The Top 7 Benefits of Hiring a Math Private Tutor
Mathematics can be a challenging subject for most students. It requires a certain understanding and mastery to excel in this subject. While some students may find it easy, others struggle to grasp the concepts and principles.
It can be frustrating for students who feel like they are not progressing in their math classes. This is where hiring a private math tutor can be beneficial. This article will discuss the top seven benefits of hiring a private math tutor.
Improved Performance
One of the primary advantages of working with a private math tutor is that it can improve your performance in the subject. Tutors are trained to identify your weaknesses and help you work on them. They can provide personalized attention, which is impossible in a classroom setting.
With one-on-one sessions, students can ask questions and clarify their doubts without feeling embarrassed. Tutors can also tailor their teaching methods to suit the student’s learning style, making the sessions more effective.
Better Understanding of Concepts
Mathematics is a subject that requires a deep understanding of concepts and principles. It can be difficult to solve problems and apply formulas without a proper understanding. A private math tutor can help students understand the concepts and principles in a way that makes sense. Tutors can break down complex topics into simpler parts, making it easier for students to understand.
Increased Confidence
Many students cringe when it comes to math. They may feel intimidated by the subject or feel like they are not good enough. Hiring a private math tutor can help boost their confidence. Tutors can provide positive feedback and encouragement, which can help students gain more confidence in their abilities. Their confidence will continue to develop as they see improvements in their performance.
Personalized Attention
Teachers have to divide their attention among several students in a classroom setting. This can make it impractical for them to provide personalized attention to each student.
With a private math tutor, students can receive individualized attention. Tutors can identify the student’s strengths and weaknesses and work on them accordingly. This can help students develop their math skills at their own pace without being overwhelmed.
Flexible Schedule
Another benefit of hiring a private math tutor is the flexibility it provides. Tutors can work around the student’s schedule, making it easier for them to join tutoring sessions. Tutors can also provide online sessions, which can be attainable for students who live far away or have transportation issues.
Improved Study Habits
Math private tutors can also help improve the student’s study habits. They can supply tips and techniques on how to study effectively. Tutors can also help students develop a study plan that works for them. This can include setting goals, prioritizing tasks, and managing time effectively. With improved study habits, students can become more efficient and productive.
Better Grades
Ultimately, hiring a private math tutor can lead to better grades. With personalized attention, improved understanding of concepts, and increased confidence, students are more likely to perform well in their math classes.
Tutors can also help students prepare for exams and assignments, leading to higher grades. This can positively impact the student’s academic career and future opportunities.
Conclusion
Hiring a private math tutor can benefit students struggling with the subject. Students can excel in their math classes with personalized attention, an improved understanding of concepts, and increased confidence.
Additionally, tutors can provide flexible schedules, improved study habits, and ultimately lead to better grades. Investing in a private math tutor can be a wise decision for students who want to improve their performance in math.
Boost your math skills and grades with a private math tutor from Prep Academy Tutors! Contact us today to schedule your personalized tutoring sessions and start achieving academic success.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Prep Academy Tutors is Open for Business in Illinois
Prep Academy Tutors is proud to announce that we have teamed up with Jack Gannon and Kathleen Gannon to offer in-home and online tutoring in Illinois.
The new franchise of Prep Academy Tutors is based in DuPage County, Illinois. We support children and families in Illinois and across DuPage County.
Our Illinois franchisees are passionate about education and boast ample experience with the Illinois curriculum. At PREP ACADEMY TUTORS, we provide students with the personalized education they need to succeed. Prep Academy Tutors of DuPage is one of our newer U.S. franchises.
Who We Are: Prep Academy Tutors of DuPage
Prep Academy Tutors is a private in-home and ONLINE TUTORING COMPANY that boasts a team of elite tutors dedicated to fostering your child’s best academic self. We provide ONE-ON-ONE TUTORING and both small group and micro-classroom tutoring to support students and families.
Meet the Owners: Jack and Kathleen
Jack Gannon
Jack, along with his wife, Kathleen, is the co-owner of Prep Academy Tutors – DuPage County. Jack brings more than 17 years of business experience that includes leading, managing people and projects, and creating revenue growth through sales, primarily in the industry of food manufacturing and packaging.
He is very excited to be a part of the Prep Academy Tutors team by providing exceptional tutoring services to the students and families of DuPage County. In his spare time, Jack enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf and cheering on the Chicago sports teams.
Kathleen Gannon
Kathleen is excited to be part of the Prep Academy Tutors community and bring the first Prep Academy Tutors franchise to Illinois! Kathleen is passionate about education, and has over 10 years of experience working in public schools, specifically as a school counselor and special education case manager. In both of these roles, Kathleen saw firsthand the benefits that individualized, one-on-one instruction can provide for students. As a licensed school counselor, Kathleen places a high importance on listening and collaborating with parents and families regarding specific academic, as well as social-emotional needs.
Kathleen completed her bachelor’s degree in communication from Truman State University, and received her M.Ed. from the University of Missouri-Columbia with an emphasis in counseling psychology. She is passionate about the dynamic relationship between a student’s social-emotional well-being and academic achievement. Prep Academy Tutors aligns well with Kathleen’s values, as she believes in delivering high quality, individualized instruction to students to cater to their specific learning styles.
After spending the past few years at home with her young sons, Kathleen is excited to return to the field of education to provide exceptional tutoring services to students and families of DuPage County. In her spare time, Kathleen enjoys spending time with her husband and three young children, reading, and traveling when the opportunity arises.
Meet Some of Our DuPage, IL Tutors
Prep Academy Tutors of DuPage are excited to grow our roster to provide compassionate and personalized tutoring services in Illinois. We’re LOOKING FOR TUTORS who boast the experience and skills necessary to provide the level of education that Prep Academy Tutors is known for.
ALEXIS S.
Specializes In: College Essay Writing, English, Social Studies
About Alexis: Alexis holds a professional educators license in Illinois with concentrations in English and Social Studies. She grew up in Villa Park, IL and received my Undergraduate Degree at Lewis University. While at Lewis University, Alexis served as a writing tutor in our writing center and assisted undergraduate and graduate students in peer editing writing assignments. Alexis recently graduated in December of 2022!
OMAR N.
Specializes In: ACT Test Prep, Algebra, Biology, Elementary Education K-5, PSAT/SAT Test Prep, Pre-Algebra, Social Studies, Spanish, Trigonometry
About Omar: Omar is currently a second-year medical student at Rush Medical College. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics and minor in biology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has been tutoring one on one for more than 6 years now, and has experience with elementary through college aged students. Omar has tutored a variety of subjects, including math, economics, science, English, ACT subjects, and Arabic. He has also taught classes of 20+ as a Sunday School instructor for 4 years and is comfortable with all types of students and settings. Omar’s time tutoring and teaching have taught him that everyone has different learning styles, and teaching methods must be adjusted accordingly.
LEAH H
Specializes In: Algebra, Pre-Algebra, Spanish, Trigonometry
About Leah: Leah Haft is currently studying Secondary Education Mathematics, with a minor in K-12 Spanish Teaching at Elmhurst University. Her desire to become a teacher started at a young age. She has experience working with students in various settings, such as through nannying, life coaching a student with special needs, and in a classroom setting. She has been nannying for 2 and a half years, in which she has been able to sit-in on a couple of IEP meetings. Through participating in classrooms, Leah has been able to teach some lessons and help students with their math work. In her free time, she co-leads a Girl Scout troop of 12 girls and has had some leadership experience with the Honors Program at Elmhurst University.
What to Expect from Prep Academy Tutors of DuPage:
![](https://prepacademytutors.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/PA-State-of-Education-2-e1595282787634.png")
Support:Prep Academy Tutors provides personalized in-home and online tutoring services to support families and students in DuPage County, Illinois, helping students achieve academic success and reach their full potential.
Curriculum-Based Educational Support: We use a growing online platform to provide CURRICULUM-BASED EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT.
A Commitment to Academic Excellence: We are committed to academic excellence and work to ensure our students stay at and above grade level.
Services: We provide one-on-one, small group, and micro-classroom TUTORING ONLINE, or in the comfort of your home.
Targeted Tutoring: Prep Academy Tutors provides executive functioning coaching that helps students improve their organization, time management, and decision-making skills, which can lead to increased academic success and overall well-being.
Communication: We prioritize communication between tutors and families.
Work with Prep Academy Tutors of DuPage
To work with Prep Academy Tutors, you can call us at 630.503.6620 or email us at dupage@prepacademytutors.com.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Prep Academy Tutors is Open for Business in Colorado
Prep Academy Tutors is proud to announce that we have teamed up with Mark Saunders to offer in-home and online tutoring in Colorado.
The new franchise of Prep Academy Tutors is based in Boulder County, Colorado. We support children and families in Colorado and across Boulder County and Jefferson County.
Our Colorado franchisee is passionate about education and boasts ample experience with the Colorado curriculum. At PREP ACADEMY TUTORS, we provide students with the personalized education they need to succeed. Prep Academy Tutors of Boulder County is one of our newer American franchises.
Who We Are: Prep Academy Tutors of Boulder and Jefferson Counties
Prep Academy Tutors is a private in-home and ONLINE TUTORING COMPANY that boasts a team of elite tutors dedicated to fostering your child’s best academic self. We provide ONE-ON-ONE TUTORING and both small group and micro-classroom tutoring to support students and families during these challenging times.
We tailor all our services to provide safe social-distancing and compliance with State and CDC regulations. We support our students in both remediation and enhancement and support traditional or alternative curricula.
Meet the Owner: Mark Saunders
Mark Saunders
Mark Saunders is a master teacher, storyteller, and entrepreneur with more than 20 years’ experience helping people of all ages to embrace new information, discover smartsolutions, and find their own sense of mastery. Mark’s ability to distill complex information into easy-to-understand concepts engages people, fosters trust, and creates a sense of camaraderie. He is also the co-author and publisher of two Amazon bestselling books on men’s health. This combination of personal and professional skills — along with Mark’s innate ability to collaborate and build relationships — makes him an ideal owner/director of a Prep Academy Tutors franchise. In his spare time, Mark enjoys cycling, swimming, strength training, and practicing karate and yoga. Most mornings you’ll find him on the trails of Boulder, Colorado with his beloved Brazilian rescue dog, Bianca.
Meet Our Boulder and Jefferson Tutors
Prep Academy Tutors of Boulder County are excited to grow our roster to provide compassionate and personalized tutoring services in Boulder. We’re LOOKING FOR TUTORS who boast the experience and skills necessary to provide the level of education that Prep Academy Tutors is known for.
Andrea A.
Specializes In: Spanish
About Andrea: Andrea is an enthusiastic and experienced language teacher who is fluent in English and Spanish. Andrea grew up in Nicaragua and moved to the United States to pursue her education. She holds a BA in Environmental Studies from Naropa University and an MBA in Global Business from Adelphi University.
Red C.
Specializes In: Algebra, Calculus, Chemistry, College Essay Writing, Environmental Science, Macroeconomics, Social Studies, Statistics
About Red: Red grew up in Buck County, Pennsylvania as one of eight siblings. From a very early age, Red was either helping or being helped with schoolwork. This was Red’s introduction to tutoring. Always curious about the world around them, Red studied Earth Science and Policy and received a Bachelor of Science at Penn State University, gaining expertise and confidence in many areas of math, chemistry, geology — as well as written and verbal communications.
Nazeer S.
Specializes In: ACT Prep, Algebra, Biology, Calculus, Chemistry, College Essay Writing, Elementary Education 1-6, Environmental Science, Finite Math, Geometry, Macroeconomics, PSAT/SAT Test Prep, Social Studies, Spanish, Statistics, World History
About Nazeer: Nazeer graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in neuroscience. He completed his medical degree at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. Throughout his academic career, Nazeer tutored students on a wide range of subjects from chess to graduate-level biochemistry.
What to Expect from Prep Academy Tutors of Boulder and Jefferson Counties:
Support: We support parents and families who work from home and the growing community of families in Colorado. We work to help bridge the gap between school curricula.
Curriculum-Based Educational Support: We use a growing online platform to provide CURRICULUM-BASED EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT.
A Commitment to Academic Excellence: We are committed to academic excellence and work to ensure our students stay at and above grade level, especially during remote-learning or transition periods.
Services: We provide one-on-one, small group, and micro-classroom TUTORING ONLINE, at your home, in your backyard, or a safe public space.
Targeted Tutoring: We target executive functioning skills to help students during remote learning when they are outside of supervised classrooms and resource rooms.
Communication: We prioritize communication between tutors and families.
Work with Prep Academy Tutors of Boulder and Jefferson Counties
To work with Prep Academy Tutors, you can call us at 720.902.5585 or email us at boulder@prepacademytutors.com. We will get back to you shortly.
Grand Opening of Prep Academy Tutors Study Center in Bronxville, NY
On Thursday, January 12, Prep Academy Tutors hosted the grand opening of The Study Center. The Study Center is located at 7 Pondfield Rd., Suite 209, Bronxville, New York. The grand opening welcomed clients and friends to preview the space and State Senator Shelley Mayer, Chair of the State Senate Education Committee, to cut the ribbon. The Study Center is an open, collaborative workspace that Vanessa and Sarah are excited to share with their clients, friends, and community. The Study Center will host mock SAT/ACT testing, SAT/ACT classes, college counseling, student workshops, parent workshops, and in-person tutoring. Contact Prep Academy Tutors at (914) 303-7661 to find out more.
The Benefits of Learning French as a Second Language
In Canada, where bilingualism is a lived reality for millions of people and an official federal government policy, the most obvious benefit of learning French as a second language is financial.
Being bilingual in French and English increases your career opportunities and earning potential. Bilingualism is required, or at least preferred, for a substantial number jobs in a variety of fields and industries — and not only in government.
Even if a job doesn’t require its employees to be bilingual, being bilingual never hurts. On the contrary, it increases an applicant’s chances of getting hired.
According to popular opinion, pursuing studies in STEM is the surest way to open up many lucrative career doors. But language, too, is in high demand. Degrees in English, Languages, Communications, and Journalism teach critical thinking and writing skills, which are necessary in many fields.
Students who graduate from post-secondary education with these skills are not only prepared to communicate effectively in the workplace, but they are also trained to analyze information in subjects they didn’t study, such as finance or IT, and communicate this information clearly. This gives them an edge up on students who graduate from STEM or STEM-related postsecondary programs, where communication skills aren’t prioritized.
There are many reasons why it is important build language skills in a bilingual country like Canada — as noted, learning French as a second language increases one’s chances of being hired, and can help you stand out from the competition in a job interview. But in addition to the economic benefits of bilingualism, there are also cognitive and social benefits.
In this article, we will explore all of the benefits of learning a second language, and provide some tips for how tutors can make learning a second language easier.
Cognitive Benefits of Learning a Second Language
In doctoral programs in the humanities, it’s traditional for students to learn a second language. The tradition makes a lot of sense: learning a second language is good for the brain. Bilingual or multilingual students tend to score higher on standardized tests, such as the MCAT, the GRE, or the LSAT.
In addition, learning a second language can improve:
- Creativity
- Focus and attention span
- Memory
- Problem-solving skills
- Executive function (e.g. shifting, planning, and updating)
- Critical thinking
- Language sensitivity (the ability to distinguish languages you’ve never heard before)
- Brain growth
- Flexibility (the ability to shift between different mental states)
- Ability to multitask
- Listening skills
Furthermore, once you have finished learning a second language, it becomes easier to learn another. Learning a new language may help prevent cognitive decline in old age. And learning a second language can also improve proficiency in one’s native tongue.
It may seem ironic, but the discipline of mastering French grammar and French vocabulary can help native speakers of English understand their own language better.
Social Benefits of Learning a Second Language
In addition to the practical and cognitive benefits of learning a second language, there are many social benefits of being bilingual as well.
Learning a second language such as French increases social flexibility—the ability to adapt to new environments, read social cues, get to know more people, travel and work in more places across the globe, and switch between different social skill sets.
Learning a new language helps you see the world in different ways, from different points of view. Bilinguals, unlike monolinguals, are able to apply concepts and nuances that are unique to one language to another.
Moreover, bilingualism may also increase empathy; bilinguals may be better at suspending their own beliefs and emotions to concentrate on another person’s point of view.
Learning a Second Language Doesn’t Have to Be Difficult
The thought of learning a new language at the secondary level can be intimidating. It’s one thing to learn a language when you’re a child, the thinking goes, and quite another thing to learn a language during adolescence and afterward.
Although there is some truth to this, it’s very possible, and not as difficult as you might think, to master high school French even if you’ve never studied French before.
For anglophones living in Quebec, French tutors in Montreal offer one-on-one lessons, in person and online, and can help unlock the benefits of learning a second language for kids who don’t speak French at home.
Unlike in a typical high school classroom, where French teachers tend to prefer one teaching method over others and assign the same homework to all students, in-person and online tutors in Ontario and Quebec customize their teaching style and assigned work according to students’ particular needs and expectations. Expert language tutors provide a safe learning environment where students can make mistakes and build their confidence without fear of judgment. Tutors understand the pedagogy of linguistics and can incorporate modern methods for language acquisition into private lessons.
Fluency Means More than Academic Success
It’s important for students who understand the value of learning French as a second language to understand the difference between academic success and fluency.
Though academic success in French is valuable, a handle on grammar, vocabulary, and literacy will only get a student so far. Being fluent in French means being able to speak and engage with native French speakers, navigate French places and countries, and understand French customs and social norms.
The best way to become fluent in French is to not only study the language academically, but also to immerse yourself in the language. But it can be quite difficult for native English speakers in Ontario, and even native English speakers in Quebec, to find opportunities to converse in French, but French tutoring in Toronto can help give students the opportunity to converse in French without the fear of making mistakes, with the goal of becoming fluent.
Most people in the world speak more than one language. In North America, however, it’s quite common to speak only one, and Canadian students outside of Quebec are often at a disadvantage when it comes to mastering French as a second language.
The one-on-one support offered by a French tutor can play a crucial role in helping students gain practical fluency, so if you are interested in giving your kids access to the benefits of learning a second language, call Prep Academy Tutors today.
Online Learning Could Be Here to Stay in Ontario
In Ontario, it has been over a year since students started pursuing their education online. But now that more and more people in Canada are being vaccinated and schools at all levels and in all provinces and territories are preparing a return to in-person classes in the fall, it may appear as though the days of online learning are ending.
The more likely result, however, is a hybrid approach that a hybrid approach is the way of the near future. However much parents and students alike might be dreaming of having things go back to normal, online learning might be here to stay in Canada.
In Manitoba, for instance, the government is actively working to enable universities and colleges to develop more sophisticated and engaging remote-learning models with the intent of improving the quality of online learning now and in years to come.
Manitoba recently made public its better education starts today (BEST) document, as well as the contents of the Education Modernization Act, and the K-12 review. BEST is a list of provincial takeaways from the past year, and it looks favourably upon online learning. According to the document, “Expanding access and capacity for high-quality remote learning improves our resilience moving out of the pandemic and provides greater flexibility.”
The hurdles of online learning will be tough, though not impossible, to overcome, and our professional online tutors can help.
The Bumpy Acceleration of Online Learning
This past school year has seen more drop-outs and lower student engagement and performance rates. Not only that, but stress, anxiety, and rates of depression have increased among students and teachers alike. These statistics have much to do, of course, with the pandemic — mental well-being has been hard hit throughout the country — but online-learning on its own is also partly to blame.
If online learning is here to stay, government and school boards will need to devise proactive ways of improving the quality of remote education, and parents need to search out online tutoring tips that can help kids keep learning under remote conditions. Doing so may mean drawing from best practices and solutions outside of Canada.
A case can be made that online learning is an inevitable step in education, and that the COVID-19 pandemic has simply accelerated the move toward online learning models. Student demand for remote learning has greatly increased over the past school year, and a hybrid online and in person learning model will, ideally, combine the benefits of in person learning with the benefits of online learning.
Professional online tutoring in Toronto and other Canadian cities has been one example of this, helping students get the extra help they need from the safety of their own homes.
Can Online and In-Person Education Be Complementary?
The benefits of in person learning are well documented. An in-class environment is far less distracting than an at home learning environment, where students are often free to do what they please.
In-person learning also makes it easier to develop close relationships with teachers. Students can better learn from the body language of a teacher when they share a classroom together. Students in class have easier access to school materials.
Students also benefit socially by interacting with other students in class, doing group projects, and spending time with students at recess and in hallways or the cafeteria. Indeed, the social benefits of in person learning are not to be underestimated.
This may be why students who complete their course in classroom settings do so at a much higher rate than students who learn remotely, and some students feel more comfortable and accustomed to learning in a classroom than elsewhere.
Credit: Katerina Holmes Via Pexels
But there are also many benefits to online learning, especially when supplemented by tutoring in Hamilton or Toronto that gives kids one-on-one learning time with an educator.
With online learning, students who live far away from campus don’t have to spend hours commuting to and from school grounds five days a week. Students with disabilities can sidestep the difficulties inherent to navigating campus facilities, many of which do not adequately meet their needs.
Sick students who by showing up to class risk making other students sick can participate in class (if they’re not too sick) from home. Mature students with jobs or families have an easier time fitting online learning into their busy schedules.
Online learning may benefit students at the post-secondary and post-graduate levels most. One recent study has shown that MBA students benefit from online learning in a variety of ways.
According to a case study in which more than 100 students enrolled in prestigious online MBA programs were asked to share their perceptions and thoughts on the pros and cons of online learning, a commonly shared sentiment among the students was that they highly valued the experience of virtual teaming because it prepares them for today’s global business environment.
Online Learning: A Parent’s Perspective
It’s not only students who recognize the benefits of remote learning, however: parents also see value in online learning — a fact that may come as a surprise for parents who are burned out after a year of Zoom school.
The difficulties of parenting students who learn remotely are well documented. It has been remarkably difficult for parents to provide educational support to their children while working full or part time jobs. However, parenting students who learn remotely does have some benefits.
With online learning, parents have more time to spend with their children; family time has increased. Not only that, but parents — especially parents who help their children build structure and routine — enjoy the pleasure of watching their children develop more confidence in their ability to work alone.
Parents of adolescents enjoy watching how their children’s increased confidence in their learning abilities has in turn helped them discover themselves. More flexibility in their children’s schooling has helped parents better understand how their child’s unique learning styles interact with the curriculum.
Perhaps the hybrid in-person and online learning model of the future will benefit education in ways that were unimaginable before the onset of the COVD-19 pandemic. It is likely, however, that some adjustment will be needed, and tutoring can play a significant role in this process.
If you want to find out more about how tutoring services can help manage the transitions between online and offline learning, get in touch with Prep Academy Tutors today.
What are the Different Types of Learners?
Everyone learns differently. Students tend to excel at one type of learning more than others, and each type of learning comes with its advantages and disadvantages.
Certain styles of teaching suit different types of learners. At Prep Academy, we understand that for every students’ learning type, there is an ideal tutor. We play matchmaker to ensure your child is paired with a certified tutor who meets your child’s type of learning and allows your child to feel comfortable enough to take risks and flourish.
Challenges Different Learners Face Today
Pairing your child with the right tutor according to their learning type is even more important now than in recent years. Given the pandemic, teachers have been forced to deliver classes online, where they are less likely to identify what type of learner their students are.
As a result, students are not doing as well as they were last school year. The statistics are worrying. In Ontario, online attendance rates have decreased; so, too, have test scores. The Ontario School Board has reported that failure rates in courses are at 16% — nearly twice what they were last year. In Quebec, the statistics are even worse. Failure rates are three times higher than they were in 2019-2020.
Increased failure rates mean students are less likely to achieve high marks or the credits they need to graduate on time, and although school boards and teachers are making heroic efforts to adapt to the new normal as best as possible, students’ needs are not being met. The situation likely won’t improve until schools return to business as usual.
Our Certified Tutors Meet Today’s Challenges
Our certified tutors have the privilege of engaging with our students one-on-one, whether through online tutoring or in-person, and tailoring lessons according to our students’ type of learning.
Whereas school boards teach one size fits all curriculums, which inevitably benefit some types of learners more than others, our tutors help each pupil engage with schoolwork according to their highly individual learning needs.
In this way our certified provide tutors provide our students with a quality of education that schools, on their own, cannot.
The Four Types of Learners
As noted earlier, each student has their own unique way of engaging with and mastering a subject. Whereas one student is more likely to memorize a poem by turning it into song, for instance, another student is better off writing out the poem multiple times.
That being said, generally speaking there are four main types of learners:
- Auditory learners
- Visual (or spatial) learners
- Kinesthetic (or hands-on) learners
- Writing and reading learners
Auditory learners learn most about a subject by hearing someone speaking about it, and by speaking about it themselves (especially in groups). Visual learners, by contrast, prefer diagrams, graphs, and other visual aids. Kinesthetic learners learn by doing. And writing and reading learners learn by writing and reading (typically on their own).
There’s more to the story, of course; learning isn’t that simple. Auditory learners, for instance, don’t only learn most about a subject through speech. Auditory learners also tend to be linear thinkers and sociable people. Group projects and presentations are especially helpful, as is reading aloud.
Writing and reading learners, by contrast, tend to be more introverted and better suited to individual projects. This makes them particularly well-suited to traditional pedagogical approaches. A book, some paper, a dictionary, and a quiet room constitute a writing and reading learner’s basic learning needs.
Credit: Artem Podrez Via Pexels
Identifying What Type of Learner You Are
If you’re not sure what type of learner your child is, consider having your child take a National Learning Style Assessment.
It’s important that you understand what type of learner your child is. Doing so can increase your child’s learning potential, improve the ways your child studies, help them better understand who they are, and raise their confidence and grades.
Moreover, understanding what type of learner your child is should play a role in deciding what subject or field of study to pursue, as each learning style has its advantages and disadvantages. Writing and reading learners are often better off pursuing English literature or law, while kinesthetic learners are drawn more toward hands-on fields of study such as engineering or biology, or any subject that involves lab work or exercise.
Does your child excel at some subjects more than others? If so, this may indicate what type of learner your child is.
Understanding what type of learner your child is can also help him or her improve at a subject they struggle with by understanding the best ways for them to study it and providing the educational support they need to approach the material.
If your child is a visual learner, for example, having them highlight their notes with different colours can help them commit information to memory. Visual learners also tend to learn more in class when they sit near the front, where they can see their teacher better and not be distracted by other students in the room.
If your child is a kinesthetic learner, an uncomfortable chair can interfere with their studying more so than loud noises or people walking in and out of the room. Kinesthetic learners, unlike visual learners, are often better off sitting in the back of the class, where it’s more acceptable for them to move around.
A student’s learning type also depends to some degree on the subject they’re engaging with. Reading and writing learners may learn more about a piece of music by listening to it than they would by reading and writing about it. Auditory learners may learn more about the location of a country by seeing it on a map than by listening to a lecture about its geographical coordinates.
At Prep Academy Tutors, we understand how important finding the right fit is, which is why our tutoring services are designed to work with different types of learners to achieve the educational objectives outlined in the curriculum.
Our Tutors Meet Your Child’s Learning Type
Every student can learn with the right approach, and our math and English tutors in Toronto understand how important it is to understand your child’s learning type and employ a style of tutoring best suited to it.
Some of our English tutors employ Wilson Reading System, while others teach the Direct Instruction Reading Masters program, in order to improve reading comprehension for children of different ages. Some of our math tutors are schooled in JUMP Math, while others are trained in the Singapore Math philosophy. Our tutoring services offer the educational support your child needs.
Because everyone learns differently, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach, we approach tutoring with a personalized touch. Our certified tutors build personal bonds with your kids according to their unique needs. What matters most is that your child receives the best education possible, which is what our certified tutors do their best to provide.
If you want to learn about how our tutoring service helps different types of learners excel, get in touch with Prep Academy Tutors to find out more.
Calgary Education Options and What They Mean for Students
Due to the pandemic and the shift from in-person to online teaching methods, teachers now in Calgary lack the proper resources and time to properly educate students in reading and writing. Budget cuts to the Calgary Board of Education, combined with the pandemic, have delivered a double blow to teachers and students.
Classroom resources have decreased, while the average class size has increased by two or more students across the system. Meanwhile, school fee support and per-capita funding based on annual enrolment has gone up.
The ramifications of the double blow are worrying. Schools have less money, many classes have moved online, and parents and teachers alike are struggling to provide kids with the right resources and means for them to keep up and not fall behind.
The Crisis of Pandemic Learning
It makes sense that kids in Calgary, even the most studious and disciplined, are falling behind. At home, sitting in front of their computer, distractions are everywhere. And without the support of their peers, and cut off from shared daily routines, it can be hard to stay focused.
Imagine being thirteen years old and having to study for an English exam online, at home, with the internet at your fingertips! If American adults on average can’t help but check their phones over 90 times per day, how are kids in Calgary supposed to avoid distractions?
Although the long-term effects of the pandemic on students at all levels in Calgary are difficult to quantify, it appears that the pandemic has decreased students’ performance rates and lowered their interest in learning. They feel alienated from their teachers and their peers, from their assignments and the very purpose of an education. Without the personable attention a classroom provides, and without anyone to monitor their progress and look over their shoulders, students are left at sea.
Research done by the University of Alberta has shown that standardized reading assessment scores in Edmonton have gone down among students in grades one and two. Across the country, test scores as well as participation rates have decreased, while dropout rates have gone up.
Arithmetic rates, along with attendance rates, have gone down in Alberta, as well as the rest of Canada. In some cases, students have fallen behind as much as a full year. In Edmonton, students in grades 1 and 2 are now on average one year behind on reading tests. In Alberta, the reading ability of students in grades one through three are lower than before (the learning losses amount to six to eight months). Students all over the country now require more instruction, particularly in literacy.
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Academic Success Means More than Just Graduating on Time
Given these decreases, schools have had to adjust their expectations for student performance. The bar is lower than before. In Calgary and in other many schools across Canada, students are expected to do less work than they were before the pandemic struck. What matters, at bottom, is that they get through the semester and graduate on time.
But to get into a good post-secondary institution, of course, students must do more than graduate on time: they must meet certain baselines in academic achievement. The pandemic’s impact on schooling is particularly damaging to students in grades 11 and 12, whose grades determine which schools they can get into.
In the United States, universities including Cornell and Harvard have responded to the problem by making SAT scores no longer mandatory for admission. It’s yet to be seen how Canadian universities will adapt their admission requirements.
Fortunately, however, the situation in Calgary isn’t all doom and gloom: tutors in Calgary can step into the breach where the education system hasn’t been able to deliver.
English Tutors in Calgary
Literacy is key for excelling in school and in the workforce. It’s virtually impossible to get by without a strong ability to read and write, and the better your child is at reading and writing, the more opportunities they will have to succeed.
Without in-person attention from a teacher in a classroom, how are students supposed to improve their ability to read and write?
For better or worse, online learning is the new normal. So, it’s imperative that parents and children adjust as best they can. This is where our private online tutors in Calgary come in.
Tutors, especially nowadays, are invaluable resources. By working with students one-on-one, Prep Academy Tutors certified instructors provide the kind of English help in Calgary that the Calgary Board of Education is having an understandably hard time delivering.
At Prep Academy Tutors, our certified and experienced tutors work with students to ensure they receive an enriching education and learning experience that’s tailored to their unique needs and learning types, so that they can achieve success with online learning rather than falling behind.
The prospect of setting up your child with the right tutor can seem daunting. We work to pair your child with the tutor best suited to your child’s needs and learning type. Our certified English tutors are specialists in literacy who have the pedagogical knowledge to help kids overcome learning obstacles.
The right tutor will create a comfortable, low-pressure, one-on-one environment with your child that build’s your child’s literacy abilities and empowers your child to build confidence and accomplish academic goals.
Learning Pods
Another option for your child is enrolling in a learning pod.
A learning pod is a small group of students, typically between three to five, who meet with a certified tutor anywhere from two to four hours, three to five times per week.
A learning pod is more social than working with one-on-one tutors, so auditory learners, who tend to learn best in groups small and large, might benefit more with learning pods than with one-on-one tutors.
Our learning pods are safe, controlled, and consistent environments. Prep Academy English tutors in Calgary offer online literacy learning pods that, like our one-on-one tutors, match your child’s needs as well as your educational preferences.
If you’re interested in enrolling your child in a literacy learning pod, the first step is to create your own pod (groups of three to five students). The next step is for students to opt into the “online learning” option through their current school boards. Our certified teachers will then work to supplement the local curriculum materials with further explanations and reviews, in addition to what’s being delivered by the online teacher.
If you want to ensure your children get the education they deserve during this difficult time, get in touch with Prep Academy Tutors today!
Why Tutoring is More Important than Ever for New York Students
The coronavirus pandemic has been interrupting American life for a full year now, and exhaustion with the restrictions set in long ago. But it isn’t just the restrictions and lockdowns that are so frustrating — it is also the constantly changes around what is allowed and what isn’t.
Education is a prime example of this, and the one that most parents of school-aged children are having the hardest time with: when New York City announced at the beginning of January that schools would once again be moving classes online, it didn’t take long for hashtags criticizing the decision to start circulating online.
While opinion remains divided as to how New York State should strike the right balance between public safety and the needs of students, parents, and teachers, it is clear that the coming semester will be a rocky one. Even outside of New York City proper, suburban counties like Westchester are locked in a delicate dance around school closures and re-openings based on COVID-19 outbreaks.
This is why it is all the more important for parents to start exploring alternative ways of making sure their children don’t fall behind in their schooling due to zoom fatigue or lack of stimulation. Currently, one of the biggest issues with the state of education in New York is that students are having a much harder time accessing the learning supports that play such a big role in helping those who are struggling in their classes.
Because after-school study groups and educational extracurriculars have been curtailed, kids who need a more hands-on approach in order to master difficult subjects have been left to fend for themselves — which is why certified online tutors can be such a big help.
If you want to make sure that the chaos of this school year doesn’t do long-term damage to your children’s education, here are some of the ways private tutors are helping New York families get through the pandemic, and some of the things you should look for in a private tutor.
Tutoring: An Essential Learning Supplement for New York Students
Over the past months, school closures in New York have been followed by New York school reopenings and the promise of a return to something like normalcy. With the latest round of school closures, many students are finding it exceptionally difficult to get back into the rhythm of distance learning.
This is in part because remote learning requires a greater degree of discipline from students, one that has been severely eroded by coronavirus fatigue. Tutoring doesn’t require the same degree of mental effort because the tutors work on a one-on-one basis, meeting students where they are emotionally and psychologically.
Unlike a teacher trying to engage a twenty-person class over zoom, a tutor can:
- Check in with a student about their wellbeing and the personal learning challenges they are facing
- Provide affirmation and coaching
- Discuss lessons and concepts in a back-and-forth way, so that the student can work through problems in their own words
- Help develop personalized learning strategies that build off students’ strengths and account for areas of weakness
- Act not as an authority figure but as a knowledgeable peer who empathizes with the student’s unique challenges and helps them work through course material in their own way and at their own pace
For most students, learning is most effective when it is a dialogical process. Exploring ideas, trying to find words to explain difficult concepts, having space to make mistakes — these things are all much easier when the student has a knowledgeable interlocutor to help them.
One of the reasons tutoring in Westchester NY can be such an important supplement to regular classes is that it puts the student and their needs at the center of the educational process, empowering them to focus on their unique challenges.
Find a Tutoring Service that Fits Your Life
The challenges of pandemic schooling have been aggravated by the fact that many parents don’t have the time to monitor their children’s schooling.
Working from home is already a stressful experience, and when you’re juggling your own zoom calls with cooking, housework, and shopping, you aren’t always able to check in to make sure your kids are paying attention to their lessons.
Finding a tutor who is flexible enough to work around your schedule and the schedules of your children is essential, which is why Prep Academy Tutors has expanded service options to help families get the educational support they need.
Before the pandemic began, our approach was built around offering home tutoring services that give children the freedom to learn in a safe and comfortable environment, and we continue to offer this service when and where it is appropriate to do so. In situations where safety measures make in-home tutoring impossible, out tutors offer personalized, in-depth lessons online.
We also provide our students with the option of learning pods so that children who prefer a more engaging and social learning environment can study alongside their friends and peers.
With pandemic life already a complicated balancing act between work, life maintenance, and self-care, we believe effective tutoring should not create added stress for students or parents, which is why our tutors do everything they can to tailor their approach to your scheduling needs.
Children and teenagers cannot afford to lose an entire year of their education to unengaging zoom lectures and experiments in remote learning that many experts believe are ineffective ways of delivering education outcomes.
For New York students to keep up during this difficult time, it is essential that they have hands-on help from tutors who can provide stimulating instruction, homework help, personalized feedback, and support that can actually empower them to keep learning.
Whether you’re looking for a private English tutor or the best math tutor Westchester NY has to offer, get in touch with Prep Academy Tutors to learn more about the services we offer today.
5 Tips for Preparing Students for Online Tests
Test-taking has always been one of the most stressful parts of being a student. With so much at stake and only a limited amount of time to complete the task, it’s no wonder that tests are a significant cause of mental health problems for secondary and post-secondary students.
These anxieties have, in many cases, only been heightened with the shift to online schooling. After having put years into basic test-taking skills, many students have had to adapt on the fly to a completely new format, adding one more brick to the wall of social isolation and anxiety that large numbers of young people already feel trapped behind.
Unfortunately, with the pandemic still raging and vaccinations for the general population still months away, it is likely that students can expect to take most of this semester’s exams and tests in person — a matter of particular concern for those in their final year of studies, when scores will likely determine university or college admissions.
To help maximize the efficiency of your study time, here are five tips that can help students sharpen their online test-taking skills and approach their upcoming exams with a greater degree of confidence.
1. Understand the Difference Between Online and Paper Tests
Over the past year, students and teachers have been confronted with the fact that moving classes online isn’t as simple as it might sound. Things are possible in a classroom setting that just don’t work over zoom, and this is true of test-taking as well.
Different school boards have different approaches to monitoring and proctoring online tests, so at the beginning of the semester it is a good idea to find out exactly how online tests will be administered so you can get your child ready for online tutoring that is geared toward the new testing format.
2. Familiarize Yourself with the Guidelines
One of the most common pitfalls for students unfamiliar with online test-taking formats has less to do with the test itself and more to do with figuring out how to properly use the software and make sure their work is actually registered by the system.
While some progress has been made in communicating to students what steps they must take if they are to successfully complete an online test, students and teachers alike are still acclimatizing themselves to this very different approach to sitting a test or exam.
In order to reduce anxiety and improve confidence before an online exam, students should make sure they understand how the software works and what is expected of them so they can focus on studying the course material itself.
3. Identify Strengths and Weaknesses
In some ways, of course, online tests are not significantly different from paper tests, and preparing for a unit test or exam should follow similar studying patterns.
One important aspect of this is identifying strengths and weaknesses so that you can get a private tutor in Calgary (if you live in Alberta) or an online tutor in Mississauga (if you live in the GTA) to help students master the parts of the curriculum they struggle with the most.
This goes beyond simply hiring the best English tutor in Toronto if a student is having a hard time with their English grades; it also means targeting the actual barriers to learning. For example, some students have an easy time understanding the concepts they are studying, but struggle to communicate them effectively in writing — understanding the significance of the play-within-a-play in Hamlet is not the same as being able to write a cogent five-paragraph essay about it.
A good English tutor can figure out what is holding a student back from achieving their full potential, and then teach them how to develop the concrete writing and critical thinking skills they need for long-term success.
4. Take Advantage of Test-Prep Resources
Education experts have long acknowledged that knowing how to take a test is just as important as understanding the material you are being tested on.
Test-taking is its own skill, and a student who knows the course material inside-out won’t necessarily get top marks if they aren’t also familiar with how tests work. This is especially true when students are switching to an online test, where it is easier to be distracted and lose track of time.
One of the best ways students can reap the benefits of online tutoring is by spending time on practice tests and then going over their results with a tutor who can identify where they went wrong and help them gain a better understanding of how the test works. This in turn will help them develop the distinct online test-taking skills they will need when exam season comes around.
5. Get Tutoring Help
Finally, one of the best things students struggling with particular subjects or topics can do is turn to online tutoring services for targeted support.
Tutors who have a strong knowledge of subjects like English, Math, or French and the pedagogical tools needed to help students overcome their learning obstacles can be a lifeline in the weeks leading up to an important exam.
Because tutors can provide personalized feedback, they make the studying process significantly more efficient, and can help students develop their online test-taking skills. Not only will this help them attain a firmer grasp on the material, it will also help them become confident enough to vanquish their exam anxiety.
Many education experts believe that the coronavirus pandemic will dramatically re-shape how schooling functions in the future, and it is likely that online testing is here to stay. This makes it all the more important to master essential online testing skills now, so students are prepared for a future in which taking exams on their laptop is the norm rather than the exception.
If you don’t want to make academic success a matter of trial and error, invest in professional test preparation training from Prep Academy Tutors today.