The Giver is one of my favourite books to use for a read aloud. This book is perfect for your child to learn how to infer (think critically) and make connections (specifically text to self).

Inferring involves reading the text by asking questions and using background knowledge in order to make conclusions about underlying themes.

     The Giver caters to this reading strategy beautifully.  Your child can become a better reader by using inferring strategies throughout this book.

     Your child should occasionally stop while reading, and say to themself, “I think…”, “Maybe…”, or “I believe…”. You can guide your child by having him/her  think about the setting (where and when this story takes place) and draw conclusions about how the ’society’ in this book treats its citizens (a great intro to concepts found in the book “1984″).  Also, throughout the book, have your child infer what the main character (Jonas) is thinking and what motivates him.  There is quite a bit of room for inferring in The Giver because the book is open to interpretation on so many levels. 

     The Giver is not the type of book that should be read quickly.

     Rather, it is a good book for students to take occasional pauses in order to reflect upon the conditions that people are exposed to and the way that they are ‘governed’ in a society. 

    This theme can also lead to your child learning another reading strategy, ‘making connections“.  You can ask your child (or he/she can tell you periodically), “How is your life similar to that of the main character?” Or, since your know your child’s life history, you can ask,” Do you remember when you…How is that similar to Jonas’ situation?”. 

     A little word of warning though, the book does touch upon themes of puberty.  I wouldn’t avoid the book because of this though (I simply skip the parts when I read it to my class).

     The Giver is one of the best ‘thought provoking’ books for students from ages 10-14 (the age range is my opinion) and it will help your child improve his/her inferring and making connections readings skills.

admin Uncategorized book review, inferring, making connections, the giver

One more week!!! 

I’m highly anticipating the summer break but I already know what’s going to happen come September.  The first few weeks of school are going to be here in no time and most kids will have empty brains!

Parents, instead of having to wait until the November parent-teacher interviews, how about looking at the problem areas now instead of in the fall? 

This 3rd term report card is the perfect ‘tool’ for preventing the ‘November Surprise’.  Okay, I know, it’s the summer time…give the kids a break…let them have fun…

I agree, to a certain extent.  Let’s take a look at this 3rd term report card.  Let’s assume your child received a C+ on one of the math strands (strands meaning Number Sense, Measurement, Geometry, etc…).  Are you just going to wait until September and hope the problem rectifies itself?  I’m not suggesting summer school, no way!  But I am suggesting some kind of help. 

Here’s my suggestion.  Again, let’s say your child did poorly in number sense in grade 5 math.  As an experienced, certified teacher, I would suggest your child spend a few hours a week reviewing grade 5 number sense, AND previewing grade 6 number sense.

Keep all that math fresh in his (or her) head.  When September comes around, he’ll have a better grip on his grade 5 math, and definately some understanding of grade 6, even before it is taught.

I look at it this way.  Imagine you just went to the doctor and he said that you gained 15 pounds and your health has been comprimised.  Okay.  What are you going to do between now and the next doctor appointment?  Hopefully you are going to  to drop those 15 pounds, right?  Or you’ll at least try to drop them.  You probably won’t just say to yourself, “I’m just going to enjoy myself and wait for the next appointment.”

I’ve made these recommendations in the past to parents and for those who have followed it, their children clearly benefited.

Good luck!

admin Uncategorized Math, report card, summer

     Okay, so you want to help your child in math.  Who doesn’t? Actually, about 5% of the population!

     Before I go on…yes…your child probably needs some kind of tutoring for math if you are reading this article.  The only way to improve math grades and to get the help in math is to hire someone who can help.  Right?

     Maybe not.  Everybody’s situation is different.  Understandable.  But let’s say that your child isn’t doing too badly in math.  He, or she, just needs a little boost.  Well, I will give you a simple insider trick that has helped many, many of my former students.

    It’s simple.  Here it goes:

    KEEP YOUR CHILD AT LEAST 1 UNIT AHEAD OF THE CLASS!!

    That’s it!  I can hear teachers and administrators saying, “Are you crazy Ackerman?”

     Perhaps.

     Here is what I have found in my experiences.  I have suggested to many parents in the past that they start off the year by teaching the first math unit of study BEFORE school begins (they can find out which unit their child will be studying by asking next year’s teacher at the end of June).  By doing this, parents can keep their child ahead of the classroom unit of study.  The child will be entering the classroom and the new unit with a good amount of background knowledge and skills.  He, or she, will already have most of the concepts and necessary skills required for the unit of study, and, he/she will learn new ways to see the material because it will be the second time around.

     For example:  I remember the other year having a student who consistently earned a C average in every math strand.  His mother asked me how she could help.  I suggested to her that she teach her son the next unit (which was grade 5 fractions) thoroughly (at least as thoroughly as she could) before I was going to teach it the next 2 weeks.  Since she had a decent understanding of mathematics (and she could read a textbook), she decided to do so.

    I clearly remembered her C average son starting off the unit with his hand raised ALL THE TIME trying to answer my questions.  He was correct most of the time, but that wasn’t the point!  He now had 2 new qualities:

1.  He had the CONFIDENCE to participate and become involved in the lesson.

2.  Through the lesson, he was able to improve his pre-existing math knowledge.

    Most importantly, I was able to see exactly what he needed help with and I relayed it to his mother.

     I remember Kevin getting one of his first B’s in math on the fractions test.

     Why did this work?  How could it not!!!

     It’s like going to an interview and knowing all the questions that are going to be asked.  This kid (and many others) learned the math work before coming to class.  Not only did this make my job much easier, but it boosted his confidence and gave him a better understanding of the concepts.

     There is one problem with this method though.  A parent must have a decent understanding of the child’s math curriculum.

     If you haven’t tried this, I strongly suggest you do so.  Don’t just do it once and expect immediate results (although I predict you will be surprised).  Try it a few times.  After all, unless you teach the concept completely WRONG, how can it hurt?

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admin Math

     I see grammar the same way I see addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.  Without these 4 math skills, a student would be lost in almost every area of math!  Think about it.  How is a student going to find common denominators of fractions, convert ratios to percentages, calculate angles, and so on if he doesn’t have the essential building blocks for mathematics? 

     Well, grammar is the same!!!!  Without the basic fundamentals of writing a proper sentence, using the correct prepositional phrase, or following appropriate spelling rules, how is a child going to express his thoughts?  Sure, there’s more to writing than grammar (i.e. creating a report, writing a procedure…) but how is the student going to put it all together in a coherent manner?

     I’ve seen students in the past who can easily organize a report, use paragraphs, an introduction, and state a conclusion.  And yes, they’ve used Microsoft spell checker.  But I have also helped edit their rough copies, and I have to tell you, many students don’t have the skills needed to write a paragraph full of coherent sentences.  I’m certainly not blaming the school system  nor am I blaming the parents.  Perhaps I’m finding fault with trends (and who sets the trends you may ask).  There are always ebbs and flows in education systems. 

     I remember reading about a great writing program from Australia (which I have used in classrooms in the past and I must say it was quite effective), but the authors did not put any emphasis on grammar (it’s understandable because they were focusing on other writing skills).  What I’m trying to say is that parents and educators must not forget the important ‘building blocks’ of written language.  Just as a student should master his/her multiplication tables in order to learn about measuring volume, he/she must also master grammar in order to become a proficient writer.

    (Hopefully you won’t find any grammar mistakes in this blog entry!)

admin Writing grammar, spelling

I recently received an email from a parent of a boy who I had tutored last year.  He asked me where he could find good worksheets on the internet for his son.  I thought, “Admirable…a parent who wants to help his child.” 

But then I asked him why he wanted the worksheets.  In his next email he wrote, “I want to drill division into my son’s head until he knows it like the back of his hand.”

Okay.  Great, so he’ll find a slew of worksheets. Then what?  Who is going to teach his son how to divide? 

You can’t just get on a bike for the first time and expect to ride it!!!  You need someone to guide you!

Worksheets are fine, but, only after proper instruction.  There’s no point on doing division (or any other math skill) IF YOU”RE DOING IT WRONG!!!  What this father should have been looking for (rather than math worksheets on the web) is some quality instruction.  He could have looked for an in-home tutor (he moved far away in case you were wondering why I still didn’t tutor his son), a tutoring school, or an online tutor (Tutorgiant anyone?). 

I kindly suggested to him that he should spend his time seeking quality instruction because his son will ‘learn’ how to divide properly rather than depending on math worksheets.  In his next email, he just thanked me (I’m not sure what he chose to do).

The point here is this: In my opinion, (and hopefully you appreciate it), nothing replaces quality instruction. 

When a kid gets it, the knowledge and skills become his.  There is no need to work the poor kid to the bone hoping that he learns from just doing worksheet after worksheet.  Don’t get me wrong, students need practice, and lots of it!  But focusing on the math worksheets and not the instruction is a mistake.

Finally, if a child is not getting it the first few times, keep giving him the instruction until he is nauseated with it!! Then, and only then, will you know that he understands it (imagine receiving the same basic lesson on division 10-20 times…something has to sink in and his boredom will let you know when he has learned it).

So, my answer to this situation is…math worksheets are okay, but focus on the instruction, then worry about the worksheets.

admin Math Math, worksheet

      Finding an online math tutor is not always the easiest of tasks. It is more important to know your child’s learning style before you find that ‘awesome math site’.

     You can easily ‘google’ the words ‘online math tutor’ and find pages among pages ranging from text based math tutors to online math tutoring videos.  Of course, it’s important to find a reputable math website, or at least one that seems to know how to teach math.  The problem is, though…how do you know which site is best for your child?

      Before clicking on the first math website, consider the following.  The online math tutoring website that you think is ‘cool’ may not have the best teaching mode for your child!  That is, your child’s learning style and the math website’s teaching method may not be the best fit!

      Perhaps your child is a visual learner.  Okay, then an online math website that is predominantly text based doesn’t suit your child’s learning needs.  Or, maybe your child learns by listening (he/she may be an auditory learner), then, he/she must ‘hear’ the instruction by a teacher.  Tactile (hands-on) learners learn best by doing, so, the physical process of solving problems is the best way for this child to learn.  Now some kids don’t have a dominant learning style, but they may prefer lessons that are taught in a certain way.  That’s where the motivation comes into play!  If the child is going to be interested in the way math is taught in website A as opposed to math website B, obviously, he/she will gravitate to site A and his/her math skills will improve.

      Ideally, you should find an online math tutoring website that caters to all of the learning styles!!!  This way, you’ll increase the chances that the information will be absorbed!

      Think about your own learning style.  Would you rather have directions given to you on a piece of paper, spoken out loud to you (so that you can picture it), or have a map?  We all have our preferences.  Your child is no different.

       You know your child best.  Does he/she often listen to music, enjoy television and video games, or prefer to read? 

       Find the medium that your child prefers and you will probably find the right online math tutor for your child.

admin Math math tutor, online, online tutoring, tutoring

I think people generally don’t equate organization with math as they do…perhaps writing.   I had tutored a grade 6 student who was having great difficulty with multiplication and especially division.  His parents thought that their son had either a mental block or some kind of learning difference.  So, I stepped in and tried to help.  I started him off with simple multiplication and division problems.  Surprisingly, he was okay.  But when I gave him more complex questions to do, he seemed lost.  He was following the rules but he was all over the place! 

He was not organized in his math.

I noticed that he had a good grasp of the rules for multiplying and dividing.  His biggest problem was that he wasn’t organized.  Not being organized, in this sense, is his lack of putting down numbers where they should have been.  Now, you may wonder why this is such a big deal. 

Let me tell you.  From my years of experience, I have seen it over and over again.  Quite often kids get lazy with math or they don’t care much about it (sorry to be so blunt but it’s the truth) and they don’t place the numbers where they should be.  Think about it.  If a student is carrying a number while multiplying, or bringing down a number while dividing, and he/she put the number in the wrong column, the entire answer will be wrong!  It’s common to see that most kids understand the mechanics of multiplying and dividing (see my division lesson on my homepage) but they don’t put the digits in the right place.

So what did I do for the young man?  I had him color code his math problems and use grid paper.  By color coding I mean that when he brought down or carried a number, it had to be the same color as the number that he multiplied or divided (e.g. if multiplying 5 x 28 and the 8 was purple, he would carry the 4, so the 4 had to be purple as well) and the grid let him see exactly where to put the numbers.

If your child is having the same difficulties, try what I did and it might work for you.

admin Math division, Homework, multiplication

Here’s a self-promotion article I wrote for ezinearticles.  I think it’s a good introduction to the online tutoring world.

Are you looking for an online tutor?

Online tutoring is newest form of education that is sweeping the internet. So how do you choose which online tutoring company to join?  What are the differences?

More importantly, what are your needs?

Certification:  First, let’s look at the credentials of the online tutoring website educators.  Make sure that the person teaching your child is a certified teacher.  This is extremely important because certified teachers have the training, experience, and teaching resources that your child needs in order to succeed.  Be careful, some online tutoring companies hire university students and teacher college candidates.  You want someone who is qualified and experienced.  Remember, you get what you pay for.

Medium:  No, I’m not referring to size here.  The medium refers to the way that the teacher delivers the lesson.  Many online tutoring companies have two-way white board communication whereby your child and the tutor communicate through text (i.e. they type to each other).  Other online tutoring websites answer your child’s questions via. E-mail.  Try to find an online tutoring website that has video lessons.  Video lessons are more effective because they allow your child to see the teacher actually teach the lesson.  Children (especially boys) are visual learners.  They thrive on ‘watching’ in order to learn.  Video lessons add the human element which children are used to.  It also enables the student to have a more simulated interaction with a teacher.

Convenience:  Can you access your online tutor at 9:00 pm or 8:00 in the morning?  Is the online tutoring company available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week when you need them? 

Homework or Lessons?  What are your needs?  If your child only needs to study for an exam, then perhaps an online tutoring site with homework help might be the best choice.  Maybe your child is generally behind in a subject area, is busy, homeschooled, has ADD or a learning disability, or requires ongoing help. Then an online tutoring site with lessons would be your best bet because they contain the lessons that your child is not receiving nor absorbing in school.

Availability:  Some online tutoring companies charge by the minutes that you use.  Others charge by the number of questions you ask. In these cases you may have to monitor the time you have used and judge how much time you have left before paying again.  Or, you might have to keep track of the number of questions you have asked.  Perhaps an online tutoring company with unlimited access would be more convenient? 

Cost:  Perhaps the most important issue when considering an online tutoring company is the cost.  Most online companies charge from $30-$100 per hour.  There are other companies that charge around $100 per month.  Again, it depends on what you get for that $100 per month.  Do you get a specific amount of minutes or questions?  If it is an online video tutoring site, you may be paying for a specific amount of time as well.  What you should consider is ‘how much teaching do you get for your dollar?”. For example, how many lessons or homework help time your child receives for the money you have paid is a consideration.  Simply calculate the amount of teaching your child will receive for the amount of money you have paid.

Do your research and be a smart shopper.  Make sure you investigate the various forms of tutoring and see if the website has some sample lessons so that you can see their product before spending your money.

admin Education Homework, online tutoring

What does the word ‘homework’ mean to you? I’m sure it means something quite different to your child.

But seriously, what does it mean to you? I’ve heard some parents say, “here we go again,”, “why do I have to spend my time helping my child with homework when he should be learning this stuff in school,”, and “it’s good for him, it helps develop discipline,”.
Regardless of what you think, it’s part of the education system that is often unavoidable (that is, if you want to avoid it). At Tutorgiant, we believe that sometimes homework is quite beneficial, and for many kids, it’s rather necessary. Yes, sometimes homework can be just ‘work’ to keep kids busy, but we believe that in the United States, most (if not all) teachers realize this and are giving homework that reinforces what’s been taught in the classroom.

Now, how do you go about tackling homework when it’s a problem? Well, let’s face it. If your kid is motivated, then homework won’t be a problem. On the other hand, if your child would rather play sports or video games (which I think in moderation has its benefits) rather than do homework, you’ve got a problem.

Of course we’ve all heard about making contracts with your kids. I know several parents who swear by it while others said it doesn’t work. Fair enough, what works for some may not work for others. So what does work for the unmotivated kid?

I’m going to shock you by saying this (and I know that I’ll get quite a bit of backlash for this one)…here it goes…

BRIBE THEM

That’s it. I can hear the e-mails coming in. Okay, before some of you tell me that I know nothing about psychology (wait a minute…I have my B.A. in motivational psychology and my Master’s Degree in Learning Theory) let’s look at this more clearly.

I remember having a discussion with my cousin about how children shouldn’t be bribed…”they should want to achieve goals for their intrinsic value”…”what kind of society are we going to have if everyone only did things for rewards” she pointed out.

While I respect what she said, and agree to some extent…it doesn’t work that way. Without going into human evolution and Pavlovian Conditioning, I’ll make sense of it in simpler terms.

Why do you go to work?

Think about it. Okay, some people may say that they love what they do, and I believe them. But think about this…perhaps your child doesn’t love what he/she does! (that is…go to school). You have had a choice, he/she hasn’t.

If you won the lottery, would you still do what you do for a living? Honestly, I’m sure there are many people who wouldn’t. Why? You know the answer.

Finally, why do most people go to work? Does everyone love what they do? I doubt it! They go to get the reward, the positive reinforcer, the paycheck. (Or some would say that they go to work because they avoid the “punishment” of not getting a paycheck).

Well, why can’t your child, who may not like his/her work, get motivated to get a ‘paycheck’. I’m referring to a toy, a trip, a new game (I’m obviously referring to a tangible reward that is appropriate for your child). I’ve seen this and I’ve seen it a lot! Meaningful rewards that are in reach of your child’s abilities will not spoil your child nor will they create a lack of responsibility.

On the contrary, your child will see that hard work pays off!!!!

If a kid isn’t intrinsically motivated, then why not motivate him/her extrinsically? I was generally intrinsically motivated in school. I remember going through a tough time in early high school. My parents offered me ‘items of my choice’ if I got higher grades. I remember working my tail off! It worked. It also gave me the confidence to do well later on in high school.

Think about it. I hope it works for you.

admin Uncategorized Homework, motivation, studying

    I have found that tutoring is quite different from teaching in the classroom. When I’m in the classroom, I have to consider teaching to a multitude of learning styles and differences. When tutoring one on one, I find myself in a different place. For example, I was tutoring a grade 8 student in math. He was having a lot of difficulty with fractions, finding volume, and algebra. I knew that I had to connect with him somehow (his confidence was definitely shot). I looked at his report card and realized that he was strong in language and history but weaker in math and science. Okay, so I understood that his dominant learning style was verbal/linguistic. So I had to come up with a way to help him with his math (especially with multiplying, dividing, and converting fractions to decimals and percents).
     I started off with fractions, specifically with dividing fractions using equivalent fractions and common denominators (that was the concept his teacher was teaching that week). Instead of starting off by showing him how to find a common denominator and divide the numerators, I wrote it down in words. Then, I had him do the same but in a procedural format. When he was done writing, I had him read it over a few times. After he was done reading, I asked him to read the steps that he wrote and do the math by following his steps.
     It took him a little while but he caught on. I used the same technique with him for his algebra and measurement. His math improved over the term and I made sure that he wrote down notes for himself in math class so that he could better understand his work.
Sometimes we have to show kids how to let the curriculum adapt to their own style of learning.

admin Math algebra, fractions, Math, tutoring, volume