84% of Teachers Surveyed Say Students Today More Stressed Than 10 Years Ago
Despite Increase, Parents and Students Can Find Ways to De-stress For Spring Success

Today's students experience a greater level of stress than students a decade ago, according to a teacher survey released today by Sylvan Learning Center, the nation's leading provider of supplemental assistance for children in grades pre-K through 12.  The vast majority of teachers surveyed informally (84 percent) think that students today are more stressed than their predecessors.

When it comes to stress levels throughout the school year, teachers most frequently cited spring as the season of stress. It's no surprise that spring has become synonymous with stress due to end-of-year assessments, projects, extracurricular activities, sports and, for high school students, college admissions.

The many stressors of the final months of school can lead to frustration and hinder academic achievement for some students. However, parents can help their children reduce spring anxiety and achieve a balanced, healthy and academically successful year.

"As stress builds for students during the second half of the school year, the best release to this 'academic pressure cooker' may also be the most simple: time!" says Tricia Roe, Center Director of the Sylvan Learning Center located in Columbia, MO.  "Through effective time management and other strategies, students can create 'found time' and find themselves better prepared for all of the activities and challenges that come along with the final months of the school year."

As a leap year, 2008 offers an extra 24 hours - some of which will be spent in the classroom by students.  Inside and outside of the classroom, there are many ways that students can manage their workload and create time for stress-reducing activities at home. The education experts at Sylvan Learning Center have created the following tips to create "found time" and achieve academic success this spring.

Spring cleaning: Organization - both at home and at school - will save students time by eliminating the need to search for homework assignments, books and other items necessary for spring success.  Create a "homework zone" that houses study tools and allows students to study without distraction.

Spring check-up: Stay informed about the end-of-school activities for which your child will be responsible. Encourage students to use planners to create timelines or place a large calendar with deadlines and test dates in a visible area of the house.

Spring in your step: Exercise is a great way to alleviate stress and stimulate the mind. Taking short exercise breaks between assignments can refresh a student's energy level and renew focus. 

Spring break: Compressing study time into one all-nighter may seem like a good way to save time, but the brain is less efficient without a "sleep break," and a student's memory can be affected. A better alternative is to ensure your child obtains the recommended amount of sleep by spreading study efforts out over a period of time.  

Spring forward: Use your family's "found time" to celebrate spring successes! Show your child that you are confident in her academic abilities and reward the little things – improved concentration while studying or proactively organizing her homework space.  

Spring tune-up: Save yourself and your family time by helping your child pinpoint her "skill gaps" -  academic areas that can be strengthened. The Sylvan Skills Assessment can help your child boost her academic performance and achieve success by reaching her full potential. 

Sylvan's trained and certified personal instructors will use a unique combination of standardized tests, diagnostic tools and personal interviews (including vision and hearing screening) to create a blueprint that illustrates the learning areas that need attention. Using our proven approach, Sylvan will then use that information to work with your family to develop a personalized learning program addressing the skill gaps for your child.

The end of the school year is right around the corner.  Getting your child personalized instruction now can make a big difference in your child's confidence and performance for the remainder of the school year - and beyond. With Sylvan's personalized instruction, your child will develop the skills and confidence to achieve academic success.

About the survey:
To understand teachers' thoughts about their students' stress levels, Sylvan conducted an online survey of teachers who use Book Adventure, a free, online reading motivation tool for children in grades K-8. The survey was fielded January 10-15, 2008, and 141 teachers participated at BookAdventure.com. 

About Sylvan Learning, Inc.
Sylvan Learning Center is the leading provider of in-center and live, online tutoring at home to students of all ages, grades and skill levels. With approximately 30 years of experience and nearly 1,200 centers located throughout North America, Sylvan's proven process and personalized methods have inspired more than 2 million students to discover the joy of learning.  Sylvan's trained and certified personal instructors provide individual instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, study skills and test-prep for college entrance and state exams.  Sylvan helps transform unique kids into uniquely inspired learners with the skills to do better in school and the confidence to do better in everything else.  For more information, call 1-800-31-SUCCESS or visit http://tutoring.sylvanlearning.com.