INPUT ARTICLE: Article: The alphabet is where reading begins. The 26 letters that make up the English alphabet are used to form all of the words in the English language, so this is the place to start. There are several ways to get familiar with the alphabet; pick the one that suits you and your learning style. Sing it. It may seem silly, but there's a reason so many people have learned the alphabet by singing the "alphabet song"--it works. The melody aids in memorization and the song as a whole gives learners a picture of the entire alphabet and the relationship between letters. You can listen to the alphabet song online or get someone you know to sing and record it for you so that you can listen to it over and over again as you learn it. Feel it. If you're a hands-on learner, consider buying sandpaper letters. Look at a letter and then close your eyes, trace your fingers over the letter and repeat the name of the letter and its sound. When you're ready, pick your finger up off the sandpaper and write the letter in the air. Move it around. Pick up a set of alphabet magnets as a way of learning the individual letters as well as the way they're sequenced in the alphabet. Later, you can reuse these letters to practice forming words. Walk it out. If you have the room, try using an alphabet mat as a learning tool. Say each letter and its sound as you step on that letter on your mat. Have someone call out letters or sounds at random and step on the correct corresponding letter. Get your whole body (voice included) involved by singing the alphabet song and making up a dance as you step your way through the alphabet. There are five vowels in the alphabet: a, e, i, o, u; the rest of the letters are called consonants. You make vowel sounds in your throat with the help of your tongue and mouth while you form consonants by using your tongue and mouth to control the flow of your breath. Vowels can be spoken alone, but consonants can't. For example, the letter A is simply "a" but B is actually "bee," C is "see," D is "dee" and so on. Phonics is all about relationships, specifically the relationships between letters and sounds in a language. For example, when you learn that the letter C sounds like "sa" or "ka" or that "tion" sounds like "shun", you're learning phonics. Find an approach that makes sense to you. Phonics is typically taught in one of two ways: by what's called a see-and-say approach in which you learn to read whole words or a syllable approach in which you learn how to sound out different letter combinations and put them together to form words. To learn phonics, you must hear the sounds of the syllables and/or words. To do that, you need to find an online program, purchase or borrow a DVD from your local library or work with a family member, friend, tutor or instructor who can help you learn the sounds created by various letter combinations and what those look like written out. It's important to know what common punctuation marks indicate when you're reading because they can offer information about sentence meanings. Comma (,). When you see a comma, you're meant to pause or slightly hesitate when you're reading. Period (.). A period indicates the end of a sentence. When you reach a period, come to a complete stop and take a deep breath before continuing to read. Question mark (?). When you ask a question, your voice goes up. When you see? at the end of sentence, a question is being asked, so make sure your voice rises when you're reading. Exclamation point (!). This mark is used to emphasize an important point or to grab attention. When you read a sentence that ends with!, be sure to sound excited or to strongly emphasize the words.

SUMMARY: Begin with the alphabet. Distinguish vowels from consonants. Use phonics. Recognize punctuation marks.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Decide what you want to achieve before you get started in the program. If you'll be working sixty hours a week while also attending school, it might be a bad idea to aim for being #1 in your class. Don't use your undergrad experience as a barometer. As an undergrad you were likely able to devote your full attention to school. Don't expect to get the same grades (at least right away) in your MBA program while working full time. Pay attention to the competition but don't let it get to you. Everyone else in your part-time MBA program likely has similar goals: they want to move up in their careers as well. This is a self-selected group of high achievers so you should expect the competition to be tough. Try to remember that you're there to learn skills and develop a network, not necessarily to be the best in the class. Pursuing an MBA while working full-time is an ambitious challenge. You'll need to juggle work, school, and family responsibilities. You should understand how much time you'll be devoting to each before you jump in. Use a planner. Whether digital or paper, a planner is essential to navigating through an MBA while working. Use the planner to write in test days, due dates for both school and work assignments, and other important dates. Use a "to do" list with specific tasks. It feels good to scratch things off your "to do" list, and doing so will help keep you on track. If your list says something like "study," it's hard to know when you've completed the task. Instead, write something like, "study Chapter Two of the Business Skills 101 text and make flash cards." Schedule big study blocks. As a part-time MBA student working full time, you'll need to use whatever time you have to study. However, you should also schedule study blocks into your planner every week. If you're a morning person, plan to wake up early and study; if you're a night owl, schedule your study blocks for nighttime. Figure out what you can cut out. You may need to cut back on time at the gym, social activities, or other things in your life. It's easy to get burned out while pursuing an MBA and working full-time. You should schedule days off ahead of time. That way, you can look forward to your planned days off and not feel guilty when you take them. Studying hard is important for success in your MBA. Studying smart means using the best strategies to study effectively and efficiently. Instead of heading to a restaurant for lunch, pack one and study in your office during your lunch hour. Keep your study materials with you whenever you can. If you have unexpected downtime, you'll always be prepared to hit the books. Many schools have tutors that can help you with your work. If you're having trouble understanding a concept you should reach out to a tutor. Remember that you're getting an MBA to improve your marketability. If you start slacking off at work or missing days, the negative impression of your boss could offset any gains from having an MBA. If you start to feel overwhelmed, talk to your school first. They have resources to help you manage your time and your stress. If worst comes to worst and you feel like you're going to miss a work deadline, talk to your boss. It's better to let your employer know beforehand that you'll be late with a project than to have to explain yourself later.

SUMMARY:
Set realistic expectations. Budget your time. Schedule downtime. Study smart. Don't skimp on work.