Blog
What Disney World Can Teach you about Test Prep
During the Spring of 2013, my wife and I decided that it would be a good time to take our kids to Disney World for the first time. The twins were going to turn six in April, our youngest would be able to get in to all the parks for free, and it was the first time that we were going to be headed to Florida as a family.
Meet Sara Garrison
We are excited to spend time each month this year introducing members of our outstanding tutor team. We’ll kick off 2019 introducing Sara Garrison, a tutor who has been with Connections from the beginning.
This Is How We Start The New Year!
This Is How We Start The New Year is the first in a new series of blogs posted at the beginning of each month where we talk to families all around Cincinnati to find out how routines, celebrations, and responsibilities play out in their homes. In this monthly series, we will discuss morning routines, homework, summer reading, college visits, and more! This month, we share two families traditions for starting the new year.
Subscription Boxes
Still looking for a holiday gift for the kids on your list? How about a gift that will keep delighting your child month after month?
The Gift of Experiences
This is the perfect year to think outside the box when it comes to holiday gifts. Rather than a mountain of presents that will all too quickly become outdated or broken, give the gift of a special experience. The Gift of Experiences can give your family something to look forward to and enjoy together and share in special memories that last much longer than the holiday season. Here are some ideas to get you started!
Creating a Successful Homework Routine
As we move into October, most students have fallen into the steady rhythm of academic activity. But there is one element that many learners and parents continue to struggle with throughout the school year: Homework.
Let Them Play
Playtime is an essential mark of childhood - wide open days with nothing to do but build forts, ride bikes, play tea party, and tromp through the outdoors alongside neighborhood buddies. Children of all ages grow and learn life skills such as problem solving, flexible thinking, and creative initiation when they are given time to freely choose activities and experiment with open-ended play.
Sharpen Your Writing Skills with Summer Fun
We are constantly expressing ourselves through the written word and yet, this essential skill is often terrifying for some students to complete. We’ve put together some suggestions or practicing writing in a safe and creative way.
Why Every Student Needs A Hero
As the school year approaches and lesson plans are being written, we are inspired by Sarah Fordyce, a science teacher in Los Angeles who wants students to belong, interact, and grow in her classroom. She writes about teaching science and the magic of teaching middle school on her blog www.happyteacherheart.com.
More Summer Fun
As June comes to a close, are your summer days starting to drag, or are you seizing every opportunity for summer fun? While summer can be busy with family vacations and camps, there also tends to be a lot more down time at home than during the school year which can sometimes result in complaints of boredom and overuse of screen time. What better way to avoid this than a family summer bucket list?
Summer in Cincinnati
Cincinnati has so much to offer, and so many exciting places to visit. Here are some great ideas for your family to take on summer in the city!
To Reward or Not To Reward – That is the Question
Parents often fear bribing their children to do things and ending up with a child who expects to be paid every time they are told to clean up their bedroom or do their homework. Should parents reward their child for things that are somewhat aversive or punish them for not doing those things? It may be helpful to first ask, "Is there a difference between rewards and punishments?" The long answer is yes, but the more practical answer is not really.
2018 Summer Reading Recommendations
We put together a list of our favorite reads for your child to add to his/her summer reading list to enjoy beside the pool or during long road trips. And, don’t forget, you can find most of these books on audio, so stock up and enjoy the summer!
Why Is Recess Important?
The discussion of recess has taken center stage in recent years, as parents, teachers, and educational leaders all over the country work to make the best decisions regarding how our children spend their school day. Schools have seen an increased emphasis on standardized testing since the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act, and more recently, the adoption of the Common Core Standards. This has prompted school leadership to minimize and even eliminate recess time in order to provide more classroom instructional time.
I Loved Wonder! What Next?
If you and your child were among the millions of readers to fall in love with Auggie Pullman over the last year, you are in good company. This best selling book paved the way for parents and teachers to discuss important issues like empathy, acceptance, and bullying in a whole new way. We have a few suggestions for you to use that momentum to point him or her to other outstanding novels with similar themes and unlikely heroes you can’t help but root for.
New Year, New Look, Same Personalized Academic Support
Have you seen our new logo? Maybe you already noticed our new name. If so, you probably suspect changes are underway for Connections. Don’t worry! These are all valuable for the students utilizing Connections’ services, and they’ll help us increase our ability to support student learning in the Greater Cincinnati area.
Fall Newsletter and Updates
Hello Connections Families! It’s hard to believe, but most of our students are already a quarter of the way through the school year. Where did first quarter go? The coming months are busy ones, and we want to share some new services we’ll be providing, along with some options coming in the future.
Fostering Independence in Middle and High School Students
n the fourteen years that I taught middle and high school, I saw the same scenario play out over and over. Well-meaning parents realized college was looming in the not-so-distant future, looked closely at their kids’ learning and study habits, and realized it was time to start fostering some independence. And of course, the logical way to foster independence is to take a step back, right?
Summer is a time for learning, too!
School’s out for summer! It’s time to celebrate all the hard work that went into another academic year, and take a little break from the busy schedule that overtakes our lives during the winter.
But the break in the school year doesn’t – and shouldn’t – mean a break from all academic activity. In fact, wise use of the summer months can make or break the coming school year. The months of June through August offer a prime opportunity to catch up, work ahead, and otherwise prepare for the rigors awaiting in September.
Making the Most of the End of the Year
As the school year comes to an end, now is the perfect time to get in touch with your child’s teacher one last time before summer vacation. Do not wait until the last week of school. This is a hectic time for teachers, and they may not be able to give you their full attention and insight if you contact them in June.