Articles by: Shelby Joe

New study finds that Autism is much more prevalent than previously thought.

Learning Differences May 9, 2011 at 9:45 am

A five year study just published out of South Korea shows that some form of autism was present in 1 out of 38 children or 2.64%.  This rate is more than 2.5x what researchers previously thought to be the case in the United States (there’s no reason to believe thatRead More

General Academic featured in the Houston Chronicle

GA News & Events May 1, 2011 at 3:43 pm

The Houston Chronicle’s small business section featured General Academic on May 1.  Reporter Sandra Bretting showcased our new Study Lounge while talking about the challenges faced by small businesses.  You can read the article at chron.com.

Bilingual Kids Have More Brain Power

Health & Science April 9, 2011 at 5:38 pm

New research is dispelling the old myth that monolingual children have an advantage over children who grown up speaking two languages.  The reason is that children who actively use two languages have more active minds since the brain is always sorting out different input and output signals.  The report suggestsRead More

ISEE Misreports 7000 Test Scores

ISEE & HSPT, Standardized Tests April 9, 2011 at 5:34 pm

According to the New York Times, the Educational Resource Board–the company that administers the Independent School Entrance Exam–admitted that it had wrongly scored at least 7,000 upper level tests.  Some of the re-graded tests resulted in dramatically higher scores.  This admission of error comes after most parents have already decidedRead More

FDA : Artificial Food Coloring May Exacerbate Behavioral Issues

Health & Science, Learning Differences March 30, 2011 at 9:23 am

Increasingly, a number of studies are indicating that artificial food coloring may exacerbate the symptoms of children affected by behavioral issues such as ADD and ADHD.  The FDA is now assessing whether a variety of foods ranging from Minute Maid lemonade to Cheerios should now include warnings as to such.Read More

Rice Tuition Increases 5.4% for 2011

College March 15, 2011 at 12:04 am

Rice has announced that its tuition for undergraduates matriculating in fall of 2011 will increase by 5.4% over 2010 to $34,900.  Including room, board, and fees, the annual cost of a Rice education will be $47,821.  Although this figure seems high, it is generally several thousands dollars less than comparableRead More

ADHD Caused by Nutrition?

Health & Science, Learning Differences March 14, 2011 at 5:34 pm

A new study out of the Netherlands states that as many as 65% of children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may benefit tremendously from a change in diet.  The researchers believe that children may simply have adverse reactions to certain foods.  The study is careful not to stateRead More

Organizing College Applications

College, Recommendations March 14, 2011 at 1:07 pm

Applying to colleges in today’s competitive environment can be an overwhelming process. With the huge volume of paper mailings, test dates and scores, e-mail information, and online and offline application materials to contend with, many students find themselves spending as much time sorting through a box full of papers asRead More

Deciding On and Conquering AP Exams

Recommendations, Standardized Tests March 14, 2011 at 1:06 pm

In high school, it’s important to decide whether or not you should take AP Classes and AP Exams.  You have to decide if you can handle the difficulty level of an AP course, determine if an AP course will hurt your GPA, and figure out how an AP Exam willRead More

Realizing Expectations

Recommendations March 14, 2011 at 1:03 pm

Getting Started with a Tutor – Realizing Expectations Our experiences in working with students and parents have taught us a few lessons about how to maximize the tutor relationship. We present this guide in the hope that it helps you maximize the value of working with any third party tutorRead More