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Exercise is Brain Food for Learning

6/25/2014

Hi everyone. Are you or someone you know having difficulty learning facts for a test or quiz? Do you study and study, but it doesn't seem to sink in? Are you feeling sluggish and not up to studying much at all?
Try studying while exercising! Studies have shown that this is an effective way to learn. Or, if you are not great at multitasking, study just after you exercise.
Let's say that you want to learn and practice multiplication facts. Some ways you can incorporate your learning with your exercise could be:

*Record the facts into a recorder and listen to them while walking
*Have someone quiz you while playing doing some free throws
*Bring interesting videos like the one on this blog post to watch while using an exercise bike
*Toss a ball/play catch with a friend or parent while they say multiplication fact and you echo them

Remember, exercise is brain food for learning! If this still doesn't work, please feel free to contact me. Some tutoring may turn out to be a useful tool!

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Tangram Puzzle A and Keeping Your Brain Exercised

6/5/2013

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Are you looking for a simple summer time activity? Why not a homemade tangram? They are relatively easy to make and take strategy to solve.
This one is of a rectangle. I just drew the rectangle and split it into other shapes by drawing lines from place to place. Then, I cut out the shapes and taped them on a piece of paper so I could scan it onto my computer and upload it here. (You wouldn't need to do the last couple of steps if you are doing for someone at home to solve.)

I like this activity, because it has so much learning potential. For little ones, you can make tangrams with fewer pieces. It is also a good way to talk about shapes and sizes. For example, you might say, "Which piece are you going to start with: this big triangle or maybe that medium sized rectangle over there?" Or, you might ask as your child touches a shape, "What shape do you have there?"
For older children, maybe make a game of it. Show them how to create tangrams and have them create one for each other. That way, they can see who solves the tangram first. Or, have them create one for you, so you both can be working on tangrams together. It is a nice way to spend some quality time with your children. It is also an activity that can help the child (or adult) keep their brain active.
Activities like this have been shown to curb the onset of things like dementia and Alzheimer's disease. So, it is a wonderful idea to get children interested in keeping their brains active early in life and keep doing brain activities like this into adulthood. Work on them together as a family. You will all be better off because of it. Do what you can to make it exciting!
Feel free to print this tangram out and try it! Let me know if you want the solution! But... then, try your own! Keep exercising your brain!

Summer Time Tutoring

Speaking of keeping your brain exercised, please remember that DUO Education is now offering online tutoring. It is a great way to keep your child's brain exercised during the summer! Summer time learning helps in many ways. Don't miss out!

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The Importance of Summer Time Learning

5/29/2013

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A couple of weeks ago I announced that DUO Education is now offering online tutoring in math, reading, writing, and study skills. Okay, you may be thinking, "Yep. That is what you did. You announced that DUO Education was now offering online tutoring in math, reading, writing, and study skills. But why now? School is getting out soon. Aren't educators gearing up to enjoy a nice summer vacation just like all their students?"
Well, I like my summer time fun as much as the next person. Picnics, long motorcycle rides, kayaking trips, and picture taking sounds like a blast to me. Yet, I know summer time learning is just as important.
According to an article by NBC Today, students lose an average of "2.6 months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation during summer months." That is just under a third of a school year. The same articles states that, "research shows that teachers typically spend between 4-6 weeks re-teaching material that students have forgotten over the summer." As a former classroom teacher, that is quite a bit of time to take reteaching something that wouldn't be necessary if students practiced math and reading skills during the summer months. However, educators happily do it, so as to make sure students thoroughly understand the material.
The statistic that I enjoyed the most is that, "56% of students want to be involved in a summer program that 'helps kids keep up with schoolwork or prepare for the next grade.'" I love seeing that children WANT to learn!

What to do about it?

The NBC Today article gives a few suggestions: going to the library, zoo, or museum are among the top choices. However, there is another option that the article did not list: online tutoring.
That's right. From the comfort of your own home, your child could get online tutoring that is individualized and geared directly to your child's learning needs.
To sign up today or for more information, just contact me. I am happy to help. And, there will still be time for plenty of summer time fun! Also, just think of all the time you will save in not having to play "catch up" with your child's skills once school starts again in the fall.

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Online Tutoring Now Available

5/15/2013

6 Comments

I am sooooo excited! I am now happy to say that DUO Education is now ready to provide online tutoring services. I have opened the Paypal account and have researched prices. I will be setting up the page soon. This is fabulous news, because it is just in time to set things up for summer time learning.
Many children lose part of the skills they learned in the previous school year unless they have some form of learning during the summer. Now is the time to set up an individualized plan for your child. Let it be as fun and laid back and individualized as possible. Contact me now.
I can't say it now... as this is the first reveal and grand opening of the tutoring services here at DUO Education. But... I hope to be able to say soon, "Contact me now, because slots are filling fast."

Talk to me about:

*Math tutoring: up through basic algebra and geometry
*Reading tutoring
*Writing tutoring
*Study skills tutoring

I have tutored people of various ages, skills, and abilities in various subjects in the past. But, this is the first time I have done it online. This is an adventure for me. Let us explore this adventure together!
This is open to all learners of various ages, skills, and abilities. I am open to students with disabilities as well. I have done a fair share of work in the area of special education as well.
If you are interested in a subject area that is not listed, please feel free to contact me anyway. I may be open to trying it or may be able to find you resources.
So, for summer time learning and for other tutoring services, please contact me now. I look forward to hearing from you, so we can set up and individualized learning plan and create a wonderful online learning experience for you! Please feel free to contact me.
Don't forget to share this information with your friends, children's schools, relatives, etc. and on all your social networks. I appreciate it. Thank you so much. I hope to hear from you soon!

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Exercise is Brain Food for Learning

Tangram Puzzle A and Keeping Your Brain Exercised

Summer Time Tutoring

The Importance of Summer Time Learning

What to do about it?

Online Tutoring Now Available

Jodi Desautels

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