Rita SantosJun 8, 20213 minIt’s Summer... Now What?Whether your child has already started summer break or school will end in the next few weeks, you may be thinking, now what? Is there...
Rita SantosMay 24, 20214 minIt's Testing Season - Part 2Last week, I talked about some consequences of standardized testing. To read that post, click here. As I stated in that post, there is...
Rita SantosMay 17, 20211 minIt's Testing Season!The birds are chirping... The flowers are blooming... Once upon a time, this time of year marked Spring Fever. Now if you are a student,...
Rita SantosMay 10, 20213 minThe TOP TWO Reasons Students Don’t Understand FractionsOne of the first questions I ask all of my students is to tell me what they like and dislike about math. Fractions are almost always the...
Rita SantosMay 3, 20212 minThe Social and Emotional Effects of Reading DifficultiesAccording to the 2019 NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) Report Card, 34% of 4th graders scored below a basic reading...
Rita SantosApr 27, 20213 min5 Reasons Not To Use Keywords or CUBES For Solving Word ProblemsWord problems are troublesome for many students. So well-meaning teachers have come up with strategies to help solve them. One strategy...
Rita SantosMar 29, 20213 min5 More Reading MythsThis is the second part of a series about reading myths. Click HERE to read about the first 5 myths. MYTH #6: There’s no need to read...
Rita SantosMar 15, 20212 minWhy Do I Need To Know This, Anyway?We’ve all heard kids ask this question when they are learning math. They mistakenly think that if they are not interested in a STEM...
Rita SantosMar 8, 20212 minThe Reading Wars: Phonics vs. Whole Language vs. Balanced LiteracyFor many years there were two main approaches to teaching reading -- Phonics and Whole Language. Each one represents a very different...
Rita SantosMar 1, 20213 minWhy I Don’t Always Have Students Finish Solving Word Problems“Is that the right answer?” Students ask me this question often when we first start working together. They are programmed to think that...
Rita SantosFeb 19, 20212 minWhat Tutoring Is and What It Isn’tThe Mirriam-Webster Dictionary defines tutoring as “to teach or guide usually individually in a special subject or for a particular...
Rita SantosFeb 15, 20212 min5 Myths About Reading InstructionThere are many theories about reading. Sometimes what we believe to be true --old wives’ tales, for instance - isn’t always true. ...
Rita SantosFeb 10, 20212 minDoes My Child Need a Tutor?Private tutoring is an investment in time and money so it’s only natural to ask this question. Sometimes all a student needs is some...
Rita SantosFeb 8, 20214 min“I can't do math. I’m just not a math person.” Have you heard your child say this? Maybe you’ve even said it about yourself. But I’m here to tell you, everyone can do math. Sure,...