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If you live near a high school, you’ve probably already heard the marching bands practicing, the skirmishes in football, and maybe even the activities on the soccer and lacrosse fields. School is open, the teams are working and the spirit is soaring.

But what about those kids who are faltering? Those who are finding it hard to stay on the team, or keep to their academics because of the athletic schedule, or just finding the time and energy to do it all? And then we have the parents who must be the home academic deans and athletic directors to help their students juggle it all. Would everyone be better off if schools eliminated sports in order to focus more on academics? While there is a movement in that direction, several studies have shown that athletes are more likely to finish high school, and with higher grades, than non-athletes.

So what are we to do? Visit the link below to read our entire post on the topic and how New England Tutors can help your student excel!

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With summer vacation coming to an end and many of our students heading off to college for the first time. For many students, moving away to college is the first chance they have to step out on their own and be responsible for their own lives. Being in control of finances is just one of the many new responsibilities for freshmen in college, and all too often we hear of students calling home in just the first few weeks to ask for more money. Poor money skills and a lack of financial discipline is a recipe for disaster.

While it isn’t easy, there are ways to make sure this does not happen while still making sure our student is happy while away at school. Our latest blog post is a great overview of how to help your student get on a path of managing and budgeting his or her own money. Just check the link below!

Starting the day we are all born, our lives seemingly resolve around tests. From the Apgar test that is performed within minutes of birth, to our health, school work, and obtaining our driver’s license, taking tests is we measure our ability.

For juniors and seniors in high school, the two tests designed to gauge a student’s readiness for college (the SAT and/or ACT), can represent a true terror. These tests are one of the most important factors looked at for college admission and can make the difference of a student getting in to his or her first choice college or maybe a fallback choice.

At New England Tutors we are all intimately familiar with standardized testing for college. In fact, one of our most requested services is our SAT/ACT preparation course. But did you know that the reliance on a standardized test is actually becoming less standard? There are now over 850 schools of higher education adopting the test-optional policy!

Learn more about the new trend of test-optional college admissions and review some resources on how to best help prepare your student for the college application process by visiting the full post at the link below!

My guess is that the most common answer to the question “What’s your favorite subject in school?” is RECESS. Well, maybe not the most common, but certainly at the top-of-mind for kids in primary school.

I remember when I was a student, that breaks throughout the day were important, even necessary. And my daughter seconds the motion!

So when I came across an article in Education Week exploring the decline in withholding recess as a punishment, I immediately took notice, and hope that you will visit our latest blog post to read more about the topic and the research that has been done. The link below will take you to my full post!

Today, parents have more choices than ever before with regards to their student’s education. At New England Tutors we have been able to closely observe the variety of different educational environments and the advantages/disadvantages they all bring across a range of situations.

Did you know that 87% of New Hampshire’s students attend Public Schools, while close to 3% are Home Schooled and only about 1% attend a Public Charter School? When considering what the best environment would be best for your student what questions would you ask and what would you take into consideration?

Visit the link below to read the full post where we compare and contrast the different learning environments available to New Hampshire students. If you are contemplating a change to your student’s learning environment we know there is a lot of research to be done, and hope that we’ve helped you start the process.

Did you know that the average child in the United States spends roughly 8 1/2 hours a day watching TV, listening to music, and playing video games, but less than 4 minutes a day reading nonfiction? Nonfiction texts prepare students to think logically, analyze data, and discuss complex and controversial issues. In particular, students need to read and comprehend informational texts as often—and as fluently—as they do narrative texts.

Why?

Students who read more tend to learn more vocabulary, become more proficient readers, find reading more enjoyable, and thus continue to read more. Poor readers, on the other hand, tend to read less and lose ground. Over time, these differences create a huge gap in learning.

To read our entire article, which includes information on how New Hampshire students performed on the NECAP (New England Common Assessment Program) and resources for helping your student access nonfiction literature, please visit the link below!