Improve Reading Comprehension With Summer Learning

Improve Reading Comprehension With Summer Learning Four Fun Ways to Boost your Child's Reading Comprehension this Summer! Summer is here and it is the perfect time to get in some extra reading comprehension practice for your child. You can utilize summer's wide variety of educational opportunities, extra time, and lazy days to get in some valuable reading practice for your child. The best part is that your child won't even think that the family is working on reading. Instead your comprehension-building activities will feel like fun ways to spend a summer day learning with the family.If you're looking for some ways to increase your child's reading comprehension this summer consider trying these fun activities: Launch a family study What topics of study intrigue your family? Insects? The Civil War? Dinosaurs? No matter which topic you choose for a family summer study there are many great ways to integrate reading practice. Your family can visit the library to check out books on the topic, read them together, and create a list of questions you still want answered. Take time to extend the reading and learning to real life experiences. Visit a museum or participate in another educational opportunity about your topic to search for answers to the questions your family generated. Ongoing study will prompt your child to ask questions, seek answers, and improve reading skills while participating in a fun family activity. Visit the library Many public libraries sponsor fun summer activities for children of all ages. You can visit your library to learn more about summer programs and to gather plenty of reading materials. Don't limit your children to books they can easily read themselves; there are a wide range of materials to choose from that you might not normally consider. If your child is an early reader the summer is a perfect time to choose a chapter book to read aloud. Reading a chapter a day will help boost comprehension and expose them to topics, authors, and genres they haven't yet experienced. Graphic novels, comic books, and magazines are also available at the library and are great ways to motivate reluctant readers. Talking about what your child is reading will boost comprehension regardless of the reading material. Form a book club Finding multiple copies of a single book is a great way to start a family book club. Establish a schedule for the club and make sure all readers are able to experience success. Set a specific reading goal (perhaps a chapter at a time) and then meet as a group to discuss what you read. Encourage input from each book club member, regardless of reading ability. You can shape the book club discussion around your child's reading needs. For example, if your child struggles with making connections between texts you can spend a part of the book club discussion talking about ways the book is like other books they've already read. Invest in tutoring Even though there are many great ways to improve comprehension for your child at home you may also be interested in receiving professional tutoring services. The tutors at Huntington Learning Centers know how to engage students in activities that are both fun and highly effective. Comprehension and critical thinking skills are woven into tutoring activities that often utilize a student's favorite reading genre. Your child will be learning valuable new comprehension skills while gaining academic confidence and having fun! Your child's reading comprehension shouldn't suffer during the summer months. The professionals at Huntington Learning Centers are trained to help all their students maintain the knowledge and skills gained in previous years. Our tutoring sessions are customized to meet your child's specific needs and are created using data gathered in ongoing assessments.What are some other fun ways to boost your child's reading this summer?

Fed Up, Sick Of, Tired Of, Had Enough Of English Phrasal Verbs and Expressions

Fed Up, Sick Of, Tired Of, Had Enough Of English Phrasal Verbs and Expressions Are you fed up, sick of, tired of or have you had enough of something? These are all ways of using phrasal verbs for expressing that something that has been irritating you, and that you want the situation to end. Below youll find some examples, and a great song to help you remember tired of.Fed Up:A lot of people are fed up with their politicians. They want them to stop thinking about elections and do something for the people.Im fed up with the traffic in my city! It takes me too long to get to work.Sick Of:Im sick of this song, they play it on the radio every five minutes.They were sick of being treated poorly by their neighbors.Be sure to see how sick of is sometimes mistranslated, as in the popular song Sick of Love. Click here.Tired Of:Theyre tired of being treated like children.Im tired of bein alone, just like Al Green. Had Enough Of:I had had enough of the arguing at the bar, and went home. (Notice the use of have as an auxiliary and past particple).Ive had enough of the terri ble food on the airlines. Now I bring my own food.

The Top 10 Tactics for Learning to Speak Any Language Fluently

The Top 10 Tactics for Learning to Speak Any Language Fluently The Top 10 Tactics  for Learning to Speak Any Language Fluently You’re doing it wrong!Well, only if youre not focusing the brunt of your attention on speaking your new language.Are you building your  language learning process  upon grammar rules and written exercises?Focused on those little details of the language?Writing out tons of vocabulary lists?Of course those aspects are super important too, especially when it comes to mastering reading, writing and listening. However, you wont get far if youre missing the crucial element of fluency: speech.Theres a common problem for many learners who focus on rules and proper writing, but  who  don’t practice their speech: They cannot understand native speakers and they choke during real conversations. We don’t want that to happen to you.We want you to act completely natural when you start speaking to a native, so you’ll make new friends and so everyone will be impressed. That’s why weve nailed down the 10 best learning tactics that will help you  speak  fluently. The best part is that theyre a pplicable to any language you decide to learn. The Top 10 Tactics  for Learning to Speak Any Language Fluently1. Talk when you read and writeWriting is a really important part of language learning, so you should never neglect it. You need to complete different exercises that challenge you to answer questions, choose the right word that fits into a sentence, write essays and compose email messages.You’ve surely noticed that most lessons in grammar books come with a review and practice section. Instead of solving these parts mechanically, you can take your effectiveness to a whole new level: read out loud.  Read anything that you read or write in your target language out loud.Don’t be afraid to get silly and try to mimic the accent of a true native while doing this. Once you get in an actual conversation, your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary will shine through proper speech. Youll also get a confidence boost, which is extremely valuable for progress.2. ThinkPeople say you’ re not fluent in a foreign language until you catch yourself thinking in it. That makes sense. You can’t achieve high levels of fluency if youre constantly thinking in your native language and doing mental translations.Thinking 100% in a target language at the very beginning of your practice is difficult, but this simpler technique will drive you forward:  Learn how to say your most commonly said words and phrases in your target language.Think about all the short and simple sentences you use in your daily communication, and then  translate them into the language you’re learning. What do you use at the grocery store? At the post office? On the bus? At work? At home? Learn how to say them, and then always think them to yourself as you go about your daily business.Be careful, thoughâ€"literal translations don’t always work. Idioms usually require liberal interpretation, so you’ll need to do a research to see how certain phrases are being used in the language you’re learning. That’s a useful practice that will help you remember conversational phrases.3. Watch movies with subtitlesYou never bother watching movies without synchronization? You need to step away from that habit. Subtitles may seem  boring and distracting on the surface level, but theyre not the most important factor in this exercise. It’s the native speech you want to hear (and learn).There are a few phases in watching a foreign movie if you want to extract speaking lessons:First, you watch it while reading the subtitles. If theres a word you don’t understand, write it in your personal dictionary and define it.Pronounce those words and try to get the accent right. Fit them into sentences of your own, so you’ll understand how they can be used in different situations.Now, watch the movie again. Don’t read the subtitles this time. It’s important to understand as much of the speech  as you can. Then you can move to the next step that will take your fluency to the next level.Not at a level where you can realistically do the above? Or just think that sounds way too tedious for you? Instead of doing it with a movie, try the videos on FluentU. FluentU takes real-world videos from around the webâ€"including movie trailers, music videos, news and inspiring talksâ€"and turns them into personalized language lessons.FluentU makes sure all the captions in a video actually match up to the speech you hear, makes it super easy to pause and replay continually, and even gives you instant word lookup so you dont need to bother with looking stuff up in a dictionary.4. Imitate!Remember that movie? Watch it again! Sure, youre all too familiar with the scenes by now, but you won’t get bored because this is a learning method with a purpose. Pause the film frequently and imitate the speech.Listen to the way the actors pronounce the words and try to do the same.Once youre able to move your tongue faster and juggle those foreign sounds more easily, stop pausing and just try to parro t back what the characters are saying at the same time!  This requires you to understand every word they say in the moment and spit it out quickly. Once youre imitating like a legit parrot, your accent will start to get closer and closer to that of the native speaker youre imitating.5. Listen to local music and learn the lyricsThe words flow naturally when you sing, and you can usually get the pronunciation right when you sing.Music is also fun because it connects you to the culture you’re researching. Of course, you have to choose music with lyrics if you want to work on your fluency. Find the lyrics online and try to sing along. Thanks to the vast information on the Internet, lyrics of any song in any language are usually availableâ€"along with translations and romanized versions (if necessary).It doesn’t matter whether you have a talent  for music or not. The only important thing is to follow the flow of the words. Theres nothing more fluent than words connected through singi ng.6. Read local literatureEvery country and culture has its masterful writers. Miguel de Cervantes wrote in Spanish, Italy has Dante, Hugo presented the sophistication of French expressions, and the great Tolstoy and Dostoevsky revealed new dimensions of the Russian language. It’s important to explore the literature written in the language you’re learning. It’s even better when you read it out loud. You may also try to succeed in different online literature tests.Poetry has an even more awesome effect because it teaches you about rhythm. Of course, poetic expression is a bit more difficult to comprehend, so you’ll need to achieve higher levels of fluency to understand complex poems.7. Find a language learning buddyEven when you’re imitating the actors from a foreign movie, you won’t notice that your pronunciation is a little off sometimes. The human mind is a peculiar thing. It can easily distort our impressions and we may think we speak perfectly even when we’re maki ng serious mistakes. That’s why you need a friend who will join you on this journey.You can talk in the foreign language and correct each other when needed. The corrections may lead to heated discussions about the proper pronunciation of certain words, but the confrontations will be productive when you analyze native speech together.You can also make plans and set goals together, increasing your level of accountability and keeping you on track to fluency.8. Talk to a native speakerWhen you manage to amaze natives with your vocabulary and pronunciation, that’s when you can call yourself a fluent speaker. Your friends are great support when you learn a foreign language together, but they cannot replace natives.Some of the things you can do is travel or find a native in your area. You may consider taking a semester abroad in another country. Some countries, like Germany, offer wide range of programs through reputable language and culture institutes. If that doesn’t work, the Inte rnet will come to the rescue.Conversation Exchange is a platform that can help you find native speakers living in your area. You’ll connect. You’ll meet for a coffee and help each other become fluent in the languages you’re learning.Speaky is a worldwide language learning community where you can meet people from 180+ countries and connect with them to practice your language skills online.9. TravelWhen you want to become really fluent in a certain language, you have to understand the culture that speaks it. It’s important to see and feel that country from the inside. That’s when all idioms and phrases start making sense.You’ll meet many native speakers who will be happy to help you learn the language better. Traveling is not a simple decision to make, mainly because it costs a lot. However, theres no goal you can’t achieve with proper planning and budgeting.10. Analyze different dialectsIf youre fluent in the standardized form of the language you’re learning, it’s t ime to move to a master level: dialects. Explore the way natives speak in different areas of their countries. Try to learn words specific for those areas and experiment with the way the same words are being pronounced across the country.Your goal to become fluent in a foreign language will be a lifetime journey. Theres no peak that you can achieve.Youll always find new heights to reach. All above-listed methods have one thing in common: Theyre really fun.And theyre bound to help you boost your levels of fluency without serious difficulties! And One More ThingIf youre digging these tactics, youll love using FluentU. FluentU makes it possible to learn languages  from music videos, commercials, news and inspiring talks.With FluentU, you learn real languagesâ€"the same way that natives  speak them. FluentU has a wide variety of videos like movie trailers, funny commercials and web series, as you can see here:FluentU App Browse ScreenFluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.Didnt catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover your mouse over the subtitles to instantly view definitions.FluentU Interactive TranscriptsYou can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentUs quiz mode. Swipe left or right to see  more examples for the word you’re learning.FluentU Has Quizzes for Every VideoAnd FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.Start using FluentU on the website with your computer or tablet  or, better yet,  download the FluentU app from  the iTunes store  or Google Play store.

With a Passion for STEM, this Kumon Student is Effecting Change

With a Passion for STEM, this Kumon Student is Effecting Change With a Passion for STEM, this Kumon Student is Effecting Change At  10-years-old,  Anvita  has a dream of becoming a neurosurgeon.  More specifically, she hopes to use artificial intelligence to improve the medical industry as a whole. That’s a big dream for a teenager, but it’s not surprising because she’s always had a passion for STEM and math in general. She fell in love with the  Kumon Math Program  because it strengthened her mental math skills, allowing her to solve real-world math problems.     Anvita  is part of a robotics team that  is currently competing in the  First Lego League  Competition.  The competition includes students, ages 9 to 16, from 80 different countries.  Anvita  and her team are one qualifying round away from going to the finals. She took time out of her busy schedule to tell us more about the competition  and her passion for STEM.   What is the First Lego League Competition?   First Lego League challenges kids to think like scientists and engineers. In our competition, we were asked to research a real world problemâ€"we chose water contaminationâ€"and were challenged to develop a solution. We also had to design, build and program a robot using  LEGO MINDSTORMS ®?technology.   What is the benefit of the First Lego League Competition?   It’s a really cool competition because it’s a fun way to learn and apply science, technology, engineering and math concepts while solving a real-world problem. It really helps you develop critical thinking, team-building and even professional skills.     How did Kumon impact your deep passion for robotics?   I love robotics and hope to work with artificial intelligence in the future! For that, I need patience, concentration and dedication.  My  Kumon  Instructor (Sharon Tung)  really helped me develop all of these skills.  Kumon also helped  advance  my mental math calculation and deepened my understanding of  math and how it relates to the world around me.     Anvita  embodies  Kumon’s mission statementâ€"By  discovering the potential of each individual and developing his or her ability to the maximum, we aim to foster sound, capable people and thus contribute to the global community.     It’s safe to say that  Anvita  is pushing herself to achieve her highest potential and we can’t wait to see how she impacts the world.     You might also be interested in: This Young Kumon Reading Program Completer is an Aspiring Computer Engineer Kumon of West Chester Students to Compete in the First Lego League World Championship With a Passion for Astronomy, this Kumon Student Wants to Become an Astrophysicist Future Leader is Inspired to Change the World With a Passion for STEM, this Kumon Student is Effecting Change With a Passion for STEM, this Kumon Student is Effecting Change At  10-years-old,  Anvita  has a dream of becoming a neurosurgeon.  More specifically, she hopes to use artificial intelligence to improve the medical industry as a whole. That’s a big dream for a teenager, but it’s not surprising because she’s always had a passion for STEM and math in general. She fell in love with the  Kumon Math Program  because it strengthened her mental math skills, allowing her to solve real-world math problems.     Anvita  is part of a robotics team that  is currently competing in the  First Lego League  Competition.  The competition includes students, ages 9 to 16, from 80 different countries.  Anvita  and her team are one qualifying round away from going to the finals. She took time out of her busy schedule to tell us more about the competition  and her passion for STEM.   What is the First Lego League Competition?   First Lego League challenges kids to think like scientists and engineers. In our competition, we were asked to research a real world problemâ€"we chose water contaminationâ€"and were challenged to develop a solution. We also had to design, build and program a robot using  LEGO MINDSTORMS ®?technology.   What is the benefit of the First Lego League Competition?   It’s a really cool competition because it’s a fun way to learn and apply science, technology, engineering and math concepts while solving a real-world problem. It really helps you develop critical thinking, team-building and even professional skills.     How did Kumon impact your deep passion for robotics?   I love robotics and hope to work with artificial intelligence in the future! For that, I need patience, concentration and dedication.  My  Kumon  Instructor (Sharon Tung)  really helped me develop all of these skills.  Kumon also helped  advance  my mental math calculation and deepened my understanding of  math and how it relates to the world around me.     Anvita  embodies  Kumon’s mission statementâ€"By  discovering the potential of each individual and developing his or her ability to the maximum, we aim to foster sound, capable people and thus contribute to the global community.     It’s safe to say that  Anvita  is pushing herself to achieve her highest potential and we can’t wait to see how she impacts the world.     You might also be interested in: This Young Kumon Reading Program Completer is an Aspiring Computer Engineer Kumon of West Chester Students to Compete in the First Lego League World Championship With a Passion for Astronomy, this Kumon Student Wants to Become an Astrophysicist Future Leader is Inspired to Change the World

Teaching in Saudi Arabia Life for women

Teaching in Saudi Arabia Life for women Saudi Arabia has a lot to offer its teachers, including very competitive salaries and benefits packages, a very intimate look at rich Arabic culture, and a homebase amidst vast coastlines and the storied Arabian desert. But we understand that female teachers may have questions about what they can expect if they head to teach abroad in Saudi Arabia. Some may even be put off by some of the laws and attitudes toward women, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Read below to learn more about daily life, customs, and accommodations in Saudi Arabia. Customs in Saudi Arabia It’s true that all international teachers living in Saudi Arabia are expected to respect and adhere to local Saudi laws and customs. And though upon first look, Saudi society can seem quite male-dominated, it’s also an extraordinarily safe location for female teachers and a society that promotes and values female camaraderie. Women will no doubt experience some initial challenges and cultural adjustment, including not being allowed to drive or ride a bike, but your school will often provide workaround solutions to help make these adjustments easier. In fact, schools typically arrange to have a driver designated to their teachers for travel to and from their home to the school. as well as any errands they’d like to run. Though some female teachers may feel some initial irritation around being required to wear an abaya (a loose garment that covers the head and body down to the ankles), you won’t be required to wear it while on the compound and some teachers find it helps reduce unwanted attention from strangers anyway. Accommodations for women in Saudi Arabia Female teachers in Saudi Arabia receive many benefits including furnished single-dwelling accommodations. These residences are typically located in compounds designated for international teachers, but these compounds have plenty of entertainment and shopping options on-site, including tennis courts, swimming pools, gyms, grocery stores, and restaurants. Living in a compound might sound oppressive, but it’s actually the complete opposite. Though some compounds will be subject to all Saudi law, many will allow for more freedoms for women and a more relaxed interpretation of customs. Women often don’t require an escort, don’t have to conceal their faces (you can walk around freely in shorts or relax by a pool in a bikini), and it's possible to meet many other teachers to form friendships with. Public spaces in Saudi Arabia Education institutions are either all-male or all-female facilities, so female teachers will only have female students. Some things that westerners find commonplace are prohibited in Saudi Arabia, including alcohol and public cinemas. But shopping is a popular pastime, and there are many modern malls to visit with coworkers and friends. You’ll also find plenty of activities on your compound, often even movie rooms, to keep you busy! As with anything, reading about the lifestyle might be more difficult than living the lifestyle. Very few teachers report problems with adjusting to Saudi customs once they’ve settled in to their accommodations and teaching jobs. And those who really miss western culture can take a quick trip into Bahrain, where laws are much more relaxed and teachers will even find bars and clubs. Interested in seeing what positions we have teaching in Saudi Arabia? Take a look at the Teach Away jobs board!

Math, English, and science teachers needed in Abu Dhabi (with job postings)

Math, English, and science teachers needed in Abu Dhabi (with job postings) Vacancies in the United Arab Emirates are being filled quickly, but Teach Away is still seeking subject specialists for middle and high school positions in Abu Dhabi.Are you a licensed English, math, or science teacher at the middle or high school level? Do you hold a bachelor’s degree in your area of instruction? How about at least two years of post-certification experience? If you answered yes to all of the above, you could be a fitting candidate for a teaching position in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates! More information on these positions, including job description, benefits, qualifications and requirements, and salary can be found by clicking on any of the position titles below.  Mathematics Teachers - Ministry of EducationEnglish Teachers - Ministry of EducationMiddle School Math Teachers - Abu Dhabi Public SchoolsMiddle School Science Teachers - Abu Dhabi Public SchoolsMiddle School English Teachers - Abu Dhabi Public SchoolsMath Teachers - Private International School

General Chemistry Quiz - Some Useful Information

General Chemistry Quiz - Some Useful InformationLearning about the General Chemistry quiz is beneficial. One reason why it is beneficial is because you can learn the basic facts regarding chemistry. Here are some of the benefits you can get from a quiz about chemistry.First of all, studying the chemistry can be considered to be a very large part of science. What's more, this is also one of the most important branches in chemistry. This means that if you want to study chemistry, then there is no way you would not be exposed to the scientific field. So, as a result, you can benefit from a quiz on General Chemistry because you will know about the things that are involved in the subject.Secondly, studying about the General Chemistry quiz can be beneficial because you will be able to see your test scores. If you have already completed the basics of chemistry, then you will definitely notice how you have done when you take the General Chemistry quiz.Thirdly, remember that, if you have alre ady completed the basics of chemistry, then you will learn more. Furthermore, you will be able to prepare for the chemistry test. You will also be able to pass the test because you will learn more about the subject.Lastly, you can be sure that you can study for the quiz. In other words, you will not be left out when you have to take the test.Overall, studying about the General Chemistry quiz can be helpful. You will be able to see how you have done and whether you are really knowledgeable about the subject. It will also show you how you have done on the GCSE chemistry test.Overall, these are the benefits of the General Chemistry quiz. It is extremely useful for you.