Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) Celebration
Sat, October 31, 2026 – Mon, November 2, 2026
Dia de Muertos is celebrated in traditional Mexican homes where departed family members are remembered by altars lovingly decorated with photographs, papel picado paper decorations, offerings of fruit, favorite food and more.

Random Acts of Kindness Spree in Springfield
Sun, November 1, 2026
Join Kat Nelson and Alley Kat Adventures for a unique interactive Kindness Spree through Springfield, completing creative acts of kindness while discovering hidden local gems!

20th Annual Harvest Home Festival & 5K
Sun, November 1, 2026
Celebrate the season and support hunger relief. Enjoy a scenic 5K farm run, live music, food and beer, local vendors, kids’ activities, hayrides, pumpkin trebuchets, apple cannons, in-person raffle and online auction, and more!

Fall Garden Buds (Ages 3-5) at New England Botanic Garden
Wed, November 4, 2026 – Wed, November 25, 2026
Geared for preschoolers, this program practices classroom readiness skills such as taking turns, raising hands, sharing, and expressing ideas. Each week explores a different seasonally appropriate theme.

City of Boston Veterans Day Parade
Sat, November 7, 2026
We’re honoring the service and sacrifices of all who have served and those who continue to serve. The parade starts at 12 – 3 p.m. on Saturday, November 7, 2026.

Girlstart’s Girls in STEM Conference
Sat, November 7, 2026
Girls currently in 4th-8th grades will discover the fun side of STEM careers at this unique annual conference just for them! The day is packed with three hands-on workshops led by women in STEM fields.

Bright Nights at Forest Park Holiday Lights
Wed, November 25, 2026 – Sun, January 3, 2027
Bright Nights in Springfield, Massachusetts brings you New England’s largest holiday lighting display. Enjoy the wonders of Seuss Land, Jurassic World, Toy Land, North Pole Village, and many more.

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services

The post November Events in the Boston Area appeared first on Boston Tutoring Services.

1. Anne Frank. Along with her Jewish family, Anne Frank hid in a secret annex with four other people throughout World War II until they were discovered and sent to concentration camps in 1944. During this time, 12-year-old Anne kept a journal, which was published by her father, the lone member of the Frank family to survive. The Diary of Anne Frank has been translated into nearly 70 languages and is a message of hope, love, and strength in the face of one of the darkest moments in history.

2. Marie Curie. A pioneering physicist in a male-dominated field, Marie Curie made history for discovering the elements radium and polonium, coining the term “radioactivity,” and inventing the portable x-ray machine. The Polish-born scientist was also the first person to win two Nobel prizes and remains the only person to win for two different sciences (chemistry and physics).

3. Malala Yousafzai. Growing up in a Pakistani village, Malala’s father was a teacher who ran an all-girls school—until the Taliban enforced a ban on girls being educated. At just 15 years old, Malala spoke out against the actions of the Taliban, leading a gunman to shoot her in the head on a school bus. Not only did she survive this horrific attack, but she also emerged as a vocal activist on the world stage and was 17 years old when she received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.

4. Amelia Earhart. Growing up in Kansas, Amelia Earhart pushed against gender norms. She played basketball, took auto repair courses, and enrolled in college before leaving to pursue a career as an aviator. She earned her pilot’s license in 1921 and became not only the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic but also the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to the US mainland. During her attempt to become the first person to circumnavigate the globe, Earhart disappeared somewhere over the Pacific.

5. Frida Kahlo. In her youth, Frida Kahlo contracted polio and then survived a devastating bus accident when she was 18 years old. Although she spent so much of her early life bedridden in pain, she went on to become one of the most significant, celebrated artists of the 20th century. Her pride and passion for her Mexican heritage, as well as her ongoing health struggles and tumultuous marriage to Diego Rivera, shaped and influenced her groundbreaking art.

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services

The post 5 Women in History Children Should Know About appeared first on Boston Tutoring Services.

1. Figure out what kind of student loans you have, and set up a repayment plan that works for you. If you’ve got federal student loans, which most people do, go to the National Student Loan Data System. You can look up your loans there. Then think about what sort of repayment plan works best for you. There are four broad categories: standard, graduated, extended, or income-driven repayment.

• Standard: Your loan-servicing company will divide up the total amount of money you owe over a 10-year period. If you pay that same amount for 10 years, you’re done.
• Graduated: Like the standard plan, this also lasts for 10 years — but you start out paying less, and payments get larger every two years. This option can be good for borrowers who know they’ll make more the longer they work.
• Extended: Pay a lower amount over a longer period of time.
• Income-driven repayment (IDR): Pay what you can afford. In IDR plans, you might be paying your loans off for 20-25 years — but the payments will always be what you can afford. Some people won’t owe anything. Then, after 20-25 years (depending on your loan type and your plan) anything you haven’t paid is forgiven. If you’re in this plan, you’ll need to certify your income every year.

If you’ve got a private loan from a bank, you might have fewer options than those federal student loans. You’ll need to call your bank and see what options they offer.

2. Be wary of forbearance. If you’re having trouble making payments or tight on cash, your loan servicer might suggest that you opt for forbearance, which puts your student loan payments temporarily on hold. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that forbearance is the best option for you. “Nine times out of 10, income-driven repayment is going to be a way better option,” says Bonnie Latreille, a director at the nonprofit Student Borrower Protection Center. Latrielle says that forbearance might sound like a good idea, but it can leave you with higher payments and higher interest in the long run down the road.

3. Use caution when it comes to loan financing or consolidation. Consolidation is a process that rolls all your federal loans into one single federal loan. Refinancing is a similar process that rolls your loans into one private loan. For some, these might be good options — but they can be risky. For example, if you refinance your loans, you lose out on all the federal repayment plans like IDR. Consolidation might affect your status in an existing forgiveness plan, so before you go either of those routes, do your research.

4. Do your own research. Your student loan servicer is your main point of contact about your student loans, but don’t treat them as a guide. “Make sure you’re going to them informed. Make sure you know what you want to do and what your options are,” Latreille says. Your loan servicer won’t always suggest what’s best for you, as they keep their own interests in mind, so you need to be your own advocate. If they push back, ask for written confirmation that they’ve put you in a plan you want to be on.

5. Tackle your loans head-on. There’s only so much that you can work and only so cheaply that you can live, but if you’ve got time to work more or are able to cut costs in other areas of your life, it may be worth doing. If you can get those payments done now, you’ll have more time later to spend how you want to.

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services

The post 5 Student Loan Payoff Tips appeared first on Boston Tutoring Services.

Sleep hygiene — a collection of habits and behaviors that promote good sleep — is vital for children. Many sleep struggles are caused or made worse by poor sleep hygiene. When practicing sleep hygiene, remember that consistency is key. Sleep strategies take time and repetition to be effective.

1. Create a routine. Humans are creatures of habit. A consistent bedtime routine lets your child’s body and mind know that it’s time to settle down and prepare for sleep. The actual routine can be specific to your child, but it should last around 20 minutes and consist of three to four quiet, soothing activities such as putting on PJs, brushing teeth, a warm bath, and reading. Bedtime routines provide children with a sense of familiarity and comfort, which acts in direct opposition to the uncertainty of insomnia.

2. Set a bedtime. A sleep schedule works with your child’s natural biological clock to promote dozing off with regularity. Bedtimes are most useful when they’re consistent, so try to keep the same bedtime on weekends as on school nights. Altering bedtimes during the weekend will make it more difficult for kids to maintain their normal weekday schedules.

3. Implement a screen curfew. The ubiquity of screens makes this rule hard to implement, but it’s well worth it. Mobile devices, TVs, and tablets emit a type of blue light that suppresses melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep. Children may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of light from screens. Screen time also stimulates the brain, making it harder to wind down for sleep. Electronic devices should be kept out of the bedroom and ideally not used within one hour of bedtime.

4. Avoid scary or violent content. Feeling scared or worried is a common reason kids can’t sleep. So it’s no wonder that scary or violent movies, TV, video games, and even books in the evening are linked to sleep disturbances in children. If your kiddo likes the gory or spooky stuff, save it for the daytime.

5. Get exercise. Physical activity is proven to help people of all ages fall asleep faster and stay asleep. Most children need at least one hour of exercise per day. Just make sure to avoid vigorous activity within two hours of bedtime; otherwise, your child may feel wound-up and find it harder to fall asleep.

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services

The post Sleep Hygiene for Little Ones appeared first on Boston Tutoring Services.

If you’re asking yourself, “what is social-emotional learning?” it might help to understand the five main areas of practice. They’re defined by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), a leader in SEL instruction.

1. Self-awareness involves cultivating a greater understanding of your emotions, goals, beliefs, strengths, and weaknesses. Recognizing the link between thoughts and actions can help you make decisions with greater insight.

2. Social awareness helps children build and maintain healthy relationships. This skill involves understanding and empathizing with others—including those of different races, genders, cultures, ages, and religions.

3. Once you understand your emotions and actions, it’s key to regulate them through self-management. You’ll reach your goals faster by practicing impulse control and evaluating your performance in certain situations.

4. Those with responsible decision-making skills think about their own goals, social factors, and self-understanding when making constructive choices. This fosters an understanding of cause and effect and the consequences of actions.

5. Also important for relationship establishment, relationship skills teaches kids how to act regarding social norms. Communication, cooperation, listening, managing conflict, and understanding emotions are key components.

SEL doesn’t have to be confined to the classroom! These at-home activities can hone your child’s social and emotional skills, helping them thrive in many aspects of life.

• Make schedules and to-do lists. Does your kid need help managing their time and making responsible decisions—like completing homework or chores on time? Help them make an organized to-do list, daily schedule, or “vision board” that spells out their dreams for the future. In doing so, they’ll gain experience with goal setting and decision-making.
• Consume media with empathy. Turn your child’s TV time into an SEL lesson about recognizing social cues and emotions. Stop the show whenever something emotional happens, and ask your child how they think the character feels. For example, are they happy, frustrated, embarrassed, frightened, excited, or hopeful? You can also try this activity while listening to songs, reading books, or watching movies.
• Draw emotions. What does it look like to be happy or sad? How about surprised or worried? Have your child express common emotions through drawings or paintings. In creating the images, they’ll reflect upon their thoughts and feelings about themselves and others. Your kid may also associate the feelings with different colors (for example, red means angry).
• Journal for self-discovery. At regular intervals (say, once per week), encourage your child to list specific things that bring them joy—for example, walking the family dog, playing board games with siblings, and eating their favorite dinner. They’ll practice self-awareness (understanding what they like) and self-management (understanding how they react to things they enjoy).
• Perform random acts of kindness. Throughout the day, have your child look for ways to help others. Maybe it’s holding open the door, complimenting a friend’s new shirt, saying “thank you,” or inviting someone new to play.
• Play games. As it turns out, family game night counts as social-emotional learning! While playing games, children must cooperate with others, take turns, handle frustration, solve problems, and more. They’ll also see how others react to winning or losing.

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services

The post Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Activities appeared first on Boston Tutoring Services.

1. Prepare to fail. It’s part of succeeding. If you’re trying to get a new routine to stick — whether it’s getting more exercise, eating less sugar or learning to play the ukulele — scholars who study human behavior say the key is to accept failure as a part of the process. Expect that at some point you will mess up. And when that happens, don’t give in to the “what-the-heck” effect — the feeling that since you’ve missed one session, your whole plan is a bust. Just get back to taking steps toward your goal, and don’t beat yourself up.

2. Pair a chore with a favorite activity. When Katy Milkman started graduate school, her exercise routine went out the window, as all she wanted at the end of a long day of classes was to watch Harry Potter. What got her back to regular workouts was something she calls “temptation bundling.” She resolved to indulge in her love of wizard-lit only while at the gym by listening to audiobooks with earbuds. Milkman, now a professor at the Wharton School of Business who specializes in human decision-making, says that when it comes to making a behavioral change, the trick is to pair the thing you dread with something you love.

3. Find ways to cultivate joy. Feeling stressed? Just eight techniques — a “buffet of life skills” — can make a significant improvement in well-being, say scientists who taught the techniques to caregivers of people with dementia. After learning techniques such as how to keep a gratitude journal, for example, and how to quickly reframe negative experiences in a positive light — these family caregivers reported impressive decreases in both stress and anxiety.

4. Redefine exercise: move a little bit, often. We all know movement is incredibly relevant to emotional wellbeing. One student learned to love exercise when she realized every little bit counts. “I reframed what I thought of as exercise,” she says. Vacuuming with gusto, taking the stairs, doing a YouTube dance or yoga video — these little bursts of movement throughout the day add up over time, like pennies in a piggy bank.

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services

The post 4 Tips for Student Emotional Wellbeing appeared first on Boston Tutoring Services.

It’s important to get a StudentAid.gov account username and password (FSA ID) before filling out the FAFSA form. When you register for an FSA ID, you may need to wait up to three days before you can use it to sign your FAFSA form electronically. You and your parent (if you’re considered a dependent student) will each need your own separate FSA IDs to sign the FAFSA form online. Do not share your FSA IDs with each other! Doing so could cause problems or delays with your financial aid. Click here to get your FSA ID.

Unless you’re applying to only one college or already know where you’re going to school, you should include more than one. Colleges can’t see the other schools you’ve added, so you should add all colleges you’re considering to your FAFSA form, even if you aren’t sure whether you’ll apply or be accepted. You can add up to 10 schools at a time. If you’re applying to more than 10 schools,  you’ll need to remove one of the ten schools already listed on your FAFSA form. You may choose which school to replace with the new school. The school removed from the list will not have automatic access to any new information you provide after you’ve removed that school.

One of most difficult parts about filling out the FAFSA form is entering the financial information. But thanks to a partnership with the IRS, students and parents who are eligible can automatically transfer necessary tax information into the new FAFSA form using the IRS DRT. It’s the fastest, most accurate way to enter your tax return information into the FAFSA form.

It doesn’t hurt your application to add more schools. In fact, you don’t even have to remove schools in which you decide not to apply. If you don’t end up applying or getting accepted to a school, the school can just disregard your FAFSA form. However, you can remove schools at any time to make room for new schools. Note:  If you’re a resident of certain states, the order in which you list the schools on your FAFSA form might matter. Find out whether your state has a requirement for the order you list schools on your FAFSA form.

So many students answer every single question asked but fail to sign the FAFSA form with their FSA ID and submit the form. This happens for many reasons—maybe you forgot your FSA ID or your parent isn’t with you to sign with the parent FSA ID, so your application is left incomplete. Make sure you complete your application.

For more FAFSA tips, visit the official website.

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services

The post FAFSA Tips for High School Students appeared first on Boston Tutoring Services.

1. Find and use games. Students don’t even realize they’re learning, because they’re having so much fun.

2. Set high expectations and believe in them. Clearly communicate that you believe in each student’s potential. When students know you expect excellence, they often rise to meet it.

3. Build strong relationships. Take the time to get to know each student—their interests, backgrounds, learning styles, and aspirations. Use that insight to personalize your instruction and interactions.

4. Provide choices. Giving students options on how they learn or demonstrate their understanding builds autonomy and engagement.

5. Incorporate student interests into lessons. Use sports, music, art, or pop culture as hooks to draw students into content they might otherwise find dry.

6. Lean on your team. Partnering with other teachers can help with your workflow and bandwidth, while also providing more support for your students. For more on team-based teaching, read here.

7. Celebrate progress, not just perfection. Recognize growth, effort, and improvement. This keeps students motivated even when mastery is still in progress.

Every classroom experience can be different. Students need to know they’re in a classroom environment where it’s okay to explore options, make mistakes, ask questions, and see what’s out there. They need to know if they say, “Hey, I like this,” they won’t be judged or looked down upon. So, motivation is highly personal, and it can take time to build that trust among students and teachers.

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services

The post 7 Tips for Student Motivation appeared first on Boston Tutoring Services.

Halloween – Salem Haunted Happenings 2026
Thu, October 1, 2026  –  Sat, October 31, 2026   
You’re invited to Salem’s annual Halloween Festival! It happens every year during October in the bewitching seaport of Salem, Massachusetts. Nobody celebrates Halloween quite like Salem.

Jack-O’-Lantern Nights at Stone Zoo
Thu, October 1, 2026  –  Sat, October 31, 2026
Experience the magic of autumn after dark at Stone Zoo’s Jack-O’-Lantern Nights, a brand-new Halloween experience transforming the zoo into a glowing wonderland filled with hundreds of illuminated pumpkins.

Ghosts and Gravestones Ghost Tour 2026
Thu, October 1, 2026  –  Sat, October 31, 2026   
Walk amongst the dead in burying grounds nearly four hundred years old, hear stories of those whose mortal remains lie beneath your feet, and listen to tales of many of the sordid practices that went along with them.

Brick-Or-Treat – Kid’s Halloween Event at LEGO Discovery Center Boston
Thu, October 1, 2026  –  Sat, October 31, 2026   
The Minifigure Monsters are taking over LEGO® Discovery Centers and they’re bringing a frightfully fun Halloween adventure with them this October!

Topsfield Fair 2026
Fri, October 2, 2026  –  Mon, October 12, 2026   
Enjoy America’s oldest and finest agricultural fair w/ New England‘s largest carnival midway, cool demos (ranging from beekeeping to miniature trains), a Grange Museum, pumpkin weigh-offs, live entertainment and more.

Somerville Fall Festival
Sat, October 3, 2026
Fall Festival is bringing ALL the vibes. Join us on Saturday, Sept. 13th from at Conway Park– FREE! Grab your friends to celebrate the event of the season that you don’t want to miss!

Milford Pumpkin Festival, NH
Fri, October 9, 2026  –  Sun, October 11, 2026   
Join us for 3 fun, festive, & flavorful days at our annual pumpkin festival. Enjoy musical entertainment, vendor booths, pumpkin carving, community lighting, and a great pumpkin weigh-in.

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services

The post October Events in the Boston Area appeared first on Boston Tutoring Services.

In other words, all reading is good, but reading on paper is linked to vastly superior achievement outcomes. It’s impossible to say from this study whether paper books are the main reason why students become better readers. It could be that stronger readers prefer paper and they would be reading just as well if they were forced to read on screens. Dozens of previous studies have found a comprehension advantage for reading on paper versus screens. But these studies are usually conducted in a laboratory setting where people take comprehension tests immediately after reading a passage in different formats. This report is suggesting the possibility that there are longer term cumulative benefits for students who regularly read books in a paper format.

It’s noteworthy that the 2018 PISA reading test was a computer-based assessment in the vast majority of countries. Paper book readers are correctly answering more questions about what they have read on screens than digital readers! Strong readers who had higher scores on the PISA reading test also read on screens at home, but they tended to use their devices to gather information, such as reading the news or browsing the internet for school work. When these strong readers wanted to read a book, they opted to read in paper format or balance their reading time between paper and digital devices.

Every three years, when 600,000 students around the world take the PISA test, they fill out surveys about their families and their reading habits. Researchers at the OECD compared these survey responses with test scores and noticed intriguing relationships between books in the home, a preference for reading on paper and reading achievement. The report, “Does the digital world open up an increasing divide in access to print books?” was published on July 12, 2022.

In the United States, 31 percent of 15-year-olds said they never or rarely read books, compared with 35 percent worldwide. Meanwhile, 35 percent of American students said they primarily read paper books, almost matching the international average of 36 percent. Another 16 percent of Americans said they read books more often on screens and 18 percent responded that they read books equally on both paper and screens.

Digital books have become extremely popular among students in some regions of Asia, but students who read books on paper still outperformed even in cultures where digital reading is commonplace. More than 40 percent of students in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand reported reading books more often on digital devices. Yet in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Taiwan, students who read books mostly on paper or read in both formats scored higher than those who primarily read digital books. Both Thailand and Indonesia were exceptions; digital readers did better. Hong Kong and Taiwan are two of the highest performing education systems in the world and even after adjusting for students’ socioeconomic status, the advantage for paper reading remained pronounced.

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services

The post Why Paper Books Make Stronger Readers appeared first on Boston Tutoring Services.

“We’re not saying that all these activities are bad, but that the total is bad,” said Carolina Caetano, one of the study’s authors and an assistant professor of economics at the University of Georgia. Homework and scheduled activities, she said, were eating away at time for sleep and socializing, which are also important. The downsides of homework and scheduled activities were most pronounced during the high school years, when students are feeling pressure to earn high grades and load up on extracurriculars for their college applications, the researchers found.

Unfortunately, the researchers weren’t able to put a precise number on how many hours is too much, and Caetano explained to me that the number might not be the same for everyone. Parents worried about overscheduling should ask themselves whether they feel their days are so busy that their children don’t even have time for spontaneous play dates, Caetano said. “If you feel stretched, you’re probably on the too-much side of this,” she said.

Caetano and her research team analyzed the time diaries of 4,300 children and teens, from kindergarten through 12th grade. The diaries had been collected over the years, dating back to 1997, as part of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), a large nationally representative household survey overseen by the University of Michigan. Children, parents and survey workers kept track of a random weekday and a random weekend day for each child, allowing the researchers to see how children spent every minute.

The researchers described a wide assortment of activities intended to improve children’s skills as “enrichment.” Homework was the largest component, adding up to two thirds of the total enrichment hours. The remainder of the enrichment time was occupied by reading (14% of the enrichment time), followed by before- and after-school programs (7%). In the diaries, relatively little time was spent being read to by parents, tutoring and other academic lessons, and on non-academic lessons, such as piano, soccer lessons or driver’s ed. On average, children spent 45 minutes a day on all of them, ranging from zero to four hours a day. The researchers then compared time spent on these enrichment activities with academic test scores along with non-cognitive psychological measures, which were based on parent surveys of their children’s behaviors, such as being withdrawn, anxious or angry.

A lot more research is needed to understand if some activities are harming students more than others. One question Caetano has concerns timing. She wonders what would happen if little kids were less scheduled in elementary school. Would they then have more resilience to deal with the time pressures in high school? The statistical techniques in this study are new and researchers debate about how and when to use them. Josh Goodman, an education economist at Boston University who was not involved in the study, commented that the causal claims between overscheduling and academic skills and mental well-being aren’t “perfect,” but called them “good enough.”

Of course, parents aren’t entirely to blame for overscheduling. Schools assign the homework and their children’s grades will suffer if it isn’t done. College admissions departments value applicants with high grades and activities. Caetano sympathizes with parents who find it hard to individually push back against the current system. It’s similarly difficult for one school to unilaterally change homework policies when colleges could penalize their students. Indeed, schools that have tried reducing the pressure have sometimes felt the wrath of parents who are worried that less homework will cause their children to fall behind the competition. Ultimately, Caetano says that education policymakers on the state or federal level need to set policies to ratchet down the pressure for all.

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services

The post Signs of Overscheduling in Children appeared first on Boston Tutoring Services.

1. Night Of Madness by Ryan Douglass. Mara is a horror buff whose only fond memories of her dad are bonding over movies by Jack Stanley—the producer of the eighties, but the man himself has faded from the public eye…until he announces a contest centered around Asylum, his most terrifying film. Five teen influencers will be invited to spend the night on the fully constructed set; whoever sticks it out until morning wins a hundred thousand dollars. But of course, that would mean everyone staying alive, too.

2. Trust Fall by Lynn Painter. A rags-to-riches rom-com about a small-town girl whose family inherits a fortune and moves to New York City, where she meets a big-city boy hiding an explosive secret. As main characters Damion and Julia figure out where they belong, can they see past their differences and act on their feelings, or will the trust Damion has worked so hard to gain fall apart?

3. Anger Is Only a Shadow by Elizabeth Acevedo. An emotional and powerful story about family, loyalty, and resilience from the National Book Award winner. In Acevedo’s latest, a high schooler faces another interaction with the juvenile justice system, but a family crisis is foremost on her mind. Impulsive 17-year-old Liliana Pantaleon-Ortiz has repeatedly gotten into trouble. Now, despite her lawyer’s best efforts, Lil is released to her parents with an ankle monitor. Acevedo’s masterful narrative handles the issues Lil faces with believable sensitivity and insight. The culturally rich language and authentically portrayed characters who are full of complexity make this work shine, and the blend of prose and poetry enhances the compelling storytelling.

4. Golden Flight by S.K. Ali. The breathtaking conclusion to a gripping dystopian duology that tackles complex real-world themes. Amid a revolution to end the oppression of Lower Earth’s inhabitants by Upper Earth, an operation is conceived to bring disparate resistance groups together in hopes of liberating humanity. In this thrilling sequel to Fledgling (2024) set in a dystopian future shaped by climate catastrophe, brutal technology like scalplinks allows Upper Earthers to control Lower Earthers; the new program SomaScape even allows them to play games using their bodies. Lower Earth refugees are funneled into so-called safe zones that function as concentration camps, where parents are separated from children, fueling the exploitative system. The Ahraar, a Lower Earth rebel group leading the revolution, has splintered into factions, but they plan to unite for Operation Golden Flight, a mission to infiltrate Le Vol Doré.

5. The House of Gardenias by Isabel Cañas. A gothic young adult thriller filled with atmospheric tension and haunting imagery. A brooding manor house hides more than family secrets in Cañas’ YA debut. Minerva Treviño is accustomed to hardship—after all, she’s grown up in an impoverished part of the Capital with many siblings. A chance to escape appears when Minerva answers an ad for a lady’s maid. Soon, she becomes the sole companion to Encarnación del Valle, an aging socialite with connections to the recently deposed Viceroy’s family. Her employer’s looming house fills Minerva with unease. Strange occurrences, hostile servants, and sinister residents convince her that something far darker lurks within its walls. The atmospheric worldbuilding and steadily mounting tension create a delicious genre-blended mix of gothic horror, historical fantasy, and anti-colonial fiction.

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services

The post Best Young Adult Books of Fall 2026 appeared first on Boston Tutoring Services.

Active learning is dependent upon the act of critical thinking. With the strategies and accompanying rationale provided above, teachers working with multiple grade levels in a variety of content areas can find at least a few approaches that work to increase the involvement of everyone in the room. To get started on the active learning journey, below is a list of seven strategies and the benefits of each one to share with students. That way, each time you try one of the tools in practice, students will understand how this approach supports their growth with a clear explanation of the “why” behind each activity.

1. Question Everything. For a specific timeframe within the class period, students are asked to phrase any response to a question in a shared space (an online document, chart paper, board, etc.) as an open-ended question. Then, students answer the question by posing yet another question of their own in the same space. This activity engages students in critical questioning, and all participants have a chance to respond to one another in an accessible space. The teacher can also be on the lookout for misconceptions and adjust instruction accordingly.

2. Images and Inspiration. Using a visual image (a photograph, drawing or similar), the teacher asks students to “free write” for a short period of time about what the image inspires. Depending on the course subject, students could write their conjectures about what they see or engage in a more creative approach. This activity allows students to make their own meaning of an image before the teacher directs learning more specifically toward the daily lesson. It also encourages students to learn in a different way (i.e. visually) and helps to facilitate a more inductive approach to course content.

3. The Big Question. Midway through sharing new information, the teacher pauses and asks students to write down an area of confusion so far. Then, students either post their questions on the wall and respond in writing or hand them to the teacher to share with the group anonymously. This activity quickly clears up confusion, encourages a culture of welcoming mistakes and misconceptions, and normalizes not knowing and asking questions. It also allows students to communicate in a variety of modalities and gives everyone in the classroom a voice.

4. Stump the Teacher. Students form groups and create a series of quiz questions on course content. Then, groups take turns posing questions in an attempt to stump the teacher. If the teacher cannot answer enough questions correctly, the class wins! This gamification technique increases student engagement as teachers can provide students with the opportunity to engage in a role reversal. By creating the quizzes, students learn the material more actively.

5. Rephrase, Please! Sometimes, ideas get lost in translation. In this activity, students are asked to take the key ideas taught during direct instruction and phrase them in their own words. They can then post their phrases on a wall, share in groups, or be called upon randomly. This helps students make meaning of new concepts in their own heads and acts as a check for understanding for the teacher to see where struggles might still exist. Additionally, this activity empowers students to think critically about the salient ideas presented.

6. One Sentence. For an upcoming extended writing project that may be intimidating, ask students to write just one sentence from the assigned prompt. Then, put them in small groups to examine one another’s sentences and discuss the challenges they face. This activity embraces the concept that all learners struggle, and that collaboration is key to surmounting obstacles. It also teaches students with multiple points of view to help one another and breaks a formidable task down into more manageable chunks.

7. Connection, Prediction. Before starting a daily objective, students pose a question or idea that makes a connection to prior learning. Then, they develop a prediction about what they are about to learn and share their thoughts with classmates via pairings or small groups. This activity is great because it encourages the use of higher-order, critical thinking skills and provides an avenue for students to share at low risk (i.e., in smaller groups) rather than in front of the class. Additionally, the teacher can see how students make meaning of the daily objective in front of them by observing.

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services

The post Active Learning Strategies for Teachers appeared first on Boston Tutoring Services.

1. Make small savings goals. Take baby steps toward building a savings account for their own goals, but be stern in the importance of saving. If you provide an allowance, mandate that the first 10% go directly to savings before any other spending occurs. Once this habit of saving takes hold, it will become second nature as they move through life. It is also important that with these savings, they have the ability to work toward a goal. Saving just to save is important, but it is equally important to save for something important. Ask your child what they want to have the most and help them define their goals. It could be a new iPad, a pair of new kicks, or a trip with their friends. These small goals will help motivate them to save money instead of spending impulsively.

Once they are motivated to save, open a savings account to which they can contribute consistently. Perhaps even offer to match their contributions up to a certain amount each month. At the end of each month, show them the monthly bank statement. Seeing their progress will push them to put more toward their goal each week. Once the first savings goal is accomplished, your teen can start moving to bigger, more valuable goals.

2. Work on a budget. Teenagers, especially high school students, want to have fun and enjoy their time to the fullest. This does not, though, always come with the responsibility of paying the greatest attention to their spending. It can be even harder when teenagers don’t know how their parents are managing their finances—good practices and discipline are the best example you can provide your children.

Budgeting can’t be mastered overnight, which is why it must be taught through financial education. Ask them to be involved in your weekly household goods shopping and in creating monthly budgets. If they’re working a part-time job, assist them in creating a budget plan and saving for college or other saving goals such as their own car. Children crave discipline and boundaries—and financial discipline is so very important. Budgets help teach them that fun is possible, but that it has limits and comes after their responsibilities have been met.

3. Teach them about debt. This is an essential part of financial education–high school students, regardless of their post-12th grade plans, should know about the cost of going to college and the consequences of debt. Even if parents plan to pay for the child’s entire college education, things can change. Some parents make the mistake of putting education first, but not talking about the work it took to build-up the college fund. Again, teaching and exampling discipline and focusing on a long-term goal is key to success.

Let teenagers make monetary mistakes, and show them how every action has consequences. If the teen goes over budget one month, they need to learn that in the next month, they will have to cut back on a category, such as going out for ice cream. Showing them the burden of debt will be one of the greatest lessons that every parent can teach their children, regardless of the parent’s income. While it is much easier to simply hand out cash and cover all of your child’s “expenses”, having them put some skin in the game and figure out debt management can be invaluable.

4. Instill good credit habits. Educate your child on what their credit score means and the financial consequences if can bring. One important consequence to relay to your teenager is how a credit score can affect their future finances. One avenue to help your teen have a good credit score before going to college is giving them access to a credit card; of course, before giving them a credit card be sure they have shown and demonstrated good money habits. It’s easy to overspend with a credit card, which is a financial education lesson young adults often have to learn in college when credit card companies are offering cards left and right.

Walk them through the fees and benefits of different cards, and best practices regarding credit card usage, so they can work towards the perfect credit score. Many graduates find themselves with little to no credit when it’s time to buy a car, get a loan or even rent an apartment if they haven’t started working on building their credit score throughout college. Prepare your child ahead of time, and they will thank you for it.

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services

The post Financial Education Ideas for Teens appeared first on Boston Tutoring Services.