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Live, web-based classes for students in grades 6-12. A friendly and motivating way for students to learn how to study. Learn to manage time, organize, take notes, plan homework and projects, improve reading comprehension, set goals, take tests, and more!
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Table of Contents:
Live, Web-Based Classes for Students in Grade 6 and Up
"This is more useful and interesting than any other class!"
- Shane D., 9th grade student
Have You ever...
-Studied very hard for a test, only to be disappointed by your grade? You are not alone! Most students are never taught how to study for tests. We can teach you simple ways to be better prepared for tests and to be a better test-taker.
-Completed a homework assignment, but lost it before you could turn it in? We have a simple system to help you easily organize all of your papers...You will never loose another assignment again!
-Been told that you do not work to your potential? SOAR® will guide you through ways to get motivated and organized so you can "work to your potential" and feel proud of yourself, but not sacrifice fun time, either.
-Struggled to read a textbook and understand what you were reading? There are three simple steps that can help you understand more of what you read and, after doing them just a few times, will dramatically increase your reading speed.
-Tried to write a paper and felt completely overwhelmed? Our 3-D Writing Organizer is the perfect tool to guide you through a painless writing experience!
If you answered "yes" to any of these then the Strategic Learning Class is for you!
Strategic Learning Classes are a friendly and motivating way to learn how to study, right from the comfort of your own home.
The steps of the program are simple to learn and use because they were designed by a student. Susan Kruger, the creator and lead instructor of SOAR®, had always been the youngest in her class and had struggled to earn good grades. In college, however, Susan learned study skills that transformed her not-so-great grades into a 3.9 GPA. She weeded through many study strategies to find and create ones that were practical to use (most study skills are much too complicated to be effective) and soon began tutoring high school students and college peers in study skills. She was successfully teaching other students easy ways to study and do homework efficiently while she was still "in the trenches" herself.
Susan became a certified teacher, working with 9th & 10th grade students, and quickly saw that most students do not know basic skills for studying. She continued teaching strategic learning skills in her day-time classes and while tutoring after school, helping students discover how to earn better grades, have more free time, and develop greater confidence in school. Parents and students quickly became excited about the skills they were learning and Susan soon had a wait-list for tutoring. After teaching for only one semester, her principal asked her to create a study skills workshop that was eventually made available to every student in the school. That was the beginning of SOAR®.
As thousands of students and families have continued to discover, SOAR® is student-friendly; the strategies are easy to learn, provide immediate results, and help you study more efficiently so that homework can be done in less time. When you join a SOAR® Strategic Learning Class, you will quickly learn simple and easy ways to:
-Manage your time
-Organize your papers
-Take notes
-Plan homework and projects
-Improve reading comprehension
-Set goals
-Organize your space
-Take tests
-Communicate with parents and teachers
-Write papers
"I learned how to plan my time and not just do a thing when I feel like it. I am also keeping myself organized so I'm not racking my brain to study one day before a test."
- Christopher N., 8th grade student
"The rock, gravel, and water activity really helped me understand how to use my time better."
- Andrea F., 10th grade student
"I have kept my past tests and papers...I am so much better prepared for finals!"
- Cara D., 9th grade student
The SOAR® System is broken down into four fundamental principles: Set goals, Organize, Ask questions, Record your progress.
These core strategies cover the most fundamental skills for school success and interrelate with one another, making it easy for you to learn and use them immediately. The techniques within each section lay a foundation for the following section and reinforce strategies from previous sections.
At the conclusion of this action group, you will:
Increase your grades. After one full marking period of using the SOAR® System, your grades will go up. Most students actually see a significant increase in their grades and cannot believe how easy it is to do better in school when they know how to study and do homework efficiently.
- and -
Have 2-10 more hours of free-time every week. The SOAR® strategies are all about efficiency...learning the quickest way to earn better grades.
You will learn how to take control of your school work and will have the confidence to be successful!
There are countless stories of how SOAR® has helped students overcome problems in school. Stephen, Sachi, and Nick's stories below are just a few examples:
Stephen, a student in 8th grade, went from dozens of missing assignments every quarter to missing only two assignments total during his first quarter after SOAR®. Stephen found our binder system to be so incredibly easy. "Why didn't someone tell me about this before?" he said.
Sachi, a bright 11th grader, improved her test grades from mostly D's & F's to all A's & B's. Sachi suffered from text anxiety for years; she had accommodations including extra time to take tests, but that was not enough. We first taught Sachi how to prepare for tests because the more prepared she could be, the calmer she would be. We then taught her test-taking strategies by reviewing one of her recent tests (with her teacher's permission) and coached her on how to deal with anxiety. "Once I learned how to get control over what I was supposed to learn before a test and what to do on a test, I was so much more confident!" she said.
Nick, a 6th grader, used to have nightly arguments and fights with his mom over homework. Now, his mom says, they rarely argue at all! Nick had been feeling nagged by his mom when she asked several questions every day about his schoolwork. His mom, however, wanted to make sure he would do well in school and complained that he never told her anything. "What else can I do besides ask him questions?" she asked. We helped Nick and his mom work out a plan for communicating and checking in with each other, giving his mom reassurance while giving Nick some independence. "Now that my mom isn't bugging me all of the time, I don't mind doing my homework as much," said Nick.
The SOAR® classes provide many benefits that no other program can offer. Not only will you be earning better grades and having more free-time, you will...
...Using work-place technology. Today, all fields of business, medicine, and education are relying more and more on virtual classes and meetings because they are quick, convenient, and effective. In fact, many states are requiring all students to participate in an on-line class before they graduate from high school. There is no better time to take advantage of a convenient, virtual class and no better class than the one that will save you a lot of time and last you a lifetime!
...Be practicing all strategies with your current homework. We do not waste your time by asking you to do "fake" assignments. All strategies are practiced on your homework, so it will not seem like you are doing extra work as you learn the system. Instead, you will see how quickly you can save time and increase your grades because the program is immediately applied to your school work.
...Receive recordings of every session in case you miss a live session, want to review a specific topic again, or want to refresh your knowledge of the program sometime in the future. All of our classes are recorded and made available for download. Your parents will also be able to access these recordings to learn about what is happening in the classes without having to "nag" you with tons of questions. (Of course, we encourage you to talk to you parents about what you learn, but they can access all of the nitty-gritty details from these recordings.)
...Get customized and individualized attention that will ensure that the SOAR® strategies work for you. Every week, you will receive personal feedback and individualized attention during the group meeting from your instructor. While our program is designed to be simple and universal for most students, we also listen to any concerns and offer suggestions to help make the program fit for you.
...Have homework support for life. We frequently share free tips and valuable resources exclusively with our past students. We are also available to answer questions and provide individual assistance. This service is provided for all current and past students, with no expiration, ever! For example, if you have a big project to do a year from now and are feeling overwhelmed, call us and we will be happy to get you started.
...Learn from peers who are "in the trenches." It is very helpful to share your school struggles with others who are likely experiencing similar issues. The group members learn a lot from each other as they share their experiences, ideas, and insights that can only come from someone who is "there" right now.
While the steps in SOAR® are easy, they do not complete themselves.
To be sure that your time and money are wisely invested, we kindly request that you sign up for the SOAR® Strategic Learning Classes only if you and/or your parents meet these criteria:
-Students must want to do better in school and/or save time on their homework. At first, most students feel a lot of apprehension towards taking this class, but their reservations usually disappear after we all meet together during our first session. We focus on the positive outcomes of earning better grades while making more time for "fun." We expect students to be responsible, but we also respect their time and their desires for a "balanced" approach to managing school work.
-Parents must be open to helping their children, even if it means making some adjustments themselves. A significant part of our mission is to help students and parents work together to find common ground in regards to school. In order to be successful, parents must be willing to take a look at how their own actions may be contributing to the problem and how they can contribute to the solution.
If you meet these simple criteria, we are confident that a SOAR® Strategic Learning Class will be a rewarding experience for you and we look forward to the opportunity to work with you. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. We will be happy to answer them!
The program is accessible from the comfort of your own home via phone, internet, and e-mail. Topics are covered in six, 60 minute sessions over the course of six weeks via the internet and teleconference line. This program is unique because you will actually do most of the strategies in school or with your homework before we discuss them in detail with the group. This twist enables you to ask good questions and be sure that you really understand how and when to use each strategy.
Each class session will have up to 15 participants. This group size is small enough for students to get full and individualized attention, but large enough to promote engaging discussions and learning opportunities from peers.
"It was serious and well-focused, but still fun! Thanks!"
- Emily Dundr, 9th grade student
If, at the conclusion of the course, you do not feel that it was a worthwhile investment, simply send us an email with an explanation and we will issue a refund. All we ask is that your child be present for each class.
We can make this kind of guarantee because the SOAR® Study Skills system has proven itself over the last 15 years with thousands of teachers, students, and families who have learned how to efficiently learn, organize, and improve grades!
In order to effectively participate in this program, you will need:
-Access to a telephone
-Access to an on-line computer during each session, and
-An email account
While sessions are always customized to meet the needs of each group, the following framework describes what you can expect to learn during each session:
Session 1
-Overview of tele-class routines and etiquette.
-Review of How Are You Smart? Survey from SOAR® Book.
-Setting goals and priorities
Session 2
-Communicating with your family
-Using a planner to manage your time
Session 3
-Organizing your papers
-Organizing your space
Session 4
-Interacting with Teachers
-Reading Text-Books
Session 5
-Writing Papers
-Taking & Studying Notes
-Taking Tests
Session 6
-Wrap up
-"Graduation"
In addition to the six sessions that will teach you how to get better grades in less time, you will also:
-Receive a copy of the SOAR® Study Skills book.
-Receive an Organizational Supply Kit containing everything you need to set up the SOAR® Binder System.
-Get individualized feedback on implementing the SOAR® Study Skills strategies.
-Have access to a recording of each session. (This is a nice feature if you miss a session, want to review a session, or have a parent that would like to review the information covered.)
-Have access to personal assistance during the program, or even after you have completed the sessions. Students attending SOAR® sessions will be able to call or email outside of the sessions to get clarification and individualized feedback on strategies. This continued support helps to ensure that SOAR® will provide you with long-term support!
-Family discounts are available if two or more children will be accessing the class from the same computer. Each student will receive a 25% discount off of the course price. The discount will be applied automatically at checkout.