Example

Likewise the speaking section, the TOEFL® iBT writing papers are sent to the ETS's Online Scoring Network where they are scored by certified raters.

To give examples



•for example
•as an example
•chiefly
•for instance
•especially
•illustrated with
•in this case
•in another case
•in particular
•in this situation
•including
•markedly
•namely
•notably
•on this occasion
•particularly
•in particular
•specifically
•such as
•take the case of
•to demonstrate
•to illustrate
•as an illustration


Example: Most of English Language Exams are divided into separate parts that test different language components. For example, TOEFL iBT has four sections – Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing. Some other exams, including Cambridge FCE, CAE and CPE include Use of English or Grammar in their formats.

To clarify the information you have presented



•above all
•I mean
•in other words
•in this case
•that is to say
•to put it in another way
•under certain circumstances
•up to a point
•what I mean is


Example: To put it in another way, five are the components that you should pay attention where preparing for any English Language Test – Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing, Use of English or Grammar.

To present consequence



•accordingly
•as a result
•consequently
•for this reason
•for this purpose
•hence
•in that case
•otherwise
•so then
•subsequently
•therefore
•thus
•thereupon
•under those circumstances
•wherefore


Example: As a result, most ESL (English as a Second Language) books and training programs are organized around this kind of division and closely follow this format.

Once again, using transitional words and phrases help you write or speak organize your thoughts in more logical and understandable way. Transitional words clarify the conjunctions and transitions between ideas and thoughts and thus facilitate the reader or listener’s comprehension. From that perspective, the right usage of transitional words will pay back with a better score on your TOEFL® iBT Exam.

See also our section with TOEFL iBT Test Taking Strategies for more tips on writing good essays.

Practice you writing skills with i-Courses TOEFL iBT Full Tests. You will benefit from the professional scoring that gives you feedback on all the weak points in your papers and ways to overcome those weaknesses.

TOEFL iBT Transitional Words

Transitional words, called also linking words or signal words, are of huge importance for building your written and spoken responses at TOEFL iBT Exam. As the name suggests these words help you to move from one idea to another in a smooth and coherent way. They also signal the reader or listener what will follow after the transitional word. That is why transitional word will be helpful not only to do better in your TOEFL iBT Speaking and TOEFL iBT Writing but also to better comprehend the information presented in the TOEFL iBT Reading and TOEFL iBT Listening sections. The use of transitional words is not only limited to the Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL®) but also to any other English tests, like IELTS (International English Language Testing System), FCE (First Certificate in English), CAE (Certificate in Advanced English), CPE (Certificate of Proficiency in English), etc.

In this document we provide a list of some transitional words and their usage within the text. We do not claim that this is the complete list of transitional words, but we may state that it covers the most common transitional words. Studying this list will greatly improve the organization of your responses and thus enhance your chances of better result at TOEFL® iBT Exam.

Transitional Words Grouped according to their Purpose

To add extra information



•and
•also
•additionally
•alternatively
•and then
•apart from
•as well
•as well as
•besides
•besides that
•coupled with
•equally important
•finally
•first, second, third, and etc
•following this further
•further
•furthermore
•indeed
•in addition (to)
•in fact
•last, lastly
•last but not least
•likewise
•moreover
•not only …, but also…
•not to mention
•or
•then, too
•too
•what is more

Solve Division Problems

There aren't many students, teachers and parents who don't dread having to deal with long division problems. But it doesn't have to be that way. Even though most teachers use the same old, tired algorithm to teach long division, there are shortcuts and especially good ways to check the answers that those teachers should be exploring.
Calculators have been infiltrating elementary schools for years, depriving children of the experience of learning vital mental skills. There's no need for calculators for even large division problems. Certainly nothing an elementary school-age child will ever be faced with should require a calculator.
Did you know that most division problems can at least be reduced to half their size, and very often much less? Many examples, like 87,345 / 72, can be reduced to 9,705 / 8, in seconds, without even using a pencil and paper. It only takes a few seconds to learn, and a few minutes to practice.
Imagine looking at a problem like 4,028 / 128 and just "knowing" the answer without doing any "work." Some readers may already be able to do this, and if you are one of them, you should check out the other tips. They will turbo-charge your math skills!
It turns out, that after a bit of learning and practice, anyone can face a test question like:
719,973,728 / 739 =
a. 845,541 r. 432 b. 974,254 r. 22 c. 974,254 r. 21 d. 479,254 r. 22 e. none of the above
and answer it with a great deal of certainty, in about 10 seconds.
If you had to do the problem now, could you do it without just guessing? Could you prove your answer? How long would it take? Even if you were allowed to do it with a calculator, do you realize that most calculators will not give you an answer with a remainder, so a calculator would only be of limited help anyway?
On questions like the one above, anyone who can do division at all will be able to lop off many valuable minutes on tests, and be much more confident of his or her answer, by using just some common sense and a simple technique you can learn.
The techniques are not just for tests, but for everyday use as well. Figuring out bills, taxes, etc. are all made easier when you can do division confidently.
Obviously this skill is not just for students. One benefit of learning alternative mental-math methods, is that parents and students are on equal footing. The method is new for both, so they share a learning experience, instead of having a parent just teach a child. When a child feels like he or she has an equal status with the parent, the "intimidation factor" is solved, and the child doesn't have to feel stressed, and the parent doesn't have to feel like he or she has to be an expert. Everyone can relax and learn at an equal speed.
No one is truly bad at math, it's just that most people haven't been properly introduced to what math really is. It's not the school subject that districts beat their students over the head with. It's a wonderful way to explore and describe your world- your world, which you have as much right to as any mathematician.

Effective Educational Services

15 million school age children in the US have learning problems that public and private schools can’t solve. There are 72,000 special education students in LAUSD, alone. Every day these students sit unhappily in class, losing hope of ever realizing their dreams. Students are living in pain and shame. They are not learning to be successful students.Their parents are frustrated in their attempts to find suitable education for their child. They’ve tried working through the public schools. They have hired tutors. Parents are calling for real solutions.In order to thrive, these students need special educational methods that address their unique profile of strengths and needs. But even more importantly, these children require a new mindset of success.Educational therapy offers help and hope to children and adults with learning challenges such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and learning disabilities. Educational therapy is an appropriate and highly successful approach to helping students of all ages achieve their maximum potential.Educational therapists use state of the art educational programs and methods that have been proven to teach students with learning problems the skills they require to be successful. Educational therapy shows students how to overcome their learning problems and lead successful lives.All throughout the school years, foundations for future success are laid down. Not only are students learning essential skills such as reading, they are also learning to value education. But most importantly, they are learning to believe that they are successful students!When students experience repeated frustration and failure, they develop self-doubt along with dislike or distrust of educational experiences. These negative views influence how much students can learn, at every level from elementary school through college!Special needs students experience three major problems with learning:Teachers and tutors use the same methods for every child. Children are unique and each learns in his or her own way. Teachers and tutors usually do not understand how to modify their approach to address different learning styles.Teachers and tutors only teach subject matter. Students who experience repeated academic failure lack the underlying foundational skills to be successful students. They often don’t know the best study methods, how to manage their time, or what the real secrets are to academic success.Teachers and tutors do not address the root cause of continued academic failure—learned helplessness. When students experience failure after failure, they develop a mindset that they are “stupid” and “can’t learn.” They give up on ever being a good student! But, when students believe they can succeed, they begin to try. When they believe they can learn, they begin to study. When they believe they can have impressive futures, they make powerful choices. Students have the right to believe in their innate intelligence and skill!Educational therapists generally begin their professional careers in special education, child development or counseling. The Association of Educational Therapists is the national professional organization that sets the training standards for educational therapists. There are three levels of membership in the Association of Educational Therapists: Associate Professional (introductory level), Professional (experienced), Board Certified (seasoned).According to the Association of Educational Therapists: “Regardless of previous background, all Professional members of the Association of Educational Therapists (AET) have met rigorous professional requirements in the academic areas of elementary and/or secondary education, child development, educational assessment, learning theory, learning disabilities, and principles of educational therapy. All members have a B.A. degree and are required to hold a Masters Degree or equivalent in post-BA course work. They have completed at least 1500 supervised direct service hours, and are required to complete 40 clock hours of Continuing Education every two years.To become a Board Certified Educational Therapist (BCET)®, a member must meet the following additional requirements: Masters Degree (required); one year membership in AET at the Professional level; 1000 hours of professional practice; formal written Case Study evaluated and passed by the AET Certification Board; a written examination that demonstrates professional expertise in educational therapy.”To locate an educational therapist near you or obtain more information about educational therapy, visit the Association of Educational Therapists website

Automaticity is a Myth

Summary: Sight Words, Dolch Words, Whole Word, Balanced Literacy--all the methods that start by having children memorize word-shapes--assume that it is possible for average children to recognize (and name) many hundreds of words by their shapes. Children must do this quickly, even instantly--an ability that is called automaticity. This ability is praised and promoted on hundreds of websites and in thousands of schools. it's routinely said that children "must" achieve automaticity.
I argue that this claim is sort of a sick joke, like telling a short child, "You must learn to dunk the ball." I've just finished a thorough analysis of this issue for Improve-Education.org. Here's how the piece starts....------------------------------------------------"During the last dozen years the Education Establishment has stepped back from Whole Word, or pretended to, and retreated to a mixed-bag approach called Balanced Literacy. This is the official position in many public schools. In this shift to Balanced Literacy, the Education Establishment pretends there is much greater emphasis on phonics. Isn’t that progress? In fact, this claim is often a lie. That’s because children may be forced to start reading by trying to memorize --with instant recall--the 220-word Dolch List. While there may be far fewer Sight Words to learn in total, all of them just happen to be at the very beginning. Sight Words are thus a bridge that children have to cross to reach the land of reading. Many don’t make it to the other side, and end up illiterate or dyslexic.Thousands of websites, experts, and schools categorically state that children must master their Sight Words. Typically, these claims make it seem easy to achieve the magical skill called automaticity. Easy? Sure, easy for some, like gymnastics or speaking fluent Russian. I would counter that only people with exceptional memories can attain automaticity. For most people this goal is a distant mirage (as I’ll prove).What we’re dealing with here, it seems to me, is a truly outlandish swirl of quackery, at the center of which is the Myth of Automaticity

Learning the Multiplication Tables

If your child or student is learning to multiply, a good way to have them start out is learn skip counting.

Skip counting is simply counting by a whole number other than one. It's counting by twos, threes, fours, etc. For example, skip counting by twos is the same thing as reciting the two-times tables.

So what are the benefits of using playing cards to learn skip counting compared to staring at multiplication worksheets?

* Well, for one thing, it's not boring!

* For another, if you are actually counting objects, you have the tactile experience of feeling what you are counting.

* And there's the fact that you are saying the numbers (for a reason - after all you are actually counting something.)

* So with skip counting, you get the trifecta of seeing, feeling and hearing. You experience the numbers in three ways.

* And it can be fun. If you teach your child to count, say, playing cards by twos, not only will s/he count the cards faster, but s/he will lock in the two-times tables in his/her head
without having to stare at boring worksheets, watch or do any of those typical dumbing-down activities like watch cartoons teach them math, sing inane songs, or listen to baby-rhymes.

* One of the advantages of using normal playing cards (not flash-cards or cards from some contrived kiddie-math games) is that playing cards can remain life-long friends. They are objects that exist in the adult world, so your child will not have that feeling in the back of his/her mind that they are being pandered to.

Children can sense when their minds are being respected. When you teach them with methods that respect and foster their thinking abilities, instead of talking down to them, you are doing them one of the biggest favors you can do. You are also doing one for yourself, too.

Multiplication

Teachers have uttered the mantra of "you must show the work!" since any of us can remember. But is there any good reason for it?

The only reason that would make sense is to find out if the child understood the problem.

But if a child can consistently get the right answers to multiplication, or other math equations, what good reason would there be for him or her having to show work? Does the teacher think the child doesn't know how to do the problem? That would be crazy, because the child clearly just did the problem!

In English class, when they ask a pupil to read a paragraph, and s/he does it well, do they say, "Okay, now write an essay on how you knew how to read that?"

How nuts would it be to ask a kid in gym class how they ran that mile, or else the running wouldn't count?

What if, in history or social-studies class, students were required not only tell you who won the Battle at Gettysburg, but prove it, with archeological facts. It might be a nice exercise once, but for every question?

"Hey, Picasso, put down that brush and write a 300 word essay about why you put two eyes on the same side of that woman's head. If you can't, I'm afraid we'll just have to rip it up and do it again right, won't we?"

No wonder Einstein said, "Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school."

All too often, the wonderful experience that should be school is turned into a learner's nightmare because of ill-thought-out pedagogical dogma.

Schools seldom take into account that different students have different learning styles. Misguided efforts like the "No Child Left Behind" act (what a cynically sinister misnomer!) would have you believe that there's one thing to learn, one way to learn it, and one way to test it. (Maybe more than the name is sinister!)

People who do not understand people who are "different" have a hard time reaching them. The loss is on both sides.