Practice Makes Perfect in Math
By: Ernie Bilodeau, Regional Director
Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services
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.
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How to Reduce Summertime Educational Setbacks
By: Ernie Bilodeau, Regional Director
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.
read moreTo Fail or Not to Fail a Grade
By: Ernie Bilodeau, Regional Director
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.
Building a Base with Basic Math
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.
Make the New Year Add Up!
By: Ernie Bilodeau, Regional Director
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!
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