Tutoring Sessions Are the Best Way to Help Students Succeed in MathHow do I know this? I'm glad you asked. The topic of my graduate thesis in education was which factors had the greatest influence on math achievement scores on standardized tests here in Illinois. The implication being that these factors helped students improve their math aptitude. My study explored the scores of more than 55,000 8th grade students in northern Illinois. I examined 18 different factors that could potentially impact students' math aptitude. Of the 18 factors, only a single factor was directly related to math achievement scores. That singular factor was pupil-to-teacher ratio. The lower the pupil-to-teacher ratio, the greater the math aptitude. This shouldn't come as a surprise. Fewer students to instructors means more one-on-one time for each student. Unfortunately, with diminishing school budgets, the opposite is happening. Class sizes are growing, one-on-one time is dwindling and math scores are dropping. This why it is critical for students to get help when they struggle with math. Whether the help is one-on-one or small group, the benefits are striking. Do the math. If a class has 24 students and the class period is 45 minutes, each student might expect to get a little less than 2 minutes per day of personal attention, provided of course that the classroom is ideal, having no interruptions, and the teacher has superhuman powers of coordination and organization. The reality is that even under ideal circumstances, the average student is lucky to get more that a few minutes of one-on-one time with the teacher per week. A one hour per week tutoring session gives students the kind of one-on-one attention that might otherwise be experienced in a period of 10 weeks in a regular classroom situation. This is why tutoring makes a HUGE difference for struggling math students. Some schools call it accelerated math, some call it academic excellence. Regardless of name, if you feel your student should be in a more challenging math program and they are not, tutoring may be something you want to consider. Some schools offer tiered math programs. Many do not. If your student is bored with their math class, it may be time to challenge them with an accelerated program. I have provided accelerated math programs to families seeking more challenging and/or faster paced math education. I work with your students' math teacher to ensure they are following the necessary curriculum however, they are allowed to move at a much faster pace and cover greater and more diverse material. I would be happy to share some of my success stories with you regarding this unique service. One-on-One TutoringA one-on-one tutoring session provide the maximum amount of focused time on topic for a struggling math student. Generally speaking, a one hour session can provide at least 10 times the personalized help a student might receive in a typical classroom week. Another advantage of this kind of personalized help is its currency and relevance. A One-on-one session allows a student to concentrate on the current topics, allowing for practice and mastery before upcoming assessments. This is another reason why tutoring brings about significant and noticeable improvements in a student's performance. I offer one-on-one tutoring sessions in your home, in my home, or at the public library. My rate is $50 per session and I schedule sessions for 90 minutes (1½ hours). If we're in the middle of something, I won't pack up and leave right at 90 minutes. Your student's learning comes first! Group TutoringI also provide long-term tutoring arrangement for two to five students. This is very helpful if two or more siblings or classmates want to receive extra help. The benefits are similar to one-on-one tutoring in that students can get many times the personalized help that they would expect to receive in a typical classroom week. Group tutoring sessions can be arranged in your home, my home, or at the public library. My rates for group tutoring are: * Two students: $25 per hour per student * Three to five students: $20 per hour per student Group tutoring sessions are most effective in long-term tutoring arrangement. To discuss the sessions I offer or to arrange tutoring sessions, please call (708) 307-0931, or email me at: John@TomczakTutoring.com |