for angsty teens, and it’s emotional and creative expression. Encourage your teen to test out his songwriting savvy. The more he writes, the better he becomes at it, so support this form of writing if that’s what grabs his interest. 

6. Now here’s a tricky part: it takes a lot of guts to put so much heart, and energy onto paper. It’s scary and feels risky to share it with others, so if you are given the opportunity to see your teen’s creative work, hold back any criticism you may have. They want to hear how much you appreciate their work and maybe even love it, so check your response. It’s ok to critique, but do so without being critical. Resist the urge to correct grammar or spelling. Find something in the work that you really like and point that out. Ask questions and pay attention to replies, as it may lead the way for further discussion, but remember that this is their personal work. If they ask for help then certainly give it, but you don’t want to pick apart a piece of cathartic writing. That will quickly discourage them from continuing.

7. Most of all, enjoy your teen’s writing and the fact that they want to share it with you. Despite what it may seem sometimes, they really do care about what you think of them, their work, and their interests. Encourage their creativity to flow, in any form it takes. By expressing your enjoyment and delight with them, you are showing support and they’ll feel like they can trust their own work, their own voice, and their right of expression.

Writing is an important life skill, and it’s one way that your teen can express himself. When they write they explore, they learn to trust, they expand not only their world but their abilities as well. Encourage them, support them, and step back so they can find themselves and discover just how accomplished they can be in whatever writing path they decide to take.

Did You Know? Let it Snow!

Interesting and informative facts from The Farmer’s Almanac:

Have you ever wondered how snow forms?

Snow begins as a tiny ice crystal or even a speck of dust. This moisture brings condensation and these drops or particles begin to stick together and form hexagonal crystals, sometimes in clumps, as they descend through warmer air.

Is every snowflake different?

Let’s just say that it’s highly improbable that you will ever find two snowflakes that are alike. The snowflake’s hexagonal symmetry has its origin in the shape of a water molecule, which consists of an atom of oxygen and two atoms of hydrogen. They are connected in such a way that the hydrogen “arms” make an angle like the arms on the letter x. This angle ensures that when the water molecules link to form a crystal, the resultant symmetry will be hexagonal.

Regarding the probabilities of combination, a single snow crystal consists of something like one quintillion molecules of water! The number of ways that many molecules can be arranged into six-sided crystals is astronomical. So the odds are huge that no two snowflakes have ever been exactly alike.

How many different types of snowflakes are there? Below are some of the more unusual snowflake shapes, courtesy of www.SnowCrystals.com.

Letter from Betty for December 2020

Hello Friends,

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! Even though this is a difficult year, we can still indulge ourselves in the acts of kindness and gift-giving. Get your holiday spirits flowing by browsing through our annual list, "10 Delightful Gift Ideas for Children." Ho, ho, ho!

While you are searching for seasonal bliss, why not try your hand at cooking up an easy sweet treat for the whole family? We have just the recipe in our bonus article this month, "You Can Do It: Peppermint Fudge." That should put some smiles on faces!

Whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, and ISEE/SSAT test prep. Make sure to check out the latest test schedule.

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

Test Schedule for December 2020

Important notes about '20/'21 testing.

SAT
From the College Board:

“Search here to find out if your test center will be closed on an upcoming test date and if it's offering a makeup test. Remember, test centers may close or make changes on short notice, including on test day, and they may close for the scheduled makeup date. Test center data is updated every three hours—be sure to search any closings the night before and morning of your scheduled test.

Only fully closed test centers will show in the search results. Check any recent College Board notifications for your personal registration status and any test center updates, and make sure they have your contact information.

Their top priorities are your health and safety. Learn the latest test center policies.”

ACT
The ACT organization is working to offer on-line testing in 2021.

SSAT
The December 19th test date is the last paper testing option for 2020. At Home testing provides students in the US a secure computer-based testing option as COVID-19 limitations continue to evolve. Learn more about this option, test dates, and registration here.

ISEE
ISEE at Home via ProProctor is now available in the US. Find out how to register for this option here.

All Tests: Please make sure to check with the testing center ahead of the test date to make sure that there are no closings.

10 Delightful Gift Ideas for Children

Here is our annual list of fun, educational, and creative gift suggestions for 2020! Because so many people will be shopping online this year rather than going out to the stores, we recommend you do your own shopping early this month to ensure the items that you want will still be in stock and will be delivered to your home in time for the holidays!

1. Children who are curious about birds, bees, and the natural world, will appreciate the gift of a pair of these great Dreamingbox binoculars.
Amazon.com: Dreamingbox Toys for 3-12 Year Olds, 8x21 Compact Binoculars

2. For those who love to build: a Zoob Mind-Building Modeling System. Gears, axels, and joints all snap together, enabling kids to move and rotate whatever it is that they build.
Amazon.com: ZOOB BuilderZ 500 Piece Kit

3. Science-minded children will love GraviTrax. It’s a cool kit that enables them to design and build their own marble runs. No electronics here, just gravity, magnetism, and kinetics. This kit includes over 100 pieces and 18 different construction elements, including junctions and a magnetic cannon.
Ravensburger Gravitrax - Starter Set : Target

4. You can bring the world to your doorstep with a subscription to Little Global Citizens. What child doesn’t love to get mail! Bi-monthly boxes of crafts, activities, and books, all tied to learning about a different country.
Little Global Citizens | Kids Subscription Box | Countries & Cultures (little-global-citizens.com)

5. The Root Coding Robot lets children learn to code. Download the companion app and they’ll quickly master putting together sequences of code to make Root do things like draw pictures, sing songs, and even walk up a wall.
Amazon.com: Root rt1 iRobot Coding Robot: Programmable STEM/STEAM Toy That Grows with You, Creative Play Through Art, Music, and Code, Voice-Activated, Bluetooth Connection, App-Enabled (Android, iOS Compatible)

6. Here’s your new favorite board game! Bugs in the Kitchen is loads of fun for all ages. Guide the battery-operated bug into the trap by strategically adjusting the maze.
Amazon.com: Bugs in the Kitchen - Children's Board Game

7. Gnomes at Night is a really fun search-and-find maze game. Think of it as an at-home escape room, where the gnomes won’t get out unless every member of the team works together.
Amazon.com: Peaceable Kingdom/ Gnomes at Night- A Cooperative Maze Game for Kids!

8. National Geographic describes 5,000 Awesome Facts (About Everything!) as “brain candy and eye candy rolled into one.” This book is so fun and stimulating, your children won’t even realize that they’re learning!
Amazon.com: 5,000 Awesome Facts (About Everything!)- National Geographic Kids

9. You loved these books as a child, and now you can introduce your own children to the joys of The Boxcar Children. This box set includes the first 4 mysteries, all in a cardboard case.
Amazon.com: The Boxcar Children Books 1-4: Warner, Gertrude Chandler

10. This is a special edition of Storymatic, a game full of zany story prompts that will get imaginations spinning. Great for bedtime stories, car trips, creative writing activities, and family game nights.
Storymatic Kids Game | Writing Prompts, How To Tell A Story | Uncommon Goods

You Can Do It: Peppermint Fudge

Here is a super quick and easy recipe to make your own peppermint fudge!


Ingredients:

• Cooking spray

• 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk

• Red peppermint candies

Directions:

1. Line an 8x8 square inch baking pain with aluminum foil and spray the foil with cooking spray.

2. In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk, and stir until melted and smooth. Pour into the prepared baking pan and spread to even out the surface.

3. Crush a handful of peppermint candies into tiny bits, and sprinkle over the top of the chocolate. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

4. Lift the foil out of the pan and peel off the fudge. Cut into small squares.

5. Enjoy!

Letter from Betty for November 2020

Hello Friends,

Many children are shy or insecure and are growing slowly into the confident adults they will become. During this time of remote learning there are extra challenges for the bashful or apprehensive young student. We have some timely advice for parents in our feature article for November, "Helping Your Shy or Introverted Child with Remote Learning Anxiety."

Welcome to the season of falling leaves! If you are looking for a clever DIY project to decorate your home for the season, look no further than our crafty bonus article for November, "You Can Do It: Fall Leaves Table Cloth." 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

Test Schedule for November 2020

Here are some important notes about '20/'21 testing.

SAT
From the College Board:

“Search here to find out if your test center will be closed on an upcoming test date and if it's offering a makeup test. Remember, test centers may close or make changes on short notice, including on test day, and they may close for the scheduled makeup date. Test center data is updated every three hours—be sure to search any closings the night before and morning of your scheduled test.

Only fully closed test centers will show in the search results. Check any recent College Board notifications for your personal registration status and any test center updates, and make sure we have your contact details.

Our top priorities are your health and safety. Learn the latest test center policies.”

ACT
The ACT organization is working to offer on-line testing in 2021.

SSAT
Beginning Summer 2020, the SSAT at Home will provide students in the US a secure computer-based testing option as COVID-19 limitations continue to evolve. Learn more about this option here.

ISEE
ISEE at Home via ProProctor is now available in the US. Find out how to register for this option here.

All Tests: Please make sure to check with the testing center ahead of the test date to make sure that there hasn’t been a closing.

Helping Your Shy or Introverted Child with Remote Learning Anxiety

If your child is normally shy or introverted in “normal” classroom situations, he may be struggling with the additional challenges of remote learning for a number of reasons. He may be concerned about what the home space looks like or how he appears on camera. He may be dealing with performance anxiety, made more difficult by the lack of nonverbal communication such as supportive nods and smiles which make in-class learning a bit more comfortable. He may feel uneasy having a class full of students looking at him. There might be difficulties with inconsistent internet access or struggles with the video software, leading to stress about participation or missing out.

So what can a parent do to help?

1 – While you’re both in a comfortable situation, such as riding in the car, playing together, or doing some other focused activity, talk to him about what you’ve noticed. Be calm, be curious, but don’t judge. Listen to what he has to say and let him know it’s ok. It is, after all, quite natural to feel uneasy in this totally new and awkward situation, so validate those feelings. Reassure him that everyone is feeling off-kilter in this new learning environment – including the teachers, his classmates, and even parents. Everyone is trying to figure our how to best make this new situation work, together.

2 – With your child create a comfortable and quiet space, Include a water bottle, a lap blanket, favorite photo, or anything else that brings comfort. Together, check out the background so he can get a better idea of what his classmates will be seeing in his space.

3 – Make sure your child is prepared for class and that all supplies and books are readily available and within reach before the class begins.

4 – Set aside some time for him to video chat with friends or family. This more relaxing practice, outside of the remote classroom setting, will likely help him get used to interacting on-line, seeing himself and his surroundings on the screen, and acclimating to the inevitable video quirks that interfere with the audio and video connections.

5 – Encourage him to take small steps, because a daily reach outside of his comfort zone will eventually add up to a big leap when it comes to conquering his anxiety. Begin with the goal of speaking up in class, just once a day, whether it’s to pose a question or make a comment.

6 – Give him feedback and remain positive and hopeful about the progress he’s making. If it’s early on and you’re not seeing progress yet, focus on the attempts that he’s making towards that end. Steer away from negative criticism and be sure to let him know that you’re proud of him for continuing to work at it.

7 – This is a great time to teach anxiety relieving tools such as calming breathing techniques, focusing on muscle relaxation, empowering mantras, and comforting visualizations. These life lessons can be used now as well as in the future.

8 - Talk to his teacher about the difficulties he is facing with on-line classes. If possible, let him speak with his teacher directly, outside of classroom hours, so that they can do a little situational problem solving and he can receive a needed pep talk. Just to know that his teacher is aware of his discomfort and is rooting for him to succeed, will likely make him feel supported.

Remote learning is not ideal, we know this, and for some students, extra creativity and understanding may be needed. Be patient. Be supportive. Give everyone time to assess and adjust while navigating this new distance learning. Most of all, be your child’s cheerleader, supporter, and soft place to land when he needs it. He’ll be all the better for it.