Most of us are probably past the college scandal involving rich, well-known celebrities who cheated on college testing boards to get their children in to their preferred schools. But now, it’s not just the rich who try to beat the system by leveraging their child’s ACT or SAT scores. Increasing numbers of students are getting […]

These last few weeks, my frustration with our schools has worsened. As always, I’m deeply concerned about our broken educational system. But I recently heard from several parents that a prominent, well-respected high school in Oakland County is ditching textbooks. I thought that there was a misunderstanding. I thought that maybe they misconstrued the message […]

You know that your child’s reading skills are not on par with other students. You have been looking for a reading professional who can finally help her become independent in school, sans tutors or your help. Do any of these statements sound like you? ”I’m exhausted because I’m always helping my child with understanding the textbooks. “The […]

Over the past 10 years, I find myself endlessly ruminating about our educational system’s inability to help students become proficient readers— and my blood boils. Our country manufactures self-driving cars, yet more than  2/3 of US high school seniors are not prepared for college-level coursework.  Various studies illustrate that seniors are reading between the 5th […]

This past week I told a 12th grade 4.0 student that we would soon be applying our reading skills to her Advanced Placement book. Her response was the typical. “We don’t use that book in class and I already have a 4.0.”  So, I retorted, “Let me get this straight. Your teacher is providing you […]

I want to get top grades and test scores and be better prepared for college boards and college life. Which type of college preparation professional is right for me? Every student is different and there are many choices for boosting academic skills. There are also many types of professionals and programs available, depending on a […]

Many parents and students alike share the belief that there are “tricks” to standardized test taking and they search for those programs that specialize in helping students who are challenged by multiple-choice tests. These companies that market to increase scores are excellent resources for helping students to alleviate pre-test jitters. In many cases, these programs […]

Have you ever received comments on your essay or research paper that mentioned either lack of continuity or conciseness? Both issues, believe it or not, stem from how well you read. Strong readers are strong writers because they emulate patterns from reading. Strong readers are able to show words and then connect their messages. I […]

Many very smart and talented students fail to reach their potential because of one problem that goes unrecognized throughout their academic careers— poor reading skills. Students and their parents often are in denial about this problem because students work hard and are getting excellent grades. Signs That Your Reading Skills are Holding You Back You […]

“I don’t have enough time to study!” This is a common complaint. With outside commitments, including school activities, students who come home after a long day just want to “chill” and relax a bit. But they can’t because school grades are way too important. So their noses immediately hit the books and they work into […]