From "Mind Traps" To Harmony
Does your child find it difficult to focus on their work and get things done on time?

Often, children pile up books, gadgets, and random items in their room and, rather quickly, this cluttered and disorganized environment becomes a “mind-trap” for distraction.

Having an organized space is scientifically proven to enhance productivity, including homework completion. Adaptively designing and managing a child’s learning space contributes to feeling good, organized, and in control. An organized, chaos-free learning space with adequate natural light has a delightful impact on the nervous system, enhancing children’s ability to think, focus, and work productively (McMains and Kastner, 2011).

At BriteMinds, instructors teach students how to be aware of “mind-traps” around them and how to clean any clutter or distractions around their workspace. Children learn to keep their work area clean, organized, and spacious for enhanced learning opportunities.
 
Preparing for Final Exams Using
BriteMinds Test-Taking Strategies
EXCELLENT RESULTS!
At BriteMinds, pursuing our comprehensive test-taking plan ensures that students reach their full performance potential. Students become active participants by directly interacting with the teacher during the test preparation process. They learn about their own test-taking behaviors and the tendencies they have when responding to questions. Here are some effective tips and tricks to help students ace any test during final exam season.

Before the test:
  • Study, study, study! Don’t wait until the last day.
  • Record audio material so you can listen to content on the go!
  • Make flash cards to memorize important vocabulary words/terms
  • Take practice tests (if none are provided, create your own!)
  • Review examples done in class
  • Apply concepts in new contexts to test your confidence in using what you’ve learned

While taking the test:
  • Take a deep breath and relax your body and mind—don’t tense up!
  • Read directions carefully—what exactly is the question asking?
  • Start with the easiest questions first and skip questions you don’t know. You can come back to them later.

Prepare for any exam at BriteMinds!
Our helpful tutors ensure that students are confident, prepared, and ready to excel on their exams.
The Benefits of a Winter Break
Students can stay creative & productive!
As we approach winter break and the holiday season, we acknowledge the benefits of a stress-free vacation for students. A two- or three-week break can be refreshing for students who feel burnt out from final exams, projects, and end-of-semester stress. During a break, students may unwind and relax, reflecting on their hard work throughout the semester.

Here are some ideas for students to stay productive and avoid boredom this winter break:
  • Make New Year’s resolutions for the upcoming year
  • Read an interesting book and discuss it with friends
  • Play fun games with family and friends (Blokus, create a Kahoot, etc.)
  • Plan fun outdoor holiday activities (picnics, bike rides, holiday dress up, White Elephant, etc.)
  • Research different Christmas or New Year’s traditions around the world. You might be surprised at what you find!
New Year 2023 Resolutions

There are multiple benefits that stem from creating New Year’s resolutions. When students develop a list of things they want to accomplish in the upcoming year, they learn how to set goals and work toward completing them. This is a useful skill that will benefit students in all areas of life, including social relations and academics. At BriteMinds, we help students set a specific goal within a reasonable time frame and work toward achieving that goal.

Learning how to create resolutions is an important part of the process, so here are some guidelines students can use when writing down their New Year’s resolutions:

  • Create a specific goal and try to avoid broad statements. Instead of saying, “I want to have less screen time,” think of specific ways to limit your screen time. Perhaps a better goal would be, “I’ll only play computer games on the weekends,” or “I’ll use a time-tracker and limit my screen time to __ minutes.”
  • Create a reasonable time frame. How long do you think it will take to achieve that goal?
  • Create mini goals related to your major goal. For example, “I want to have less screen time on entertainment and more on productivity.” Under that goal, write bullet points describing different ways you can achieve that goal. For example, the bullet points may say, “organize electronic calendar” or “review computer filing system and reorganize for the new year."
  • Place your list of New Year’s resolutions somewhere visible, where you can see them daily. Perhaps on the wall, right above your desk. That way you’ll be constantly reminded of your goals and what you need to achieve.
  • Look back and reflect on previous goals you might have made. Did you or your child make any New Year’s resolutions last year? If so, reflect on how well you progressed toward your goals. What could you have done better? What will you do differently this year?
“SET” for FUN!
Family Card Game
Need a new game to play this holiday season?

"SET" is a fun and engaging family game involving visual perception and accurate decision making. Essentially, players must find a set, where every feature must be either the same or completely different on all three cards. Features consist of color, shape, number, and shading. Players play in rounds of 12 cards, until the deck finishes. The player with the highest number of points (one point for each set) wins.
 
Why is SET a good learning tool? SET enhances spatial perception, logical thinking, and cognitive processing speed. Players need to process information quickly to identify a set before the other players. They build spatial perception by processing the features of each card and utilize logical thinking to determine whether certain cards form a set. The game also allows for cognitive flexibility, because players must keep in mind all four features of a card at the same time (color, shape, number, and shading).
 
SET is a fun, engaging, and brain-building game that anyone can play. Consider introducing this game to family and friends this holiday season!