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Don’t Fail Your Student:
Avoid Fatal Mistakes & Common but Untrue Myths
Concerning Your Middle School Students
Mrs. Davidson looked a bit worried as she approached our booth at the college prep conference. She made eye contact with me and hesitantly said, "I hope this doesn't come across as rude, but does my son really need test prep now? He is only 14!" I smiled and said, "Yes, I would tell you, he does." Unconvinced, Mrs. Davidson asked why. I went on to explain what I know to be true about how critical early test prep is and how I've helped train hundreds of kids in Orange County to excel in high school and on the SAT.
My hunch is that your student is like most of the students we help. I bet your student is bright, talented, and motivated. I imagine that your student wants to excel, but maybe needs a little boost. We're here to give that boost and we know that our program will help your student today, next week, and in all the tomorrows to come.
Like every other child, your student has 24 hours in the day. How he or she spends his/her time is critical. There are fatal scheduling mistakes you can avoid - if you know what they are!
To explore the mistakes that parents commonly make with middle school students, we sat down with Dr. Kathy Nickerson, a clinical psychologist based in Irvine, California. We began by asking about the value of early test prep and Nickerson replied, "Farmers say that success is in the soil, for students, success is in the preparation."
Nickerson, formerly a high school math and chemistry teacher, is concerned about how adolescents are spending their time. “It is during middle school - 7th and 8th grades – that students must learn how to learn. They must have the academic support they need or they won’t succeed in high school – and they must have the TIME for these pursuits.”
Dr. Nickerson notes that parents are making some fatal mistakes and failing their children at this age level by buying into some common – but untrue – myths:
Myth #1: “The Busier My Middle School Student is the Better – it Keeps Him/Her Out of Trouble!”
“I’ve seen 7th and 8th grade kids who are overbooked to the point of exhaustion,” Nickerson notes. “They’re signed up for cello lessons, soccer, church activities, and volunteer work. On top of that, they have school homework – which is more demanding with each passing year. It’s very sad to watch them struggle just to keep up with their schedules.”
Myth #2: It’s OK if My Student Isn’t Doing Well In School Now – He/She Will Catch Up Later. I Don’t Want to Make a Big Deal Out of It.
“It is absolutely vital that students at this age level view themselves as competent at school,” Nickerson states. “Having a strong foundation in core subjects such as reading, writing, vocabulary and math – along with learning test-taking skills – is an absolute must. The mirror in which a student views himself is usually a report card.”
Myth #3: “My Kid Just Isn’t a Good Test Taker. It’s Just the Way it is – and Whatever He/She Needs to Know to Take a Test, He/She Will Learn in School.”
“Like anything else,” Dr. Nickerson notes, “test taking skills are something that must be learned – but there are not classes at school that teach students the secrets, strategies, techniques and approaches for success on standardized tests. In my tips below, I provide advisement on the best resource for learning test-taking skills.”
Fatal Mistake #4: “It’s OK to Postpone Learning Test Prep Skills – Besides, by the Time my Student is a High School Junior, Colleges and Universities Will Probably Drop the SAT & ACT for Admissions.”
“So many of the students I meet at the 7th & 8th grade levels have NO IDEA how to approach standardized test questions,” says Dr. Nickerson. “They are getting low scores on tests because they don’t know HOW to take tests – the secrets, strategies, techniques and approaches. This is not something that is taught in school.” Does Dr. Nickerson think that colleges and universities will stop expecting students to submit SAT or ACT scores? “I think that it is highly doubtful that college admissions tests will be discontinued,” Nickerson continues. “The SAT and ACT are the reliable ‘measuring sticks’ that don’t vary from state to state as school curricula does. Colleges have been relying on these tests for decades to fairly compare student academic performance. Further, the College Board recently spent millions and millions of dollars revamping the SAT, revealing a new, more challenging format of the exam in 2005. The SAT is a much harder test now, and it isn’t going away.”
Myth #5: “My Kid Is Already Off the Charts with High Grades, So It Doesn’t Make Sense to Fortify His/Her Academic Foundation in Middle School.”
“Even the smartest students with the best grades find out by the time they get to high school that they can no longer rely on their native intelligence to get them ahead. They start spending significant time on homework – and they must learn how to employ correct strategies and approaches to test questions in order to be successful in maintaining high grades.”
Dr. Nickerson makes these recommendations for Middle School (7th & 8th Grade Students)
1. Start planning NOW for high school. Enroll your student in middle school courses that will provide a strong foundation for high school curriculum.
2. Recognize that not all students have the same learning styles. Some students take longer than others to catch on to new academic concepts. This does not mean the student is remedial or learning disabled.
3. If your student is suffering from extreme test anxiety or is “shut down” when it comes to academic output, consider an evaluation by an educational psychologist.
4. Learn to say “NO” to too many student activities! An overbooked student can soon become an exhausted child or even a sick child. It just isn’t worth the stress.
5. Recognize that a strong academic foundation in writing, reading, math, vocabulary and test preparation skills is something that even the strongest student needs. “I strongly recommend enrolling students in the Cambridge Colloquium program,” Dr. Nickerson notes. “Of all the local tutoring and test prep firms, Cambridge’s Directors, Lisa Muehle and Dr. Lauren Meggison, seem to have their eye on the ball when it comes to what students need at each grade level.” Nickerson believes that many cases of “test anxiety” are really just a case of “test unpreparedness” – students don’t have the proper learning environment or support necessary. “Cambridge’s Lyceum and Colloquium classes provide a strong academic core curriculum, but also teach test preparation skills,” Dr. Nickerson continues. “Students gain confidence and self-esteem. In terms of scheduling, this is one of the activities that is more than worth the time spent!”
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FURTHER INFORMATION:
Kathleen Nickerson, Ph.D., phone: 949/222-6688
www.drkathynickerson.com and www.feelbetternetwork.com
The Cambridge Colloquium
(Cambridge Tutoring & Test Prep)
The Cambridge Colloquium is a comfortable, paced academic enrichment and test skills program that runs throughout the academic year. Classes meet in our conveniently located Laguna Beach, California classroom. Colloquium 7th grade students attend class once a week; 8th – 11th grade students meet alternating weeks (several sessions are available for each grade level, and students may switch days/times as needed).
Colloquium students are provided with important curriculum reinforcement in English (vocabulary, reading, writing and grammar) and Math (arithmetic, algebra and geometry topics). Students are taught how to answer the types of questions that appear on the SAT and ACT. During the 7th grade sessions, which meet weekly, students who desire help with homework assigned at school receive tutorial assistance; those who do not desire homework assistance work on Cambridge-provided curriculum at a slightly accelerated curriculum.
Colloquium students learn valuable tips, strategies and techniques for approaching all standardized test question types. HOW TO approach multiple-choice assessment test questions is not a tactic taught at school! Colloquium participation often enhances school performance and grades.
“Your student is bound to benefit from attending the Cambridge Colloquium,” states Dr. Nickerson.
If you are interested in receiving further information or a Colloquium enrollment packet, please phone us at (949) 443-2700 or (714) 997-5500 or Click Here
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