Comments for Merit Software Dispatch

Comment on Improving Writing Support by SusanL

SusanL — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:07:32 +0000

I’ve always felt it’s important to remind my students to check, and recheck, their grammar and vocabulary, even though it is exasperating at times.

Comment on Teens IQ Scores May Fluctuate Dramatically Over Time by Jonathan

Jonathan — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:02:35 +0000

Yes, teens’ IQ scores, and academic performance, can be improved. That means turning off the TV and having kids read. It means having them solve complex problems that require them to think. It means assuming they can stretch to do complicated mental tasks, rather than assuming the opposites.

Comment on Can Changing Reading and Writing Instruction Raise SAT Scores? by Tina Terry

Tina Terry — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 20:22:05 +0000

I am a high school English teacher who scored 800 on my verbal SATs in 1964. I assure you, I am not a genius.

How did this happen? As the daughter of an American businessman stationed overseas between 1954 and 1977, I was raised in countries that had no TV (Singapore and Jamaica.) From 1965-1969, I attended a girls’ boarding school in Virginia where we were not allowed to watch TV except for an hour each weekend night.

Like all my friends, I grew up reading constantly – there was nothing else to do. I strongly believe reading and writing are the keys to higher SAT scores, but I am also cynical about students’ ever devoting the kind of time to actual reading that my friends and I did when we were”deprived” of TV… and the Internet… and video games, and other electronic distractions. The amount of time spent by students NOT reading, but doing other, non-literary things, is prodigious.

In addition, fewer and fewer parents read to their children when they are young. Fewer and fewer parents seem to be readers themselves; they don’t read, and they don’t encourage their children to read.

We are raising a nation of increasingly illiterate citizens. The SAT scores reflect that.

Comment on Ghetto grammar robs the young of a proper voice by marlene

marlene — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 14:31:57 +0000

This is happening everywhere and the powers that be seem not to be saying or doing anything about it,not only that, but we are now seeing the ‘language of texting’ .How do we address this? It just seems as if we are stepping backward, with every step forward.

Comment on Greatest challenges teachers face for helping at-risk students by emelda omar

emelda omar — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 05:50:15 +0000

In todays world I see that the focus is on higer grade achievement, which is all well and good but what of our children that have difficulties achieving these grades? How do we as parents link with the teachers to achieve a conducive teaching/learning environment to help all the children succeed?

Comment on Greatest challenges teachers face for helping at-risk students by Tracey Owens

Tracey Owens — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:51:53 +0000

The biggest challenge at school is for the students to KNOW THE TEACHER CARES AND IS COMMITTED TO HELPING THE CHILD SUCCEED. If the students get the feeling that the teachers are not committed to them then the students will give up. We can provide differentiated instruction, we can teach sentence structure, and we can even have the kids take ownership of their work; but until they know we care they won’t care.

Comment on Greatest challenges teachers face for helping at-risk students by Pamela Parker

Pamela Parker — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 20:12:53 +0000

Getting students to care about school and being proud of the work they do. Not just wanting to slide by.- High School Social studies/Parenting Teacher, Michigan

Comment on Ghetto grammar robs the young of a proper voice by Fred D

Fred D — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 19:01:24 +0000

The teaching of grammar and spelling has almost completely died out in our public schools. We have a generation of teachers who themselves were never taught how to use the Engliish language correctly.

Comment on Greatest challenges teachers face for helping at-risk students by Fred D

Fred D — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 17:28:50 +0000

Getting students to understand sentence structure and punctuation in a way that transfers to their work – Teaching Assistant, Florida

Comment on Greatest challenges teachers face for helping at-risk students by Jeremy Coen

Jeremy Coen — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 17:26:16 +0000

Providing differentiated instruction within a program – High School ESL Teacher, Louisiana