Writing Archives

What is Reading?

November 5, 2021 Brad Hoffman

For fluent readers, reading seems almost instinctual. Words are instantly recognized, stories come alive easily. However, for those just learning how to read it is a complex process that is anything but automatic. So what is reading?

The process of reading involves many visual and mental processes. It is defined as the act of looking at printed words and making meaning. It is a multifaceted process involving a variety of different skills, including decoding, word recognition, comprehension, fluency, and motivation. These skills begin at the most basic level with associating letter symbols with sounds.

Next, readers must recognize or decode whole words and understand the meaning of the words within a sentence. Readers must then string words together to understand a complete sentence within the larger context of a paragraph. Additionally, readers use their background knowledge to help build, create, and construct meaning. All of these processes occur at the same time and understanding can break down at any point in the process.

Since learning to read does not happen all at once, it is critical that exposure to printed material occurs in a variety of settings: 1) at home by presenting and using printed materials along with related activities, 2) in the community by reading signs and environmental print, for example, or visiting a library or bookstore, and 3) at school.

Many factors can contribute to decoding and comprehension challenges, including lack of background knowledge, phonics issues, trouble with comprehension, vision problems, processing delays, lack of vocabulary, limited sight word vocabulary, among others. The more parents and educators understand the complexity of reading, the more adept we are at targeting our support to teach children to read.

By Joanna Brown, Reading Specialist

Admissions Consulting and School Planning

October 11, 2021 Brad Hoffman

Approaching a School Transition

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At My Learning Springboard, we believe that admissions consulting and school planning is a complex and highly reflective practice designed to help children and families find schools and learning communities in which they’ll thrive as well as optimize their experience within any school or program. To this end, we help families navigate myriad school-related decisions each school year.

Varying Reasons For School Planning

When it comes to making school transitions, families pursue our support with admissions consulting for many different reasons — voluntary and involuntary. Common reasons include:

Their child is ready to start preschool or kindergarten.
Their child is at the edge of a birthday cutoff that creates some decision-making.
Their child attends a school that ends after 5th, 8th, or 9th grade.
Their child has simply outgrown a school setting and prefers to pursue other options.
Their child needs a school placement due to the family’s relocation or the family’s interest in pursuing a US boarding school or college.
Their child’s school has initiated a counseling out process.
Their child needs a specialized school program to address learning challenges.
Their child needs a therapeutic school program to address emotional challenges and, possibly, learning challenges, too.
Their child is ready for college planning, or alternative programming, such as a gap year or post-graduate high school experience.
Their young adult needs supportive programming, such as a therapeutic wilderness program or a therapeutic college program.

Our ultimate goal with admissions consulting and school planning is to help identify and facilitate excellent and appropriate opportunities for each child or young adult by closely partnering with and advocating for our families. Together we put on our “future glasses” and imagine the feelings, accomplishments, and community that will be experienced at each of the schools or programs we explore.

Deep Knowledge of Schools and Programs

The best educational consultants and school planners have deep knowledge of schools and programs, which extends far beyond the facilities, statistics, and exmissions detail. It means having a deep understanding of the curriculum and programmatic choices; being informed about the level of academic rigor relative to other schools and programs; knowing the communication and planning approaches; being familiar with the available support and advisory services; and appreciating the unique community and vibe of each school. This deep knowledge is achieved by repeatedly visiting and observing classes at a wide range of schools and colleges, developing relationships with faculty and school leadership, and regularly reviewing class work, teacher feedback, and school documentation across grade levels, school divisions, and over time. Successful admissions consulting also requires a flexible yet streamlined process, managed by educational experts with outstanding project management skills, integrity and efficacy. For all of these reasons, we’ve found that we are best able to serve families with our team approach, which includes two Board Certified Educational Planners and Learning Specialists as well as a retired School Principal and Reading Specialist.

Open and Honest Communication

A huge part of our successful team effort is having open and honest communication with our families. In order to select a school environment in which a student will ultimately thrive, we need to talk openly and honestly with parents and students about their desires and needs. For example, if specialized instruction or accommodations are needed, we need to be able to discuss this up front, and consequently, we advise openly sharing this information with schools at the appropriate time. Schools want to be successful, which means accepting the students they know they can serve well. We must be able to talk honestly about the academic rigor and expectations of each school as well as the available supports. Though a student may have the transcript, test scores, and application package to “get in,” that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best long-term fit for that student. Through ongoing discussion and debriefing after school tours and interviews, we arrive at an informed, prioritized list of schools or programs that reflect both the student’s and parents’ feedback as well as other key stakeholders who may be involved, such as a psychologist.

Strategic Planning For A Future School Move

When planning for a transition of any kind, it’s preferable to start early. Ideally planning should start well in advance, so that a 4th grade family is planning for a 6th grade transition; a 7th grade family is planning for a 9th grade transition; and a 10th grade family is planning for the transition to college. We typically start Kindergarten Readiness the spring before the application season. Whether the student is applying to kindergarten or college, we begin with a family meeting to discuss hopes, expectations, questions, and timing. This approach allows for a slow and steady preparation process, which is the best way to create the most options. It’s easy to get caught up in the minutiae, frustration, or anxiety surrounding admissions. At My Learning Springboard, we choose to reframe the “task” as an opportunity, one that has the potential to provide invaluable growth for the student, as well as for the family as a whole.

Please contact us to discuss admissions consulting and school planning for your family in more detail. We provide hourly or comprehensive consultation for families applying to preschool through high school as well as college and graduate school counseling, gap year planning, and supportive pathways for young adults. Our expertise spans day schools and boarding schools, including mainstream, specialized, and therapeutic school settings. We look forward to partnering with you and your family as you navigate an upcoming school transition or seek to optimize your child’s experience within a school or program.

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

Taking Notes About College Visits

October 1, 2021 Brad Hoffman

Type “college tour bingo” into Google Images, and up pop rows of gridded phrases such as “A capella groups!” “The library is open 24/7 during finals!” “Lots of students enter with undecided majors!” Jokes like these related to college visits are no surprise to anyone who’s toured a few colleges — the ubiquity of these phrases is the point.

But the cards highlight a more serious reality. Even as colleges strive to stand out from their rivals, once an applicant has toured a few campuses (virtually or in person), they can start sounding the same. And the colleges’ problem later becomes the applicant’s problem. If the schools sound the same during the tours and information sessions — while the applicant is on campus — they will be even harder to distinguish months after the visit, when the student is completing applications, and months after that, when the applicant is choosing where to enroll.

Our solution to this dilemma: take college visits notes.

We advise students to always bring two pens and a notebook on their campus visits. If it’s cold outside, bring a pencil too, as pens freeze easily. The notebook should be small enough to hold in one hand, to make it easy to write while walking. As for what to write down, students should record the names of any faculty or staff they meet. If they visit a dorm, they should jot down the name. If they sit in on a class — which we recommend — they should write down the course title and the professor. If the student asks a question during a tour or information session, they should take notes on the answer. Not only will the notes jog the student’s memory later, but the act of taking college visits notes keeps the student engaged in the moment. And we do specifically recommend that students use paper for campus visit notes. Taking notes on a phone looks a lot like texting, so an applicant working on their screen runs the risk of appearing disengaged and disrespectful.

We advise a bit more note taking as soon as the applicant leaves campus. On the visit, applicants take notes based on observation — who they meet, what they learn. Afterwards, it’s time to reflect. How does the applicant feel about the school? Why do they feel that way? What did they think of the academic programs they heard about? That class they observed? The chance to pursue their favorite extracurriculars? The general mood and vibe on campus? What do they not want to forget? Gut feeling: would they be happy here?

The reflection doesn’t have to take long. We recommend writing for 7 to 10 minutes, just long enough for the student to work out their initial impressions. They don’t need to compose paragraphs, or even complete sentences. A list is fine. And while writing by hand has cognitive benefits, they can write this part on their phones, if they like. They can also snap photos of their notebook pages, to store all of their notes from college visits together digitally.

Ultimately, of course, not all colleges are the same. Occasionally, applicants step onto a campus and immediately feel at home; that’s an experience they won’t forget. But students generally apply to several schools, and the entire concept of applying to college — and choosing one, the biggest decision of applicants’ lives so far — can be so intimidating that the details of the schools get flattened in the applicant’s memory. Taking notes about college visits helps to demystify and deescalate that process. The little notebook will help students’ applications go more smoothly, and it will make it easier for students to choose the right school in the end.

Then, with this informed decision made, they can begin preparing for the next “game.” We’re referring, of course, to “first-year orientation bingo.”

By Elizabeth Walters, MFA, and Faya Hoffman, College Counselor and Board Certified Educational Planner

Simple Advice for a Great School Year: Planning and Organizational Systems

September 28, 2021 Brad Hoffman

If you ask students what it takes to get good grades, many would probably say “being smart” and “studying hard.” But after years of working with students of all ages, it is clear that the key to scholastic success really comes from developing a plan and working hard to stick to that plan. We often support this planning and persistence with executive function coaching in order to help our students develop strong organizational systems and systematic processes. Here is some simple advice for students to help start the school year off right.

Take Stock of Your Strengths and Areas for Growth

To start, it is important to take stock of your strengths and relative weaknesses as a learner. What do you already do well and where can you improve? What types of organizational systems do you already have in place? What were your pain points last school year? Be introspective. No one is perfect. We all have strengths and relative weaknesses, and identifying them early in the school year can be extremely helpful.

Take Responsibility for Yourself

Part of identifying room for improvement and then setting goals and developing organizational systems means taking responsibility for yourself, your decisions and your actions. While this means different things for students of different ages, it’s important to understand that while other people can support or distract you from this responsibility, it is essential to focus on how to improve yourself rather than only looking at others’ actions. Obstacles present opportunities, and you can’t let your plan be thwarted because you don’t like a particular teacher, or you find a particular text boring, or you can’t seem to ignore certain peer influences. You have to take control and acknowledge that you are making conscious choices.

Focusing on your own actions means, as the old saying goes, “honesty is the best policy.” This means both being honest with others and yourself about, for example, how much work you have and what your other responsibilities are. Be realistic when planning how much time to set for each assignment. Misleading yourself or others about how much homework you have will only create more stress in the long-run. You don’t want to be in a position where you are handing in late or incomplete work. Meeting deadlines is an important lifelong skill that takes practice. It’s almost always a bad idea to penalize yourself unnecessarily with reduced grades because of late work. To mitigate this sort of situation, it’s critical to have strong organizational systems in place.

Commit To Organizational Systems That Work For You

But how do you stay on top of everything? Commit to organizational systems that work for you. Whether you prefer a paper planner, keeping track of your assignments online, or a hybrid system, choose the method that works for you and stick with it. Make sure you update your planner every day and actually check it. While digital planning and calendaring works for many students, sometimes “old school,” more concrete methods are better, such as a wipe-off wall calendar using markers and/or post-it notes.

In order to avoid academic burnout, be sure to make time to do the things you love during the school year, whether it’s sports, music, video games, or just hanging out with friends. But also make sure that you aren’t using your favorite activities to procrastinate your school work too much. Moderation is key. On busy school nights, set timers for how long you are going to spend on breaks. Successful organizational systems include time for self care and recharging, though not every week may be equally well balanced.

Most importantly, remember that learning is a process, not simply checking things off of a list. This is particularly important on writing-based tasks where you should not be satisfied until you have edited, edited, and done more editing (and sought feedback from others!). In math, keep trying different ways to solve a problem until you have figured it out. The process in both subjects — or any subject — is more important than just getting the answer or completing the task.

And if you need help, don’t be afraid to ask! Organizational systems need continuous refinement at all stages of life as we incrementally take on more responsibility. Executive function coaching, content support, and test preparation can take on many shapes and sizes in order to best fit the situation. Ask your teachers, parents and/or academic coaches for help when you need it and take advantage of help when it’s offered.

For more information about academic tutoring, executive function coaching, and school planning, please contact Brad Hoffman and Faya Hoffman at My Learning Springboard.

By Brad Hoffman, Board Certified Educational Planner and Learning Specialist, and Laurie Gross, Educational Consultant and Reading Specialist.

Why Write A Five-Paragraph Essay?

September 16, 2021 Brad Hoffman

Among the genres of writing projects that students experience in upper elementary, middle and high school, the five-paragraph essay is one of the most popular. Well, it’s popular with teachers. With students, just saying the phrase “five-paragraph essay” can evoke audible groans. For those writers, it calls to mind themes of dullness and standardization, a static formula. Yet the form is a valid one for a number of reasons, and in the right conditions, it can encourage creative thinking instead of stifling it. In fact, among the benefits of the five-paragraph essay are valuable opportunities for writers in terms of cognition, rhetoric, and culture.

There’s a reason that Bloom’s Taxonomy, a hierarchy of thinking processes, lists “creation” as its most complex category: whether a student is investigating a hypothesis, building a contraption, or writing an essay, creating something new is a difficult task. A major component of this difficulty is what educators and psychologists call cognitive load, the amount of working memory resources a task demands of the person performing it. In her widely cited article “A Capacity Theory of Writing: Working Memory in Composition,” the educational scholar Deborah McCutchen illustrates the cognitive load of writing: “to compose a text, skilled writers coordinate within working memory planning goals (e.g., plans for content, audience, overall tone, etc.) and product goals (e.g. requirements of grammaticality, plan fulfillment, etc.) while language generation processes retrieve words to express content and organize those words into appropriate text (see Flower and Hayes, 1980, 1981, 1984 McCutchen, 1994).” Understandably, it can be difficult for a writer to attend to all of these processes at once, and if the cognitive load is too high, the writer might not be able to complete the task. One way to lighten this load is to focus on different aspects of the writing process and product at different times; educators have adopted this principle in frameworks like the 6+1 Writing Traits or Judith Hochman’s Teaching Basic Writing Skills. Because it offers a consistent structure, one of the major benefits of the five-paragraph essay is that once a writer is familiar with it, using that framework for planning frees more of their cognitive load. With their basic organizational scheme already chosen, the writer can attend more fully to other aspects of their work, such as ideas, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation.

In thinking of the rhetorical power of the five-paragraph essay form, rather than the total number of paragraphs, we should consider a different number, a bit of a magical number: three. In his book Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer, Roy Peter Clark discusses the hidden power of numbers in language. Citing examples such as “Moe, Larry, and Curly. Tinkers to Evers to Chance. A priest, a minister, and a rabbi. Executive, legislative, judicial,” he notes that “In our language and culture, three provides a sense of the whole.” There’s just something about a set of three things that resounds with people. In allowing the writer to use three body paragraphs to set forth three main points, the five-paragraph essay invites the writer to tap into this power. It is worth noting that three is not the only powerful number. For instance, before they learn the five-paragraph essay form, many students learn the four-paragraph essay, which reemerges occasionally in high school. This form allows students to graduate from three-paragraph essays, whose single body paragraph generally explores one major point, to use two body paragraphs to explore a duality within their topic.

The cultural argument for the five-paragraph essay may, at first, seem self-serving: It is useful because it is widely used. But just as it serves a purpose for writers, it serves a purpose for readers. Faced with this familiar form, readers know to look for a guiding claim or thesis statement at the end of the first paragraph. Anticipating how the structure works makes it easier for the reader to comprehend the piece. This is not to say that all five-paragraph essays work the exact same way. As we noted above, the advantage of a familiar structure is to let students concentrate on other aspects of writing, so as students progress, their ideas should grow more sophisticated even within this same form. Their order of body paragraphs should have a perceptible logic, their analyses should be complex, and rather than serving as a simple summary, their conclusion could emphasize the significance of their argument. Even after writers move on to longer and more complex forms, they may still find occasion to access the benefits of the five-paragraph essay. Two of the highest-stakes pieces in high school, the ACT or SAT essay and the main Common Application statement, lend themselves well to the form. In both the ACT and SAT, testers must compose a complete essay in less than an hour. If they enter the test already tentatively knowing what their structure will be, they will save valuable minutes of writing time. The urgency of time is also a factor for the essays’ audiences. Both the test essays and the Common Application essay are read by people who are consuming a high volume of pieces and consuming them quickly — in the case of the application essay, in just a few minutes. It is to the writer’s advantage to make the reader’s job easier by giving them a vivid, specific essay in a structure that is easy to follow.

The students who rail against five-paragraph essays might be surprised to hear that the form is controversial in academia as well; in fact, a new book by the college instructor John Warner, titled Why They Can’t Write, is subtitled Killing the Five-Paragraph Essay and Other Necessities. While we don’t want to kill the five-paragraph essay, we agree that the form has at least one downside: the potential for overuse. If every piece a student composes is a five-paragraph essay, that’s a problem. No single structure, essay or otherwise, should encompass all of a student writer’s experiences in a school year, or even in a single class. Writers of all ages need opportunities to wrestle with form. We don’t want writers to believe, as even some first-year college students do, that big ideas always come in threes, or that one paragraph is always sufficient for sharing their thoughts on one of those ideas. Notably, hardly any pieces of “real world” writing, including published essays, take the form of a five-paragraph essay. That’s another downside: ultimately, the structure is too simple for public discourse. Even as we help students understand and access the benefits of the five-paragraph essay, we must emphasize that the form acts like a set of writerly training wheels. Eventually, with instructors’ guidance, students need to shift from letting form determine their ideas to letting their ideas determine form. At that point, the training wheels should fall away, and writers will zoom forward, perhaps a little wobbly at times, but entirely under their own power.

By Elizabeth Walters, Private Tutor and Writing Coach

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