All children, no matter what age, need to feel like they have someone on their side. Parents play that most important role. They are their child’s primary advocate, cheerleader and support. When parents call us to inquire about tutoring services it is because they want to give that support to help their child feel confident and successful in school. There is a trend of commonly heard concerns from parents. Here are the top 5 concerns parents share when interested in tutoring services:
5) “My child is falling behind or below grade level in a specific subject”: Whether your child is in kindergarten and getting below grade scores for reading or in high school struggling to keep up with her AP Chemistry class, LS Tutors specifically matches your child with a tutor who has experience in the desired subject. Beyond helping with homework, tutors will email with classroom teachers, assess the student to find out the weak areas and plan purposeful lessons to help the student get back on grade level expectations. This not only helps the child feel successful academically but his confidence increases as does class participation and self-advocacy.
4) “My daughter is getting an A in her class, but I feel like she is only doing the minimal work.”: Sometimes a subject can come easier to a student than others. Sometimes the expectations of a teacher don’t match the expectations of the parents. In either case, the student seems to be at the top of her class and getting high scores without having to do much (if any) work at home to prepare for the class. Parents worry that this will “catch up” with her at a later date, and she will not have the critical thinking skills and tenacity to work through something more difficult in a future class. Tutors are often used as teachers who can elaborate on classroom lessons and teach higher level critical thinking skills that a student might be ready for but not learning in school.
3) “I know I can help my child with their homework, but we end up fighting and I don’t want to tarnish our relationship over homework battles!”: I still have memories of sweaty palms and tears rolling down my face as my dad tried helping me with high school math homework. Math did not come easy to me, but he had earned a perfect score on his math section of his SAT’s. However, his style of teaching and my style of learning did not match and only lead to frustration. At LS Tutors we hire certified teachers who know how to assess a student’s learning style and teach concepts in different modalities. In addition, we have a team of highly successful American University undergraduates and graduate students who are available to work with middle or high school students who need a “big sister/brother” mentor type of tutor and help with homework across different subjects.
2) “I did not learn math the same way my son is learning and have no idea on how to help him!” :
The introduction of the common core standards has introduced new methods of learning the foundations of math. Students as young as 5 are expected to understand number sense in a way that hasn’t been previously taught. Does lattice multiplication or box-method division make you sweat? Our tutors know the new curriculum and understand the language, strategies and methods being taught in the classroom. This helps students feel like what they are learning with their tutor connects to what they are learning with teachers in the classroom. Because of this, the student is more likely to participate by asking questions, sharing answers and staying focused during class time.
1) “My daughter is not using organization or study skills at home and it is affecting her grades!”: Often teachers focus on teaching the content and curriculum goals of their specific subject. When preparing for a test, a teacher will sometimes give “review packets” as a study tool. Teachers sometimes share techniques and ideas for studying, but the student doesn’t follow through at home. Students may have not learned how to actively study and prepare for tests and quizzes throughout the week. There are so many ways to take notes, review class handouts and extend thinking at home before a mention of a test. Also, as students move from grade to grade or to a new school, they may need to figure out organizational systems to get homework to and from school. Our tutors have a “suitcase” full of tricks and tips to share with students at any age to help them feel organized, plan for long term assignments and study for tests. These are study skills that can follow a student through the years and help them feel independently successful in a college setting.
As we head into spring and the last months of the 2014-2015 school year, it is never too late to hire a tutor. Many students work with tutors over the summer to review concepts that are challenging, work through summer assignments and/or work on study skills without the stress of their typical school workload. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation! www.lstutors.com
Regards,
Lori Solovey
Owner, LS Tutors