Read this letter from a parent on how we helped her to win the homework wars.

Dear Oxford Learning,

Homework had become the most unpleasant experience for my daughter and I. No matter how hard we both tried, our sessions always ended up with both of us screaming and then crying out of sheer frustration. With no end of the ongoing battle in sight, I decided that it was time to seek outside help. By word of mouth I was familiar with Oxford Learning Centers.

After a soothing telephone call reassuring me that I was not a terrible mother, nor the only person in such a situation, my daughter and I went into to have a look. She immediately was put at ease, as was I. Everybody we met was very pleasant and approachable. After an assessment that determined areas of strength and weaknesses, my daughter began work on a program centered specifically to her assessment findings.

Within a short time my daughter’s confidence grew and she became much more confident and independent learner. The Oxford Learning Center has taught my daughter to learn how to learn! And now, homework is no longer an issue! For this, I will be eternally grateful!

Many thanks!

Katherine Lombard
Calgary, Alberta

Another letter from a parent of an Oxford Learning student.

Dear Oxford Learning teachers,

Approximately one year ago we brought our son Jacob, then 9 years old, to see you. We were concerned because he was unhappy at the school he was attending. At the time we dealt with a lot of anxiety, and illness — he was always complaining of stomach problems, and having nightmares etc. We believed that for the most part, the problem was that the school environment wasn’t allowing him to learn what he was capable of learning at his particular skill level, and he was becoming aware of this deficit. We had made up our mind to put him in a different school, but we didn’t want him to have to begin at a new school and find himself behind his new classmates.

After speaking with Oxford Learning we decided to enroll Jacob for the extra push that he needed, and kept him there throughout the summer months.

When the Back-to-school season came around again, Jacob started at his new school. He was nervous, as were we; we didn’t know what to expect. We are happy to report that the school year went very well. Jacob adapted to his new environment quickly, and had a seamless transition into the new grade, and the new school, and we trace a large portion of that ease directly to the work Jacob did with Oxford Learning. By working with Oxford Learning, Jacob was able to learn how to understand what he was reading, and how to apply a specific study skill. He also gained a strong sense of confidence in his abilities to read and understand, even in a new environment.

We watched and listened as you and your instructors worked with Jacob and we talked with him many times about his experiences with Oxford. We are convinced that your work with Jacob has had a profound impact on his abilities in the classroom, his self-confidence in the classroom, and overall sense of self-worth. In the past year Jacob has blossomed like a flower in good soil and sunlight and we just want to say thank-you from the bottom of our hearts for your part in that.

We are moving to a new city shortly, and are pleased that Jacob is looking forward to starting school this fall in yet another new school.

Thank you.

Keri and Bill Lelland
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

A new school year is here! And with the new school year comes new school gear… like new clothes, new binders and new backpacks.

But did you know that choosing a backpack should not be made on the basis of style alone? In fact, backpacks should be considered more like sports equipment – in order to get optimum performance they must fit properly, especially since the load they lug can cause damage to spines, shoulders and lower backs.

According to the COCSA – the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations – an over-packed knapsack can have a detrimental impact on posture and on spinal health because students typically carry more than the recommended national guidelines of 10-15% of their body weight, and due to the added weight up to 60% of children will experience back pain by the time they reach the age of 18.

Follow these simple rules to make sure that the backpack burden isn’t too much to bear:

• Make sure to get a bag that fits properly and is neither too small nor too big
• Look for wide shoulder straps that are padded
• Always wear both shoulder straps to distribute weight evenly
• Tighten the shoulder straps so that the bag sits two inches above the waist
• Heavier items should be placed closest to the body
• If there is a waist strap, use it-it helps with weight distribution.

Child to Backpack weight chart

Really Simple Syndication

There is some controversy over what the RSS actually stands for, but most agree with ’Really Simple Syndication’. The basic idea is that the content on a website is made available in a standard manner that can be read by a ’reader’. On the Oxford Learning website, we’ve made all of the articles in the Let’s Talk section available in this fashion.

Why would I use RSS?

It’s difficult to keep up with news on a variety of sites and RSS allows you to use a news reader program to regularly check many websites for new content. In the past, you may have subscribed to newsletters and received new content via email. RSS works in a similar fashion except you do not need to sign up or register with the website. You don’t need to supply your email address and you can cancel at any time. You only need to add the RSS feed link to your news reader software. After that, the news reader program will check automatically for new content on any of your chosen sites very much like email. New articles, postings or other content will be displayed as ’unread’ in your news reader software.

So, if you like the articles you found on our website and wish to have upcoming articles sent to you simply add the Oxford Learning feed to your feed list. Add this link to your news reader software RSS listing. You will have to check your news reader documentation to find out how to add these links. The news reader will then regularly check the Oxford Learning website for new content. When we post a new article on our website the news reader on your computer will automatically recognize that, download the article (or a summary of the article depending on the configuration) and present it to you. If you decide that you no longer wish to receive the feed, you can simply delete the feed from your feed list.

How many websites now offer RSS feeds?

Many websites already support RSS and the number is growing. Nearly all blogs and news organizations now offer RSS. You may have seen the following icon which represent available RSS feeds:

How do I get started?

The first thing you need is a RSS news reader program. You may already have the required software. There are many news readers currently available with more appearing each day. Here is a short list of free news readers:

These links are provided for convenience only. Oxford Learning does not endorse these products or services.

With the software installed, you only need to add RSS feeds. This typically involves copying the RSS link and pasting it into the RSS reader. Checking for new content is as easy as downloading email.