Summer is a time for much needed fun and relaxation, but it’s also an opportune time to address persistent learning gaps that some students face.  On average, students show an overall learning loss of one month of progress during the summer, and that figure jumps to 2.6 months for math learning! (Fairchild, 2009)  Focusing on eliminating those gaps and losses in a relaxed summer atmosphere can help children enter the next school year with a more solid foundation, feeling confident in their abilities.

We are preparing to assist many students this summer with a variety of learning needs, whether it is to close learning gaps, provide enrichment, or simply prevent seasonal brain drain.

Many of our favorite tutors will be staying local to NYC this summer and are filling up their schedules for June, July, and August.  Please give us a call at (212) 928-5016 or email will@partnerswithparents.com if you are interested in arranging summer tutoring.  We are currently offering a new customer discount of $100 off 10-hour packages started between June 15th and August 31st.

If you’re not interested, feel free to share this discount with others and then take the rest of the summer off!

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. (more…)

1) Consume Less “Junk Food” – TV, video games, phone calls, texting, IMing, Facebooking, Twittering, web surfing, et al.  Decide on a daily/weekly maximum.  The total of all these media should not exceed more than a couple of hours a day.  As academic fitness increases greater leeway in this area can be granted.

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. (more…)

So you, or your child, or your child’s teacher, have decided that extra help outside the classroom is in order.  How then do you go about assessing the many options for tutoring in NYC: peer tutoring, resources at the school, referrals from fellow parents, individuals who specialize in a given subject, tutoring companies that send out a variety of candidates with different skill sets.  Any of these options can result in a positive tutoring experience but if you know what you are looking for, the odds of success will be greatly increased.

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. (more…)