Tutoring by Diane

Summer Reading

Diane — Fri, 04 May 2012 20:00:58 +0000

Many students get a list of required reading for the summer from their schools. I usually try and read each and every book that is required for the schools that are local to me. I also have come up with some suggestions myself.

Today I am going to focus on the mid-range reading levels of 4th through 8th grade. Notice I identified it as reading level. This does not necessarily equate to the grade in school. It is only frustrating to a child to be forced to read something above their level. After all, the focus for summer reading should be many things, but frustrating isn't one of them.

First on my list is Harriet the SpyHarriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh. This is the first book in a series. So, if a student enjoys this book it becomes a natural springboard for reading many other books. The main character in this book is Harriet, who is a spy. She keeps all of her information in her notebook. What happens when she loses the book?? It ends up in the wrong hands and before she can stop them, her friends have read the always truthful, sometimes awful things she’s written about each of them. Will Harriet find a way to put her life and her friendships back together? There are many great lessons in this book and also a few laughs. Honesty, integrity, friendship and trust are topics that are great for discussions about life.

Next on my list is Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Del. This book is an eerie yet miraculous story about a young Indian girl who spends 18 years alone on a rocky island off the coast of California. It takes place in the early 1800s and is a story of how Karana forages on land and in the ocean, clothes herself, and secures shelter. Perhaps even more startlingly, she finds strength and serenity living alone on the island.

Another book about the tenacity of a young person alone and living in the wild is My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. This was one of my mother's favorite books, which shows the ageless appeal. It is the story of a city boy named Sam Gribley, who runs away from New York City to the solitude of the woods in the Catskill Mountain in upstate New York and survives on his own, learning skills and finding abilities in himself that he never knew existed. There are two sequels to this book that most readers can't wait to read after finishing this initial book.

Keeping with the theme of surviving in the wilderness is my next choice for this summer. It is a non-fiction story about Alexander Selkirk in 1704. He was on a ship that was traversing the South Pacific and after arguing with a ship's captain, he was put ashore and abandoned on an uninhabited island. He had little with him besides his musket, but he managed to survive and even thrive for four years. The book is called Marooned: The Strange but True Adventures of Alexander Selkirk, the Real Robinson Crusoe by Robert Kraske

The last two are personal favorites of mine. First, one is a biography about Laura Bridgman. I first read about her when I was in the third grade and she made such an impression on me that I read and re-read everything that I could find about her for years to come.She Touched the World: Laura Bridgman, Deaf-Blind Pioneer She Touched the World: Laura Bridgman, Deaf-Blind Pioneer by Robert Alexander and Sally Hobart Alexander is a very well written story about the girl who became the teacher of Annie Sullivan. Annie Sullivan in turn became the teacher of Helen Keller.

And finally, Where the Red Fern GrowsWhere the Red Fern Grows by Wilson by Wilson Rawls. I first read this book with a student about 10 years ago. If you are a dog lover, like I am, you will be entralled with this book and not be able to put it down. It is the story of a young boy who saves his money for a long time to be able to buy hunting dogs. The relationship between Billy and his two hounds, Old Dan and Little Ann, is priceless and will make the reader laugh and cry.

These books have appeal to all ages. READ ALONG WITH YOUR CHILD!

Summer Reading and Comprehension

Diane — Fri, 04 May 2012 18:42:24 +0000

Don't let your child's progress stagnate over the summer.

It is a sad statistic that many students lose almost half of the skills they learned in the previous school year, over the summer. Why allow them to backtrack on their learning? Prepare them to start the next school year ahead of many of their peers.

I offer a program of reading and comprehension that is fun and productive. Your student will enjoy reading a book of their choice, while learning new vocabulary, identifying main ideas, analyzing characters and interpreting authors' purposes and techniques.

How does this work?

I have a list of recommended books by grade/reading level and can share them with you and your child to allow them to choose the one that interests them the most. We meet once or twice a week and read together and talk about what we are reading. In between meetings, I expect the student to be reading on their own and I provide worksheets to help them identify and master new vocabulary, idioms and other literary techniques.

Many students have a required reading list from school and wait until late August to rush through that book. Why not start early and avoid the stress of a last minute assignment? These required books can certainly be used for my program as well.

Contact me directly for more information:

diane@tutoringbydiane.com

Reminder about NJ ASK testing

Diane — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:14:30 +0000

Next week starts the NJ ASK testing. It is testing that measures how well the school districts are doing in covering the required curriculum. Many parents panic because their child may or may not be rated in the top. But, remember, this doesn't affect the child's grades and it doesn't go on a transcript to college. So, just relax. After all, relaxation helps the brain work better!!

Grade & Test Dates

NJ ASK3: May 7, 8, 9, 10, 2012 Regular Testing (Language Arts Literacy Days 1 and 2, Mathematics Days 1 and 2)

NJ ASK4: May 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 2012 Regular Testing (Language Arts Literacy Days 1 and 2, Mathematics Days 1 and 2, Science Day 1)

NJ ASK5: Apr 30, 2012; May 1, 2, 3, 2012 Regular Testing (Language Arts Literacy Days 1 and 2, Mathematics Days 1 and 2)

NJ ASK6: Apr 30, 2012; May 1, 2, 3, 2012 Regular Testing (Language Arts Literacy Days 1 and 2, Mathematics Days 1 and 2)

NJ ASK7: Apr 23, 24, 25, 26, 2012 Regular Testing (Language Arts Literacy Days 1 and 2, Mathematics Days 1 and 2)

NJ ASK8: Apr 23, 24, 25, 26, 2012 Regular Testing (Language Arts Literacy Days 1 and 2, Mathematics, Science)

Happy Practice for Test Prep and Best Wishes!

A little history about Paul Revere’s famous ride…

Diane — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 01:42:40 +0000

It is a bit ironic that the Old North Church in Boston holds such a prominent place in history. It was the church in the colonies that was supported by the King of England and therefore considered a Loyalist congregation. However, it was the tallest building in Boston at the time. Paul Revere was part of secret meetings that were being held amongst the Patriots of the area. He made arrangements with the caretaker of the church to light a lantern in the bell tower. "One if by land and two if by sea," is the famous line that most remember.

When Revere reported that the British Regulars were advancing by sea, the caretaker took the long walk up the steeple steps and lit two lanterns. Then Revere set off on his famous ride to warm fellow patriots John Hancock and Samuel Adams that "the Redcoats are coming!"

I lived in a town north of Boston for a year in the early 1980s. I was lucky enough to walk the Freedom Trail. This is a great way to see many of the historic Revolutionary War sites in the city. The trail ends at the North Church. My favorite memory of that day is the sign on the door of the souvenir shop on the street outside the Old North Church. While there is sales tax added to all purchases from the shop, the sign reads that there is "NO TAX ON TEA".

ANOTHER LESSER KNOWN PATRIOT

About 200 miles south west of Paul Revere's ride, another ride took place. A 16 year old girl named Sybil Ludington road 40 miles, which was about twice as long as Revere's ride. She knocked on doors with a stick as she road through a dark rainy night from 9PM until dawn the next day. By the time she returned home the soldiers were ready to fight the "Red Coats".

Each April since 1979, on the anniversary of her ride, a 50 kilometer foot race is held in memory of her ride and courage.

Paul Revere’s Ride by H.W. Longfellow

Diane — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:58:11 +0000

Paul Revere's Ride

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.

He said to his friend, "If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light,–
One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm."

Then he said "Good-night!" and with muffled oar
Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore,
Just as the moon rose over the bay,
Where swinging wide at her moorings lay
The Somerset, British man-of-war;
A phantom ship, with each mast and spar
Across the moon like a prison bar,
And a huge black hulk, that was magnified
By its own reflection in the tide.

Meanwhile, his friend through alley and street
Wanders and watches, with eager ears,
Till in the silence around him he hears
The muster of men at the barrack door,
The sound of arms, and the tramp of feet,
And the measured tread of the grenadiers,
Marching down to their boats on the shore.

Then he climbed the tower of the Old North Church,
By the wooden stairs, with stealthy tread,
To the belfry chamber overhead,
And startled the pigeons from their perch
On the sombre rafters, that round him made
Masses and moving shapes of shade,–
By the trembling ladder, steep and tall,
To the highest window in the wall,
Where he paused to listen and look down
A moment on the roofs of the town
And the moonlight flowing over all.

Beneath, in the churchyard, lay the dead,
In their night encampment on the hill,
Wrapped in silence so deep and still
That he could hear, like a sentinel's tread,
The watchful night-wind, as it went
Creeping along from tent to tent,
And seeming to whisper, "All is well!"
A moment only he feels the spell
Of the place and the hour, and the secret dread
Of the lonely belfry and the dead;
For suddenly all his thoughts are bent
On a shadowy something far away,
Where the river widens to meet the bay,–
A line of black that bends and floats
On the rising tide like a bridge of boats.

Meanwhile, impatient to mount and ride,
Booted and spurred, with a heavy stride
On the opposite shore walked Paul Revere.
Now he patted his horse's side,
Now he gazed at the landscape far and near,
Then, impetuous, stamped the earth,
And turned and tightened his saddle girth;
But mostly he watched with eager search
The belfry tower of the Old North Church,
As it rose above the graves on the hill,
Lonely and spectral and sombre and still.
And lo! as he looks, on the belfry's height
A glimmer, and then a gleam of light!
He springs to the saddle, the bridle he turns,
But lingers and gazes, till full on his sight
A second lamp in the belfry burns.

A hurry of hoofs in a village street,
A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark,
And beneath, from the pebbles, in passing, a spark
Struck out by a steed flying fearless and fleet;
That was all! And yet, through the gloom and the light,
The fate of a nation was riding that night;
And the spark struck out by that steed, in his flight,
Kindled the land into flame with its heat.
He has left the village and mounted the steep,
And beneath him, tranquil and broad and deep,
Is the Mystic, meeting the ocean tides;
And under the alders that skirt its edge,
Now soft on the sand, now loud on the ledge,
Is heard the tramp of his steed as he rides.

It was twelve by the village clock
When he crossed the bridge into Medford town.
He heard the crowing of the cock,
And the barking of the farmer's dog,
And felt the damp of the river fog,
That rises after the sun goes down.

It was one by the village clock,
When he galloped into Lexington.
He saw the gilded weathercock
Swim in the moonlight as he passed,
And the meeting-house windows, black and bare,
Gaze at him with a spectral glare,
As if they already stood aghast
At the bloody work they would look upon.

It was two by the village clock,
When he came to the bridge in Concord town.
He heard the bleating of the flock,
And the twitter of birds among the trees,
And felt the breath of the morning breeze
Blowing over the meadow brown.
And one was safe and asleep in his bed
Who at the bridge would be first to fall,
Who that day would be lying dead,
Pierced by a British musket ball.

You know the rest. In the books you have read
How the British Regulars fired and fled,—
How the farmers gave them ball for ball,
>From behind each fence and farmyard wall,
Chasing the redcoats down the lane,
Then crossing the fields to emerge again
Under the trees at the turn of the road,
And only pausing to fire and load.

So through the night rode Paul Revere;
And so through the night went his cry of alarm
To every Middlesex village and farm,—
A cry of defiance, and not of fear,
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,
And a word that shall echo for evermore!
For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,
Through all our history, to the last,
In the hour of darkness and peril and need,
The people will waken and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,
And the midnight message of Paul Revere.

The Boston Massacre – 242 years ago tomorrow

Diane — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 03:27:48 +0000

On the night of March 5, 1770, American colonists attacked British soldiers in Boston which resulted in the soldiers firing upon the crowd and killing five of the colonists. This event became known as the Boston Massacre, a rallying point for colonists against the stationing and quartering of British troops throughout the colonies and against the Townshend Acts which the British soldiers were deployed to enforce. Many different accounts of this encounter are extant as John Adams successfully defended the British soldiers in court and thus had to depose numerous witnesses.

Happy Birthday, Vivaldi!

Diane — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 18:18:47 +0000

Antonio Vivaldi was born on March 4, 1678 in Venice, Italy. Antonio's father, Giovanni Battista, who was a barber before becoming a violinist, taught young Antonio to play the violin and then took him on tours around Venice playing the violin with him.

At the age of 15, Antonio began training to become a priest. At the age of 25, he was ordained a priest and soon after became known as the II Prete Rosso, "The Red Priest", because of his red hair. Due to his health, he left the priesthood in 1703 after only 3 years. But he was still able to pursue a career in music.

Vivaldi's music was very popular because of its joyful, almost playful, characteristics. It reveals his own joy of composing. One of listeners favorites is The Four Seasons, composed in 1723, is a set of four concertos for violin. It is his most popular work and is among the most popular works of the Baroque Era. For this composition he wrote sonnets to match each season. Here it is heard with Itzhak Perlman playing the violin solo part.

2012 NJ ASK is just around the corner

Diane — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 14:24:51 +0000

Grade & Test Dates

NJ ASK3: May 7, 8, 9, 10, 2012 Regular Testing (Language Arts Literacy Days 1 and 2, Mathematics Days 1 and 2)

NJ ASK4: May 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 2012 Regular Testing (Language Arts Literacy Days 1 and 2, Mathematics Days 1 and 2, Science Day 1)

NJ ASK5: Apr 30, 2012; May 1, 2, 3, 2012 Regular Testing (Language Arts Literacy Days 1 and 2, Mathematics Days 1 and 2)

NJ ASK6: Apr 30, 2012; May 1, 2, 3, 2012 Regular Testing (Language Arts Literacy Days 1 and 2, Mathematics Days 1 and 2)

NJ ASK7: Apr 23, 24, 25, 26, 2012 Regular Testing (Language Arts Literacy Days 1 and 2, Mathematics Days 1 and 2)

NJ ASK8: Apr 23, 24, 25, 26, 2012 Regular Testing (Language Arts Literacy Days 1 and 2, Mathematics, Science)

Happy Practice for Test Prep and Best Wishes!

The Iditarod

Diane — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 14:50:29 +0000

Today is the beginning of the running of the 40th Iditarod. This is the dog sled race, that has become a tradition, from Anchorage, Alaska to Nome, Alaska. Dog sleds are historically significant to the development of Alaska and the race became a standard in the late 1960s. Today at 2PM EST the race will begin and it will end 975 miles later.

The weather for the start of the race looks fairly mild, with cold temperatures expected, as usual. Anchorage saw the mercury dip to the low 20s on Friday night with flurries of snow to go along with the cold. Along the rest of the route, the weather was frigid — from 25 degrees near the start to below zero further north — but snow was only falling in trace amounts.

The following is from an article in the Anchorage Times following the 1973 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, written by Gordon Fowler, Times Sports writer: “Iditarod means clear water and was named by the Shageluk Indians for the Iditarod River.”

The following came from one of the Anchorage papers during the 1983 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race: “The word comes from the Ingalik Indian word HaIditarod which was the name for the river on which the town was built. It means distant place.”

James Kari, Assistant Professor, University of Alaska Native Language Center in 1979 stated: “The name Iditarod came from an Ingalik and Holikachuk word hidedhod for the Iditarod River. This name means distant or distant place. This word is still known by elders in the villages of Shageluk, Anvik, Grayling and Holy Cross.”

Iditarod Facts

The first Iditarod race to Nome started March 3, 1973.
Broken Records: In 1986, Susan Butcher broke Rick Swenson’s record, set in 1981, by completing the 1049+ miles in 11 days, 15 hours and six minutes, and this was done on the longer ‘Northern’ Route. In 1987 she broke her own record by finishing in 11 days, two hours, five minutes and 13 seconds. Then in 1990 she broke her record again, finishing in 11 days, one hour, 53 minutes, 23 seconds. In 1993, Jeff King broke all previous records, finishing in 10 days, 15 hours, 38 minutes, 15 seconds. In 1994 Martin Buser again set the record in 10 days, 13 hours, 02 minutes, 39 seconds. In 1995, Doug Swingley of Sims, Montana broke two records when he became the first musher from outside of Alaska to win the Iditarod and he did the 1150+ mile course in 9 days, 2 hours, 42 minutes and 19 seconds. In 2002, Martin Buser broke the record when he crossed the finish line in 8 days, 22 hours, 46 minutes and 2 seconds.
Carl Huntington won the 1974 race with the slowest winning time, 20 days, 15 hours, two minutes and seven seconds.
The teams average 16 dogs, which means over 1,000 dogs leave Anchorage for Nome.
There are 26 checkpoints on the northern route, the first in Anchorage and the last in Nome. On the southern route, there are 27 checkpoints.
The closest finish was in 1978. Dick Mackey finished one second ahead of Rick Swenson. Mackey’s time was 14 days, 18 hours, 52 minutes and 24 seconds. The winner was decided by the nose of the lead dog across the finish line.
The largest number of mushers to finish a single race was 77 in 2004.
A red lantern is awarded to the last musher to finish Iditarod. The longest time for a Red Lantern was 32 days, 15 hours, nine minutes and one second by John Schultz in 1973. The quickest Red Lantern musher Celeste Davis with a time of 13d 05h 06m 40s.
Rick Swenson is the only five time winner of “The Last Great Race”, having won in 1977, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1991. He is now the only person to win the Iditarod in three different decades, a record that will probably never be broken.
Four time winner, Susan Butcher, claimed Iditarod victories in 1986, 1987, 1988 and again in 1990. Susan retired from long distance racing after the 1993 race in order to start a family with husband Dave Monson, himself a Yukon Quest champion. Their first daughter, Margarith, was born in the spring of 1995.
Dallas Seavey turned 18 on March 4, 2005. He is the youngest musher to run the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race. The oldest musher to ever compete was Col. Norman Vaughan who will turn 88 in December. Col. Vaughan completed the race four times.

Rick Mackey won the race in 1983 to become the first son of an Iditarod champion to match his father’s accomplishment. Lance Mackey won in 2007 to become the second son of an Iditarod champion. To further set a record, father and both sons were wearing bib number 13 when they crossed the finish line in first position, and they all three won in their sixth Iditarod. Anyone superstitious? (Emmitt Peters was also wearing bib #13 when he won the Iditarod in 1975.) Add one more for Lance — he had just won the Yukon Quest two weeks before, so now he is the first person to win both the Quest and Iditarod in the same year.

Happy Birthday Alexander Graham Bell!

Diane — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 14:29:18 +0000

On this date in 1847, Alexander Graham Bell was born. He spent his life researching sound to aid in the teaching of the deaf and it was quite by accident that he invented the telephone. Bell held 18 patents in his name and shared another 12 with others. He died in 1922.