Academy For Mathematics & English, Holland Street West
37 Holland Street West L3Z 2B9 Bradford, ON, Canada

Tips to help your child with online learning and at-home schooling - during the pandemic: --Help them create a visual schedule they can consult every day to create structure and a sense of normalcy! --Take Brain Breaks - 52 minutes ON and 17 minutes OFF --Encourage them to stay in touch with their friends - via video conferencing etc. ... --Encourage your child to check-in with his/her teacher(s) regularly and to attend virtual office hours for extra help. Plus, of course, get extra academic support through our world class tutoring programs to take your child's grades and confidence to the next level - even during the pandemic! https://globalnews.ca//how-to-support-your-childrens-at-ho

Parents, where do your math skills cap out at? Most US parents say they have the requisite skills to handle math and science homework help up to around Grade 6 - assuming they have the time to do so. Of course, being truly "skilled" and "effective" at teaching math or science is really another matter altogether: these are two unique teaching disciplines! If your child needs math or science help, that's exactly what we specialize in. https://www.foxnews.com//american-parents-math-science-hom

Fun viral "Math" Video of the Day: First she was horribly mocked - then esteemed mathematicians from around the world came to her rescue! I was just going to tell you guys about how I don’t think math is real, Gracie said in the TikTok - and thus began a viral sensation!... https://www.intheknow.com//a-teenage-girl-went-viral-for-/

Parenting can be a challenge during a pandemic . Here are some tips to help your child focus when doing school work or homework: 1. Forgetting your child’s focus issues are developmental or situational, not purposeful 2. Build in brain breaks 3. Ask questions with empathy rather than frustration e.g. I notice you’re on YouTube. Is that what your teacher assigned to do right now?... 4. Instead of hovering over your kid’s chair, give instructions and walk away. (Challenging them to tackle a task rather than forcing them to engage can reignite focus & attention.) 5. Figure out if the task is too easy or too hard and direct accordingly. Helping to find the sweet spot will help your child stay focused and motivated to learn! Happy parenting! Source: https://www.fatherly.com//talk-to-child-who-has-trouble-f/

AMAZING Math Fact Of The Day: Mathematicians have discovered that Emperor Penguins stave off Antarctica’s extreme subzero temperatures by forming "perfect geometric huddles" - which maximize heat both for the individual penguin and the entire community at large! Penguins shift and rotate their positions until this IDEAL HUDDLE formation arises. Amazingly, the temperature at the center of the HUDDLE typically reaches a sweltering 100 degrees Fahrenheit - while the surrounding Antarctic temperature itself drops below 50 degrees Fahrenheit! #MathPower #SmartPenguins https://www.quantamagazine.org/math-of-the-penguins-202008/

Now that Back to School is universally upon us, don't forget the mighty POWER of the pen (pencil or crayon) to help your child learn: innumerable studies confirm that writing OLD SCHOOL style on a piece of paper leads to better learning outcomes! This is why all of our programs incorporate (i) the unique power of digital learning and (ii) "paper-based" note-taking, work, and exercises! "Researchers have found that note-taking associated with keyboarding involves t...aking notes verbatim in a way that does not involve processing information, and so have called this non-generative note-taking. By contrast, taking notes by hand involves cognitive engagement in summarizing, paraphrasing, organizing, concept and vocabulary mapping in short, manipulating and transforming information that leads to deeper understanding. Note-taking becomes note-making: an active involvement in making sense and meaning for later reflection, study or sharing of notes to compare understanding with lab partners or classmates. This becomes a potent study strategy, as one’s own processing can be further consolidated through talk. There are templates and formats that teach more effective ways of taking hand-written notes. A popular one is the Cornell style developed by education professor Walter Pauk. You can also explore other ways that can be adapted for different study needs, such as compare/contrast charts or webs." https://theconversation.com/note-taking-by-hand-a-powerful-

With 20%-30% of Ontario and BC parents favouring "learn-from-home" options this unusual Back-to-School season, one family offers some tips and insights to help... https://globalnews.ca//ontario-family-offers-at-home-lear/

Think opting for "online classes" for your child means smaller classes for in-person peers? Surprisingly, not in Ontario. Ontario's provincial school funding formula requires certain "class sizes" be met for schools to qualify for funding, so in cases where students OPT for online learning, existing "in-person" class sizes have to be maintained ANYWAY - even if that means combining or collapsing classes... You may have been a Grade 3 teacher last year and this year we’re saying, ’Well, because of the number of kids staying home, we’ve had to collapse these classes and now you’re going to teach Grade 4, she said. They can do it, but they don’t have lesson plans ready so it’s not really fair to them. https://www.theglobeandmail.com//article-ontario-boards-w/

After COVID-19 and summer learning disruptions, it's more important than ever to remind your kids of the "growth mindset" as they prepare to return to school. What's the "growth mindset?" It's "a belief that intelligence can be developed over time. Children with this mindset are more likely to take on challenges, bounce back from failure, and believe they can improve with hard work."... This simple psychological shift can literally make your child's grades go up! "Interventions designed to move kids closer to a growth mindset have proven remarkably effective. In her research, Dweck has found grades go up after students learn that intelligence is malleable, and the neurons in their brains are capable of forming new, strong connections as a result of hard work. " https://www.fatherly.com/healt/develop-growth-mindset-kids/

Parents, confused about GTA school reopening dates, staggered starts, and new health and safety protocols? Doubtless, you are not alone! For all restart dates - scroll down! (For comprehensive details, see article below)... TDSB: "Tuesday, Sept. 15. The TDSB plans to hold a staggered start to the year, with all students expected to be in class by Friday, Sept. 18." PDSB: Date not specified. Delays expected.... YRDSB. Date not specified. Staggered restarts. DDSB: "The DDSB will hold a two-week staggered start to the school year that is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Sept. 8." HDSB: "Tuesday, Sept. 8." TCDSB: "The TCDSB plans to hold a two-week staggered start beginning Monday, Sep. 14." DPCDSB: "The board has not yet announced a date, though it has said it will hold a staggered start to the year." YCDSB: "Grades 1 to 3 start on Wednesday, Sept. 9; Grades 4 to 8 start on Thursday, Sept. 10; kindergarten starts on Friday, Sept. 11. Grade 9 students will start on either Tuesday, Sept. 8 or Wednesday, Sept. 9, depending on which cohort they are assigned to. Grades 10 to 12 will start on Thursday, Sept. 10." DCDSB: "The board plans to hold a two-week staggered start to the school year starting on Tuesday, Sept. 8." https://www.cbc.ca//gta-school-reopening-questions-1.56983

In the midst of back-to-school stress, let's take a moment to enjoy "The Most Beautiful Equation in Math," as revealed by Professor of mathematical sciences Po-Shen Loh (national coach of the United States' International Math Olympiad team!). His love of math is infectious! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUTGFQpKaPU

These four Canadian doctors favour sending (even their own) kids back to school. Their primary concern is really about the virus spreading to vulnerable populations through transmission from infected kids - and not so much about kids contracting the virus themselves. https://www.thestar.com//we-asked-canadian-doctors-if-they

B.C. schools have decided to delay the official start of school by two days to allow for an "orientation" so teachers and students can familiarize themselves with all the new health and safety procedures. Now numerous groups in Ontario are demanding the same approach... https://www.thestar.com//as-bc-delays-start-of-school-year