So you’ve narrowed down your list of prospective tutors. Maybe you’ve conducted the search online–though Yelp or through a search engine–and have come up with… Read More »Nine Questions to Ask a Prospective Tutor Before Committing
Sandra was attending the Convent of the Sacred Heart, and she told me that she had given up on math completely before finally deciding to… Read More »Giving up on math in middle school…
with many students for their placement tests, helping them realize their potential in high school and place into challenging and rewarding classes that match their… Read More »Placement Tests, Medical Leaves, Flexible Studies…
When he entered high school, the younger of the Jones boys struggled with the principles of advanced algebra and performed very poorly on his first… Read More »A tale of two brothers
From an early age we are often informed – even if inadvertently – of our “limitations.” These supposed limitations might be imposed upon us by family, teachers, or friends: though often we impose them upon ourselves – by comparing ourselves to our peers or by telling ourselves we are not progressing quickly enough. If we are told – or tell ourselves – enough times that we are not smart enough or good enough at a subject or sport, we are likely to believe it. And once we believe it, Read More »Mythbusting: “I’m just not good at math!”
Gaining admissions into some private middle and high schools is surprisingly similar to the college admissions process. Everything from a student’s grades, extra-curriculars, and teacher recommendations are looked at by the admissions officers at different schools. Since curricula, educational and assessment standards can vary widely from school to school, admissions personnel can compare students from varying backgrounds with respect to the “core subjects” using the standardized test scores.
The most popular of these exams are The Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT), The Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE), and The High School Placement Test (HSPT). The former two are prerequisites to be considered for admissions to many private or independent high schools, while the latter is taken for admissions to parochial (Catholic) high schools. Step one, as with any standardized test, is to determine which schools you’re interested in, and to find out each school’s requirements or preferences. Step two is to learn a bit about what to expect, and how you can begin to prepare. Here’s a breakdown of the three tests:
Read More »High School Entrance Exams – demystifying the acronyms SSAT, ISEE and HSPT
Believe me, I’ve gotten this question more than once – and in the years I spent determining that tutoring was my life’s path, I accumulated a lot of answers. As someone who made regular use of tutors when I was a student, I now feel qualified to answer this question from both sides. Below are my top five answers to this question… but before I list them it seems important to dispel one common misconception from the beginning: deciding to hire a tutor is by no means an admission of defeat. In fact, it is quite the opposite: it is a recognition that whatever obstacle you’re facing in your progress is on its way to being overcome, with a little nudge or perhaps with a slightly different lens. It is a dare to whatever it is within you that harbors doubts. Deciding to hire – or not to hire – a tutor should never be a point of pride (I’ll even let you in on a little secret: most tutors I know have used tutors at some point in their lives). Whew. Now that that’s out of the way: Read More »Why Should I Use a Tutor? ~ Top 5 Reasons
Many students really do struggle in math: I’m certainly not suggesting otherwise. Experiencing challenges is part of the learning process; but it’s also, frankly, part of the fun. By actively engaging with that process, you’re not just learning math; you’re also learning about yourself: about what keeps you attentive, about what models and methods “make sense” to you.
Find Your Style
Perhaps you discover that flash cards and rote memorization is your style; perhaps Read More »What if I find math hard?
Finding it hard to focus on studying? Is your mind wandering as you prepare for your big test? Meditation may be the answer to your troubles. Mindfulness meditation can help quiet your mind and focus your attention on the present. It’s commonly used to manage stress, depression, and pain, and studies show it can be used to improve test scores as well.
Practicing meditation can lessen people’s habits of mind wandering, which can undermine performance on tests, through disrupting working memory capacity and intelligence. The working memory, an individual’s ability to retain information, is key for better test performance. Read More »Want to boost your test scores? Try Meditation
Okay, so it’s summer – and many of you have just scrubbed off the last of the school year in the shower. We know all you want right now is to be out in the park with friends – we want that too! But we also know that October is right around the corner, and for many of you, that means the next SAT. And we know that the verbal sections of the SAT (particularly the reading comprehension, simply because the answers are necessarily more equivocal) are often the most difficult to study for in a short period of time. So to ensure you don’t find yourself at the beginning of the next school year, juggling all your new classes while simultaneously cramming for the SAT, we’ve compiled a few suggestions for the summer, so that you can begin studying with plenty of time to spare. If you can set aside just two or three hours a week to study, you’ll be well ahead of the game. Here are our top suggestions:
Read More »8 Essential Tips to Boost your SAT Reading and SAT Writing Scores During the Summer