Your child sits down at the dining room table and with a sigh, opens an English textbook. Pulling out a grammar exercise, she throws a sidewise glance your way before whining, “I don’t know how to do this.”

What should you do? Drop everything and run to her aid? Calmly tell her to do the work herself? Call a tutor?

A parent can play a healthy role in helping kids to successfully complete their homework assignments. But parents must draw clear boundaries that protect them from offering too much help and their kids from expecting it.

Encourage your child to do as much as possible alone:

“Try the first set of verbs. See what you can do.”

“Read the directions again.”

But if your son or daughter persists in claiming they are unable to understand or complete the assignment, you may need to step in:

“What specific problem are you having?”

“Read it aloud to me, slowly.”

Kids may not appreciate this type of response, preferring, instead, a hands-on approach from Mom or Dad. But it is more helpful when parents gently insist that kids apply critical thinking skills to solve problems themselves.

However, if it becomes apparent that the child truly is lost and doesn’t understand the homework concept, the parent may be able to help. Suggest that your child re-read the section that was assigned for homework practice. After he or she has done that, ask if there are any questions. Answer them to the best of your ability. Those you cannot answer, suggest your child write them on paper for the teacher.

Then ask your child to read the first problem aloud, breaking it into parts if necessary. When you get a quizzical look afterward, calmly nudge the problem back to your child:

“What do you think that means?”

“How does the problem relate to what you just read?”

Little by little, help your child deconstruct the overwhelming assignment by looking at each part individually before responding to the whole unit.

Sometimes, though, a homework question is poorly worded or the parent doesn’t know the answer. Suggest that your child skip to the next question or even the next subject. It’s important that he or she continue on a productive path in completing as much homework as possible rather than giving up on one topic and neglecting the rest.

Parents should avoid taking a hands-on approach. A bit of advice or a probing questions can be helpful instead. Obviously, a parent should never do the work for the child. That would be cheating, as would recommending plagiarism or unethical shortcuts of any kind.

Parents have a great opportunity to model problem-solving skills when their kids struggle with homework uncertainties. But when it becomes clear that a child is feeling overwhelmed by an assignment, the parent should make an appointment to talk with the teacher and clarify the situation. No child can master a skill that he or she cannot comprehend, so be sure that learning takes place first, followed by practice later.

February 18th, 2010 | 8:51 am

Education is a fundamental part of our life that helps us to exist in a manner that we know what our goals and aspects to live a successful and happy life should be. There have been renowned world leaders who have endorsed the same fact that the right education can literally make a difference as vast as you can ever imagine. Education is a potent tool that can be used to gain and spread knowledge, which in its true self is one of the most wonderful gifts of god.

Kaplan is such an institution that provides you with the best learning capabilities and offers you a wide variety of courses for people who are working to choose from. The institute has struck a chord with the people not only from UK, but worldwide and has also got excellent teachers in store for talented minds that are willing to learn and understand how necessary education really is.

Distance learning degree
is also available with the institute which enables people who are busy at their work a chance to understand their course and get extensive study material. Distance learning is a course by virtue of which a student can actually study from home, and does not need to attend regular classes to get the course completed. This is a new way that the faculty has inculcated a scheme to let everyone who wants to study a chance to actually do that.

January 21st, 2010 | 7:04 am

Pens and Pencils.
Some exams require the use of PENS, while others have to be completed in PENCIL. Make sure you know what you should be using in every paper before you go in.

Websites.
All the major examination boards have websites these days, usually with sample papers and examiners’ reports that you can download. These sites are well worth a visit as they may offer a lot of sound advice. The examiners’ report, for instance, can give you an idea of exactly what it is that they are looking for.

Take Spares.
Take spare pens and pencils just in case the one you are using stops working.

On time not In time.
Allow for problems, hold-ups and traffic jams on the way and make sure you arrive with time to spare so that you can go in calmly rather than in a frantic rush.

It may sound stupid, but …
Don’t forget to read the instructions and make sure you know what you are being asked to do. You should go into the exam well aware of what is expected of you, but you should always check. Don’t, however, waste a lot of time on this.

Honesty – 1.
A language exam is not a test of honesty and you will not be penalized if you tell the examiners that you are CANCER rather than SAGITTARIUS in a written question simply because you are sure of how to spell it. Language Tests are quite simply that; they are designed to test your language and not your honesty- don’t worry about lying or being economical with the truth in order to show off your accurate language use.

Zzzzz.
Try to get a good night’s sleep the night before any exam.

Hangovers.
Try to avoid alcohol the night before an exam, especially in quantity, as a bad hangover is among the very worst things to be suffering from in an exam room.

January 12th, 2010 | 8:43 am

Studying for a university exam can prove to be challenging with campus activities often serving as a potential distraction. Getting the most from your test preparation requires choosing the right study environment, as well as utilizing effective study methods. This guide will outline some proven best practices that research has shown will help you concentrate on your class material, and put you in the proper mindset to ace your next college test.

In order to maximize your study time, start by choosing an environment with few potential distractions where you can focus for long periods of time. Ideal quiet study locations include your campus library, local coffee shops and computer labs. The goal of finding an effective study place is to find a study pattern that becomes familiar and helps you reinforce the concepts you learn in the lecture hall.

Research has shown that repetition is a key element of learning, and regular study times will help you to reinforce materials learned in class. Try to select times that you devote to exam preparation, and treat this time as scheduled for that purpose. Plan to spend two hours studying for every hour in the classroom. A good plan is to spend the first 15 minutes of your study time covering previous material, as well as the last 15 minutes covering upcoming concepts so you can build on what you know to master that patterns that will ensure your academic success.

Finding a proper balance between your college courses is also a key element of a proper study method. When beginning a course, find out as much information as you can from fellow students about the time needed to learn the material, and give yourself enough time to ensure each of your courses gets the necessary attention. Try to select courses that interest you, and set goals at the beginning of the semester that will keep you motivated from the beginning of the semester all the way until finals week. Expect to spend the most time on course for your major, so make sure to carefully pick an academic focus that you are genuinely interested in. Since academic skills build cumulatively, do the necessary research to ensure you have taken the necessary prerequisites for higher-level courses, and review those concepts before the beginning of the semester.

Finally, take time to reward yourself for hard work by celebrating good test scores by giving yourself a day off of studies to refresh your mind. By following these college exam tips, you will be well prepared for your next test and beyond.