The answer is no, according to a new report released last week from the National Association for College Admission Counseling. The report criticizes common test preparation courses as costly, ineffective, and a poor investment.

That’s good news for Oxford Learning!

That’s because our SAT and ACT Plus™ Programs are so much more than “common.”

Oxford Learning’s SAT and ACT programs take what is typically considered test-prep—cramming, short-term gains—one step further, giving students who take the program a considerable edge.

So just what takes Oxford Learning’s SAT/ACT program the extra mile? Well, it is the only test-prep program on the market that isn’t focused on short-term gains for students, and it’s the only SAT/ACT prep course that looks beyond the entrance exams to prepare students for what comes next.

After all, getting into the best school is only the first step. Research shows that up to 35% of students who qualify for university or college with high entrance exam scores drop out of college or university in their first year.

This means, that if these students purchased or relied on traditional test-prep programs to boost their exam grades and get them into college or university, they were cheated. The program may have helped them cram for the SAT/ACT exam, but it did nothing to prepare them to deal with the rigors of college or university.

There is no easy solution for college or university preparation. A quick fix that promises to raise entrance exam marks is only a temporary solution. To prepare high school students to take the entrance exams successfully and fully realize the intensity of what higher education entails, takes time and commitment from the student.

The Oxford Learning SAT and ACT Plus™ Programs have a home component that encourages students to take initiative, be responsible for their learning, and invest in their own future. If students are unable or unwilling to take on this responsibility before heading to college or university, then they won’t be ready to stay in university and succeed.

The Oxford Learning approach to the issue of test-prep is a world apart from the rest. We offer a program with integrity that looks well beyond the entrance tests and prepares students for the future, which is always a good investment.

Read more about Oxford Learning’s SAT Plus™ Program, or find the Oxford Learning location nearest you.

1. Get Organized. Avoid last minute cram sessions by using an agenda or calendar. Plan out a study schedule. Working backwards from the test date, allow plenty of time to review all materials.
2. Review with a Pen and Paper. When reading over notes, write down all of the subject headings, subheadings, and bolded words. This will help provide a clear picture of the material. Plus, the physical act of holding the pen and writing makes study time active rather than passive.
3. Ask Questions. By starting the review early, there is plenty of time to ask the teacher questions about material that may be confusing.
4. Put it in your own words. Rather than trying to commit facts to memory, try explaining what was just read to an imaginary person without reciting from the text. This process helps will help students develop real understanding of the material, as opposed to simply memorizing it.
5. Be efficient. Before beginning to review a chapter identify which parts are well known. Once these are identified, students should focus on studying the material that they are least familiar with. A common mistake is spending too much precious review time going over material that is familiar.
6. Use mnemonic devices. To remember all items or examples, write the first letter of each example and create a sentence from that acronym. For example, to remember all of the great lakes use HOMES, or Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior.
7. Make jot notes. At the end of every class students should take jot notes in the margin of their notebooks while the material is still fresh in their minds. This is as simple as identifying key words or phrases so that the entire lesson can be recalled more quickly.
8. Test yourself. Test memory and understanding with a quick self-test:
   • Read over all notes
   • Cover them up with a sheet of paper or another book
   • Recite aloud what was just read, paraphrasing when possible
   • Check the facts. Were all the details and facts recalled correctly? Pay attention to any missed facts or examples. Chances are if any facts or details were missed during the self-test, they’ll be missed on the exam as well. Review the details that were missed until they are remembered during a self-test.

Summer programs now available at all Oxford Learning centers—a great way to build better study skills all summer long! Click here to find a location near you.

Early years—Kindergarten Through Grade Two

Though there’s not much need for studying during the early years of education, but these are the years that habits and learning behaviors are formed. That’s why it’s important that positive attitudes about learning are developed at a young age; a good attitude toward studying will stay with a student for the years to come.

Perseverance is a key skill in this age group—the ability to stick with a task, be it sounding out letters or learning how to perform simple addition despite frustration or difficulty, will teach the child the important lesson that sticking with it brings good results.

Early study skills that young children can learn:

• Sitting down and maintaining focus on a single thing for a period of time such as a book
• Having thoughtful discussions about an event or a book you’ve just read together develops active thinking
• Working on puzzles and figuring out the solutions develops problem- solving abilities
• A set time to read or work on a puzzle everyday helps create good homework habits

Middle years—Grades Three to Eight

During these years students are introduced to the world of test-taking and study skills. These are also the years that students develop study habits (in addition to their attitude toward studying) that will stick with them for the rest of their academic career.

Because students are still learning and growing in so much of their academic life, the lessons that they learn during this critical development stage leave lasting impressions. Almost more important than developing study habits, students are continuing to develop attitudes about how they approach learning—and these attitudes are very critical to motivation and their enthusiasm (or lack of it) for school.

It’s important that students’ efforts are rewarded rather than their accomplishments. Students should be praised for their hard work and for trying, as much as for getting good grades. Students don’t have to be top of the class, but they do have to put in a reasonable effort—if students are trying their best, then they are already winners.

Recognizing the effort helps to teach the lesson that hard work is always worth the effort. That’s a lesson that builds a positive attitude about learning. It’s also a lesson that builds great study habits.

Teen Years—High School

The high school years (and beyond) are when students put the study habits that they have been building since they began school to the test (pun intended).

In high school, tests become of greater importance with each passing year. So it makes sense that the earlier that students learn to apply the study skills that they have been learning since kindergarten—skills such as perseverance and effort—the less difficulties they will have in dealing with the increasing frequency and difficulty of tests.

It’s not always easy to transform the knowledge that teens have been accumulating over the years into practical skills that they can use while studying. Practical study skills are unfortunately, not always taught in school. It’s little wonder then that many students find the process of studying for, and writing, tests very stressful. Without some extra help, many students may find it challenging to translate the innate study skills that they have learned over the years into practical skills that they can apply while studying.

When students are taught practical study skills such as note taking, time management, and active reading, they can combine them with other important skills such as perseverance and effort to develop top-notch study skills that can transform study time from stressful to stress-free!

Turn your brain on before you study!

Active studying is as simple as asking questions before, during, and after study time:

• What am I about to learn?
• What do I already know about this subject?
• How does this information fit into a bigger picture?
• Do I understand what I have just read?
• Can I paraphrase it?
• Are there any key words that I need to write down? Why are these words key?

Get a good night’s sleep

Get a good night’s sleep—students of all ages should get at least eight hours of sleep every school night. It’s the best way to ensure that the brain is refreshed and processing all of the information learned during the day. A full night’s sleep is especially important the night before a test—a good night’s sleep ensures students will be more alert and will remember test material more effectively, leading to better test results. Now that’s a good reason to go to bed early!

Study at the right time

Study at the right time—everybody has his or her own daily highs and lows. Some people are night owls; some people prefer the morning. Students should try to study when they are the most alert and able to process and retain the information that they are studying.

Have a designated study area

Have a designated study area—whether it is the kitchen table or a desk in a bedroom, students should have an area to study that is a designated study zone. In this area they should be able to keep their notebooks and other study supplies. Ideally, they should be in study mode whenever they are in the study area.

Eat properly

Eat properly—students can’t focus on studying if their stomach is growling. It’s too distracting to focus on math or English with a stomach that keeps gurgling. Have a light, healthy snack to quiet the rumbles and to achieve optimal brain function during study time.

Get chores out of the way

Get chores out of the way—The dog needs to be walked the dog and the dishes need to be washed…students should take care of chores before sitting down to study so that they won’t be interrupted, or distracted by an unfinished to-do list. Getting chores out of the way makes it much easier to focus on the task at hand.

By Amanda Dervaitis, B.Ed.

There are an infinite number of programs available to children these days that appeal to every interest in sports, music and arts to name a few. Hockey, Taekwon-Do, Girl Guides, ski club, art class, piano, skating; the list goes on and on. It is wonderful to see your children motivated and enthusiastic about various activities, especially when you know how beneficial they are to development and growth. How do you decide when it is acceptable to add yet another activity or when it is time to draw the line and ensure your children have balanced lives?

We have all heard that kids are ‘over-programmed’ these days, but this is a generalization that does not always apply. What is too much for one exhausted child may not be enough for another who needs constant stimulation. When deciding what is right for your child you need to look at the individual situations and needs. Having a balanced schedule will allow your child to achieve success and enjoy all activities in which he or she participates.

You must evaluate what the priorities are for your child to ensure that extra-curricular activities do not interfere with the most crucial aspects of development. If academics need some catching up, hockey or basketball might have to be put on hold for this season while your child receives after school help or extra study. A part time job may have to come before guitar lessons if saving money is number one on the agenda. If your child is physically or mentally exhausted due to a busy schedule it may be time to re-evaluate how extra time is being spent. This also means that your child may not be able to take part in some activities if others, like hockey for example, are a priority and already demanding on his or her schedule.

For students who lack confidence because they are behind in school, participating in an extracurricular activity that they enjoy and excel in could actually help with their school success. Although it could be argued that time would be better spent practicing reading or spelling, the confidence and self-esteem they build while being involved in an activity that brings them pleasure can transfer to school and other aspects of life.

Finally, if your child does not enjoy the activity consider if it is really vital that he or she participate. While we don’t want to teach our children that quitting is always an option, the regular battles might not be worth it. Give your child a few options and the opportunity to choose for him or herself what activity to do in order to eliminate this type of struggle.

Thanks to contributing author Amanda Dervaitis. Amanda has been an educator for 9 years and is the director at Oxford Learning in High Park. For information about exam preparation programs call the Oxford Learning Centre at 416-762-4447.

By Amanda Dervaitis, B.Ed.

We spend about one third of our lives sleeping. Besides being critical for good health, sleep also plays an important role in the process of learning. For the most effective learning to happen, experts suggest that we get at least eight hours of shut-eye every night. We need sleep so we can be mentally alert the next day allowing us to concentrate and absorb new information, but there is more to it than that. When we sleep our brains are busy processing what we have already learned. To get a better understanding of why students (and you too!) should pass on the all-nighter and go to bed early instead, let’s examine exactly what our brain is doing when we are taking the well-deserved rest at the end of the day.

There are three distinct, yet equally important phases during a sleep cycle, in which our brains are processing and learning the information we have taken in that day. The first, which typically lasts for two hours, is spent in a very deep sleep. During this time, certain brain chemicals are used to move all of the memories of the day from the short term memory centre, the hippocampus, to the cortex which is the outer layer of the brain where long-term memories are stored. Without this transfer of information long-term learning cannot occur.

During the next four to six hours, the information that is now in the cortex needs to be “sorted” and “filed”. Information is sent to various networks where nerve connections are strengthened as memories are preserved. This process requires the formation of new protein and is very slow. If this process is interrupted, new information will not be effectively stored, and therefore you will not remember what was learned or experienced that day. This is like sorting your class notes so they can be organized by subject and added to your existing notes in a binder. According to research, four hours of sleep is the minimum requirement for this phase to be effective.

The last phase of the sleep cycle lasts approximately two hours and is known as “Rapid Eye-Movement” or “REM” sleep. This is when we dream. The brain shuts down the hippocampus and focuses solely on reviewing information it has stored in the previous hours. This process reinforces and strengthens connections between nerve cells that make up the new memory. Just like learning a speech, this our brain’s way of achieving accuracy — practice makes perfect.

So, how can students avoid an “all-nighter” before a test or exam? Study a little bit every night leading up to an exam and get at least eight hours of sleep every school night. That way you’re more alert and will remember test material more effectively getting you better results. Now that’s a good reason to go to bed early!

Thanks to contributing author Amanda Dervaitis. Amanda has been an educator for 9 years and is the director at Oxford Learning in High Park. For information about exam preparation programs call the Oxford Learning Centre at 416-762-4447.

Should students take a year off between high school and university?

In Britain, a gap year—a year off between the end of high school and the beginning of university—has been a rite of passage for school-weary, under-experienced high school students. It is considered a way for students to spread their wings and gain some much needed personal growth before committing to the world of higher education.

In the traditional sense, the gap year is viewed as a year of carefree travel, but gap year supporters have come to see it as necessary to having a successful higher education experience. In a single year students can:

Gap Year and the Credit Crunch

With rising tuition fees, taking a year off to earn school money can be a wise move for those with limited financial resources. With average tuition costs rising every year, creating a nest egg to fund the next four years makes strong economic sense.

But parents and critics of the gap year worry that students will lose school motivation and won’t want to return to school after a year off—that the time away will have a disruptive effect on school goals and motivation.

But the opposite might just be true—in fact, certain colleges are getting on board and even recommending that students defer their acceptance for a year as a way to prevent the freshman “burnout” rate that has become a growing issue in the US.

Colleges that support a year off report that students return from the gap year refreshed, re-vitalized, and better prepared to face four years of schoolwork.

Should Your Teen Take a Gap Year?

Any student that is feeling overwhelmed by school choices, finances, or issues of motivation should consider the benefits of a gap year.

Students considering taking a gap year should work with current guidance counselors, parents, and even schools being applied to in order to work out a plan to earn hands-on experience, save money, and return to their studies with a renewed focus and confidence.

On January 27th and 28th 2009, in support of Family Literacy Day, Oxford Learning and ABC Canada teamed up to break the world record for “most children reading with an adult, multiple locations.” Thousands of children took part at events across Canada in schools, libraries, service clubs, and at Oxford Leaning centers to listen to the stories of children’s author Robert Munsch and support family literacy.

Oxford Learning would like to thank the many schools, teachers, parents, and children who came out to work together on this great cause.

We will not know for some time whether we broke the record, as the Guinness Book of World Records has to receive all the documents before they can announce the results.
[Update: Canada runner-up to new U.S. record]

Regardless of the outcome, we feel like winners to have been an integral part of this fantastic event! When communities come together to promote a worthy cause, we all win!

Thanks again to everyone who took part in the world record attempt!

Practical tips for the everyday world to increase literacy and become a life-long book-lover

• Introduce books and reading early in life
• Play games involving letters and sounds
• Create a habit of reading—make it part of your everyday routine
• Read the same book together, or read separately, but at the same time
• Discuss what you are reading and ask questions
• Draw pictures about what you have read
• Choose words and phrases that you like and write them down in a word scrap book
• Visit the library and join a reading group
• One of the biggest issues facing young readers is what to read next. Choose books that hold your interest based on subject. Ask the librarian for suggestions on authors and titles—that’s what they are there for!
• Read the entire oeuvre of one author at a time
• In school, when you have to read material that doesn’t hold your interest, set a goal (5 pages or so) then take a short break to summarize
• Read at night before bed—it helps calm you down and doesn’t over stimulate the senses the way that television can
• Reading is the best way to build a strong vocabulary, and strong vocabulary is a big predictor of school success
• Practice what you preach. If you want your child to become a reader, you must first be a reader yourself
• Read everyday—newspapers, magazines, books, comics, or even the cereal box!