Executive Functions Archives

The Best Approach to SSAT or ISEE Preparation

May 21, 2023 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

Most competitive private day schools and many selective boarding schools are back to requiring standardized testing as part of the application process to grades 3 through 11. And whether testing is required or not, test-optional policies ought to be considered cautiously given holistic review application processes. We strongly recommend planning to exceed any minimum admissions requirements in order to be more competitive, and it’s likely that at least 1 or more schools on your working school list with require standardized testing. Certain schools require completion of their own placement tests in addition to, or in lieu of, standardized testing.

To this end, many families wonder about the best approach to ISEE or SSAT preparation. For any grade level transition between grades 5 and 11, we recommend starting about a year in advance with an eye toward official testing in November and December. While test preparation and school planning can certainly feel overwhelming, there are many factors within a family’s control, and starting early provides a structure that’s comforting for both children and parents. By initiating the SSAT or ISEE planning process about a year in advance, families stand to create the greatest number of school options.

Many families currently enrolled in private schools with CTP testing assume that CTP testing and ISEE testing are very similar, but they’re not. While they do share the same publisher, the ERB, the tests serve different purposes and have different formats. The CTP is designed as a grade level achievement test, whereas the ISEE (as well as the SSAT) is designed as an above-grade level measure:

The primary level ISEE is designed for admissions to grades 3 (PL3) and 4 (PL4).
The lower level ISEE test is designed for admissions to grades 5 and 6, and it covers math content and vocabulary well through 7th grade.
The middle level ISEE test is designed for admissions to grades 7 and 8, and it covers math content and vocabulary well through 9th grade.
The upper level ISEE test is designed for admissions to grades 9 to 11, and it covers math content and vocabulary well through 10th grade.

The best way to approach SSAT and ISEE preparation is to start early. We strongly recommend diagnostic testing during the winter/spring term so that we are able to better assess instructional needs and pacing over the spring, summer and fall. Sometimes educational testing is needed, too, in order to explore a suspected learning disability and appropriate accommodations. This educational testing should be completed during the spring or summer.

The best approach to SSAT and ISEE preparation is content-based, which means remediating and/or accelerating instruction for each student with the goal of achieving mastery. Surely there are test-taking strategies, but choosing an appropriate strategy generally still requires an understanding of the content. Simply “working backwards” or using “process of elimination” isn’t effective if a student doesn’t have a starting point or means of assessing the reasonableness of an answer choice.

We also value an approach to SSAT and ISEE preparation that focuses on the bigger, more important picture of middle and high school readiness. This readiness includes mastery of a certain body of content as well as a skill set around managing the workload itself (executive functions) and persisting through a difficult task and process (grit). Since the testing has to be done in most cases, it’s best to take advantage of all the learning opportunities related to the testing experience.

There’s also family debate about SSAT vs. ISEE testing, and some families feel they need to prepare for both, which isn’t necessary or advisable. Most NYC independent schools AND boarding schools accept both ISEE and SSAT scores. There are three main factors to consider when making the choice: 1) The ISEE has no wrong answer penalty, and 2) The ISEE presents sentence completions vs. analogies, and 3) The SSAT presents 5 answer choices, whereas the ISEE only presents 4 answer choices. We’re happy to discuss these factors further as they relate to your family’s situation.

For 7th grade students interested in specialized public high schools, there is SHSAT testing to manage as well. Historically this testing happened in October, but this past school year, it occurred on November 17, 2022. The previous school year, this testing occurred in January 2021. We do not yet have confirmation of the test date for Fall 2023.

Are you ready to start planning?

Please contact our office.

By Brad Hoffman, M.S.Ed.
Board Certified Educational Planner and Learning Specialist
My Learning Springboard, Inc.

Understanding Pandemic Learning Loss

May 5, 2023 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

Parents and educators have observed firsthand that the pandemic caused massive disruptions in the academic, emotional, and social lives of students. The compounded effect of the past three years is responsible for significant pandemic learning loss. Meira Levinson and Daniel Markovits note in their article for The Atlantic that no other historical event has so suddenly and so drastically changed the way that American children spend their days–not the Great Depression, not World War II. For children and teens especially, a year or two is a large chunk of their lives. As we wrap up the second full year of in-person schooling since the onset of the pandemic, we are beginning to have enough data and perspective to better understand the impacts that the pandemic has had on our students and how we will continue to recover from them.

Quantifying Pandemic Learning Loss

Recent studies show that the pandemic’s major disruptions to daily instruction have set today’s students back significantly. A meta-analysis of studies conducted in 15 countries by Nature Human Behavior suggests that pandemic learning loss for students is the equivalent of 35% of a school year’s worth of learning. Indeed, 2022 US National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) logged significant drops in reading ability and the greatest decline in student math performance in American history. Students in New York state were hit especially hard. On average, their math and reading losses were double those of their peers across the country. In purely quantitative terms, the pandemic’s impact on learning has undone decades of progress in American student performance in English and Math. Getting test scores back to pre-pandemic levels would take decades at the current rate of recovery.

American students in 2022 were, on average, about 15 to 24 weeks behind in math and nine weeks behind in reading compared with 2019. History scores have also fallen significantly. National test scores for 2023 reflect an “accelerated…downward trend [in history] that began nearly a decade ago” with only 13 percent of eighth graders achieving scores deemed proficient in U.S. history, and about 40 percent scoring “below basic,” according to The New York Times. The average 8th grader is performing one full year below grade level.

Pandemic learning loss disproportionately impacted students who were already struggling academically before the pandemic, to the point that statistical declines across subjects have largely been driven by the lowest-performing students. Students from lower-income families and districts also tended to suffer greater setbacks than students in high-income families and districts. At the middle- and high-school levels, male and female students experienced similar rates of academic achievement declines across all subjects. Results reported by the Enrollment Management Association indicate that performance gaps between students of different racial identities are wider today than they were pre-COVID. Public school students experienced significantly larger declines than private school students. Asian and Black students at the middle-school level experienced much sharper declines in quantitative scores than their peers of other racial identities.

Across socioeconomic lines, children whose schools remained remote longer tended to suffer greater academic setbacks. Most often, the schools that managed to limit the amount of time students were in Zoom school were often well-resourced private schools. In fact, many elite private schools practically avoided pandemic learning loss due to lower student-teacher ratios, more in-person instruction, and greater ease in implementing remote learning measures when their buildings were closed during the 2020-2021 school year.

Beyond Test Scores: Mental Health Impacts of the Pandemic

The social isolation of the pandemic caused suffering in people of all ages but this is compounded in children and teens, who are still developing the skills needed to form and maintain friendships, collaborate with others, and cope with their emotions. 94% of the 362 school guidance counselors surveyed by The New York Times last April reported higher rates of anxiety and depression among their students; 88% percent said students were struggling to regulate their emotions; and almost 75% said that students were struggling to resolve conflicts with their friends. A CDC survey of high-school students from January to June 2021 found a 20% increase in teens who felt “persistently sad or hopeless” over the previous year. 20% of the students surveyed had “seriously considered attempting suicide.” The rates of hospitalization and suicide attempts were even higher for girls. In response to this data, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children’s Hospital Association declared a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health in 2021. The declaration itself notes that while the pandemic exacerbated the mental health crisis in children and teens, the growing rates of mental health concerns predate it.

As we come to grips with this alarming situation and plan for the future, it is also important to note that students who were able to maintain social connections–whether to a friend, counselor, or teacher–during lockdown and remote learning, tended to fare much better than those who did not.

A Patchwork of Solutions

What’s especially concerning about pandemic learning loss is that there is no tried and tested method for recovering so much missed instruction at scale. So how have districts been spending the $190 billion dollars provided as pandemic relief funds? Some of the most common academic recovery interventions among schools surveyed by Future Ed, a research lab at Georgetown University, are summer learning, instructional materials, investing in software, afterschool enrichment, and tutoring. Among the most promising and prevalent interventions is “high-dosage” tutoring, where school districts hire a “tutor corps” that can provide individual and small-group instruction to students. States crafted their own plans, but most address some combination of making up for lost instructional time, investing in student mental health, hiring new staff, training existing staff, and infrastructural investments like expanding internet access for students.

The Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University released a study that measures the impact of COVID recovery interventions and has identified some effective strategies for alleviating pandemic learning loss. However, the study notes that, “The implementation challenges district leaders recounted suggest that the simple-sounding logic of academic intervention—identify students in need and provide them extra support—belies a host of complex design and implementation decisions.” In other words, the reality is that even apparently straightforward academic interventions are cumbersome to implement at scale, and would require historic action to be effective.

As states and districts weigh their options for how to address these historic setbacks in the academic success and emotional health of American students, we must remember that the statistics we’ve outlined here are helpful for painting a picture of our present reality in aggregate. Yet, it is important not to lose sight of the fact that the development of academic ability, emotional resilience, and self-regulation are deeply personal journeys that each individual student undertakes. Students’ academic abilities and emotional wellbeing are certainly impacted and conditioned by context, but in addition to the way that states, districts, and independent schools end up addressing pandemic learning loss, one thing is for certain: our students will need our continued support, encouragement, and guidance as we continue to make our way out of this strange and difficult time.

To discuss your family’s needs in more detail, please contact us to schedule a call.

By Brad Hoffman, M.S.Ed., Board Certified Educational Planner, and Faya Hoffman, M.A., Board Certified Educational Planner

Sources

Betthäuser, B. A., Bach-Mortensen, A. M., & Engzell, P. (2023). A systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence on learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nature Human Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01506-4
Howard, J. (2023, January 30). Children lost about 35% of a normal school year’s worth of learning during the pandemic, study suggests. Retrieved May 4, 2023, from https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/30/health/covid-learning-loss-study-wellness/index.html
Levinson, M., & Markovits, D. (2022, June 23). The Biggest Disruption in the History of American Education. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/06/covid-learning-loss-remote-school/661360/
O’Neill, J. (2023, March 15). New York 4th-graders lost twice as much ground as peers and lost year of learning during pandemic virtual learning. NY Post. https://nypost.com/2023/03/15/nys-4th-graders-saw-test-scores-plummet-during-pandemic/?utm_campaign=iphone_nyp&utm_source=pasteboard_app
Bryant, J., Dorn, E., Pollack, L., & Sarakatsannis, J. (2023, January 11). COVID-19 learning delay and recovery: Where do US states stand? McKinsey & Company. Retrieved May 4, 2023, from https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/education/our-insights/covid-19-learning-delay-and-recovery-where-do-us-states-stand
Braga, Dana, and Kim Parker. “Most K-12 Parents Say First Year of Pandemic Had a Negative Effect on Their Children’s Education.” Pew Research Center, https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/10/26/most-k-12-parents-say-first-year-of-pandemic-had-a-negative-effect-on-their-childrens-education/. Accessed 5 May 2023.
AAP-AACAP-CHA Declaration of a National Emergency in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. https://www.aap.org/en/advocacy/child-and-adolescent-healthy-mental-development/aap-aacap-cha-declaration-of-a-national-emergency-in-child-and-adolescent-mental-health/. Accessed 5 May 2023.
Kane, Thomas. “Kids Are Far, Far Behind in School.” The Atlantic, 22 May 2022, https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/05/schools-learning-loss-remote-covid-education/629938/.
“Academic Recovery.” FutureEd, 7 June 2022, https://www.future-ed.org/academic-recovery/.
“With an Influx of Covid Relief Funds, States Spend on Schools.” FutureEd, 3 Jan. 2021, https://www.future-ed.org/with-an-influx-of-covid-relief-funds-states-spend-on-schools/.
Carbonari, M., Davison, M., DeArmond, M., Dewey, D., Dizon-Ross, E., Goldhaber, D., Hashim, A., Kane, T., McEachin, A., Morton, E., Patterson, T., Staiger, D. (2022) The Challenges of Implementing Academic COVID Recovery Interventions: Evidence From the Road to Recovery Project. Research Report. Cambridge, MA: Center for Education Policy Research, Harvard University. Accessed on May 5, 2023. https://cepr.harvard.edu/road-to-covid-recovery
Mervosh, S. (2023, May 3). It’s Not Just Math and Reading: U.S. History Scores for 8th Graders Plunge. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/03/us/us-history-test-scores.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
Koo, J. K., Wright, K. D. (2023). Effects of COVID-19 on Educational Outcomes: Enrollment Management Association Special Report. Enrollment Management Association.

What is Balanced Literacy?

January 5, 2023 Brad Hoffman 2 Comments

As literacy instruction has evolved, the proverbial pendulum has swung from the Bottom-Up approach, which includes a strong focus on phonics instruction, to the Top- Down approach, also known as Whole Language, where authentic literature became the focus. The former, largely popular in the years before the early 1980’s, was essentially built on the idea that literacy instruction at the elementary level should include the “building blocks” of language- grammar, rules, and letter/word family constructs particular to the English language. The philosophy here was that with this Bottom -Up theory, students would integrate the rules that they learned, the vocabulary, etc, and become proficient readers.

The early 1980’s saw the emergence of Whole Language philosophy, which essentially forwarded the idea that the presence of real text-books, magazines, newspapers, school text books (also known as basal readers), would spur students on to become accomplished readers. The idea was that exposure to authentic reading material would encourage fluent reading, and that the actual rules of the language would somehow be “passively” learned.

As one would guess, neither approach to literacy acquisition proved to be a panacea. There were merits and pitfalls to each approach, and as the millennium drew to a close, a new concept, Balanced Literacy, essentially a combination of the best of both Top Down, as well as Bottom Up approaches, took hold. Unfortunately, systematic instruction surrounding phonics has continued to be a challenge, which is why there’s so much emphasis today on discussing the science of reading.

So what is Balanced Literacy? True, evidence-based balanced Literacy should include both reading and writing instruction, each in a variety of settings within the elementary classroom. Reading instruction should systematically address the 5 pillars of reading, which include: 1) phonemic awareness, 2) phonics, 3) fluency and expressiveness, 4) vocabulary, and 5) comprehension.

On a typical day, classrooms have adopted Literacy Blocks, periods of time that are set aside strictly for the purpose of reading and writing instruction. In the Balanced Literacy Model, Reading Instruction includes Shared Reading, Read Alouds, Guided Reading, and Independent Reading.

In Shared Reading, teacher models and support students. She generally keeps a large book on an easel within her reach, and children sit at the carpet in a group. Usually an early, first reading is for enjoyment. Later, the teacher may focus on theme, title, cover, illustrations and predictions. Significantly, it is during this type of reading that student participation is strongly encouraged. Language constructs are emphasized, and in this way, typical phonics/grammar knowledge is reinforced.

The main component of The Reader’s Workshop (a component of the Reading and Writing Project created by Lucy Calkins, and forwarded at New York’s Teachers College ) is usually the Read Aloud. Included is a “Mini-Lesson,” or main Teaching Point. The teacher may focus on any number of elements of the book–author’s style, character development, illustration, vocabulary, setting, and connections that students can make between the story and their own lives, or other books they have read, and many more possible teaching points. The units of study are planned at the beginning of the year (scope) and presented in a designated, timely fashion (sequence).

Guided Reading, another part of the Literacy Block, is a time when students, selected homogeneously for small instructional groups, read in groups of 5 or 6, with a teacher leading the lesson. Just-Right Books, are employed, as determined by the students’ individual reading levels, which are determined by teacher assessment. Within these groups, students “read for a purpose.” Often, the group reads with the teacher’s mini-lesson (from the Read-Aloud) in mind. Alternately, specific strategies are the focus of the during Guided Reading time (“Let’s look today for the author’s use of interesting adjectives as we read chapter 4”). In general, classes have a few Guided Reading groups, which alternate their time with the lead teacher. Oftentimes, teaching assistants, and sometimes special education teachers supplement instruction, and lead these groups as well. Within Guided Reading groups, assessment is ongoing, and teachers keep a log during each session of student performance. In contrast to practices of the past, “Round-Robin Reading”, where students each take a turn to read aloud, is not encouraged, the philosophy being that fluent readers do not need the practice, and weaker students are oftentimes embarrassed by this activity formerly popular activity.

Independent Reading time, also fondly known by many as DEAR TIME (Drop Everything And Read Time), is a part of the Literacy Block when students use their Just-Right selection (not the same one used during Guided Reading) and independently read appropriate books. Here, they are able to apply strategies that they have learned during Shared and Guided Reading. Often, teachers ask students to put post-it notes on certain pages, and whole classes are given the opportunity to share ideas as a group.

The other portion of the Literacy Block includes Writing Instruction. In this area, writing is taught in a variety of ways. Like the Shared Reading portion of the Literacy Block, the Shared Writing portion is an approach to writing where the teacher and children work together to compose messages and stories. Children generally offer ideas, and the teacher, at her easel, writes the message on chart paper. The message is usually related to some common experience for the class, like a school trip, or a holiday celebration, or vacation. Sometimes, the writing experience relates to a book that the whole class has read. In this capacity, the teacher offers modeling of good writing, demonstrating the process of writing right in front of the children. This is again, a perfect setting for informal phonics instruction. Often, students will illustrate the completed text, and the chart paper is then displayed in the room.

Interactive Writing is another portion of the Literacy Block that is devoted to writing. During this activity, the teacher and class work together to create written text. After deciding upon what to write, the teacher begins to elicit student participation in actually writing the text. She asks them for spelling, identifying chunks of letters, and words that they recognize (phonics opportunity). The teacher may fill in portions of the text that the students cannot, depending upon their level of writing development. During Interactive Writing, students may create stories, poems, literature retells, or any type of writing.

The main portion of the Writing Instruction is the Writer’s Workshop (the other half of Lucy Calkin’s Reading and Writing Project). It is during this time that students are asked to write for real purposes, which are pre-determined by the teacher in the “Mini-Lesson,” or main Teaching Point, that she has presented to the entire group prior to their independent practice. The students study various topics related to the skill of writing as the weeks and months of the school year unfold; one month may be personal narratives, as students write about their own experiences, and another may be character development, as they learn about how to focus on and develop different facets of a character about whom they are writing.

Independent Writing is another part of the Writing Instruction. Often this writing is done in a journal kept by each student. Beginning in Kindergarten, when students are encouraged to get their ideas on paper with invented spelling and illustrations, students through the elementary grades write on their own, usually daily ,about a variety of topics, either generated independently, or as assigned by the teacher. Teachers routinely read these journals, correcting grammatical errors (once again, informal phonics instruction) and making comments.

In the Balanced Literacy Model, there is often a strong connection between the Reader’s Workshop and the Writer’s Workshop units. Common lessons that wind through both of the areas of reading and writing reinforce the unit the students are learning at a particular time. Sometimes, however, Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop units are wholly separate in their focus. The goal, however, of the entire Balanced Literacy experience is for students to become competent readers and writers through the exposure to and active participation with authentic text.

The over-arching idea of Balanced Literacy is that as students are reading authentic text and writing original pieces, the building blocks of grammar and syntax, semantics and word study will come into play. As we have seen, teachers can tuck in phonics study in their mini-lessons. It is in this way that the old, “Bottom-Up” approach to grammar instruction is, incorporated into the literacy instruction, and doesn’t necessarily require a separate time block. In some classes, however, actual phonics workbooks are still used, although their use as a sole focus of literacy instruction is generally not employed anymore. The days that some of us remember, of daily drills in grammar workbooks, are largely a thing of the past.

For anyone that is especially interested in the Balanced Literacy approach to instruction as well as the science of reading, there are many research articles, books and websites available. Although often geared to educators, parents can also glean excellent teaching methods and apply them when they take on the task of homework support with their children.

For more information or support, please contact our office.

By Polly Goltche, Reading Specialist

The Gap Year: An Alternative Path to College

March 17, 2022 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

Every year, more and more American students take a gap year as a transition into college. This concept is widely accepted in countries like England and Australia, and now Americans are embracing it too. College advisors, teachers, and even universities, notably Harvard and Princeton, are discussing the benefits of this option and encouraging students not to go to college right away!

The purpose of this blog post is to:
1) give you a better understanding of what a gap year is, its benefits and how it fits with college
2) the options available
3) how to make it meaningful. By the end, you should have a good sense of whether or not it may be the right path for you (or your child).

Let’s start by exploring the basics:

What Is A Gap Year?

It is any structured period of time that is intentionally taken away from formal education and/or employment to engage in a meaningful activity. Typically, this is done before proceeding to the next phase of life. So, the natural break between high school and college is a perfect time for a gap year!

The name is not what it seems as it is neither a GAP nor a YEAR. “Gap” implies emptiness and this is not a time to sit home on your couch playing video games. Rather, it is a fulfilling time to do something meaningful, structured, and constructive that is aligned with your strengths, values, and passions. This includes volunteering, interning, being immersed in a culture, developing a skill, taking non-academic courses, and more! The typical duration is nine months, the same as two semesters of college, though it can be as short as two months or as long as two years.

Who Takes A Gap Year?

It can benefit anyone but it might not be the right choice for everyone! This means that there is no right or wrong person to take a gap year. Academically high achieving students take gap years, and so do struggling students. Most students who take a gap year feel “burnt out” academically, are not sure what they want to study in college, need some time to mature, are not excited about their college options, and/or were granted spring admissions.

When it comes down to it, the ideal gap year student has an open mind, a willingness to step out of their comfort zone, and a desire to have a transformational experience.

Is A Gap Year Right For You (Or Your Child)?

Here are some questions to consider:

Do you feel burned out?
Are you feeling unprepared for college?
Do you want practical, real-world experience?
Are you unsure of what you’d like to study in college?
Do you want to pursue your passions and develop your strengths?

If you answered YES to one or more of the above, a gap year may be right for you.

By Deborah Friedman, Gap Year Coach

Developing Executive Function Skills: Shared Relevance

January 10, 2022 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

Developing executive function skills encompasses addressing both distractions and special interests to help students learn how to regulate impulsive thoughts, persevere with less interesting or undesirable tasks, and manage time. An important concept to understand when developing executive function skills is “shared relevance”.

When we create shared relevance with another person, in a tutoring session, for instance, we are agreeing that a topic is worthy of our attention. This social-psychological process can be a useful tool for developing these skills with elementary school, middle, and high school students who struggle with ADHD. When we create shared relevance with another person, in a tutoring session, for instance, we are agreeing that a topic is worthy of our attention (Higgins, 2019).

Establishing shared relevance to regulate distraction

When distracting thoughts arise while one is already focused on a task, establishing their shared relevance can become a tool of self-regulation. For example, if a student is working on a math problem during a tutoring session and has an interesting idea pop into their head unexpectedly, they will put down their pencil to tell me about it. Rather than dismissing the thought as a distraction, co-attending to its presence and labeling it as unwanted, we can instead establish the shared relevance of the thought by treating it as worthy of our future attention. That is, we can develop the practice of responding to impulsive thoughts by writing them down on our official list (a parking lot or bin of sorts) of things to discuss during our break-time half-way through the session or at the end of the session. This could be a fact to Google, a video to watch, or a comic strip to read. Then, after putting the thought on paper, we redirect our attention to the homework task or other task we were just in the midst of completing. Having a system such as this supports developing executive function skills with students and it is a manageable strategy for students to implement on their own, over time.

When we reach the break-time, the student often is not actually interested in looking up or sharing whatever thing had originally pulled their attention away from their work. However, by writing down each thought as it arises, we are developing executive functioning skills and sending the message that their ideas are worthy of our future attention. By saving these ideas for our break-time or end of session time, we are also establishing the worth of the task at hand. As a result, through establishing the shared relevance of distractions we can get into the habit of regulating our pull to impulsive distractions rather than trying to suppress or give into them. This skill can be useful when the student is doing their school work independently: they can note (jot down) an intrusive thought as deserving of their time but hold off on pursuing it in the present. The thought and the present activity are both worthy of their attention.

Developing shared relevance allows students in elementary, middle and high school to regulate their distractions and imbue the task at hand with meaning, thus further developing executive function skills, as well as their cognitive independent self-control. These skills can and should be able to be generalized in all facets of life.

By Laurie Gross, Educational Consultant, Special Educator and Reading Specialist and Brad Hoffman, Board Certified Educational Planner and Learning Specialist at My Learning Springboard.

Higgins, E. T. (2019). Shared reality: What makes us strong and tears us apart. Oxford University Press.