It is important to reinforce the skill of rhyming with your child as you move through their early learning-to-read process. You can work on rhyming before they have any letter recognition at all, just using objects around your home and asking whether they recognize if two things rhyme (for example, “Does hat rhyme with cat?”). Repeat the words several times to help encourage the recognition of the rhyme (“Cat, hat, they sound alike, right?”). This…
After your child is comfortable with at least half of their letter-sound relationships, you can move on to decoding and blending. Decoding is recognizing that each letter makes a specific sound, and blending is putting those sounds together to read the word. This is the process of reading that you are familiar with, also known as “sounding it out.” To decode a word, start with something simple, like mat. Point to the first letter and…
As I mentioned in the last blog post, your child does not have to have mastery of all letter names and shapes in order to move on to the next step, which is letter-sound relationships. It’s best to wait until they have an understanding that there are such things as letters, which have specific names and shapes, before adding the element of the sounds that they make, because this can be a lot for them…
If you are wondering how you can support your child’s early literacy skills, the best way to start is to remember that your child is born to learn how to read. Their brains are wired to absorb language from the sources all around them. The more you talk to them and read to them, the more they will naturally retain. But there are more active ways that you can provide them with opportunities and tools…
Letter of recommendation: How To Ask For It Writing a college letter of recommendation requires considerable effort. Don’t just blurt out a request to a supervisor or instructor you see walking down the hallway. Choose your letter of recommendation writers carefully, and plan out your timing and approach. Most importantly, don’t procrastinate. Ask someone who knows you well When deciding on whom to ask, don’t simply think of those classes in which you have done…
Students can strengthen college applications by exploring a couple of activities and sticking with them through high school — and they will develop skills and interests that may last a lifetime. Selecting extracurricular activities helps to strengthen a student’s high school experience. 1. Choose depth over breadth. Admission officers are more likely to consider an applicant who is deeply and passionately committed to a specific activity, rather than one who is superficially involved in multiple…
Some colleges require an interview as part of the admissions process but most do not. It is still important for you to visit the college at which you may spend four years of your life. The visit and/or interview may help you in your selection of a college or to verify your choice of a school. Interviews can follow several formats. It can be designed to share information or to evaluate you as a candidate…
“A tradition of innovation and excellence since 1893” Boston Tutoring Services interviews Lindsay Jean Casavant, Outreach Director at Cotting School, a special education school in Lexington, Massachusetts. Cotting is Different “Quite simply, we give students opportunities to succeed. Staff members focus on abilities; what the student can do becomes the single foundation for an individualized plan. Because our staff-to-student ratios are strong, programs and activities are tailored to each student’s individual learning style and ability.…
Preparing for the college application process means getting to know new terms and definitions. Reference this glossary to expand your knowledge. Application The application serves the purpose of identifying the student to the college (name, address, high school, etc.), as well as letting the college know something about the student’s personality (personal statement). It is highly recommended that students type their applications although careful printing or neat script is just as presentable. Applying online is…
