“It was NOT the case that the young low performers got better and the young high performers averaged out,” study co-author Cathy Price says.

Price cannot say with certainty what accounts for such changes.  Brain development may be influenced by what students focus on in their studies. If they neglect verbal-oriented learning, for instance, their scores may reflect that.

It has been our experience that teens need to “use it or lose it” when it comes to developing and sustaining their verbal skills.

Merit Software’s reading, vocabulary, grammar, and writing programs have a long track record of success with teens.  The format is straightforward, adaptive, and gives immediate feedback when students encounter areas of difficulty.

Learn more about the study here.

Johns, a mentor of young people in Peckham, a district of London, states further that educational opportunities and job prospects are all directly affected by correct use of language.

He deplores the recent tendency of many young people of all races and backgrounds across London and other UK cities to squander their rich English language inheritance by speaking in a popular street slang.

Here at Merit Software, we design learning tools to help students’ master core academic skills.  Educators can easily use the online editions of Grammar Fitness, Paragraph Punch and Essay Punch programs to help students stay focused and interested in gaining the skills they need for academic and career success.

The web-based versions measure progress and tracks time-on-task for teachers and students.  Personal, expert support ensures that all users experience success.

For information, pricing, tours, and implementation ideas go to:

• English Basic Web Suite
• English Intermediate Web Suite
• English Advanced Web Suite

Grammar Fitness Online is a 100% web-based teaching tool. The program provides students with interactive grammar exercises to help them master difficult points in English grammar.

After an assessment, students advance through the program at their own pace. Students receive personal help and feedback while they work. Instructors can see gains, in real-time, through an easy-to-use tracking tool.

The Association of Educational Publishers’ annual awards program and its seal of excellence are widely recognized by educators, administrators, and parents as a mark of outstanding educational value.

Grammar Fitness Online is a finalist in the Distinguished Achievement Awards for Reading and Language Arts, Grades 9-12 Curriculum category.

The Distinguished Achievement Awards (DAAs) are judged according to category, subject area, and grade level.

Entries are evaluated on traits such as efficacy, usability, and overall educational value. The full list of finalists for this year’s DAAs is posted online at www.AEPweb.org/awards/finalists.htm.

Distinguished Achievement Award winners will be announced at the AEP Awards Banquet & Gala, June 8 at the Omni Shoreham in Washington, DC.

This new report highlights the need for effective strategies to help struggling readers regain lost ground.

Merit Software has a strong track record of helping older students build the reading and language skills necessary to graduate from high school. Merit is one of only a handful of educational products that has been demonstrated to improve student test scores in reading and writing skills.

Unlike most software used in schools, Merit is not drill and practice. Merit gives students instruction in core curriculum skills while automatically tracking student progress.

With Merit, students apply skills as they learn them, receiving clear explanations when they encounter troublesome concepts. Merit gets students thinking and builds their confidence as scholars.

Merit programs fit into a variety of curriculum and classroom structures. They are offered in several different configurations and pricing options. Teachers can implement the classroom organization and curriculum that best fit their students’ needs. The programs are designed for students reading at grade three level and above.

Merit can be used with small groups or large classes and it aligns with state and local curriculum standards. Students begin working at a suitable level of challenge. They advance as they demonstrate readiness. Instruction is differentiated to accommodate a variety of skill levels.

Lower level students have been shown to make striking gains with the software. It is also affordable and easy to implement. For administrators working with a limited budget, Merit Software is an ideal option.

The study “Double Jeopardy: How Third-Grade Reading Skills and Poverty Influence High School Graduation,” was sponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

I found your website and used it to practice and sharpen my writing skills. It worked. Yesterday, on the spur of the moment, I challenged my essay test, and needed a 5 to pass it.

Well, I got a 7, because of Essay Punch. I am now exempt from 2 English classes and only have to take English I to be done with that commitment.

I am a 42-year-old LPN, about to pursue my RN degree, and this foray back into school after so long has not been an easy one. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I couldn’t have done it without you.

Find a full-working sample, pricing, and a screen shot tour of Essay Punch on the Merit Software web site.

I like Merit because it is not just drill and kill. It helps my students think and dig deeper, which helps them learn the skills I am teaching. It also helps them get ready for standardized test formats.

I have 5 computers set up with the Merit Basic Skills Pack and when time allows, I have students practice the skills I teach in class. Thank you for making such a great difference in children’s lives.

During the competition Watson was able to access answers to a variety of questions. However, it wasn’t superior to humans on every question. The machine did better in certain categories than others.

It’s important for us to think about what computers can and can’t do. Computers can’t create without input from humans. They can only respond to human programming.

At Merit, we have significant expertise in knowing what technologies are capable of doing for people. We have high standards about how to make computers useful instructional tools. We know how to make computer programs that are relevant and fit into a context for people that they can relate to. It also helps that we are very good at explaining to people how to use a program. This level of support enhances the teaching and learning processes immeasurably.

Two new Merit programs, Grammar Fitness Online and Confused Words Fix-Up, are good examples of the need for this level of expertise.

In many schools today, particularly at the secondary level, students need remedial help. However, schools do not have the structure, personnel, or budget to provide this service. Remediation needs to be done in class in a way that enables teachers to track progress for diverse groups of learners.

Grammar Fitness and Confused Words Fix-Up provide this service in key areas of English grammar and vocabulary. The programs are easy for instructors to learn to use. Plus, teachers receive free and unlimited support from Merit support specialists.

“Can a regimen of no play-dates, no TV, no computer games and hours of music practice create happy kids? And what happens when they fight back?” asks the author.

“Western parents worry a lot about their children’s self-esteem. But as a parent, one of the worst things you can do for your child’s self-esteem is to let them give up. On the flip side, there’s nothing better for building confidence than learning you can do something you thought you couldn’t.”

Merit Software provides the tools and opportunities for all parents to improve their children’s academic skills.

Assessments place students at a suitable level of challenge and difficult concepts are broken down into understandable parts. The programs are personalized, self-paced and self-advancing. Learners gain confidence as they work.

To learn more about Merit Software go to www.meritsoftware.com

Click here to read Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior

In recent years, cognitive scientists have shown that a few simple techniques can reliably improve what matters most: how much a student learns from studying.

The following are among the techniques that have been shown to be effective for motivated students:

• Alternating study locations, which improves retention.

• Mixed-practice: that is, the idea that studying distinct but related skills in one sitting is more beneficial than focusing intensely on one skill at a time.

• Spacing study sessions, which improves later recall without requiring students to put in more overall effort.

• Tests and quizzes, which can be very effective tools for learning. The process of retrieving an idea improves later recall.

In addition, the article challenges the idea that “forgetting” is bad for learning. Forgetting offers opportunities to relearn something and to reinforce awareness and understanding of the subject.

This article also helps explain why Merit Software is such an effective learning tool for so many users – from school students to adult learners.  The design of Merit programs is aligned with all of the cognitive techniques outlined in the article and facilitates maximum learning.

• Merit programs provide both focused and mixed practice of a variety of related skills.

• The programs are organized with logical stopping points. Progress monitoring enables students to stop and then resume working on skills over several sessions.

• Students are given many opportunities to apply and reinforce their learning with Merit. If students forget a skill or need to refresh their knowledge of a skill, the programs will direct them to suitable activities to relearn it.

• Merit’s learning platforms enable students to alternate their study locations with ease. Networked versions let students log on to different computers in the lab or classroom. The online versions may be accessed anywhere, anytime.

 
Learn more about Merit Software at www.meritsoftware.com

Read “Forget What You Know About Good Study Habits”.