For me, as well as many of our Florida  tutoring clients from Coral Springs to Wesley Chapel, math was never an easy subject.  We all struggled with our math at some point while we were in school.  Some swear never to take another math course again their entire life while others got tutoring help and overcame their frustrations.  We got help, and this enabled me, and others, to pursue a successful and rewarding career where math is a key skill.   Math can be difficultly boring, or fun.  It all depends on how you approach the subject.  That’s why finding the right tutoring service or the right tutor can make a world of difference for your child.  While some math complexities and difficult formulas can initially seem frighteningly overwhelming, the right approach can make math be fun as it challenges the human brain to think of every possible way to find the answer.

Getting help before the frustration sets in is very important.  There are many tutoring services in Bradenton and Sarasota you may want to consider to help you.   Think of math tutors as if they are “academic coaches”.   Everyone recognizes the important role coaches play for our sports teams.    

“Academic coaches” are there to guide you through the mine fields of your math course difficulties by explaining concepts to strengthen you understanding and giving you tips and tricks to improve your grades in Math (works for any other subject you might want to improve your grade in too).

Why is it so important to develop your math skills?  Surprisingly, strong math skills help you develop problem solving skills that go beyond school, and will be used in many areas throughout your life.   Those who are naturally gifted with math skills still typically develop and enhance those skills by practicing over time and expanding to harder and more difficult equations. Even though you might not be considered gifted in math, the  right tutor will “coach” you to success.  A sports coach will talk about how important it is to practice. Remember the saying, “Practice makes perfect?”  It is the same with your math skills.   It is important to go back and review math skills frequently and take time to practice those skills so you can recall those skills as second nature for your next math class.   While practice doesn’t make you perfect in math, it does enable you to completely comprehend previous math concepts and still and retain those skills for testing and use in the next math course.  Most math tutors in Brandon agree, enrolling in a tutoring service at the first sign of trouble can help you get back on the right path quickly to prevent missing more challenging concepts that will be taught next.   Tutors can support you while giving you more problem sets to practice on so on your next math class you become the star of the show.

Many of our tutors in New Tampa and across Florida consistently raise a student’s math grade by two levels in just a few short weeks.   Think about how much more time you’d have to enjoy the social aspects of school if math were a breeze.

If you are lucky enough to have a math tutor helping you, you already realize the value good tutoring can mean to your grades.  Because you were proactive and acted quickly you probably not only got your grade up, but you’re enjoying new and improved self esteem and confidence in your math class.

Math is a skill and it can develop over time. Plus, there are tons of career opportunities out there that may await you.  Start reviewing your math skills now before your next class!

Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services

At a quick glance, summer vacation can seem like a well-deserved brake from school studies for both the parents and the children. However, what you do not know can in deed hurt you. According to Dr. Harris Cooper professor of education at Duke University and leading expert of summer learning loss, has documented that summer vacations interrupt a student’s rhythm of instruction. This can lead to forgetting acquired knowledge from the school year and requires a significant amount of reeducation of students as they return to school in the fall months. He did a study that indicated the average students overall achievement scores dropped approximate one month and that mathematical and reading skills took the largest decline at a whopping 2.6-month loss in achievement.

His study also indicated that the summer loss is much more significant for math computation skills and spelling than any other tested skills. It was determined that both math computation and spelling skills have a common thread in that they involve the gathering of factual and procedural knowledge where their counterpart such as math concepts, and solving math problems are more conceptual. It was then determined that without continuous practice, facts and procedural skills appear to be at greater risk of loss. The study also indicated that the loss in math skills was overall more profound than any other area studied and that it was most likely due to more additional opportunities found in the home to read than to practice mathematics.

As a parent, there are steps you can take today to help your children prevent the summer loss, particularly in mathematics.

• Help your child recognized math situations in everyday life – throughout the day point out the mathematical situations and vocabulary to your child. Point out the measurements of ingredients on the back of cereal boxes. Open a savings account with them and teach them how to make deposits, count money, and balance their book.
• Get to know their teachers – if you get to know their teachers, you can get an idea of any study material that they might recommend for the summer and what their upcoming curriculum is going to look like. That way you can purchase some materials to help educate your child for the upcoming year.
• Play educational games – there are many games you can play with your child that involves numbers or adding. Also mathematical situations such as cards like “crazy 8’s” and the board game Monopoly.  Let your child be score keeper or “banker”.
• Count change with them - you can create pretend purchasing situations where you buy something from them and they offering you up the proper amount of change back.

Lastly, you can consider summer tutoring services. At Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services, we offer many in-home tutoring options that you can choose from. Whether it is our incredible math tutoring in Bradenton, one-on-one reading comprehension in Coral Springs,  EZ SAT Diagnostic / SAT Prep in  Wesley Chapel or our comprehensive study skills program  (Learning Built to Last)  in Sarasota.  Our tutoring services can assist your children through the sometimes boring summer months by accelerating many areas of education such as mathematics, reading comprehension writing, or SAT/ACT test preparation. This year,  when the new school year begins not only will they not have fallen behind due to summer loss, they will be ready to hit the ground running for the new school year.

Contact one of the many Educational Specialists at Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services.   They would be happy to give you suggestions that will Reduce Summertime Educational Setbacks.

Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services

Some parents are being asked to answer this question as we near the end of the school year:  Is it better for the student to suffer the stigma of flunking out, or to promote them onto another year of further struggles?  It doesn’t have to be this way. There are usually options that can be considered if parents would take a moment to review them with school.

• Get a Tutor – Start tutoring early, but Summer Tutoring can help students in a myriad of ways; often resulting in kids making the grade. Getting a reading tutor or math tutor are our most common requests for summer.   The benefits include improved self-esteem and confidence, increased academic skills, additional emotional support, exposure to positive role models, development of better attitudes toward school and learning, and improved social skills. I’ve had several cases where the school agreed to pass the student as long as he received intense remediation.  Another great summer tutoring option might be to work on study skills.
• Get Tested- Schedule the student for a diagnostic screening. Lots of students mask their learning problems by misbehaving.  They don’t get the material, so they disrupt class. Then they get sent to the office, miss the class, and often on the homework, fail the exam and the cycle begins again.  Have the child tested for learning disabilities; she could simply need special education.
• Get Analyzed- Find a child psychologist or request one at school. Administrators may have a list of professionals who specialize in kids who are going through tough times. An expert could uncover emotional problems that are contributing to the student’s deficit.  Once you know what the problem is, you can deal with it.   The child’s F’s could become A’s.
• Get Reading- There are many different types of schools and curriculums. Your child’s particular learning style may not fit with the established philosophy. Find out how your child learns best, and whether the school meets her needs. If you’re not satisfied, schedule a tour at other schools with expanded learning options. She may do better at a place with smaller class sizes, more opportunities for self expression, or that’s not so dependent on standardized testing.

The implications of failing a grade and being retained are both immediate and long-term.  An article by the National Association of Social Workers cites that often the bad outweighs the good when it comes to grade retention.

• Research indicates there are benefits to grade retention but they are typically only short term. The child gets another chance to strengthen academic skills. He could catch up emotionally to his peers. The consequences of his poor efforts will become crystal clear.
• The benefits of grade retention are proven to wear off within 2 to 3 years. As new material is introduced, the student struggles once again. The social stigma of flunking overpowers any self-confidence gains.  Studies show holding a child back for social immaturity does absolutely nothing to address the problem.
• Then to make matters worse, if a child has already been retained multiple times, often times the student is just “pushed” from grade to grade to grade without being on level.

Take at look at the numbers:

• Approximately 15% of students nationwide are retained in school each year.
• Boys are more likely to fail a grade than girls.  Economically disadvantaged, Hispanic and African American students are more likely to be retained.
• 78% of high school dropouts failed a grade at least once before.

Don’t let your child become statistic.   There are alternatives available to create positive outcomes and successful students.  Let us help you analyze the situation and get informed about the options.  We come right to your door if you want to tutor privately in your home.   Call one of our Education Specialists today for additional ideas, then if you would like to schedule an in home consultation with our Educational Consultants to develop a custom plan for your child to get back on track   Working together, we can watch your child’s renewed enthusiasm and self confidence after just a little time with Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services.

By:  Ernie Bilodeau,  Regional Director

Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services

It may become clear a student has problems with basic mathematics skills based on test scores and what a teacher perceives. The reasons can vary from the student having missed something along the way, he just can’t stand math or doesn’t respond well to the teacher’s style. Whatever the deficiencies, solutions exist; and early detection is a great way to get started.  Resources to reinforce basic math skills include:

• Private tutoring- A Club Z math tutor can design consistent, custom learning sessions to help your child improve his basic understanding of math concepts. Individualized learning involves particular awareness to the child’s comfort level, mastery of skills, even his optimal time for study and preferred learning style.
• Rote Memorization-When you commit something to memory, you don’t have to think much about it when the time comes to recall. The same advantage applies to basic math and even some advanced math formulas.  Memorizing times tables and knowing 2+2=4 by heart lets a child focus on the harder tasks later on.  Use worksheets, flash cards, repeat out loud, practice and even try playing games that encourage memorization and review.
• Manipulatives- Wooden blocks and shaped cut-outs help your child turn abstract concepts into concrete terms.  Try counting the windows at home and using a block to represent each window. Stack them up and see how high or how many. Can you do the same for doors? Which has more? Again, any games with numbers can help build math skills. You might find the kids actually become more confident as a result of the fun.
• Technology- From calculators to software programs, more and more educators agree technology is not only the future, but it has a place in the classroom. Check out some websites featuring skill-building basic math games with your child.

Basic math skills are crucial in everyday life and in building on advanced math concepts like algebra or geometry. If your child has a problem with addition, subtraction, multiplication, fractions and percentages this weakness is a good prediction of trouble ahead.  If your child is nearing middle school and wiggling fingers and toes to solve math problems, has trouble solving or estimating even basic  math problems in his head or can’t use a calculator correctly, consider a Club Z tutor.  Have an expert help with math tutoring in the comfort of your own home by talking to an educational consultant at  Club Z! In Home Tutoring Services.

Surprisingly affordable, extremely effective tutoring.

Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services

It’s about that time for a New Year’s resolution (but you can start any time), and what better promise is out there than to improve math grades. As with all projects children undertake, they should avoid being vague or too general with the proposition. Instead of saying, “I’ll do better in math”, encourage them to specify with an action such as, “I will practice my multiplication tables daily”. To help children and parents reach that goal, set aside the calculator and put your noggins to work with these fun exercises:

Supermarket Addition. As mom and dad place items in the grocery cart, kids can keep a running tally of the cost. To start with, they can round off each product’s cost. Compare the total with that of the cashier at the checkout counter. For more of a challenge, try to keep an exact running total, and then add the sales tax. By the time children reach the checkout counter, they’ll be aces in the math craft!

Break the Bank. Everybody loves money, even young children! Why not play pretend and grab some of the paper money from a board game. Parents can start off as the teller, while kids act as the customer. They can withdraw funds, as the teller subtracts from their fictitious account. Then it’s the kids’ turn! Parents can have fun portraying characters as the kids delight in math-skill fun. More advanced kids benefit from “customers” who alternate between numerous deposits and withdrawals from their account.

Chefs in the Kitchen! A child learning division can get hands-on experience in the kitchen by following simple recipes. Parents might need to set out the ingredients beforehand.  Take the time to show children the measuring cups and spoons used daily. Talk about the markings on these sets; even try them out to illustrate exactly how each fits into the other. You might try pouring water into ¼ of a cup and seeing how many times it takes to fill a whole cup (4!). The visual lesson will reinforce school lessons, and you might just discover a little chef! Older kids can still enjoy this exercise with the added challenge of doubling or halving the recipe.

Rhyme Time. Multiplication can become exhilaration and here’s my explanation! Practice and repetition are the best ways to get these down. Make it memorable by letting kids make their own associations. For example, “If 5×5=25, jump around and do the jive”. Rhymes like these are catchy and can be practiced or discussed anytime, anywhere.

By making it fun, parents can teach kids math is practical and enjoyable. As you can see there’s plenty of inventive ways to review the drills. Flash cards, worksheets and even some educational interactive games can go a long way toward keeping that New Year’s resolution. If you find a child struggling despite these tactics, consider allowing a trained professional into the math equation with Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services.

“But I hate homework! It takes too much time and it’s stupid!” – Sound familiar? Although good work is its own reward, for some students the price of trudging through homework assignments exceeds the satisfaction of a job well done. If this is an oft heard phrase at your house, you may have a student who needs a little more motivation to tackle that dreaded chore of homework.

Incentive systems for homework serve the same purpose of incentive systems you might find at your own job: work hard, tackle the difficult task, and earn a reward. This is the simplest type of incentive system and is often quite effective on the job and with students. The reward is commensurate with the level of difficulty of the task. For example, if your student has trouble getting started with the nightly homework routine, the reward for sitting down after dinner and getting started without complaint might be watching a favorite TV show before bed – provided the assignment has been completed, of course! Any activity that your child enjoys can be the “carrot” that entices him to get started and complete his homework in a reasonable time frame.

You might want to consider breaks as an incentive. Sometimes, hitting the ‘pause’ button on the homework assignment to have a snack, phone a friend, or watch a 30 minute TV program can be all it takes to move the student from ‘frustration’ to ‘done’. Make an agreement ahead of time on how often and how long a break should be and what needs to be accomplished to reach ‘break time’.

For other students, a little more creativity may be required to achieve the desired result. Perhaps a point system that allows your student to accumulate points toward a larger reward might be more enticing. You and your student should come up with a plan where there are small rewards for small tasks, and larger rewards for more difficult tasks. Developing the incentive system together helps insure that your student will be more likely to adhere to the program. In addition to developing rewards, your student should also help decide what the penalties would be if the job is not completed. That might mean losing existing privileges.

Choice is also a big factor in making an incentive system work. Review your student’s homework assignments with him and let him tell you which he will do first, second, and so on. Then have him determine how long each assignment will require and what he needs to continue through to completion. If it is a point system, then he might be quite happy posting his earned points on a chart after each assignment is completed, seeing how close he is to the next reward. If he is more focused on breaks, then each completed assignment might be rewarded with a 15 minute break.

Begin developing the incentive system with describing the behavior that needs to be addressed. Use specific examples that your child can easily understand: “Johnny complains and procrastinates at homework time” is easier to understand than “Johnny has to change his bad attitude about homework time.” Then, set a goal for the desired behavior: “Johnny will begin homework right after dinner without complaining and finish by 8pm”. You might consider putting your incentive agreement into a homework contract you develop with your student. This way, when the problem behavior arises, there is less reason to argue and simply remind him about the contract, and the rewards and penalties. If he does not perform according to the agreement, then he simply does not earn his points. This is an important aspect of the contract- the parent must be willing and able to enforce the penalty. In the same vein, it is important for the parent to encourage and praise the student for fulfilling his part of the contract.

When considering incentive systems for your student, try to understand the root of the problem. If the problem is behavior oriented and, once the behavior problem is addressed the learning goes smoothly, then incentives may work well. On the other hand, homework related behavior problems may be a signal that your student needs help with his study skills or more attention on a specific subject.

If your student has difficulty with homework or needs help with a specific subject a tutor may be able to help. Club Z In-Home Tutoring offers both skills evaluation and program development tailored to your student’s needs.

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IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY… GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE NEXT STEP.

Tutoring can be the fundamental tool in raising a child’s self esteem. The next step is simple. Call us at – 877-68-TUTOR (877-688-8867). Our office hours are 9 – 6pm, Monday through Friday.

We’ve already helped thousands students create the type of foundation they’ll benefit from – not only today, but in the years to come as well.

Ernie Bilodeau, Regional Director
Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services

Local Numbers:

Tampa/Wesley Chapel  813-620-3764
Manatee/Sarasota  941-776-5600
Coral Springs/Parkland  954-344-2124

As far as I can tell the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) is here to stay for the foreseeable future, which is an acceptable reality for children who are fast learners in a full classroom. Most of them breeze right through the test. But, it’s not such a comfortable situation for students who learn at their own individual pace and could benefit from more personal attention than most teachers have time to give. As conscientious teachers strive to teach the necessary skills to succeed on standardized tests, some students struggle to keep up.

At Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services we hear repeatedly from parents about children who were successful and enthusiastic in a previous grade but are anything but just one year later. Some youngsters are trying to check out of certain classes altogether. It’s a cry for help.

Dr. Perri Klass, a well-known pediatrician writing recently in the New York Times, has a name for this condition. He calls this School Refusal and he began to diagnose is kind of absenteeism when he was repeatedly asked by a number of parents to supply a doctor’s note to excuse their children from their classes. Symptoms often include upset stomach, headache or sore throat.

Upon research, Dr. Klass realized that these children were struggling academically and just couldn’t face going to their classrooms every day. Dr. Helen Egger, a child psychiatrist at Duke University was also interviewed for the Times article and she said:”It’s not a diagnosis, school refusal. It’s not a disorder; it’s a symptom.” But it’s a serious one that should send parents for help before other complications such as depression or anxiety take over.

If your child is having difficulties with a curriculum that emphasizes a looming test that seems impossible, let Club Z! In-Home Tutoring help reverse the situation and make school a place your child is eager to attend again.

We’ve helped more than 300,000 students at all grade levels. Our tutors are state-certified teachers or degreed professionals. We have no long-term contracts and our rates are surprisingly affordable. Best of all, tutoring sessions are arranged around your family’s schedule and the lessons are held at home.

Don’t wait for “school refusal” to affect your home environment. We have the proven strategies to reverse bad study habits and restore self-esteem to your student. Our typical student improves two letter grades in two months based on the Club Z! Jump Start Program. But, early intervention is critical. The FCAT test is a part of your student’s academic life. Help make sure your student is ready for the challenge and has the skills and self esteem to succeed and thrive in school.

______________________________________________

IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY… GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE NEXT STEP.

Tutoring can be the fundamental tool in raising a child’s self esteem. The next step is simple. Call us at – 877-68-TUTOR (877-688-8867). Our office hours are 9 – 6pm, Monday through Friday.

We’ve already helped thousands students create the type of foundation they’ll benefit from – not only today, but in the years to come as well.

Ernie Bilodeau, Regional Director
Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services

Local Numbers:

Tampa/Wesley Chapel  813-620-3764
Manatee/Sarasota  941-776-5600
Coral Springs/Parkland  954-344-2124

When children are young, mathematics is a normal part of everyday life and actually pretty much fun. As an adult, you know that’s true if you’ve ever played grocery store with a three or four year old. They delight in making change or charging outrageous prices for a plastic eggplant. Making pancakes or cookies with a youngster following a recipe can result in a rewarding culinary and mathematics life-lesson too. And tossing out riddles like these to a six or seven year old can make that kid a stand-up comedian at recess.

Why is the moon like a dollar? They both have four quarters.

How many eggs can you put in an empty basket? Only one, after that the basket is not empty any more?

And for older kids, try this one: Why should you never say the number 288 in front of anyone? Because it’s too gross (2 x 144 = 2 gross).

We all need math skills to survive and flourish in this world and yet at some point in school, many children lose their comfortable connection with mathematics. The reasons are as numerous as there are individual students, but the symptoms are generally the same.

Kids go off to school every day dispirited and fearing math class, doing poorly on tests, failing to complete homework assignments. They stop volunteering answers in class and pretty soon their difficulties with math multiply into problems at home. In my years with Club Z! In-Hoe Tutoring Services I’ve seen this scenario time and again and I know that without intervention, the situation does not improve. Tackling the problem early is easier and more beneficial than waiting to see if your child will make progress at the next marking period, next grade level, or when a new classroom teacher comes onto the scene.

I’ve seen the kind of expert help that is available immediately – an in-home tutor from Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services. Our tutors work around your family’s schedule in your home. Rates are surprisingly affordable, contracts
flexible and not long term. And our tutors work in concert with parents and the classroom mathematics teacher to insure that grade-level work is being mastered.

Our tutors access the problem and in a relaxed, secure environment set about improving not just skills, but also confidence levels, test scores and classroom participation. In a short time your child can reclaim that easy and natural connection with the world of mathematics. Make it happen for your student. Rescue mathematics for your child, you’ll never regret it.

______________________________________________

IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY… GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE NEXT STEP.

Tutoring can be the fundamental tool in raising a child’s self esteem. The next step is simple. Call us at – 877-68-TUTOR (877-688-8867). Our office hours are 9 – 6pm, Monday through Friday.

We’ve already helped thousands students create the type of foundation they’ll benefit from – not only today, but in the years to come as well.

Ernie Bilodeau, Regional Director
Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services

Local Numbers:

Tampa/Wesley Chapel  813-620-3764
Manatee/Sarasota  941-776-5600
Coral Springs/Parkland  954-344-2124

Once your child is introduced to more complex things like fractions, the divide between those who “get it” becomes even greater. By the age of 10, your son or daughter’s inability to keep pace with the class will become evident. Classroom stress, including timed tests, have been known to actually cause “math anxiety” in kids of all ages.

If you’ve been there yourself, you can clearly see what an issue struggling with the subject of math can be to your child’s overall educational process. Children who struggle to learn, wind up struggling in many other areas of life as a result.

Thankfully, there is a solution. One-on-one tutoring is one proven way to help kids catch up.

One-on-one tutoring is also an effective way to tackle math and learning anxiety before it becomes an even greater problem.

Tutors can customize their teaching to their student’s individual needs, and can provide enough positive reinforcement to help them overcome their obstacles and be successful students.

To receive more information – please fill out the form to on the right side of this screen can click on the submit button. Your information is strictly confidential and we will never share your email address information with 3rd parties (we hate spam as much as you do).

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Club Z! tutors have helped over 300,000 students improve their grades, raise their test scores, learn productive study skills, build their academic self-confidence, and reach their full potential. We serve students of all ages, pre-kindergarten through adult and tutoring is available in all core subjects -reading, mathematics, science, history – as well as study skills, foreign languages, standardized test prep, assessment testing such as ACT and SAT, Kindergarten readiness, and much more.

______________________________________________

IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY… GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE NEXT STEP.

Tutoring can be the fundamental tool in raising a child’s self esteem. The next step is simple. Call us at – 877-68-TUTOR (877-688-8867). Our office hours are 9 – 6pm, Monday through Friday.

We’ve already helped thousands students create the type of foundation they’ll benefit from – not only today, but in the years to come as well.

Ernie Bilodeau, Regional Director
Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services

Local Numbers:

Tampa/Wesley Chapel  813-620-3764
Manatee/Sarasota  941-776-5600
Coral Springs/Parkland  954-344-2124

For older students, we have tutors with advanced mathematics degrees or professionals working in highly technical fields who will provide instruction in higher level mathematics including Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus and Statistics.

To receive more information – please fill out the form to on the right side of this screen can click on the submit button. Your information is strictly confidential and we will never share your email address information with 3rd parties (we hate spam as much as you do).

____________________________________________

Club Z! tutors have helped over 300,000 students improve their grades, raise their test scores, learn productive study skills, build their academic self-confidence, and reach their full potential. We serve students of all ages, pre-kindergarten through adult and tutoring is available in all core subjects -reading, mathematics, science, history – as well as study skills, foreign languages, standardized test prep, assessment testing such as ACT and SAT, Kindergarten readiness, and much more.

______________________________________________

IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY… GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE NEXT STEP.

Tutoring can be the fundamental tool in raising a child’s self esteem. The next step is simple. Call us at – 877-68-TUTOR (877-688-8867). Our office hours are 9 – 6pm, Monday through Friday.

We’ve already helped thousands students create the type of foundation they’ll benefit from – not only today, but in the years to come as well.

Ernie Bilodeau, Regional Director
Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services

Local Numbers:

Tampa/Wesley Chapel  813-620-3764
Manatee/Sarasota  941-776-5600
Coral Springs/Parkland  954-344-2124