School is Easy Tutoring

Tutoring Agency

Welcome to our Ad-Free Education Blog for Tutors, Teachers and Parents

Weekly posts on educational topics, how-to-teach tips, parenting advice, kids health and more. Subscribe to the newsletter (on the left or below on mobile) for education blog updates by School is Easy Tutoring.

Innovation in Tutoring: Using Technology to Enhance Learning

Modern Tutoring with instructor Kathryn Fisher

Exploring the Dynamic Role of Technology in Modern Tutoring with instructor Kathryn Fisher

In today’s rapidly evolving educational landscape, technology plays an increasingly crucial role in transforming learning experiences. From interactive apps to online platforms, innovative tools are reshaping how students acquire knowledge and skills. This article explores tutoring methods and the integration of technology to enhance the learning experience. [Read more…]

5 Ways Middle and High School Students Can Make the Most of Summer

Middle and High School Students Can Make the Most of Summer

Summer break presents a valuable opportunity for middle and high school students to engage in activities that are not only fun but also productive. As parents and guardians seek ways to ensure their children make the most of their time off, this listicle article will explore five exciting and beneficial summer activities tailored to keep students entertained, engaged, and learning throughout the break. From educational pursuits to creative endeavors, these suggestions aim to make this summer a rewarding and memorable experience for young learners.

[Read more…]

How To Pick the Right Summer Camp for Kids

Summer Camp for Kids

We’re in the middle of summertime, so it’s probably your last chance to sign up your children for a camp. Determining the best summer camp for your children can be a challenging task. There are many to choose from, and it’s only natural for a parent to want the best experience for their children.

In this article, we give you our favorite tips on how to pick the right summer camp for kids.

Pick the Right Summer Camp for Kids by Observing Their Interests

Determining the right summer camps for your children often requires you to examine what they like. A soccer camp may be a good fit for kids who like athletics but may not be the best choice for children more inclined towards art and vice versa. At the same time, summer camps can be a great way to get your children to explore new things.

Nowadays, summer camps are more than just heading to a generic cabin and lush, green forest where counsellors do crafts and activities with kids, culminating in a final performance for the parents. Summer camps can be one-day events or last several weeks, and they can focus on robotics, martial arts, music, sciences and even entrepreneurialism.

Use Your Children’s Interests To Help Them Grow Over the Summer

One possible way to get your children interested in summer camp and stretch their boundaries is to look for camps with both qualities.

For example, if your kids are interested in science but uncomfortable with athletics, you can enroll them in an exciting STEM summer camp like this one. Your kids will learn all about their favorite Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math subjects like building robots, programming, and cool engineering concepts.

There are likely several themed summer camps you can find locally and abroad if your child is old enough and brave enough to travel independently.

Should we ‘force’ children to go to camp?

It can be difficult to know when we as parents are pushing too hard. Growth doesn’t happen by staying in the comfort zone; however, if you stretch too far, an experience can be quite negative for a child. Unfortunately, there is no magic formula to determine if a child should or shouldn’t go to summer camp. Every child is different. Perhaps the best way is to observe and see if your children have attachment issues when you part with them for shorter periods, like at school or places like after care. Or possibly when a babysitter takes care of them for a few hours before bedtime (when they know they won’t see you until morning).

Check in with camp counsellors to ask them if your kids are exhibiting any symptoms of attachment problems. If it seems like they are getting overwhelmed, don’t be afraid to pull your children out.

Understanding your child can help you make the right decision

But remember, you need to know your child well enough to determine if they are experiencing either discomfort or trauma when attending camp. The discomfort is often necessary for growth, but trauma can be damaging. It’s the latter that you don’t want. Keep this in mind when trying to decide which — or if — summer camp is the right thing for your child.

One final note – if your kids are a bit older, see if they can go to camps as counsellors instead of registrants. It can mean a lot to the younger ones to know they have a ‘big sis’ or ‘big bro’ to be there for them when parents aren’t around. It’ll also teach the teens some great responsibility skills.

Teaching Kids About Space Using Movies

Teaching Kids About Space

There are many complicated processes happening outside of the ‘safe haven’ of the Earth’s orbit. Many adults sometimes have a hard time wrapping their heads around them. It’s no wonder it might be an even more difficult task for children. Teaching kids about space using science fiction movies, however, can help them make their first step at understanding physics, astrophysics, and biology. Not to mention, it’s lots of fun compared to textbook learning!

The Iron Giant (1999): A Great Sci-Fi Kid’s Movie for a Historical Perspective

The heartwarming children’s film The Iron Giant, children are introduced to several wonderful themes, such as family, trust, doing what’s right. This movie also gives a fascinating look at an era in time called “The Space Race,” which started the year this film took place: 1957. This was an ultra competitive time between the Soviet Union and the United States, when both countries raced to produce more advanced space travel in an attempt to see which side was more scientifically advanced.

An overall fun film with a great message, you and your children can experience the complex emotions people had right after the launch of the world’s first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, by the Soviet Union. Laugh, explore, and experience the space craze that swept the nation during the late 1950s!

Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005): Finding the Gravity of This Amazing Space Movie

Zathura: A Space Adventure is an epic action movie about two brothers pulled into a space escapade with the help of a magic board game. Although this fun romp through the galaxy takes plenty of scientific liberties, some of the scenes are great platforms for space lessons – such as gravitational forces!

For instance, in several scenes, the brothers (and other characters) aren’t constrained by earth’s gravitational forces. As the boys float around and solve various puzzles, they use inertia, momentum, and Newton’s laws of motion for gaming success.

Interstellar (2014): Teaching Teens About Space Science Theories

In addition to extreme time dilation depicted in the movie Interstellar due to gravitational pull, Matthew McConaughey’s character experiences a lot of other hypothetical scenarios of exploring and living in space for extended periods of time. For instance, one of the movie’s intriguing concepts involves extreme time dilation caused by gravitational forces, offering a glimpse into the fascinating interplay between time and gravity.

Although written for a teenage audience, the out-of-this-world effects and wonderful performances really do complement the science-based story – especially one that is agreed by experts to be a relatively realistic depiction of complex science theories and their potential impact on everyday life.

To conclude: science fiction space movies can be a gateway to teaching kids about space

Whereas there’s a lot of fiction in space movies, there’s also a great deal of science to be learned (both with the true and the false!). Teaching kids about space with movies such as The Iron Giant, Zathura: A Space Adventure, Interstellar, and others can be a fascinating introduction to the amazing world of physics, astrophysics, and biology.

See more helpful teacher resources on our blog!

We’ve written about educational YouTube resources, some of which explain the science of space (including living on Mars). See our articles below for more resources you can use when teaching the subject of space:

Educational YouTube resources for better learning

More educational YouTube resources for expanded learning

Educational YouTube resources for older learners – Part 1

More educational YouTube resources for older learners – Part 2

Plus, see how these open education resources can help you with lesson planning surrounding space science topics:

Ways to use open education resources (OERs) when teaching