For the beginning of the school year a few years ago, Partners With Parents wrote an article for NY Metro Parent about when and how to be involved in your child’s homework and academic life.  In the article, and in our workshops based on the same concepts, we provide a structure for parents to help their children take ownership of their learning.  While the framework has infinite variants based on each student’s and family’s unique circumstances, it loosely breaks down into the following steps:

• Setting goals
• Taking action
• Assessing progress
• Producing results

In essence, we’re talking about the skills that fall under the umbrella of “executive functioning” — the cognitive processes that we use every day to make decisions, accomplish tasks, and plan the future.  Ultimately, we all want our kids to become independent, self-motivated adults who accomplish “whatever they put their mind to.”

Read the full article: http://nymetroparents.com/newarticle.cfm?colid=7919

Whether what’s called for is a little support or what’s needed is full-blown, “executive functioning” skills training, our academic coaches, learning specialists, and tutors can help chart the path forward, setting up your family for a successful academic year!  Call us at (212) 928-5014 or e-mail us.

Here are some questions and comments that help both the student and the tutor better understand the student’s thought process:

• “What’s our goal, here?”
• “Do you know how I figured that out?”
• “Do you know why I did it that way?”
• “Where did you get that answer?”
• “Prove it.”
• “How can you be sure?“
• “Teach me how you did it.”
• “Why?”
• “What’s not making sense to you?”
• “Can you show me another way?”
• “What grade do you think this will get?”

It’s when our students internalize the “how’s and why’s,” in addition to the “who’s, what’s, where’s, and when’s,” that we know we are getting our job done well.

Each student has a different set of conditions under which he performs his best.  Each of us needs to be a scientist, making and testing hypotheses about our ideal study conditions.  Spend a number of weeks experimenting and finding out the answers to the questions below.  Remember what works the best for you is not necessarily what feels the best or most comfortable. The ultimate goal is finding what makes you most effective.

• What room in your apartment is best for homework and studying?

Do you have a dedicated area where you can go when you need to do work?  Are there some types of assignments that you can do in a more public place, like the living room, while some require more seclusion?  If you live in a “zoo,” consider the library.

• What position is best?

Sitting at a desk?  In a comfortable chair?  Lying on the floor?  Do you have access to everything you need?  Do you benefit from getting up and moving around periodically?  Does it vary based on the type of assignment?

• What kinds of noise are distracting?

Music?  Parents talking?  Siblings playing?  All of the above?  Are there places in the apartment/house where you can get away and have comparative silence?  Again, if a Yankee-Red Sox game seems like a quiet retreat, consider finding a place outside your home.

• What time of day are you most effective?

Are you a “day” person or a “night” person?  Are there certain times of day when, no matter how hard you try, you can’t absorb information?  You don’t want to wait until you’re 30 to find out that you get more accomplished from 6:00-8:00am than during the entire rest of the day.

• How often do you need to takes breaks?

Can you realistically concentrate for 5 hours without interruption?  Would five 1 hour blocks serve you better?  Three 100 minute blocks?  How long a break does it take to refuel your battery?  What can you do to reward yourself during your break (if you’ve earned it)?

• How do amount of sleep and level of hunger affect you?

How many hours of sleep do you need to be at your best?  Would a half hour nap at some point make a difference in your ability to apply yourself?  Are you able to work effectively after having a full meal?  What about when you’ve had two candy bars and a can of soda?  Do you need a (healthy) snack for energy before starting your homework?

• Do you work well under pressure?

If you know that you don’t, you’d better not save things until the last minute.  As soon as you know the assignment or test date, schedule the tasks you are going to accomplish each day (or week) to ensure that you have plenty of time to complete your work.

• Do you learn well in a group?

Would a study partner enhance or detract from your productivity?  Perhaps certain subjects yes, some no.  Certainly, who you choose as a study partner is vital; try to find a classmate who is equally committed to academic success.

Let the answers to these questions guide where, when, and how you approach your work.  Of course, you will never be able to work under your ideal conditions 100% of the time.  Moreover, the answers to these questions will likely vary depending on the type and complexity of the assignment (memorization, research, reading, writing, problem solving, etc.) as well as your level of interest.  Discovering your brain’s likes and dislikes at least gives you the opportunity to structure your schedule and set up your physical study environment to enhance your chance of success.

2) Do Your Reps – The brain is a muscle like any other.  Make sure it remains active.  As with exercise, you can’t make up for 4 months of inactivity in one all-night cramming session.  Make “contact” with difficult material and large projects daily or weekly.

3) Build Strength Slowly – Start with the basics.  As you learn the foundation and gain more confidence, add new concepts.  If you get lost, backtrack.  Don’t get daunted by large assignments.  Break them down into manageable parts and spread them out.

4) Get To Know The Equipment – Just as we need to understand how our muscles work to establish a good exercise routine with the proper form, students need to understand how their brains work.  All learners can greatly benefit from asking the following questions: How do I process new information?  What are my strengths and weaknesses?  What unique conditions must be satisfied to bring out my optimal performance?

5) Use A Spotter – When your children are taking on new and difficult challenges make sure they get the support they need.  This could be working with their teacher during a free period, studying with friends, or seeking outside help.  Excellent tutors can help their students learn the skills necessary to operate successfully without them.  Learn more about what to look for in a tutor.

Here are the things that we, at Partners With Parents, look for when hiring tutors and selecting candidates to meet specific client requests:

• Knowledge of the Subject – Obvious?  Well, yes.  You should certainly make sure that your tutor is knowledgeable in the subject he or she is about to teach your child.  Beware, however, that credentials alone do not tell the whole story.  I had a Nobel Prize winning chemistry professor in college who couldn’t convey the basic concepts in Chemistry 101.  He was one of the worst teachers I have ever had.
• Experience with students in similar situations – The ideal would be a tutor who has successfully worked with students in the same class at the same school with the same teacher.  In general, you can feel encouraged if they have been effective with other students of the same age, in the same subject.

• Ability to build rapport – This is where the tutor’s personality comes in.  Will your child respond well to the tutor?  This should not be confused with: Will your child like the tutor?  Some children respond to humor, others to knowledge of basketball, and others to a firm hand and clear boundaries.  Before hiring a tutor, consider the qualities that he or she should possess in order to create an effective partnership with your child.

• Versatility/Flexibility – A tutor must be able to teach a concept in many different ways.  The beauty of the one on one tutoring situation is that lessons can be tailored to an individual student’s learning style; if a given concept is not getting through, the tutor should be able to change the lesson plan midstream to tap into the way that the student learns best.

• Ability to motivate – You or your child may know what it takes to motivate him or her.  Enthusiasm for the subject matter?  Rewards?  Consequences for poor performance?  Different tutors have different strengths in this arena, whether it means creating a strong mentoring bond, developing techniques to keep your child on task, or simply facilitating your child’s independent drive.

• Values your time as well as their own – You want a tutor who is generous with their time but not overly so.  If you are paying for an hour of tutoring you should expect your tutor to be ready to work at the start of the hour.  You should not expect them to stay beyond the allotted time, since if they are good at what they do, they are likely to have another session following yours. (But they should certainly be willing to schedule a time to update you and discuss any concerns you might have.)

• Good communication – Are they easily reachable?  Do they respond to e-mails/phone calls promptly?  When responding, are they thorough?  Do you sense that they will speak candidly about your child’s progress rather than telling you what you want to hear?

In the end, tutors’ experiences, personalities and teaching techniques are wide and varied.  The key is to determine the qualities that will most benefit your child.   Make a hypothesis about what those qualities are and ask your children for their input.  Interview several tutors and have a few sessions with the one that meets your criteria most closely.  If it doesn’t feel like a good fit, don’t be afraid to try someone else.  You may find fabulous tutors that aren’t quite right.  It may take a little trial and error but you’ll know when you’ve found the right one.