Preparing for the New School Year - Resources That Work

BALTIMORE-(Business Wire)-August 25, 2009 - As students enjoy the summer months, most parents are already looking for resources to prepare their kids for the upcoming school year. To succeed in school and life, students need ongoing opportunities to learn and practice essential skills.

Getting ready for a new school year isn't just a job for kids — it also requires parents to be prepared. To help parents and students kick start the new school year successfully, Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of in-center and live, online tutoring at home to students of all ages and skill levels, is offering a variety of tools to improve core skills like math, reading and writing.

Master Your Math: Sylvan’s “Forward to School” Algebra Challenge

To encourage math learning and discovery outside of the classroom, Sylvan Learning is offering Sylvan’s “Forward to School” Algebra Challenge for parents and teens. Beginning August 17, 2009, parents and teens can participate in this sweepstakes at www.SylvanChallenge.com for the chance to win great back-to-school prizes, including Target gifts cards, subscriptions to SylvanMathPrep.com, laptops and college scholarships of $5,000 and $10,000. The challenge will run throughout summer and will end on September 30, 2009.

“Forgotten Math for Parents” and “Algebra Spoken Here” Seminars

Parents wishing to restore their math skills in order to help their children learn can participate in “Forgotten Math for Parents” and “Algebra Spoken Here” seminars offered free-of-charge at participating Sylvan Learning centers throughout the year. “Forgotten Math for Parents” is an interactive, 90-minute seminar designed to help parents and family members gain confidence in assisting their children with their homework by reviewing many of the key math concepts that are introduced in 6th, 7th and 8th grade.

Do you ever use the phrase, “I’m not a math person”? The “Algebra Spoken Here” parent workshop will provide fun ways to overcome your math “phobia.” Hear the latest trends and news about math — and why it’s more important than ever!

SchoolMathPrep.com and SylvanMathPrep.com

SchoolMathPrep.com is offered by Sylvan’s local franchisees as a free math resource for teachers and students in grades 7-12 to use during school hours — for remediation, enrichment and test preparation, and SylvanMathPrep.com is available for on-the-spot math guidance during homework time at home. The educator-created sites deliver more than 2,000 instructor-led videos, covering 750 lessons in pre-algebra, algebra, geometry and specific lessons designed to address the math concepts assessed on the SAT/ACT. Each lesson includes sample problems demonstrating the work and answers, summary notes, a quiz, a worksheet, and a deep thought question. The resources also feature a powerful search function — by concept or keyword or textbook (for a majority of U.S. middle and high school textbooks).

Educators interested in securing the free math resource from their neighborhood Sylvan Learning center are encouraged to visit www.SchoolMathPrep.com. To obtain extra help with math homework — when and where you want it, visit www.SylvanMathPrep.com for a two-day, free trial.

Prepare For College: “Reduce the Stress: Ace the Test” School Fundraisers

Participating Sylvan centers are teaming up with area high school guidance counselors and principals to implement “Reduce the Stress: Ace the Test” SAT/ACT practice test events that are fundraisers for local schools. Schools provide SAT/ACT practice exams (for a nominal fee), with proceeds going to the schools’ designated improvement funds to help pay for extracurricular programs and other school or classroom activities. Sylvan Learning with our College Prep professionals will then review and score the results and provide in-person improvement sessions to pinpoint areas of success in order to guide students as they prepare for the actual SAT or ACT.

“Test Stress: A Parent’s Real Guide to College Test Prep” Parent Seminar

To help navigate the college prep process, participating Sylvan centers are offering free workshops for parents, “Test Stress: A Parent’s Real Guide to College Test Prep,” dedicated to helping families navigate through the SAT/ACT and the complex college admissions process. The interactive seminar features advice from Sylvan educators and leading college admission experts, college coaches and guidance counselors to help parents understand how to create a successful plan for the test-taking season. Families can then use Sylvan’s free, customized College Planner, Parent Resource Guide and High School Tracking Program to ensure their children are college admission ready.

Read for Fun: Book Adventure

Sylvan Learning has created a free, interactive reading motivation program, Book Adventure, where parents and teachers can help children choose books from more than 7,000 titles, take short comprehension quizzes and redeem accumulated points for small prizes. Book Adventure also offers teacher and parent resources and tips to help children develop a lifelong love of reading. For more information, visit www.BookAdventure.com.

Family Resources: DrRickBlog.com

DrRickBlog.com is a one stop resource that provides tips and tools for educators and families of students in grades pre-K to high school. “Dr. Rick,” Richard E. Bavaria, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Education Outreach for Sylvan Learning, has more than forty years of education experience. Visit www.DrRickBlog.com to read weekly topics concerning the latest trends in education, advice and creative ways to make learning fun.

“Transitions - Middle and High School” Parent Seminars

Learn about the changes and challenges children face as they reach middle and high school — academically, socially and psychologically. In these free seminars at participating Sylvan centers, families will hear from real-life parents, teens and experts in a short video as they share how they address transitions.

Newsletters, Tip Sheets and More

Sylvan’s monthly newsletters and family tip sheets feature the latest trends in education and other issues important to educators, parents and students in grades pre-K through 12. Visit the “Parent Resources” area of www.SylvanLearning.com for additional free tools.

Give your kids a strong start in the upcoming school year and keep them on track all year long with these free or low cost, educational tools. For more information on Sylvan’s back-to-school resources, SAT/ACT school fundraisers and free parent seminars, visit www.SylvanLearning.com to find a participating Sylvan Learning center.

About Sylvan Learning

Sylvan Learning is the leading provider of in-center and live, online tutoring at home to students of all ages, grades and skill levels. Sylvan Learning is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2009 and has approximately 1,100 centers located throughout North America. Sylvan’s proven process and personalized methods have inspired more than 2 million students to discover the joy of learning. Sylvan's trained and certified personal instructors provide individual instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, study skills and test prep for college entrance and state exams. Sylvan helps transform unique kids into uniquely inspired learners with the skills to do better in school and the confidence to do better in everything else. Visit www.DrRickBlog.com to share your personal academic experiences and comment on educational trends. For more information, call 1-800-31-SUCCESS or visit www.SylvanLearning.com.

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