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Category Archives: increasing student achievement
Grammar Fitness Online Named Best Reading/Language Arts Finalist
Merit Software is pleased to announce that Grammar Fitness Online has been named a finalist in the 2011 Association of Educational Publishers’ AEP Awards, the highest standard for quality in professional educational resources. Grammar Fitness Online is a 100% web-based … Continue reading
H.S. Dropouts Strongly Affected by Poor Early Reading Skills, Study Says
Students who struggled with reading in early elementary school grew up to comprise 88 percent of those who did not receive a high school diploma, according to a new study. This new report highlights the need for effective strategies to … Continue reading
Incentives Offered to Raise College Graduation Rates
In what amounts to a ‘Race to the Top’ for higher education, the U.S. Department of Education is offering competitive grants to help states increase their college completion rates. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said the program would offer … Continue reading
College Student Passes English Requirement Thanks to Essay Punch
I am writing to thank you for making Essay Punch. Having missed exemption from English after my first try on the college entrance exam, I realized I needed to brush up on my essay skills. I found your website and … Continue reading
Persuasive Writing Ability Key for College, Career Readiness, Teachers Say
Both English and mathematics teachers are more likely to rate the ability to write clearly and persuasively higher than mathematical ability as absolutely essential or very important for college and career readiness. This is one of the key findings in … Continue reading
How Merit Makes a 3rd Grade Teacher More Effective
A 3rd grade teacher at a California public school recently wrote how, and why, she likes using Merit’s Basic Skills Pack with her students. I like Merit because it is not just drill and kill. It helps my students think … Continue reading
On IBM’s Watson and Educational Technology
IBM’s Watson computer recently crushed the competition on the popular game show “Jeopardy.” One can’t help but wonder about the current and future role of technology in education. During the competition Watson was able to access answers to a variety of … Continue reading
Lack of Emphasis On Reading, Writing Impedes College Student Learning, Study Says
A new book, “Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses,” says many students are not learning anything in U.S. colleges. “Courses, oftentimes, are not rigorous enough to help students develop their analytical and critical thinking skills,” say the authors. Student … Continue reading
Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior
The essay Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior recently published in the Wall Street Journal has garnered a lot of attention “Can a regimen of no play-dates, no TV, no computer games and hours of music practice create happy kids? And … Continue reading
New Teaching Tips for the Writing Process
The web-based editions of the Punch process writing programs were introduced more than two years ago. In that time, many instructors and students have shared with us best practices for using them. Based on their input we’ve posted new teaching tips … Continue reading