Learning Differences
Center for School Success: CSS conducts comprehensive learning assessments that provide parents, students and teachers with an understanding of the learner's strengths and strategies to compensate for their specific difficulties with schooling. The result is an action plan for learning.
The Learning Toolbox: From James Madison University. Strategies, mnemonics and other resources for students, teachers and parents. Designed to enable students to become better learners in all aspects of academics. Extremely useful for students with and without learning disabilities.
LDOnline: Academic, descriptive, empathetic, resources for parents, teachers, and students. Learn more about learning disabilities, how they impact people who have them, self-help strategies, and more.
All Kinds of Minds: Translating the latest research on how children learn into tools for parents, educators and clinicians. Founded by pediatrician Dr. Mel Levine, pioneer of the Schools Attuned Program and focused on neurodevelopmental understanding.
College of Optometrists in Vision Development: Could vision be affecting your child’s ability to learn? The Wise Guide has direct experience with Vision Therapy as do some of her students.
Math
The Math Page: Created by Lawrence Spector at City Univeristy of New York. Complete courses in Arithmetic, Plane Geometry, Algebra, and topics in Trigonometry, Precalculus and Calculus. Excellent examples and many problems with answers, so you can check your work.
Coolmath Algebra: Humorous lessons in Algebra 1 and 2 and Pre-Calculus. Clearly explained, well-presented examples. PROBLEM GENERATORS for almost every concept with hits and answers! Practice Algebra and Pre-Calculus for hours! :>)
Ms. Lindquist: Ms. Lindquist will assess your algebra skills, generate problems according to skill level, use the Socratic method to help you proceed to the correct answer if you make a mistake, and remember you and the last lesson you completed when you return.
Key Math: Dynamic, interactive lessons in Algebra, Geometry, Precalculus, Calculus and Statistics. The geometry examples are especially appealing for visual learners.
MultiFlyer: Memorize the multiplication tables as you fly a spaceship on multiple missions to save human outposts throughout the solar system. Great graphics and lots of fun!
Math Baseball: PLAY BALL! And practice addition and multiplication. Multiple levels, detailed graphics.
Elementary/Middle School Word Problems
Word and Picture Problems for Grades K-3
More Difficult Word Problems for Grades 5-12
Figure This! Math
Challenges in the form of word problems and equations for all ages.
Fractions
Visual Fractions: “Fractions are better understood when seen.” This is a great stand-alone way to teach fractions visually or add it to a lesson with manipulatives. Students learn to identify, simplify and perform basic arithmetic with fractions while looking at numbers and corresponding pictures.
Funbrain Fractions: One of these things is not like, the other, not like the others. Work on your “math vision” seeing relations between numbers and simplifying fractions. Start “easy” and work your way up to “SUPER BRAIN”!
Funbrain Soccer Shootout: Arithmetic operations with fractions. Problem generator with answers.
General Science:
Ology: Active learning about many different natural and social sciences through the American Museum of Natural History.
Building Big: “Explore large structures and what it takes to build them.” Then go one step further and attempt to build a bridge with the West Point Bridge Design software.
Writing:
Greek and Latin Word Roots
A Word A Day: Subscribe and boost your vocabulary.
Roget's Thesaurus: A detailed, searchable, source of synonyms and antonyms. Broaden your vocabulary. Don't forget to check for definitions at Merriam Webster Online or in your print dictionary!
Biology
Biology Online: A comprehensive and easy to navigate listing of biology information on the web including: dictionaries,tutorials, and resources in multiple biology sub-fields.
The Biology Project: An excellent set of
tutorials and problem sets for learning Cell Biology, Biochemistry,
Developmental Biology, Mendelian Genetics, and more.
Fly Lab: Drosophila
without the mess. Generate crosses between flies with known phenotypes and
experience genetic concepts through experimentation.
Chemistry
Periodic Table: The most interesting and artistic periodic table on the web. Lots of information about each element.
The ChemTeam: A tutorial for general chemistry students at the High School or College Level. Easy to understand explanations and examples.
Test Preparation
Number2.com: Wise Guide’s favorite test preparation site for the SAT, ACT, and GRE.
Praxis/PPST: Great test preparation for becoming a teacher! Helpful for other test preparation too.
Universities
Bucknell University: Bucknell is a fabulous place to obtain an undergraduate education. There are always opportunities to work closely with faculty, create independent course work, and pursue undergraduate research. As a Biology Major, I pursued independent studies in Religion, Philosophy, Biology, and Geology.
University of California, Davis: UC Davis is a large land grant institution, whose faculty are ranked 16th nationwide (National Research Council). It offers an incredibly diverse array of opportunities in engineering, agriculture, social sciences, medicine, law etc. on the 5,200 acre campus. Bicycles are the necessary commuting device on the wide, safe streets of the small town of Davis, CA.
Oregon State University: A beautiful 500 acre campus for academics ranging from Engineering and Agriculture to Art and Anthropology. The
Univeristy Honors College is a "college within a college" offering unique opportunities in small classes with professors who care about teaching and are leaders in their academic fields.
Sterling College: Sterling is the smallest four year college in the country. The interdisciplinary curriculum in environmental studies, sustainable agriculture, leadership, and education affords students numerous opportunities to apply their education in real-life settings. The curriculum integrates work, community, experiential learning, and classroom teaching to create a wholistic educational experience. Sterling provides a truly unique experience in higher education.
College Search
Choosing a College: A clear, step-by-step article outlining how to initiate and complete your college search.
Peterson’s College Serach: Start here to search for colleges based on your choices about location, academics, student composition, campus life, and admissions requirements. Find basic information, link to college websites.
College Prowler: Alumni and student opinions and advice about housing, social-life, academics, athletics, etc. Information that might help you decide which schools you want to apply to, visit, or attend.
Career Services
The Career Key: Created by a professor in the College of Education at North Carolina State University. Based on the theories of counseling psychologist John L. Holland. Minor fee.
The Occupational Outlook Handbook: Explains the educational, physical and day-today requirements, economics and future outlook for hundreds of careers and specific jobs. Designed to help individuals make an education decision about their future career life.
America’s Job Bank: Jobs across the country. Set up search agents to notify you when a position of interest is available.
USA Jobs: Jobs across the country with the US Government. Set up search agents to notify you when a position of interest is available.
Activities Across the Curriculum
BBC for kids
BBC for adults returning to school: While some of the grammar and spelling might be different, the concepts and activities provide hours of fun learning in multiple subjects
New York Regents Exam Preparation Center: Wise Guide especially likes the math sections that include online exercises. There are also good resources for Global and American history and basic sciences.
Spark Notes: Intelligent study guides with thoughtful questions and fun perspectives. Multiple subjects from Shakespeare to Physics. Wise Guide prefers the history and literature sections to the science and math guides.
Gameaquarium: Links to learning games of every type. Especially useful for encouraging fun with math!
Enrichment
Bright Minds at Home: Critical thinking, problem-solving, and logic activities that address multiple subjects: math, reading, history, science, vocabulary, and more. The Wise Guide remembers learning from these activities!
Cricket Magazine: Advertisement free magazines in literature, arts,and social and natural sciences for toddlers to teens. The Wise Guide loved these publications as a kid.
Languages
Spanish, French, German and more: Do you need to brush-up or be introduced to a new language? Check out these BBC multi-media sites, filled with activities to help you learn.
Study Skills
Active Reading Strategies: Identify your difficulties with reading. Access well explained strategies for improvement. Print the strategies and mnemonic devices to help you use the strategies. Practice, practice, practice!
Note-Taking: The Cornell Method & 5R's: Our favorite note-taking method! Use the Cornell Method to highlight key points and summarize information. Use the 5 R's to Record, Reduce, Recite, Relect and Review each day after class. Wow! You've mastered an extremely important study habit for retention of classroom material.