New findings show that exercise doesn’t just lead to a healthy body, it can actually lead to a healthier mind! Regular workouts can improve memory, learning, and attention span. Excercise can also be a stress reliever for students, and can help reduce the effects of ADHD in some children.

Of late, increased research is being conducted on children, in whom many believe the benefits of exercise may be even stronger than adults. In fact, studies have found more accurate answers on standardized tests from children who had moderate exercise before being tested, compared to those who had been sitting still.

A 2007 study measured 259 students’ physical and academic abilities. Published in the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, the report revealed direct correlations between the number of physical tests passed and the child’s scores on achievement tests-regardless of gender, race or economic background.

In a time where recess, sports and extracurricular teams are being cut from school programs, exercise seems even more crucial than ever. The good news is with summer here, your child can enjoy the freedom of the summer days spent playing outside, riding bicycles, taking hikes and swimming. A strong mind and strong body go hand in hand!

Source: A Fit Body Means a Fit Mind

Even if the thought of summer reading is daunting for your child, it doesn’t have to be painful, or the grounds for arguments at home. You can help your child create a plan for completing his or her summer reading list. Here are a few tips:

Make a Plan. Whether it’s in the morning, as an afternoon break or a way to wind down after dinner, try to set a structured reading time for your child every day.

Read Together. You can read aloud, or you can both read the same book silently, stopping to discuss as you go. When reading together, you can help make sure your child is grasping the basic storylines and plots and demonstrate that you enjoy reading too!

Compromise. Allow your child to take a break from “required reading” by selecting a book, magazine or journal of their own choosing.

Here are a few suggestions if your child needs a break from required reading:

Kindergarten: Mud Puddle by Robert Munsch

1^st Grade: S is for S’mores: A Camping Alphabet by Helen Foster James

2^nd Grade: See the Ocean by Estelle Condra

3^rd Grade: A Mirror to Nature: Poems About Reflection by Jane Yolen

4^th Grade: Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

5^th Grade: A Week in the Woods by Andrew Clements

Middle School: The Ghost in Allie’s Pool by Sari Bodi

High School: Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson

Summer reading is an important part of wrapping up the school year and segueing into the next. So, encourage your children to keep reading this summer!

Sources: “Under the Sun: Best Books for Outdoor Summer Reading.”  and “Tackling School Reading Lists”

It’s easy to let school lessons fade away with the freedoms of summer, but just because school is out doesn’t mean kids should stop learning. It’s often a struggle, however, to find just the right information to cover to keep kids engaged and prepare them for the coming year.  A question was recently posed to me by a parent that I thought would be beneficial to share with everyone as we kick-off summer!

Question: What are the best items to focus on during the summer months to ensure that a student is prepared for the fall, without being over prepared and bored in class?

Answer:  I think this is a question many parents, who want to keep their kids sharp over the summer, face as they plan for summer review and fall preparation.

A great goal for the summer is to review concepts from the previous year to ensure that the student has a complete understanding of the objectives taught.  It’s also a great idea for parents to provide a small preview of the material you anticipate the student learning the following year so that they will be confident when fall rolls around.  Reviewing concepts ensures a strong foundation. Remember…it is important that all of the foundations are in place in order to be ready for new and more challenging concepts in the fall!  

For more ideas on how to keep kids sharp over the summer, check out Ashley on NBC4!

While lots of us have had experience with bullying and know how painful it can be, kids today face challenges earlier generations never saw. Social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook facilitate bullying outside school and around the clock. When talking with parents of my students who want to learn more about issues impacting their child, I tell them that the biggest factor preventing a student from focusing on academics may not be lack of interest or understanding, but social issues like bullying.

Talk with your child about bullying and offer them support. Some tips:

• · Communicate with your children every day. Parents are often the last to know their child is being bullied (or being the bully). Create open communication, where you know things about your child’s friends and who he or she interacts throughout the school day. You are much more likely to be aware of problems if you regularly talk about social issues.
• · Get involved. Speak to school officials if you believe bullying is occurring and learn what steps will be taken to stop the problem. Schools that approach the problem with ongoing educational programs about respect and diversity are usually more successful than school’s with zero tolerance or punishment-driven policies.
• · Understand cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is a relatively new concept to many adults but is a fast growing problem area. Cyber bullies need to be taught that they are responsible for their actions, even online. Studies show that the risk of cyberbullying goes up with the more online exposure a child has, so consider limiting online time and monitoring usage by younger children.

I encourage you to visit two online sources with more information about bullying:

• The Bullying Information Center: tips and advice on how to approach bullying conversations with your child
• Stop Bullying Now: animated webisodes and games for younger children

Remember…we can all help put an end to bullying!

Source: Education.com

Time to put the much deserved spotlight on another one of our successful and super experienced tutors. Dave Trachtenberg is Ashley Tutors “jack of all trades” because he has helped so many different students in so many different subjects. Whether it is basic Algebra, Chemistry, Science, Social Studies, Government, History, English, Literature, Reading, Math, and Writing — Dave can tutor it! I am going to let a press release about Dave do the talking — learn more about Dave’s success with kinesthetic learning all around Montgomery County, Md. and the Washington, D.C. area.

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Mar. 10, 2008 Colleen Lerro

Director of Communications

240.780.3233

colleen@ashleytutors.com

ASHLEY TUTORS EDUCATES ALL AGES IN ALL SUBJECTS

Ashley Tutors helps students earn better grades and build confidence

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. – Ashley Tutors (http://www.ashleytutors.com) launched in October 2007, offers one-on-one in-home academic tutoring to Washington, D.C. area students in grades kindergarten through 12. While other tutoring centers use their own curriculum and parents must travel to their location, Ashley Tutors develops unique, individualized strategies to meet the needs of each of its students in the comfort of their own home.

Ashley Tutors team member Dave Trachtenberg, an American University senior, has taken on every student with amazing zest and success since he joined Ashley Tutors in January. Trachtenberg, who specializes as a reading tutor, has helped his students succeed in subjects from college level English, to high school chemistry, and even confidence building. For Josh Chernikoff, the Ashley Tutors team member who sings Trachtenberg’s praises to new clients, Trachtenberg’s success is no surprise to him.

“Dave’s years of teaching experience, and especially his training at the prestigious Lab School of Washington, made him a perfect candidate to join our team,” said Chernikoff. “Not only has he served as a mentor and tutored students before, Dave has helped teach and supervise students with ADD, OCD, tourette’s syndrome, dyslexia, and behavioral problems. Dave is one of our strongest reading tutors, but he can tutor anything from writing, to arithmetic, to the right attitude.”

The parents of Trachtenberg’s students saw almost instant success. “In only three weeks I think my son has already made great progress with his instructor Dave,” said Rhonda Shore, a parent of a student at Murch Elementary School in Washington, D.C. “He is thinking through his answers a bit more thoroughly, his handwriting is neater, and he is becoming more confident.”

This special rapport Ashley Tutors develops with their students already has supporters from Bethesda to Gaithersburg and all over Montgomery County, Md. “Ashley Tutors really identifies the strengths and needs of each student,” said a Great Seneca Creek Elementary School parent.

“I watched Ashley Tutors work wonders for my son,” said a Bethesda Chevy Chase High School parent. “His grades are up and so is his confidence in and out of the classroom.”