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!

This is the time of year when New York City families with late elementary and middle school students begin to think about preparing for the ISEE, SHSAT, or SSAT in the fall.  Partners With Parents has a long history of successfully preparing students for these tests.  If you are considering tutoring, we recommend scheduling a couple of sessions before the summer to lay out a cohesive study plan for the next 6 months.  If you get an early assessment of your child’s needs then the appropriate plan can be set in motion with enough time to make substantial progress.  Our students benefit from preparation that focuses on test taking strategies and building academic self confidence, as well as simply mastering the test content.  Remember, the best tutors book quickly, so the sooner you contact PWP, the more likely you’ll be to get the best match for your child.  Below are the bios for a few of our favorite test prep tutors. (more…)

Over the last 10 years, we have seen a new breed of homeschooling family.  In the past, homeschooling was largely reserved for families who were devoutly religious, lived in secluded, rural communities, or resisted exposing their children to the local school system.  In this generation, the concept of the typical homeschooling family has expanded to include a much wider array of students and circumstances.  While Partners With Parents continues to provide full-year curricula for some homeschooled students, many of the families we work with are doing it to bridge a gap—a short-term solution for a temporary situation such as physical or mental illness, relocation in the middle of the school year, or suspension/expulsion.  Sometimes, given the nature of the academic calendar, families just need an at-home education for a few months so they don’t fall behind while figuring out their options for the next September.

Many of the homeschool families that work with Partners With Parents value the traditional school environment and have the eventual goal of returning to it.  We find the most successful transitions happen when the school that the student has left and/or will be attending can be involved in the process.   (more…)

One of the characteristics that makes someone an outstanding tutor is the ability to impart both the material as well as the means by which to master it.   Mastery is only gained when the student understands the process behind the solution and is able to reproduce it consistently.  Excellent tutors understand and can demonstrate their own learning process and teach their students to do the same.  They also tailor their instruction to students’ unique learning traits, coaching them in understanding how their own minds work.

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