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Improving Learning

A comprehensive look at the latest trends, expert advice and recent studies into improving student learning. Explore the latest studies into links between student performance, sleep and music. See why schools are opting for later start times and year round schedules.

View the most popular articles in Improving Learning:

10 Top Study Tips for High School Students Preparing for College

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10 Top Study Tips for High School Students Preparing for College
Are you preparing to make the transition from high school to college? Many things are going to change for you in the coming years, so prepare for them academically by learning strong study skills now that you can apply during your college years.

Preparing for college can be nerve-wracking for a high school student, even if you鈥檝e already been accepted by a school. During that final year of high school, it may be difficult to concentrate on academics, but you want to show your college that you aren鈥檛 slacking off just because you鈥檝e already been accepted. It is always important to do your best.

This video offers a step-by-step plan to help you organize your week.

As you prepare for college, not only should you be keeping up with your schoolwork, but you should take some time to evaluate your study habits to see if you are properly prepared for college. In this article, you鈥檒l receive the top ten study tips to get you ready for the transition into college.

How Much Studying Do College Students Do?

According to a national study, the average full-time college student spends about 15 hours per week studying. Of course, the number of hours a student spends studying doesn鈥檛 necessarily correlate with their level of academic success. For example, students who studied an average of 20 hours per week or more were not always fully prepared for class, according to the results of a campus-wide student engagement survey. The amount of time students spend studying may also depend on their major and their class load. For example, senior engineering students reported 19 hours of study per week while students in the

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Homework: Creating A Healthy Environment

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Homework: Creating A Healthy Environment
Homework has become deeply ingrained in the U.S. educational system, but how much homework is too much and how can you create a healthy environment for your child to do schoolwork at home?

Doing homework is an unavoidable part of being a student but some children have more trouble than others doing school work on their own at home. As a parent, it is your job to get your child the help he or she needs to learn and to thrive academically 鈥 you should also think about ways to create a healthy environment for doing homework at home. Keep reading to learn more about minimizing distractions and cultivating a good homework environment for your child.

The History of Homework

Homework has become a tradition in academic environments, but where does this tradition come from? The concept of extra school work that must be completed at home has become engrained in U.S. academic culture and some believe that it doesn鈥檛 provide much value for students. The use of homework has changed as the course of education in history has changed. During the late 19th century, education for primary grades was irregular and most classrooms contained students of different ages. Primary students were rarely assigned homework and the older students got, the more likely they were to leave school for the workforce. In the early 20th century, there was a rise in progressive education as well as an anti-homework movement. When the Cold War came around, however, homework once more rose its ugly head as America became obsessed about competing with the Russians. In the years since the pro-homework movement gained strength but it is once more starting to come into question.

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Five Tips for Helping Students with Special Needs

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Five Tips for Helping Students with Special Needs
Special education teachers face a unique set of challenges, and so do the parents of special needs students. Keep reading to learn some practical tips for making your life as a special needs teacher or parent easier.

They say that teaching is a thankless job 鈥 not only are teachers underpaid, but many of them dedicate countless hours of their free time to do extra work for their students. Being a teacher, in general, can be very difficult, but being a special needs teacher comes with its own unique set of challenges. Whether you are a special needs teacher or the parent of a special needs child, keep reading to learn some helpful tips for making the most of your child鈥檚 education.

What are the Challenges of Working with Special Needs Students?

Compared to most other professions, the burn-out rate for special needs teachers is extremely high 鈥 approximately 50% of special education teachers leave their jobs within just 5 years. Teaching is a difficult and stressful career in and of itself, but special education adds an extra layer of difficulty. Some of the biggest challenges of working with special needs students are as follows:

  • Lack of parental support. You can pour your heart and soul into your efforts as a special education teacher but if the child鈥檚 parents are not on board, all of that work could be for nothing. Having a positive relationship with the parents of your students is essential.
  • Lack of appreciation. Teachers do not teach because it is a prestigious or high-paying career 鈥 they do it for the love of the students. Still, a little appreciation goes a long way, especially in a challenging and stressful field like special education.
  • Too
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Challenging Your Gifted Student

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Challenging Your Gifted Student
Gifted students often fail to thrive in traditional academic environments because they are not being challenged. In this article you will learn how to make sure your gifted student gets the quality education he or she deserves.
Gifted students need to be challenged.

A commonly cited statistic suggests that as many as 20% of high school dropouts are gifted students. Does this statistic surprise you? On one side of the coin, you might think that gifted students would be more likely to excel in school than traditional students. On the other side of the coin, it makes sense that gifted students might drop out of school if they are not properly challenged. If you are the parent, guardian, or teacher of a gifted student then it is your duty to make sure they are pushed hard enough to meet their maximum potential.

Myths and Misconceptions

The statistic quoted earlier could be interpreted in different ways. Some might assume that gifted students will excel no matter what kind of schooling they receive while others might be able to see that gifted students are often bored in traditional classrooms which leads to a higher dropout rate. Before getting into the details regarding how to properly challenge a gifted student, it is important to address some common myths and misconceptions about gifted students.

This video discusses teaching gifted students.

  • Gifted students will do fine in normal classrooms. According to a study conducted by the Fordham Institute, over 50% of teachers have not received any professional development in regard to teaching gifted students. Furthermore, nearly 75% of those same teachers admitted that the brightest students in their classrooms are often bored or
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Secrets of Spelling Bee Champs

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Secrets of Spelling Bee Champs
An overview of the top tips and strategies used by winners of regional and national spelling bees.

Every year thousands of American schoolchildren compete in school spelling bees. Kids in grades three to eight compete to spell increasingly challenging words in a tradition that is nearly as old as the U.S. education system itself. School spelling bee winners typically go on to regional spelling bee, which, in turn, funnel winners to the Scripps National Spelling Bee, held each spring in Washington, DC. Top spellers can earn tens of thousands of dollars in prizes and scholarship money.

Being a spelling bee champ takes more than luck. And, while children who are avid readers and who show skills in writing and reading comprehension usually do well, the most successful competitive spellers have identified some 鈥渢ricks of the trade鈥 that have helped them achieve the top prize in spelling.

This video offers some spelling bee tips and tricks.

Look at Other Languages

Top spellers study with a purpose. English is a unique language because many English words originated in other languages. The most successful spellers focus their study efforts on learning important foreign language root words and spelling conventions. Here are some of the languages that have most influenced English as well as spelling tips and examples from each language:

Latin

Latin has been the most influential language in English. Words related to science and medicine are often based on Latin words. To help spell Latin words, remember a few simple rules. First, the u

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