January 2023 Newsletter

Happy New Year All! Welcome to 2023!

Education Connection Advisors has been busy with application review, interview preparation and finalizing school plans for our families. We also have taken time for our families and friends and hope you enjoyed our frigid winter break. 

Outside of educational consulting, we are dedicated to giving back and have made a contribution honoring all our families and past families this year to Odyssey, an organization we love. Each year we pick a non profit that values education, mental health and children. It gives us great pleasure to give to others. 

As far as what is new and happening in the educational arena, this is a good time for your children to focus on learning and core skills. The months leading up to spring break are critical times for educational and social emotional growth. It does not matter what age your child is, you will often see a spurt of growth, maturity and increased work in January and February.  

Reading: Be sure your child is reading in the classroom and also reading an extra book on the side. We have found that those children who read will have higher reading and vocabulary scores across the board. We are hearing your question: What if my child does not like to read? There are children and adults who do not pick up books readily. You must try to establish creative book challenges, have set reading times and reading goals. Go to the library as a family and pick out books for each other!

Establish a family reading circle, a reading bowl, a reading challenge. Be creative and have a family reading night. Perhaps each family member could pick out a book to be discussed once a month and then present it at dinner. Create a family book club. You may not get your child to fall in love and walk around buried in a book like some do, but you are showing your child that your family values reading. 

Also magazines for kids are so important and can increase comprehension, just looking at pictures. The Week Junior, National Geographic Kids, or Sports Illustrated for Kids are a few possibilities. Sports trivia books or Guinness Book of World Records are great too. Children should be reading things they enjoy. 

Some children thrive on audible books or even the use of a Kindle. Whatever method is used, reinforce it with positivity! 

Math Core Skills are equally important. Be sure math facts are learned and retained, formulas understood and if need be, there are great books at bookstores which help parents understand math concepts too. Watch how your children are learning multiplication or regrouping as the processes have changed since we were in school. Be sure you understand how math is being taught as it can be confusing and frustrating to your child if the parent helps in a way that is different from the teacher’s classroom instruction.

Play math games with your kids – like Concentration, Sleeping Queens, or Go Fish. They can make the cards and you can have a super card game of facts. Make a board game with math: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions etc.  Let one of your children make the board. You will be blending math and creativity. 

The key to school success is your positive reinforcement. Take time to look at the school work in the backpack; talk to your child about what is going on at school and be present in their lives. You want to be sure your children are happy and thriving. 

Summer: We know it feels crazy to start planning summer, but it is time! As second semester is gearing up, so are the camp registrations and summer plans. Remember, certain camp programs fill up quickly so make a tentative plan and reserve your spots for the camps now. It is better to hold that spot than not have a spot. 

We have had another great year of wonderful families who become our friends as well as our clients. We enjoy helping each family understand the educational process and work with each child so we truly know the individual learning style or how the child may project on an interview. Please pass our information on to your friends or colleagues for we get almost all our clients as referrals from you. You are important to us.  

Let us hope 2023 brings each family renewed spirit in life, strength, positivism and health.

All our best and more, 

Barbara, Betsy, Fontaine and Margo- Education Connection Advisors