Just because many colleges are not making ACT/SAT testing optional, not all will. What if your dream school decides not to waive this previous requirement? What then? Better to prepare for all possible outcomes than hope that all schools follow current trends.
​

Think about how the schools will evaluate you once the tests are waived. Last year before the pandemic, several major colleges decided to make ACT/SAT testing optional including the University of Chicago. What we learned is that this puts stress on every other part of your application: grades, extra-curricular activities, the rank of your school, and of course the ever-looming college application essays. With tens of thousands of students applying to any given college, why limit your competitive edge. By leaving one aspect of your application empty, you suddenly make every other part much more critical.
​

The Smithsonian is offering a complete Virtual Tour of its National History Museum. Check out both current and past exhibits on all types of fascinating exhibits in our planet’s history from the dinosaurs to modern day. https://naturalhistory.si.edu/visit/virtual-tour
​

Nasa has a wonderful library of videos by real life astronauts. How do they exercise? How do they eat? Find out all about life in space with over a dozen videos. https://www.spacestationexplorers.org/news-media/videos/

Any young artists in the family? The Kennedy Center is offering weekly art videos with children’s book author Mo Williams as he walks kids through fun and creative doodles.
​ https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/mo-willems/
​

The National Zoo has a massive collection of online animal exhibits. With over 200 animals featured, kids of all ages can enjoy facts and videos on all sorts of birds, reptiles, and mammals. https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/list

Given recent events, we at iLearn Academy hope everyone is staying home, staying healthy, and finding ways to enjoy the change of pace and extra family time that school closures have made possible. Take some time with your youngest students and read together!
​
Among the perennials we welcome every spring at iLearn is the Common Core English and Literacy testing which is almost solely focused on Reading comprehension, and with good reason.
Reading comprehension might be the most critical ability students develop.
Their capacity to understand text and synthesize knowledge will help determine their scores on every test they take – from the PSAT to the ACT. It will also make them more fulfilled humans and well-informed fellow citizens.  
It’s easy to underestimate the value of processing text, especially in a world that seems to spend less time turning pages – as if the only thing to gain is access to all printed knowledge. Reading comprehension skills are the first great set of weights for the brain’s critical thinking muscles.
Unfortunately, American schools are not effectively teaching these skills to the majority of students. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a biennial test also referred to as the Nation’s Report Card for literacy, found that only 37 percent of fourth graders read at a level the NAEP defines as “proficient.” In Illinois, that number is lower: 34 percent.
For some time, the general approach has been to teach reading comprehension skills first, detached from any specific content, because you need these skills to understand the content. The problem, many experts argue, is that this approach neglects the central roles that background knowledge and vocabulary play in reading comprehension.
Students start off with different levels of background knowledge and vocabulary, based on whatever they have been immersed in by their parents. This “knowledge gap” turns into an achievement gap that can actually widen through the course of their education, exacerbated by the “skills first” approach.
Some argue that switching to “content-based” curricula, using content to teach skills, would improve overall learning and decrease that gap.
This isn’t news to tutors, of course. Identifying and filling knowledge gaps is what tutors have been doing since way back in Ancient Greece. We know there are tried and true methods to improve a student’s reading comprehension.
Yet, while we do what we can in the short time we spend with your students, they spend a great deal more time around you, their parents, getting the background knowledge – lived/learned experience and vocabulary – so critical to comprehension and intellectual development. There is no doubt about the research: in this vital area, parents have by far the greatest influence.
If you want to help your children work on general reading comprehension skills, books are still your best friends. Use these proven strategies:

• Make sure your kids read something every day.
• Have them read aloud. It slows them down. Take turns reading at home, or have them read to you in the car instead of listening to the radio.
• Ask them questions about what they’ve read. What is the book about? What do they think will happen next? What do they like about it?
• Encourage them to take notes or write in the margins.

     You should also enhance their comprehension by improving their general background knowledge. The key here is exposure to the world and its ideas.

• Expand their vocabularies. If they come across unfamiliar words, make sure to explain both the definition and usage in context.
• Broaden their perspectives. Maybe take them to a museum or a jazz concert, or whatever cultural equivalent you know will give them that similar mix of uncomfortable and curious.
• Satiate their curiosity. Encourage their interests. Engage their imagination and cultivate their critical thinking.

What makes iLearn Academy’s teaching model stand out like is that, unlike the chain tutoring companies, which apply their algorithms (pre-fabricated curriculum) to data sets (students), we have the flexibility and competence to get to know each individual student. We tailor our lessons, and even our conversations, to go beyond merely raising the grade or passing the test. We teach concepts, comprehension techniques, and problem-solving tools that, even after passing the course, our students can apply throughout their academic careers and beyond.
Helping students identify their individual passions for learning and empowering them with tools they will always wield is a very gratifying and validating type of work.

First, the last puzzle and answer:
This puzzle is very short, but may keep you thinking for a while!
One day Kerry celebrated her birthday. Two days later, her older twin brother, Terry, celebrated his birthday. How!?

At the time she went into labor, the mother of the twins was travelling by boat. The older twin, Terry, was born first early on March 1st. The boat then crossed the International Date line (or any time zone line) and Kerry, the younger twin, was born on February the 28th. In a leap year the younger twin celebrates her birthday two days before her older brother.

Now, this issue’s new puzzle:
​A riddle is a statement which has a secret meaning - your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to crack the puzzle and find that meaning. Don't worry, it's not mission impossible. Let's start with an easy one - answer this.

Brothers and sisters I have none,
but this man's father is my father's son.
Who is the man?

Has your child shown significant improvement as a result of iLearn Academy tutoring? Right now, we’re offering $25 off your next lesson if you leave us a 5 Star Yelp review. We also love referrals! You can earn $50 for yourself and $25 for any friend who enrolls in a class and tells us you sent them.

16 March – This Day In History
17 March – St. Patrick’s Day
30 March – Start of 10 week ACT course for test on 2 May.
2 April – Last day to register for 2 May SAT
4 April – ACT test date.

No shout-outs this week. All events have been canceled.

​This week’s message is designed to motivate and empower you to achieve your goals this year. A new year (also a new decade) started just last month, our students are all trying to get through the second semester, and we’ve just finished what is apparently considered to be the most depressing month of the year. Seriously! Click this link! Whether you’re trying to build new habits for life, learn new study skills for school, or are just interested in general self-improvement, we’d like to give your motivation a boost and equip you with a few techniques to choose realistic goals and feel the sense of accomplishment that comes with actually achieving them.

STEP 1: WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?
The first step, as with anything important in life, is planning, and the first step of planning a new habit is to decide what it is you want to do and, more importantly, why. Once you understand the “why”, you’ll realize there are probably several different habits you could develop that would all get you to the same goal.

For example, you might initially say that your goal is to start running regularly, but when you ask yourself why, you find that what you really want is to lose weight, or improve your breathing, or just get outside more often. Once you figure out why you want to develop this new habit, you have choices! Instead of your goal being just another daily task you’ve given yourself that requires motivation and willpower, you've found different ways to achieve your real goal and choose the most enjoyable one. These two things - choice and an enjoyable task - have already greatly increased your likelihood of success in building your new habit, and you haven’t even left the planning stage!

STEP 2: PLAN
Don’t focus on the new habit you’re trying to form; focus on what you’re going to give up to make room for that new habit. Conversely, if you’re trying to quit something, like watching too much Netflix, you’ll need to focus on how you’re going to fill that time that was previously devoted to watching TV. This is an excellent opportunity to ditch a bad habit and start a new one, all in one move!

This may seem counterintuitive, but too often, our goals revolve around doing more – learn a new skill, spend more time with family, read more books, exercise more, etc. – and we think, somehow, that we can just add the new activity to our lives and still keep up with everything else we’ve been doing. When we fail to add the new activity, we say we don’t have time when, in fact, the truth is that we didn’t make time. So, how will you find time? Perhaps you could watch one less episode of your favorite show and devote that 45 minutes to learning or developing a new skill.

STEP 3: NO EXCUSES. TIME TO ACT!
Keep your “why” from step one in mind, and enact your plan. Stick to a schedule so you don’t have to think about it, and in time it will become automatic. Just think, soon, instead of dragging yourself to the gym, it will feel weird not to go to the gym! This is your real goal; it means your new habit is becoming part of who you are, rather than an act you’re trying to get yourself to perform.

STEP 4: PUSH YOURSELF, BUT NOT TOO MUCH
It’s important to keep the long game in mind, and that means realizing that getting started at a level you can sustain is far more important than trying to accomplish everything at once, failing, and ending up discouraged. Instead, set your starting goal, whether running, reading, or learning and instrument, to spending 5 minutes each day on your new habit. If this seems ridiculous, remember that one of your biggest obstacles is overcoming your current routine, and it’s very hard to suddenly create 30 minute or 1 hour space in your schedule for a new activity, but creating a 5 minute break for a new habit is easy, and it’s only the beginning. Watch this video if you’re not convinced, or want to know more.

STEP 5: REWARD YOURSELF!
Don’t get too excited yet! You have to earn your rewards, and there are two very important rules to follow. First, you should only reward yourself for making measurable progress toward your goal. Secondly, your rewards should contribute to the new habit or skill you’re trying to develop. For example, if you want to start running, your first reward should not come until you’ve increased the distance you can run, increased your speed, or maintained your exercise schedule for a certain amount of time, and when you do reward yourself, it should be with something that makes you want to keep running.

If you’re running to improve your health, and your reward is a fast-food cheat day, your reward is clearly hurting your goals. If, on the other hand, you reward yourself with some new running shoes, wireless headphones, or a fitness tracker, not only have you made running more enjoyable, you’ve also – wisely – waited until you’ve actually started to establish your new habit before spending money on it.

So, to sum up:
1. Find your real goal.
2. Be deliberate about making space in your schedule to accomplish it.
3. Start small with a focus on getting started and sustaining progress rather than making instant changes.
4. Find rewards that feed your new habit.

​Good luck! I’m off to the gym.

First, the last puzzle and answer:
An Arab sheikh tells his two sons to race their camels to a distant city to see who will inherit his fortune. However, the son whose camel is slower will win the inheritance. After wandering aimlessly for days, with each son hoping to outlast the other and neither son sure how they're going to end this "race", the brothers ask a wise man for guidance. Upon receiving his advice, they jump on the camels and race to the city as fast as they can! What did the wise man say to them?

​He told them to switch camels!

*        *        *        *        *

Now, this issue’s new puzzle:
​This puzzle is very short, but may keep you thinking for a while!
One day Kerry celebrated her birthday. Two days later, her older twin brother, Terry, celebrated his birthday. How!?

Are you falling behind in class but so busy you're unable to commit to a consistent weekly tutoring session? Waiting to get help until your schedule opens up will only make it harder to catch up in class. You  can now buy private tutoring hours in bulk and use them when it's most convenient for you! We'll let you know when you have two hours or fewer remaining. Buy 20 hours for a 5% discount.

22 Microhabits
​Is this link a little bit clickbaity? Yes, but the concept is still strong. Make small changes now, and reap big rewards later. Introducing positive change to your life doesn't have to be dramatic or painful. Try starting with a few of these simple suggestions.

Better Than Yesterday​
​Whether you're interested in improving your health, sleep, productivity, or just want to be more confident in your social interactions, this YouTube channel has a little bit of everything. Explained in short animated videos that range from around 4 minutes to nearly 14, each topic contains actionable information you can put to work right now! Below, I've linked a great video on getting started with new habits.

15 February  - This Day in History
16 February - Start of 10 week SAT course for test on 2 May.
17 February - Presidents' Day
28 February - Last day to register for 4 April ACT.
8 March - Daylight Saving Time Begins
14 March - SAT test date.

The Loyola Academy Ramblers have been doing very well in basketball lately, ranking 24th in the state!

A huge congratulations to Glenbrook South on a very successful winter sports season! The Glenbrook South Titans performed extremely well this year in swimming and gymnastics, and we've had the pleasure of teaching two students from the gymnastics team.

It's always exciting for us to hear about the successes of our students! Let us know about your successes; we'd love to feature your accomplishment in our next newsletter!

​Please write to me at SeanStein@ilearnacademy.net or call the tutoring center at (847) 834-0791 if you have any questions about the resources in this article, or any of the other information I found but was unable to include. I’ll be happy to hear from you.

This week, I’d like to talk about ways to fund a college education, but before I begin, I know everyone is generally acquainted with the FAFSA, searching for scholarships on FastWeb, and Federal Student Aid programs, like the Pell Grant. These are certainly important resources, and if you’re not familiar with them, I’ve linked their names to relevant websites, and you should check them out. The purpose of this newsletter, however, is to discuss ways to finance education and save costs that you’re unlikely to have heard of before. To that end, I’ve scoured the internet for the rarest, most interesting, and unique ways to fund or save money on a college education. Whether your student is graduating in the Spring, or you’ve got a few years to go, I’ve got something on this list for everyone. 

Upromise
Essentially, you link rewards-earning credit cards to your Upromise account, and any cash rewards from your linked credit cards will be collected there. What makes this worth inclusion on the list is that your friends and family can also link their cards to your child’s account, allowing you to crowdfund your child’s education without any real cost to anyone involved. Additionally, members who apply for the Upromise Mastercard receive an additional 15% contribution and can round up their purchases to the nearest dollar, sending the excess to the college account. It should be noted that Upromise is a non-interest bearing account, but they do allow (and encourage) users to link their Upromise account to a 529 College Savings plan that DOES bear interest. If you have more than one child, you can also set up one Upromise account to be distributed equally among multiple 529 plans. You can visit their website here.

Study Abroad
As a way to save money, this sounds absurd, I know. Most students attend an American university and save up extra money to be able to spend a single semester studying in another country. However, here is a list of countries where students can study in English for free, or nearly so. Some even offer free healthcare. The list includes Germany, Finland, France, Norway, Slovakia, and Brazil, among others. Surely one of those will pique your interest! For additional information about studying abroad, Studyportals.com is an excellent resource.

American Honors
I’m sure most of you have heard the often-repeated advice to save money by studying for two years at a community college, getting core courses out of the way, and then transferring to a four-year University for two years, to earn a Bachelor’s degree. There are a variety of reasons few people actually follow this advice, but one of the major objections is the potential difficulty of transferring from an unknown community college to the prestigious university you really want to attend. If, however, you’re accepted into the American Honors program and attend one of their associated community colleges, they’ll help you every step of the way, from financial aid to choosing a four-year university. They've even got a program for international students who want to attend an American university. If you take the required courses and maintain the required GPA, they will guarantee you admission to your choice of the over 65 universities they work with across America - if you maintain your GPA and complete the required courses. Check the full list here and see if a university you’re interested in is on the list! 

Live on Campus - NOT!
On top of the already staggering sticker price to attending most universities is the steep additional cost of room and board, which usually far exceeds the cost of renting a local apartment. Most universities, however, require that freshmen (and sometimes sophomores) either live on campus or commute from home. This means that the only way to save on room and board is to live at home, but many students (and some parents) want a bit more distance, and who has the time or money to commute to a school two states away? This article is about saving money, after all! Here is a list of well-known schools that don’t require freshmen to live on campus. Pick a school and start apartment shopping!

In my efforts to uncover these unusual or creative ways to save money on a University Education, I found many, many more resources than I could include in this short newsletter. Please write to me at SeanStein@ilearnacademy.net or call the tutoring center at (847) 834-0791 if you have any questions about the resources in this article, or any of the other information I was unable to include. I’ll be happy to hear from you.

First, last week’s puzzle and answer:
You’ve just moved into a new house, and don’t yet know which switches correspond to which lights. There are three switches downstairs, and each corresponds to one of three light bulbs in the attic. You can turn the switches on and off and leave them in any position. How would you identify which switch corresponds to which light bulb, if you are only allowed one trip upstairs?

Keep the first bulb switched on for a few minutes. It gets warm, right? So all you have to do then is ... switch it off, switch another one on, walk into the room with bulbs, and touch them. The warm one is the switch you turned on briefly, the cold bulb is the switch you didn't touch, and the bulb that's lit is, obviously, the switch you left on!

 *        *        *        *        *

​Two constant concerns of busy parents are finding after-school care for their children and helping with the continuous stream of homework assignments they bring home, but between the two, we know you generally have to settle for child care. We believe we have a better answer: we’ll provide both! For one low price, your child will get homework help and supplementary education in the core subjects of Math, Reading, and Writing every weekday from 3-6pm. By the time you come to pick up your students, their homework will be complete and they will be well-prepared for the next day at school. You and your children will be ready for a relaxed evening, and you can be confident that their homework is done, and done well. Eliminate homework stress and watch their grades  rise? Yes, you can. It's a double win! For further details, give us a call, send us an e-mail, or ask about it the next time you come in for tutoring.

$15,000 scholarship? Yes, please!
I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t share this scholarship with you! Many of you will be taking the ACT before the end of this school year and that makes you automatically eligible. Click the link above for full details and official rules.
​
Quad Jobs and Way Up
These are two websites (Way Up also has an app) that are specifically centered around helping college students and recent grads find jobs. Since they work specifically with companies that want to hire college students, they’re going to be ready to work with the unusual work schedules full-time university students usually require.

* Our Center will be closed on 24 and 25 December, and 1 January *
18 December - This Day In History
23 December - First Day of Hanukkah
25 December - Christmas Day
31 December - New Year’s Eve
1 January - Happy 2020!
10 January - Last Day to Register for 8 February ACT
19 January -  Start of 10 week ACT course for test on 4 April.

* When available, dates are links to further information *

Wednesday, 18 December - New Trier Winter Vocal Jazz concert from 7-9pm at McGee Theater.
Tuesday, 7 January - GBS will host a GSO Concerto Competition from 3:30-5pm.
Wednesday, 8 January - GBN will host a Concerto Competition from 3:30-6pm.
​
If there are any events at your school that you think should be publicized, please give us a call, send a message to SeanStein@ilearnacademy.net, or tell us about it next time you come in.

​Sadly, there isn’t room in this newsletter to cover the traditions of all our students, so if you have any interesting holiday traditions, whether they come from another country, or are a unique way your family gives meaning to this season, please drop us a line at SeanStein@ilearnacademy.net. I’d love to compile your traditions into one document. Ask us about it next time you come in!

Get ready to stretch your brains! The answer will appear in our next newsletter, or, if you can’t wait that long, we’ll post it on our Facebook page next Wednesday!
This is a great puzzle, as it has real-life application!
You’ve just moved into a new house, and don’t yet know which switches correspond to which lights. There are three switches downstairs, and each corresponds to one of three light bulbs in the attic. You can turn the switches on and off and leave them in any position. How would you identify which switch corresponds to which light bulb, if you are only allowed one trip upstairs?

​Two constant concerns of busy parents are finding after-school care for their children and helping with the continuous stream of homework assignments they bring home, but between the two, we know you generally have to settle for child care. We believe we have a better answer: we’ll provide both! For one low price, your child will get homework help and supplementary education in the core subjects of Math, Reading, and Writing every week. By 6pm, homework will be complete, and your young student will be well-prepared for the next day at school. When you pick up your children, they will be ready for a relaxed evening, and you can be confident that their homework is complete, and well done. Give us a call or ask about it the next time you come in for tutoring!

How Airships Could Return To Our Crowded Skies
​This week’s longread looks to the future, when a new generation of airships (think blimps and zeppelins) could transport humans and cargo around the globe. Any students interested in aerospace engineering could be well placed to contribute to the beginning of an exciting new industry!
Should Learn Mainly Through Play Until Age Of Eight, Says Lego
The title pretty much says it all, and perhaps you’re dubious about claims learning through play made by a toy company, but there is a lot of other research to support this position. What have you noticed about the ways your children learn through play?

23 Nov - First day of 10 week ACT course targeting 8 February test date.
23 Nov - This Day In History 
26 Nov - Late registration deadline for 7 December SAT
28 Nov - Happy Thanksgiving! iLearn Academy Closed.

We want to be a community, centered around academic excellence, where you are not only invited, but encouraged to participate. To that end, the purpose of this blog is to describe the changes taking place and explain some of the ways we’d like you to use our blogs going forward:

You can expect timely and relevant articles on everything from ways to calm pre-test jitters and study more effectively, to developments in education. Regardless, you can expect this message to be timely, relevant, and centered around our mission of educating students, informing parents, and maximizing student potential.

In addition to teaching and forming connections, we want to inspire you. The links shared here will be interesting, humorous, informative, or thought provoking. 

​If you have a burning education-related question, there’s a good chance that other parent's will, too. E-mail us your questions and we’ll answer it here.

Is your school club running a fundraiser? Does your theater have an upcoming performance? Maybe your sports team is going to a title game! Let us know! As part of the community, we support our fellow learners, and through this blog we want to give you both voice and opportunity to lend that support.

​This will be a monthly calendar primarily centered around items of academic interest. We’ll include start dates for test preparation courses, and relevant events.

Look here to learn about our new programs, courses, and opportunities to save money!
Right now, for example, we’re offering $25 off your next lesson if you leave us a 5 Star Yelp review, and you can earn $50 for yourself and $25 for any friend who enrolls in a class and tells us you sent them.

 Even if you have a high GPA, the best test scores, and a stellar list of extracurricular activities, your college essay can be the difference between an acceptance or rejection from your dream school. Of course, there is no “wrong” way to write an essay, but what is the best way to assure that admission officers will be impressed? ​​Regardless of the topic you are asked about, the most important factor is to BE YOURSELF. 

• When was the moment I realized I wanted to become a doctor/artist/writer?
• Was there anyone in my life who inspired me to become a singer/engineer/athlete?

If you are really struggling to think of a topic, remember that it is never a bad idea to look at examples. You can type “[school name] admissions essays” into a search engine. Or Johns Hopkins has an "Essays That Worked" page, with examples of awesome personal statements from the most recently accepted class. Sometimes you need to see what others have done to inspire some ideas in yourself. Just be sure not to plagiarize!

​
​Step 2: Reflect
What is it that you want admissions officers to know about you? If you are asked about a challenge you went through, you may want to stress that you are driven. Maybe you loved art as a child and no one believed in you, but despite the lack of support, you were able to use your resources and experiment with new techniques that made you a successful artist today. Or perhaps a failure reminded you to appreciate the little things in life. Maybe you missed the game-winning goal in your high school championship game, but were reminded that you loved soccer because of the joy that came with playing, not winning. 

Step 4: Find Someone to Proofread + Start that Revision Process
DO NOT turn in your essay without proofreading, and refrain from only relying on your computer’s spell check. Ask someone who knows you to look over your paper. They need to see if your essay makes sense; are there any gaps in the essay? Having someone proofread your work also lets you know if your introduction succeeds in grabbing someone’s attention. Make sure you understand what revisions need to be made and start making changes! 
​

​Parent-teacher conferences may often bring you and your children a sense of anxiety even if they have been performing well.
​However, this is a great opportunity to increase communication between school and home, keep you informed about your children’s academic and social performance, and a time to develop strategies to help your children succeed.
Here are some tips on how to make the most out of your parent-teacher conference.