| When
PACE was first developed in 2000, we reviewed many national
and international supplementary educational programs available
to students. We weighed the positive and negative aspects
of each of these programs and came to the conclusion that
to create an effective program, different mediums must be
used as effective tools to supplement teaching done by tutors.
see
our 1 tutor:4 student guaranteed ratio
Computer-guided software lessons,
worksheets, and writing activities help to create a well-rounded
and balanced curriculum which keeps students interested in
their work and offers the advantage of a variety of learning
tools, compared to programs that typically present only one
option to their students.
This combination of tutor-focused
teaching, using worksheets, writing, and computer-guided software
lessons leads to a more effective learning program for students.
As an independently-owned program,
we constantly change and add new ideas to our program, in
response to parents and the needs of our students and in an
effort to keep our program innovative and effective.
We have listed many of the new topics added to our program,
as well as some of our findings when we compared a few specific
teaching mediums.
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| In
2001, we introduced more activities focused on improving
writing to address the decline in the quality of writing
we saw in many students and to respond to the requests
of numerous parents.
The
skills taught focused on writing based on grade level.
We teach sentence writing, paragraph writing, creative
writing, report writing, summarization, and more.
We do focus on:
- organization
of ideas
- ability
to convey ideas clearly on paper
- writing
sentences that are well-developed and correctly structured
- improvement
of vocabulary and use of a thesaurus
- importance
of grammar rules
In
2005, we added a daily activity,”8-minute daily
writing,” required of all students as a method
of encouraging them to become more comfortable with
writing. The student chooses any topic they desire and
are encouraged to write spontaneously, without the pressures
of their writing being scrutinized for errors and with
the understanding that their writing is not reviewed,
allowing them full creative freedom and promoting written
expression. |
 |
New
for 2006, PACE has included even more to its already comprehensive
program, home-based online learning. Students can now
log in online to access assessments consistent with State
Standards, and over 1600 academic lessons.
The lessons provided online are
different than the lessons we offer at our Center, reducing
the monotony of repeating the same activities. Lessons
are not only for review purposes, but also teach with
clear instruction, concepts and methods for finding solutions.
Subjects include Reading, Writing, Language Arts, Basic
Math, Algebra & Geometry, Science, and activities
focused on History. Activities are provided by SkillsTutor.
Online lessons that can be accessed
at home are a great way for students to get ahead, review
and prepare for tests, and can be used as long and as
often as needed. All student activity and progress can
be reviewed by parents online and is used by many parents
as an exchange for television and game time. PACE also
rewards improvement and time spent on activities. enroll
online today |
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Students
are encouraged to bring in homework to be checked for
accuracy or for additional explanation and review. PACE
believes in creating continuity with work done at school
and at PACE to ensure that students achieve the highest
grades possible.
We ask parents to submit all report cards, State Standardized
Test results, and school work as the school year progresses
to stay up-to-date on areas of needed review. Customized
assignments are then assigned for review and advancement. |
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| These
are a few examples of the extra concepts our staff teaches
students to make learning easier and more effective,
especially in the subjects of Science and History.
- Written
summarization of reading improves comprehension
- Note-taking
is encouraged to improve retention
- Practical
use of dictionaries for unfamiliar words to enhance
independent learning
- Pointers
on how to use various reference materials to improve
resourcefulness
- Speed-reading
techniques to improve efficiency, comprehension, and
interest in reading
|
Computer lessons are
assigned based on an initial assessment of the student
which is consistent with State Academic Standards. Software
is provided by Compass
Learning. |
Positives |
Negatives |
Visually
entertaining – captivating and exciting to promote
student participation
Phonics
and sound - ability to hear the pronunciation of letters
and words are essential for readers of all levels
Target
areas of need - powerful and comprehensive assessment
tool can pinpoint precise areas of needed improvement
|
Restricted
- cannot easily add or customize the program for immediate
changes
Limited
- computer can only correct and evaluate multiple
choice answers, which limits short answers and opinions
Commonly
used as a teacher - relying strictly on the computer
tends to replace the teacher whose role then is used
only to explain computer concepts. Teachers need to
use the
computer only as a tool to assist
|
A combination of worksheets
are provided by popular publishers including Evan-Moor,
Scholastic
& Caron-Dellosa.
Individual student binders are provided to store worksheets,
promote organization, and encourage ownership and pride
in completed work. |
Positives |
Negatives |
Reinforce
& Memorization – excellent for repeated
practice in mental math computation and of rules in
English and grammar usage
Reading
Comprehension Skills- practice speed-reading black
and white print, while learning how to highlight key
points and create side paragraph notes
Back
to the basics – self-reliance creates the motivation
to look up definitions in the dictionary, ask questions
of teachers, utilize reference materials
Handwritten
- Short answers are required to be in complete sentences
with the question repeated, clarity in handwriting
essential
|
Bubble
in answers - Deters students from formulating intellectual
answers that clearly show that the students understands
the question and assignment rather then choose from
a 25% random chance
No
sound – new vocabulary words can be misread
or disregarded due to the student’s lack of
proficiency in phonetics skills
Inability
to self-correct - If worksheets are not corrected
instantly, errors can be overlooked before the worksheet
is submitted. Computers can detect errors and review
concepts
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