Private Tuition Blog: Archive for October 2011
Posted on 27th October 2011
Yesterday we took a look at Hallowe’en, which is coming up on Sunday. But that’s not the only festival approaching in the next few days. On November 1st and 2nd the Day of the Dead (‘Dia de los Muertos’) will be celebrated in Spain, Mexico and other Latin American countries.
Although the festival is connected to the Catholic holidays of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, the festival also has origins in an Aztec festival which was dedicated to a goddess names Mictecacihuat. For around 3000 years people in Mexico have been celebrating the death of their ancestors, so many of the rituals associated with the festival are very old indeed.
Today, most people dedicate November 1st to the deaths of children and young adults (the day is sometimes referred to as ‘dia de los inocentes’ – ‘day of the innocents’) and November 2nd is dedicated to adults who have died.
Although it might sound a bit morbid to have a festival called the ‘Day of the Dead’ it is actually a really positive time all about remembering and honouring deceased friends and family. People go to the graves and clean them and then leave offerings of the deceased person’s favourite food and drink, along with photos and small gifts in the hope that the offerings will encourage the souls to hear their prayers. People also leave orange marigolds, in the hope that these will attract the souls to the offerings. In the home, people have candied pumpkin and sugar skulls in the hope that these will also attract the souls. People might also leave out pillows and blankets so that the souls can rest after their journey.
Schoolchildren also get involved with the celebrations and in the build up before the festival will make altars and shrines at school and write poems about the people they wish to remember.
The most memorable symbol of the Day of the Dead is of course the skull and people make candy skulls, wear skull masks and decorate shops and houses with pictures and models of skulls.
There are lots of different varieties of
rituals all over Mexico and in some parts children dress up and knock on people’s doors asking for sweets and money (sounds a bit like Hallowe’en!), in others candles feature more heavily in the rituals and there are a few people who will get tattoos to help them remember their dead loved ones.
The Day of the Dead is an extremely popular festival and many people observe it all over the world. So if you see a skull or two at the beginning of next week, now you’ll know why…
Posted on 26th October 2011
I adore Hallowe’en and always have. Sweets, dressing up, fireworks and playing games; what more could you ask for on a chilly autumn evening? Hallowe’en isn’t for a few days yet, but I’m so excited about it and what to instil anticipation in others, so I thought I’d blog about it now. Maybe after this you’ll be so fired up you can start making your costume for Monday. Or perhaps you’ve already got a Hallowe’en party to attend over the weekend.
Hallowe’en is always celebrated on October 31st, but there are many debates over its origins. Some people believe that it descends from the Roman feast of Pomona (Pomona was the goddess of fruits and seeds) or Parentalia (which was the festival of the dead), however the general consensus is that it is linked to a Celtic festival called ‘Samhain’ (which means ‘summer’s end’). ‘Hallowe’en’ itself comes from the Scottish ‘all-hallows-even’ (the night before All Hallows Day). The word ‘Hallowe’en’ or ‘Halloween’ came into use in the 16th century.
One of the objects most strongly associated with Hallowe’en is the carved pumpkin. Traditionally Scottish and Irish participants of the festival would carve turnips into lanterns as a way of remembering the souls held in purgatory. Immigrants to North America started replacing turnips with pumpkins as they were more readily available and easier to carve than turnips. It’s funny to think that if it wasn’t for those resourceful Americans, we might still be decorating our houses with turnips!
For many children, the highlight of Hallowe’en is trick-or-treating when they get dressed up and go in search of sweets. The ‘trick’ is there because traditionally children would perform a song or some kind of trick in order to earn their sweets, although I’m not sure how often that happens now. As you’ve probably gathered so far, Hallowe’en has become a bit of a hodgepodge of different celebrations and beliefs and trick-or-treating is no exception. In the middle-ages people would dress up and go begging from door to door on Hallowmas (1st November), asking for food in return for offering to say prayers for the dead on All Soul’s Day (November 2nd). Similar practices are also found in Italy and in Shakespeare’s ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona’ the character Speed accuses his master of ‘puling like a beggar on Hallowmas’.
Apples have also become integral to Hallowe’en celebrations; apple-bobbing is a popular game at parties and toffee-apples are a favourite Hallowe’en treat.
Hallowe’en is massive business here in the UK and in the USA and after Christmas and Easter, it is the public celebration that makes the most money here in Britain (somewhere in the region of £300 million pounds). If you look in shops and supermarkets this weekend you should see loads of Hallowe’en related food, decorations and costumes.
Whatever you’re doing this Hallowe’en, we hope you have a great time. Finally, remember that if you are going out trick-or-treating make sure you are accompanied by an adult and that you only visit houses where you know the people who live there.
Posted on 26th October 2011
With information so readily at our fingertips in our modern age of technology, Google and smart phones, I don’t think I am the only one who is worried that our memory is weakening. Why bother learning something long term when you can just look it up on an app on your ‘phone?
Just as it’s really important to keep your body fit, you need to look after the health of your brain as well, particularly if you are young and still growing. For academic success, your brain needs to be in tip-top condition. The brain has an amazing ability to adapt and develop, and so if you follow our suggestions below, your mind should be in peak condition before you know it!
1. I’m always advocating the importance of exercise and scientists have proven that regular physical activity will benefit your mind as well as your body. Exercise boosts the amount of oxygen travelling to your brain which in turn helps to reduce the risk of disorders that lead to memory loss. Exercise also boosts positive chemicals that help to look after your brain cells.
2. Sleep deprivation has a very poor impact on brain function indeed. If you get enough sleep each night you’ll improve your ability to think creatively, problem-solve and remember things. You’ll also feel happier too.
3. Laugh lots: funnily enough laughing involves lots of different parts of the brain at the same time, so by having a good giggle, you are giving your brain a great work-out.
4. Minimise your stress levels. This is important not only for your sense of self, but also because stress produces chemicals that actually damage the brain, particularly the hippocampus, where our memories are stored. Go for a gentle swim, listen to relaxing music, have a soothing bath; find what helps you to relax and make sure you use these things to help you reduce stress.
5. Eat brain foods: oily fish, nuts, leafy green vegetables, brown rice and pulses are all good for your brain. Minimising your intake of saturated fat and alcohol should also have a positive impact.
6. Make time for your friends and family; human beings are pack animals, and we thrive on having good social relationships. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that people with very active social lives have a slower rate of memory decline than their lonelier counterparts.
7. Keep your brain on its toes by doing puzzles like crosswords and Sudoku, learn new skills and do activities that challenge your brain in order to keep building neural pathways.
The BBC has a great part of their website all about memory and with lots of fun games to test your brain. Click here and you’ll find it.
Posted on 25th October 2011
Note taking is very important all through your academic life, and beyond actually. It’s probably most important when you are at university and are attending lots of lectures and tutorials and will need to record vast amounts of information in not very much time. Although note-taking is essential, it is rarely taught at school and students are expected to come up with their own system. Now you may well have perfected your own way of writing notes and have a system that works really well, but if not, or if you want to tweak and refine your practice, here are some top tips…
1. Invest in some good writing materials. You don’t need to have a very expensive fountain pen, but a blunt pencil and the back of an envelope simply won’t do. A lot of stationers do student discounts, so nip over to a shop and grab yourself some lined paper, a few pens, a ruler and some highlighters and you’ll be good to go.
2. Don’t try and write down absolutely everything as it’s impossible. You’ll also have no time to think about what you’re writing and you will probably get behind and then miss things and become frustrated.
3. Instead, write down what you think are key bits of information that you might need to know later, and any questions that arise in your mind throughout the lecture/class. Dates, facts, names of people and places, important texts, vital theories, pros and cons of arguments, key quotations are all things that might make the cut and end up in your notes. If you do have questions, try and follow these up later.
4. Be as accurate as possible. If you’re not sure how an author’s name is spelt or if the date of the battle was 1767 or 1776, then ask the lecturer/teacher at the end. If you are taking notes from a book, make sure you write down the author, title and page number of the quotation you are noting down. You may also want to write down which library you found it in, so that if you need to get it again, you won’t have to search for hours on end.
5. Make your notes as clear as possible. It is totally pointless writing down notes if you can’t understand them later. Make sure you write neatly and leave enough space between everything. Underline, highlight and use different colours if that helps.
6. Find a system that works for you: maybe mind-maps are your thing, or lists, or diagrams with annotations. Try a few different ways out and then see what you prefer. Or maybe you like a bit of variety.
7. File them away neatly. There’s no point writing glorious notes if you end up losing them. Have different folders for each topic/module and when you get a chance, put the notes in there and put keep them in order.
8. Read over them regularly. If you leave them untouched for months and months it’ll be harder to revise from them when the exams come around to bite you. A quick glance through your notes every now and again will help the knowledge seep in.
Good luck! Hopefully now you’ll always have impressive notes. If you feel you need more advice on study skills then don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Posted on 24th October 2011
For the past few years the number of students applying for places at university has been steadily creeping up and up, but for the first time in five years, (when top up fees were first introduced) there’s been a dramatic drop in applications. With tuition fees almost tripling at many institutions, it’s hardly surprising that many sixth formers are becoming more hesitant about filling in a Ucas form.
Although this year’s admissions deadline is still a couple of months away, the Oxbridge deadline has gone by and many applicants have already completed their personal statements. BBC Inside Out recently commissioned a survey to see what sort of impact the rise in fees is having on applications.
Most students still intend to complete higher education courses, although interestingly about half of the young people involved in the survey said that they would consider going to a university closer to home in order to reduce living costs. Until now it has become the norm to move away from home to go to university, but maybe we’ll start to see a reversal of this trend.
Many more school-leavers are now considering apprenticeships and training schemes instead of doing a traditional degree. A lot of training schemes allow you to learn new skills while earning money, and then the companies often offer you a job at the end of the scheme, whereas a degree will put you in debt and leave you with no certain job prospects. Many pragmatic school-leavers are thus opting for the former choice. The number of training schemes is ever-increasing, with lots of large city companies jumping on board the wagon. If you are interested in doing an apprenticeship or training scheme, talk to your careers advisor at school.
As things stand, so far there has been a 10% decrease in the number of university applications this year, which is really rather a lot. Only once the final Ucas deadline has been and gone will we know the true extent of the impact of tuition fees on applications, but for now this is a good insight into students’ state of mind.
Although the fear of enormous debt is the main reason people are being put off doing degrees, Universities Minister David Willetts has said, “It’s important that prospective students are not put off applying to university. Going to university depends on ability - not the ability to pay. Most new students will not pay upfront, there will be more financial support for those from poorer families and everyone will make lower loan repayments than they do now once they are in well paid jobs.”
If you want advice on university applications, don’t hesitate to give Enjoy Education a call, we’re always more than happy to talk through the system and answer any questions you might have.
Posted on 21st October 2011
Four hundred years ago the King James Bible (sometimes known as the ‘Authorised Version’, or ‘King James Version’, or ’ KJV’) was completed, after seven years of hard scholarly work. As this year is the KJV’s 400th birthday and there are lots of celebrations, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at this incredible book.
The KJV was born out of a talk held at Hampton Court by King James I, who was worried about the perceived problems of the first two English translations of the Bible (previously it had only been available in Latin). The Christian scriptures were first translated in the 15th century, which seems like a very long time ago indeed, but if you think of how old the original scriptures are, this actually seems quite recent. The Puritans, a faction within the Church of England, were particularly unhappy with the current translations.
King James asked 47 scholars, many of whom belonged to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, to undertake a new translation. The New Testament would be translated from Greek and the Old Testament was translated from Hebrew. The first draft was completed by 1608, which meant that it had taken to scholars around three and a half years to translate their sections (about as long as it takes to do a PhD today!). This draft was then reviewed and amended and wasn’t ready for printing until 1611. You could buy your own unbound copy for ten shillings or twelve if you wanted it bound. Ten shillings is equal to just over £50 today, so it was a pretty pricey book. Although it was printed with the intention of being read aloud in church, not for personal and private use.
I found it fascinating to discover that the original copy was printed before English spelling was standardised and so printers would expand or contract words to make them fit the page better! There were also lots of financial disputes about who had the right to print and reap profits from the new Bible. In fact the KJV was surrounded by disputes at first, and although it was quite popular to start with, and grew rapidly in popularity, it wasn’t without its critics. Hugh Broughton, a scholar who hadn’t been asked to work on the translation due to his unreliable temper said he, “would rather be torn to pieces by wild horses than that this abominable translation should ever be foisted upon the English people.”!
But by the early 18th century the KJV was pretty much undisputed as the proper English translation of the Bible, and was used in Protestant churches throughout England. Although there were still some whispers of discontent, mainly about the Bible’s diction. Although the translators had supposedly tried to be as accurate as possible in their translations, sometimes they were a bit lazy, for example there are 14 different Hebrew words that have all been translated as ‘prince’ in the Old Testament.
Although the KJV will never keep everyone happy, its influence has been enormous and it has been called “the most influential version of the most influential book in the world.” It gave 257 idioms to the English language and its impact on literature and art is incalculable. When I began my English literature degree I was told that the most useful texts for me to read would be the Iliad, the Odyssey and the King James Bible because these three texts have had such an incredible impact on authors throughout time and across the world.
To celebrate the KJV’s birthday the National Theatre are performing readings of extracts from the Bible. Many famous actors will be speaking these immortal words, and the event is sure to be a very special thing indeed. Visit the National Theatre’s website to find out more.
Posted on 21st October 2011
Computers are taking over our lives, and we rely on them more and more every year. Instead of reading real books, you can read e-books, instead of meeting up for a chat, you can Skype, and instead of writing a letter, you can send an e-mail. Most students now write the majority of their homework on the computer and then print it off, and some just e-mail it to their teachers. So is handwriting irrelevant now? I would argue no; it is still vitally important to develop your own handwriting style and researchers in America have proven that people who learn joined-up writing skills have improved brain function, compared to those who never join letters up.
Your handwriting is very particular to you, like a fingerprint or the colour of your eyes, and people much prefer to receive a hand written card or letter than a text message. We should also remember how to function without modern technology, so it is essential that we remember how to write without the aid of a keyboard!
If you feel like your writing is a bit messy, don’t despair! Here are some tips for how to improve your handwriting.
1. Although your handwriting should be personal to you, why not find an example of a handwriting style that you really like so that you have something to aspire to.
2. Get kitted out with the right tools. A blunt pencil and the back of a receipt will not do. Instead, invest in some lined paper and a nice pen. You don’t need to spend a fortune on a fancy fountain pen, but whatever you go for, make sure it feels comfortable in-between your fingers.
3. Remember to be patient. Practice makes perfect, but you won’t transform your style immediately, so just take one step at a time.
4. Start by writing the alphabet. Maybe just focus on a couple of letters a day, then build up to words and sentences.
5. Use different resources to help you improve. There are some excellent guidelines for children and adults here. And there’s a fantastic website with very detailed advice to be found if you click here. If you’d like to get your paws on a book to help guide you then try Rosemary Sassoon’s ‘Improve Your Handwriting’. It’s got lots of superb exercises in it for you to follow. Click here for a link to give you more info.
If you’re a parent with young kids and you want to help your children to develop their writing skills then a good place to start is encouraging them to build up the fine-motor skills which handwriting demands. Playing with play dough, puzzles and building blocks will build muscle strength. Tying laces, using finger paints and playing games with small counters will improve dexterity. Then when they start to write, their hands should have the required strength.
Posted on 20th October 2011
There are so many fantastic things to do in London, that we couldn’t fit all of our favourites into just one blog. To solve the problem, here’s another one for you, packed with ideas for next week.
Book worms will love the WordUp! Children’s Book Festival taking place at Alleyn’s school next week. Many top children’s authors will be there to give talks and run workshops. Even Mackenzie Crook will be there!
Galleries and museums all over the country will be taking part in the Big Draw over half term. The campaign is aimed at getting children interested in drawing and developing their skills. You can find more information about the events here.
The London Wetland Centre is the place to be for little rascals who love creepy crawlies. The centre will also be holding special talks and walks centred on bats and spiders.
Keen sailors might want to pop along to HMS Belfast to hear all about what lies below deck.
If you’ve never been, then you should definitely pop along to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich where there are the most amazing astronomy galleries.
The Railway Children is still going strong at Waterloo Station. See a classic film brought to life in front of you (and there’s a real steam train!).
Another classic film brought to life on the stage is Matilda. The RSC’s fabulous version is now playing at the Cambridge Theatre in the West End.
For something quirky and unusual, why not catch the Insect Circus on Jackson’s Lane, Archway.
The thing I’m most looking forward to going to is the Magic Worlds exhibition at the Museum of Childhood. The exhibition looks at all areas of magic and enchantment and how different worlds have been created in literature and on film.
Posted on 19th October 2011
October Half Term was always one of my favourite school holidays. Probably because my birthday is always during it, but also because there are fireworks, beautiful autumn colours all around, and plenty of great things to do.
After catching up with any leftover homework, why not spend this Half Term doing something a little bit different. To help you plan the holiday, here are some tips…
Make your own Gromit at the Cinema Museum in Kennington. On 22nd October Jim Parkyn (senior model-maker at Aardman) will be leading classes in how to make Gromit!
If you’re a keen magician then head the Museum of Childhood where there are all sorts of magic stories to be heard and fun to be had.
If you’ve got green fingers then maybe the Chelsea Physic Garden is the place for you this October as you’ll be able to learn all about growing and caring for plants.
Puppets and a boat come together in this amazing puppet show on a barge! Younger kids should love ‘The Three Pigs and the Wolf’ on the Puppet Theatre Barge in Little Venice.
Why not go to a new museum? We are so lucky to have so many museums to choose from, but sometimes the big famous ones overshadow the smaller, lesser-known ones, which are all deserve attention too. The cartoon museum is lots of fun, and very central so you could always pop along to another museum in the same day.
Teenagers with an eye for design might want to try the Urban Reformers workshop at Somerset House, where you can create designs adapted to city life. It’s essential to book a place though, so call up quick if you’re interested!
If you’ve ever wanted to make your own puppets, now’s your chance at the Dulwich Picture Gallery. On Friday 28th October you can make puppets during a special family workshop. Then perhaps have a run around Dulwich Park afterwards, which is always a delightful place to visit and the cafe is rather nice too!
Have fun!
Posted on 19th October 2011
Computers are taking over our lives, and we rely on them more and more every year. Instead of reading real books, you can read e-books, instead of meeting up for a chat, you can Skype, and instead of writing a letter, you can send an e-mail. Most students now write the majority of their homework on the computer and then print it off, and some just e-mail it to their teachers. So is handwriting irrelevant now? I would argue no; it is still vitally important to develop your own handwriting style and researchers in America have proven that people who learn joined-up writing skills have improved brain function, compared to those who never join letters up.
Your handwriting is very particular to you, like a fingerprint or the colour of your eyes, and people much prefer to receive a hand written card or letter than a text message. We should also remember how to function without modern technology, so it is essential that we remember how to write without the aid of a keyboard!
If you feel like your writing is a bit messy, don’t despair! Here are some tips for how to improve your handwriting.
1. Although your handwriting should be personal to you, why not find an example of a handwriting style that you really like so that you have something to aspire to.
2. Get kitted out with the right tools. A blunt pencil and the back of a receipt will not do. Instead, invest in some lined paper and a nice pen. You don’t need to spend a fortune on a fancy fountain pen, but whatever you go for, make sure it feels comfortable in-between your fingers.
3. Remember to be patient. Practice makes perfect, but you won’t transform your style immediately, so just take one step at a time.
4. Start by writing the alphabet. Maybe just focus on a couple of letters a day, then build up to words and sentences.
5. Use different resources to help you improve. There are some excellent guidelines for children and adults here and there’s a fantastic website with very detailed advice to be found if you click here. If you’d like to get your paws on a book to help guide you then try Rosemary Sassoon’s ‘Improve Your Handwriting’. It’s got lots of superb exercises in it for you to follow. Click here for a link to give you more info.
If you’re a parent with young kids and you want to help your children to develop their writing skills then a good place to start is encouraging them to build up the fine-motor skills which handwriting demands. Playing with play dough, puzzles and building blocks will build muscle strength. Tying laces, using finger paints and playing games with small counters will improve dexterity. Then when they start to write, their hands should have the required strength.
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