Regardless of whether your child attends elementary school or university, studying remains an essential part of academic life. Often, the month of October ushers in a period of midterm assessments. Students might juggle oral exams, written tests and essays. Take advantage of a few study tips we have compiled to make midterms go more smoothly. Restrict Notes to One Page per Chapter – This prevents students from compiling pages upon pages of notes that they will never have the time to review. By restricting the available space, students distill notes to only the most pertinent information. Color Code Common Themes – Particularly for history and literature courses, identifying recurring themes is crucial. Assign colors to majors ideas the teacher explores in class, and continue this colorful annotation in the reading and notes. When it comes time to study, similar themes will be grouped in advance, making for associative learning. Don’t Go Crazy with Highlighters – Many students go overboard with highlighting. Efficient studying focuses only on the key information, and uses notes to help with details. If your student has a tendency to highlight everywhere, suggest that highlighter only be used for a specific type of detail, i.e. historic dates or vocabulary words. Mark Deadlines – Write down upcoming deadlines for every major assignment. Then, plot out which will require the most time to complete. Next, identify what assignments prove most challenging. Prioritize based on deadlines and difficulty and write out a plan of execution. Tiny, Daily Chunks of Study Time – Cramming can be effective for passing a test, but it is not good for retention. This means that when final exams roll around, knowledge may be forgotten. Instead, commit 20 minutes of study time to each subject, everyday. So, if your child has 6 classes, their total study time would be 2 hours. Break up these 2 hours into study chunks. Perhaps try an hour directly after school and an hour before bed. You decide what is more manageable. Talk It Out – True mastery means being able to teach the material. Have your student teach you the concepts that they are learning. And remember to set a time limit. Ideally, they feel confident enough about their material to recite the lessons at a conversational pace. Take note of concepts on which they flounder, those need more study time. Studying is a very personal activity, and no single solution suits everyone equally. If you find that one of these tips works better than another, embrace that! With the multitude of learning styles, variety equals healthy study habits. As long as your child can master their information in an efficient amount of time, midterms season should be a cinch.
You might believe that identifying when a child is struggling in school is a cinch. Surely, all a parent needs to do is review their child’s progress report or report card for scores below a “B” average, right? If that’s not enough, then obviously any attentive teacher worth his or her salt will promptly notify the parents of academic missteps from their little one. This is not a tried-and-true rule. While using grades as performance markers may seem self-explanatory in evaluating a child’s learning abilities, sometimes the challenges a student encounters in school do not always manifest via test scores or classroom conduct. Often, parents and educators must use additional indicators to take a closer look into lags of academic achievement. Consider your child’s pace when approaching their schoolwork. Does he or she complete all tasks within the recommended time allotted by teachers, or do they spend far longer on homework that should only take thirty minutes? Consider that when a concept is not well-solidified mentally, it takes longer to apply this concept to assignments. The inverse is also worth examining. Students who claim to finish a weeklong project in just shy of an hour might be avoiding academic struggles. Note that when a child misunderstands an assignment, it can cause frustration that breeds an attitude of dismissal and/or resignation. Instead of tackling the obstacle of confusion directly, some children may opt to ignore it. This leads to overwhelming amounts of late assignments, stressful cram sessions and lower scores. In either case of pacing, hiring a tutor might be useful for pinpointing specific areas for academic growth, and to create a more measured study regimen to complete homework and assignments. Aside from issues of time management and pace, students who are struggling in school may demonstrate this through changes in attitude. For instance, some children may lose confidence in class. Whereas they may have initially been raising their hands and openly participating, feeling confused about concepts can cause them to withdraw. Unsure of whether this pattern applies to your young pupil? Reach out to their instructors to discuss in-class performance. Kids may also lose enthusiasm for learning due to frustration or boredom. It is not uncommon to hear students profess to “hate school,” typically starting around the second or third grade. This is likely because the core curriculum for most public and private schools noticeably increases in difficulty when a child turns seven or eight-years-old, making some students may feel like they cannot keep up with the demand of their classes. A tutor who can transform learning into a fun and engaging experience stand to impact students who feel undermotivated or discouraged in a constructive way. Isolating the cause for your student’s underperformance in school could prove pivotal to their feelings towards school in general. Catch lags and missteps early, invite a tutor to help hone your child’s abilities, and watch them soar!
Being a teenager has its pitfalls, which can include overwhelming pressure and stress with school and grades. Classes become more difficult and teachers often demand a tremendous amount of general homework, projects, and reports to be completed. As a parent, it is imperative that you be there for your high school student to make sure your child performs well to help with college and beyond, even if extra help may be needed. High school is a common time for tutoring to be needed. Here are 7 strong signs that your high school student needs a tutor… Different methods: Times have changed and so have the teaching methods they use in schools. You may know how to get the answer yourself, but do you know how your child is being taught to get the answer? Your child may be learning how to do things differently than you did them. This will make it harder for you to help them when you don’t know the current methods being taught. It Has Been Too Long Or You Do Not Remember Enough To Help: If your child is studying long division or fractions and those aren’t something that you deal with on a daily basis, then it may just have been too long since you’ve done some of these things for you to be the best tutor for your child. Could you look at a book and remind yourself. Maybe math wasn’t your thing or you don’t remember how to do signs and cosigns. You can look over the worksheet your child brings home, but you weren’t in class with them. Even if you were getting the concept across to your child, if you don’t really understand how they are trying to do it, then it may not work. Tutors will have several different ways to approach a subject in order to help your child. Need A Someone To Help Who Has More Patience: Let’s face it, our children know how to push our buttons and make us mad. Often we do not have as much patience with our children as we would like. I know there are times when I have more patience with other people’s children than I do with my own. This is where a professional tutor come is. This is what they do. Your child will learn better if they have someone that is more patient with them. Plus, maybe it is just me, but there are times when it seems like your child will listen to everyone else except you, especially teenagers. Time Commitment: How much of a time commitment can you make to help your child? Sometimes it can be hard to find the time needed to help your child. Fitting a solid hour with no distractions, 3 times a week may not be something that you can do. If you get your child a tutor, they can often meet at the school either before or after classes. Your Child Is Trying Not To Disappoint You: Our children don’t want to disappoint us, so they may say that they understand something when really they don’t. They may also feel stupid asking a question for the third time if they still don’t understand the answer. Tutors are used to this kind of thing so they can try to rephrase an answer in order to explain it differently. This way it may click with your child so the finally understand it. More Convenient: Work can be exhausting, so there are pros to having your child meet with a tutor. Having your child meet with a tutor before or after school would be a lot more convenient than having to try to find a time after you get home from work. Since your child is already in the learning mode at those times and more awake it should be easier for them to learn it during those times. Let’s say you get home from work at 6, eat at 7, and finally get around to helping them at 8, chances are your child is already out of school mode and not pick it up as easy. Specialization: Your child could have a learning issue like dyslexia. Finding a tutor that specializes in teaching children like yours will help your child way more than you can. Sometimes it is hard to admit that you can’t do it all as a parent, especially once your child reaches high school. Deciding if your high school student needs a tutor may be a difficult one, but the end result may be worth it.
You may find yourself wondering why tutoring is important for kids or when it is needed. There are many reasons that tutoring is important for kids, more than could ever be explained in a single blog post, but we did our best collecting information on why children need tutoring and what tutoring can do for them. Every child learns in their own way. What works for one child does not always work for another. At times, it does not matter how well your child’s teacher explains the material, your child may need more time to practice the skill or understand the content. Tutoring provides an opportunity for one-on-one instruction to help a child learn in their own way. One good need for tutoring occurs when children move in the middle of the school year and the new school is at a different place than the old school. Children are to be taught certain standards every year for their grade, but how or when they are taught is up to that school district. Your child may struggle because they may have missed things they should know already for their new school. A tutor can help fill the gaps that happened as a result of the move and change of curriculum timing. There are many other reasons why a child may struggle and need a tutor. It does not mean that the parent, student, or the teacher did anything wrong. Some of it has to do with the cognitive ability to receive the information and receive it well. As you may have noticed, schools have become more sophisticated with the way subjects are taught. Through these innovations, subject matters become more integrated and developed. Because of this they are more challenging for students. Sometimes, kids may find it hard to cope with their lessons. Tutoring allows your child to cope with the material they learn in school. It provides your child with the leverage that they need in handling the subject matter. Tutoring is a personal approach that allows you to convey the information to the person you’re tutoring effectively, helping them improve in school performance. Tutoring is also important because it helps children prepare for future standard tests. This is accomplished because the tutor and your child work on mastering what they are having problems with. This will effectively allow your child to tackle tests with full preparation and confidence. Many high-profile executives and inventors struggled in school at different points in their life. Some had tutors and others did not. Albert Einstein was a great example of a genius who admittedly did terrible in school. Imagine what would have come if he had tutor to help him through the difficult times? Tutoring is an important asset to the development of your child’s performance and confidence. It helps your child learn and grow to their full potential when it comes to subjects at school. This effectively provides a sense of fulfillment and progress in their studies, as challenges are becoming more evident at school. As a result, tutoring is important if you want to help your child cope with the increasing difficulty of the school system. A tutoring service will help your child out in building that confidence and coping with school. Tutoring can be very important to kids. I am not saying that every child needs a tutor. You have to use your judgment to decide what is best for you and your child.
Tutoring is an easy and effective way to educate students. Much more is possible teaching a student one-on-one than in a classroom full of many students. Tutors can work with students on an individual level, on the skills the student needs to learn. Being an effective tutoring is more than knowing the areas you are teaching in, it is about meeting clients needs and helping them understand why you are important to have. Here is a great list to help your clients learn about you and help you be effective when it comes to clients and hiring you as a tutor: Call the new client and leave a professional sounding message if they do not answer. For example, “Hello my name is _________ and I am calling to schedule your first tutoring session. Please call me back at ____-____-_____. Then send a text message saying the same thing. If they don’t respond, call and text them again the next day. Email them too if you have their email address. If they still don’t respond, call them one more time the third day. It is important to call and text the client as soon as possible. The longer you wait to contact them, the more likely it is they will find a different tutor. During the first session, tell the client about your tutoring experience and educational background. Ask the client what skills the student needs to work on. Tell them a basic plan of how you will work with the student on those skills. Also, let the client know when you are available to schedule regular tutoring sessions. Most tutoring sessions last one hour and most students meet with tutors once or twice a week. Tell the client it is up to them how many hours they want to meet. Older students can work for longer than one hour. By Lara Shaffer (Tutor with Elite Home Tutoring)
What is the California High School Proficiency Examination (CHSPE)? The CHSPE is a timed test that measures a student’s knowledge and proficiency in reading, writing, and math. Passing students will earn a Certificate of Proficiency by the California State Board of Education, which is recognized in California as an equivalent to a high school diploma. The exam allows students currently enrolled in high school to earn the certificate and leave high school early to go to college or start working. Who can take the CHSPE Exam? Students currently enrolled in public high schools in the state of California can take the CHSPE Exam if they are at least 16 years of age and are in the second half of their their sophomore year or later. The exam is only valid for students in the California public school system. If the student plans on attending a college in another state, they must verify with the college if it will accept the exam. Which subjects are on the CHSPE Exam? The CHSPE Exam covers English Language Arts, including an essay, and Math. The English section covers reading comprehension, spelling, grammar, and writing skills which correspond to tenth grade English in the California public school system. There are 84 multiple choice questions in the English section, plus an essay. The essay question is open-ended and requires students to outline and present their point of view. The Math section covers math skills learned in seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth grade in the California public schools system. There are 50 questions in the math section and the focus is on daily math problems and situations. The CHSPE Exam is timed test, and lasts three and a half hours. Students must pass both the English and math sections of the exam, but can retake the test as many times as needed. How can tutoring help prepare for the CHSPE Exam? Since the CHSPE Exam covers several years of high school, a specialized tutor can help students prepare for the exam. Contact Elite Home Tutoring for questions or information concerning the CHSPE Exam, www.elitehometutoring.com
What is Singapore Math? Singapore math is a teaching technique developed in Singapore for students in kindergarten through sixth grade and has gained popularity in the United States due to Singapore’s top scores in Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Singapore Math was introduced in the U.S. in the 1980’s and is used in public, private, and home schools. How Does Singapore Math differ from standard math in the U.S.? With Singapore Math, the focus is on mastering the skills and not simply memorizing the steps for a test. Fewer topics are covered and students move onto the next concept once they’ve mastered the current one. The students develop a deeper understanding of the steps involved, and learn techniques that rely on visualization (pictorial approach), in which students learn model and diagram drawing techniques to help solve problems. In the U.S. American math is taught using a concrete to abstract method. With Singapore Math, a middle step in introduced between the concrete and abstract, the pictorial approach in which the student learns to draw the math problem. Singapore Math, is a 3-step process: Singapore math takes the student from the concrete, to the pictorial (bar modeling), then to abstract, which leads to the solution of the math problem. The concrete step involves hands-on learning using tangible objects. Then students draw pictorial representations of the problem they are working. The method takes the student from the concrete to the pictorial and finally, the student solves the math problem abstractly, with numbers and symbols. How can tutoring help students with Singapore Math? Specialized tutors are able to help students make the transition from standard math concepts to Singapore Math techniques. Many home schools, private schools, and public schools are using Singapore’s math techniques. Overall, students are able to grasp and apply these new concepts quickly. Contact Elite Home Tutoring for questions or information concerning Singapore Math, www.elitehometutoring.com
There is quite a buzz in the air concerning the new SAT. The current SAT will be available until March 2016; after this date only the new SAT will be available. How is the “new” SAT effecting education, high school, college entrance, and tutoring? The new SAT and Education: The new SAT will implement the Common Core Standards. Student’s abilities in math, reading, and writing will be tested and measured. Students must master these standards in order to score well on the new SAT. Educators teaching these standards face increased pressure, especially since the new SAT will debut early next year. Teachers must help students gain a deeper understanding and guide them in applying their understanding and knowledge in day-to-day and real-life situations. The new SAT and High School: Current high school students must be prepared in advance for changes in the new SAT. Some students may have the option of taking both the current and new SAT exams. Freshman and sophomores have the option to take both. Current juniors and seniors will not need to take the new SAT and will take the current SAT, since the new exam will not be implemented until 2016. The new SAT and College Entrance: In order to gain the best entrance scores, students must do well on the new SAT, which is more challenging than the current SAT. The questions are harder and will take longer to answer. The essay will be optional, although it will be a more challenging. Some math sections will no longer allow caculators and students will see more algebra problems. Understanding Common Core Standards and the ability to implement these standards are the key to success with the new SAT. The new SAT and Tutoring: Private educators, such as tutors, have already experienced an increase in inquiries from students and parents concerning the new SAT. It is important to get ahead of the game now since students will no longer be able to “cram” for the exam. The time in now to start preparing for the new SAT! Contact Elite Home Tutoring for questions and additional information concerning the “new” SAT, www.elitehometutoring.com
Tutoring jobs can be difficult to find and even more tricky to find clients to commit. Find hope in this list of 10 websites from online tutoring companies to searches for individual jobs, we’ve rated them to make it simple. 1) www.schoolspring.com/ Not the best but it’ll do. SchoolSpring offers an exhaustive list of jobs but that’s just it. It is exhausting. The only selections available are the following: state, grade level (not subject) and position searching/ hours intending. This may however be a great website for tutors seeking teaching career. But is certainly hit or miss whether a specialty is even available. 2) www.wyzant.com/TutorHome.aspx Ability to search jobs according to subject or city. Failure in the search is that city and subject cannot be chosen together for search optimization. Either one must be weeded through to find specific jobs or areas near tutor’s city. 3) www.tutor.com/apply Work only in areas of expertise and tutor from home online. Tutors can take an online test in areas like; calculus, German, finance and other specific subjects to gain preference in the application process. However, some specific areas of tutoring may get passed over in this process. 4) www.varsitytutors.com/tutoring-jobs Select general subject topics, enter in test scores, teaching certifications and hours available and Varsity Tutor will contact potential tutors. 5) www.care.com With hundreds of local tutoring gigs to choose from, tutors can certainly find postings desiring their subject offerings. There are multiple tutors competing for the same job and clients don’t always follow through. Also, tutors seek, set up schedules and collect payment themselves. 6) studypoint.com One-on-one tutoring with resources and training for tutors. Required 2 years teaching or tutoring experience and a Bachelor’s degree from a 4 year university or college. Tutors who are serious about long-term tutoring assignments and commitments will love Study Point. 7) www.universitytutor.com/tutoring_jobs Fees, rates and schedule of availability is set by the tutor. Online and in-person jobs. Tutors are selected by clients and find preference through the reviews received. No real stability in finding long-term or more than one-time positions. 8) www.elitehometutoring.com/jobs Elite Home Tutoring is a favorite because tutors set their own hours, only tutor in desired subjects and cities and receive emails when a tutoring job meeting their criteria is met. The tutors choose which jobs to accept. Payments are always direct deposit and collecting a fee is done by Elite Home Tutoring so Tutors can focus on teaching. Find the right fit for you and may your adventure begin!
