Homework Help Today - A Tutoring Blog for Students and Tutors Where Students and Tutors can help each other out!

TutorMatch (http://www.tutormatch.com), the leading online tutor referral service, announced today that 10% of all proceeds for the month of October will be donated to the Chicago-based Volunteer Tutoring organization, the Tutor Mentor Connection.

The Tutor Mentor Connection (http://www.tutormentorconnection.org/) describes their mission as dedicated to improving the availability and quality of comprehensive, long-term, volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs in high-poverty areas of the Chicago region and other large US cities through an ongoing, dynamic exchange of ideas.

“Our organization feels it’s time to give back to the Tutoring community, ” says Diane Palumbo, a press representative for TutorMatch.  “We’re in a helping industry - we connect tutors with parents and students who need additional education.  We can’t forget that there’s plenty of parents who need these services but simply can’t afford them.”

TutorMatch is an online tutor referral service.  Tutors can create a profile about their tutoring services on the website for free or get a premium listing for a small yearly subscription fee.  In turn, parents and students can search the database of thousands of online and local tutors for free.  Tutormatch protects their privacy and doesn’t even require them to register or sign up with the site.  Parents and students then interview potential tutors online and have their choice to meet with them one-on-one in their own neighborhood, or hire them for online tutoring services.

“For there to be tutoring/mentoring in poverty areas we don’t just need tutors, ” says Daniel Bassill, President of the Tutor Mentor Connection. “We need donors who help pay the rent and other costs of making a tutor/mentor program available.”

That’s where TutorMatch decided to step in.  “We’re a small online educational resource site, so we can’t compete with the international conglomerates commercially, ” says Palumbo.  “But we feel it’s just good corporate responsibility to provide support for the most important resource our country has to offer - children in need of education.”
TutorMatch Tutoring and Homework Help is an online tutor referral service which has been connecting students and tutors online since 1996.  Besides their primary online referral service, the company also offers the Homework Help Today blog for both students and tutors.

Posted under News

Math Anxiety is a term coined by psychologists and refers to the fear of math that gets instilled in students at a very young age. This holds true for students that are public, private or homeschooled. For most of these students, this fear only increases with time and age and they dread math as they move to highschool and college level avoiding the subject as much as possible.

Nationwide statistics shows that math scores have been dropping year after year for all grade levels. Students of this tech savvy generation start to fear math as early as the beginning of middle school level. Being the world leader in science, technology and innovation, this country cannot afford to have its next generation so detached from math. It seems as if unlike other countries such as China and India, the society here as a whole is not laying enough emphasis on the importance of math. Students that perform well in school are considered geeky and “uncool”, adding to the already mounting isolation from math as a subject of choice.

A recent article in the NY Times outlines results of most difficult math competitions for young people, including the American and International Mathematical Olympiads for high school students, and the Putnam Mathematical Competition for college undergraduates. The results show that American students that excel in these competitions are immigrants from other countries. People in countries like India and China still consider math to be imperative for growth, both academically and professionally. It’s no wonder that teachers from India are now teaching students here in the U.S. online. More and more online math tutoring companies are hiring tutors in India to teach U.S. students online. Providing low cost one-on-one tutoring services serves the dual purpose of effectiveness and affordability.

Parents, teachers and educators all around should start emphasizing the importance of math in real life and make learning math easy and fun by providing individual attention whenever possible.

About our Guest Blogger and Author:
Aish Agrawal is a math tutor in Boston, MA on Tutormatch.com.  He also works with http://www.clickandclimb.com which provides live online math tutoring to students in grades 3-12. For the latest information about online math tutoring and to solve the problem of the day visit http://blogs.clickandclimb.com

Posted under Math Tutoring, Tutoring

Be careful to take the right courses during the undergraduate years.  Of course this is easier said than done, as it is a rare undergraduate who really knows their future career plans when they arrive in college.  From the get-go you need to be focusing on getting good grades.  The odd, less than stellar performance won’t wreck your plans for attending graduate school the way it can play havoc with strategies for medical school.  Nonetheless it is better not to go there if you can avoid it.

Early hands on research experiences are, nowadays, absolutely necessary.  If you begin to develop such an interest, offer to work in a research lab for a few hours a week during the academic year and full time during the post freshman and post sophomore summers as well.  At first you will probably just be doing busy work.  Don’t fret, you will be able to talk with other lab members and you can begin to find out what research is all about.  You may have to volunteer in order to get your foot in the door, but if you are reliable and do a good job, you may be able to negotiate a modest wage for your work.  The main goal though is not the income….it is the experience which you definitely need for your graduate school application.  As your plans mature and if graduate school is a serious option, then you will need to increase the amount of research exposure at a later stage in your undergraduate career (see below).

What about later in your university career?  Assuming that late in the sophomore year or at the beginning of the junior year you will likely begin to crystallize your plans for a major and for possible career paths.  If you are seriously beginning to think about graduate school in the biosciences, then this is the time to focus your plans.

You should try to take as many upper level courses in your major area as it is possible in your junior and senior years.  Admissions committees look for a broad repertoire of course exposures. Graduate level courses will be less of a challenge if your background is that much broader.  If you are a Biology major, definitely take biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, microbiology, physiology and any other upper level courses that you can fit in your schedule.  Do not take these courses just for the sake of taking courses but really delve into the material, and at this point some decent grades won’t come amiss.  If you are a chemistry or physics major who is thinking of going for a career in biomedical research, then plan on taking some upper level biology courses in your junior and senior years.  Students who have majored in chemistry or physics and have also had Biochemistry are highly sought after these days. 

About our Guest Blogger and Author:
Dr. Felicity U. is the Director of the Felicity Motivational Group in Nashville, Tennessee, who offers their professional english, math and science tutoring services on TutorMatch.com.

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Posted under Graduate School

Many astronomy students are faced with the reality of the depth of study once they enter the second chapter of the textbook. Students take the class thinking that it will be all constellations and stars, but don’t realise the true scientific theories presented in higher levels of the course. For this reason they decide to hire a tutor to solidify the information learned in class, and to enrich the experience, causing the information to remain within the mind.
 
As an astronomy tutor there are many things that you can do to ensure that the student retains the information. Making the literature interesting is a key part of the process, as much of it is theories and formulas.
 
Consider a trip to the local planetarium to consider the real scope of the universe and to provide experience with the formulas required to calculate distance. For many students, this is the ultimate perspective, as it all seems to come together once the magnifying is demonstrated in person. Many of the theories and formulas associated with astronomy have to do with distance, and therefore this valuable tutoring tool is available for low cost, throughout the duration of the tutoring sessions.
 
Consider taking into account planetary events that may occur throughout the duration of the course. These events are a valuable teaching tool, as they are a valuable period as the “how” and “why” of the events can be determined. This is a valuable time to discuss planet rotation, lunar and solar eclipses, even the changing of tides.
 
Science has more to do with theories and formulas so many children, adolescences and even adults learn by example and do not fall under the visual or auditory learning processes. For this reason, it is important to step outside of the classroom, the home and the library to examine the astrological events the world in a matter in which they can relate.

Astronomy Resources:

1. NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
2. Astronomy for Kids
3. NASA
4. NASA Kids’ Club
5. Become an Astronomy Tutor
6. Find an Astronomy Tutor

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• Impact Day 2008

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• Full Moon in Aries — October 14, 2008, 20:02 UT

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Posted under Science Tutors, Tutoring

Choosing a tutor for a second language, be it German, French or Spanish, is not a decision that should be taken lightly. Whether the reason for learning the language is a trip abroad or simply personal growth, proper enunciation, vocabulary and meaning are crucial in the development of the language. For this reason it is important to choose a native speaker of the language or a person that has been extensively trained in the language, preferably in a post-secondary institution.

 
The benefits to hiring a native speaker of the language are the influence that culture will have in the teachings. This tutor has more than likely been exposed to cultural occurrences like food, songs, and beliefs that can enrich the tutoring environment. This information, along with the natural ability to teach dialect and proper pronunciation of the words, combined with the natural phrases used in everyday conversation, are the reasons that many choose to enlist a native speaker of the second language in which they are trying to learn.

Contrary to these thoughts, there are many benefits to choosing a professional tutor that has been educated in the second language to teach the student. Technical aspects of the language will be covered with concise curriculums, and the lessons will come with the expertise of teaching techniques that are shown to these tutors through the course of their education.
 
Using a post-secondary educated tutor will ensure that the basics of the language, the foundation, will be taught before the knowledge is expanded upon and grown into phrases. This technique for learning languages is most effective for those looking to grasp the concept of the language from the bottom up. Although it may take longer to speak as a native, the teachings will remain in the mind solidified as knowledge.

Find an online tutor to teach you a langauge over the internet:

• Online German Tutors
• Online French Tutors
• Online Spanish Tutors

To make the choice, consider the following aspects:

• What are the reasons that the tutor is being hired?
• How long does the student have to learn the language?
• What does the student expect to learn in this time period?

It may be quicker to learn the essentials from a native speaker of the language, rather than to begin with the foundation.
 
Regardless of the choices, speak with the tutor in the initial meeting to discuss the plan of action, curriculum and objectives of the tutoring sessions. Creating a plan of action and practice are two of the essential counterparts to learning a second language.

Posted under Language Tutors, Tutoring

As a 6th grade math teacher in a private school, I often discovered that my classes were a general blend of different public and private schools that either taught traditional Math or adopted newer and alternative forms of math instruction.  I found that the students with the alternative instruction came to 6th grade with a weak set of multiplication and division skills using big numbers and decimals.  I often watched the pain and anguish develop in the faces of these generally good math students because they were behind the rest of the class.  So, what can a parent or teacher do in this case?  Start reviewing early and often!

The first thing to test is your child’s ability to do standard multiplication and not the ladder method. This is fine with small numbers, but once they get to 3 digits and decimals, it becomes nothing but a pain and often a source of errors.  I usually had 2-3 students in each class using the ladder method.  I worked with them during extra help or before school, retraining their multiplication and wouldn’t you believe … they found it much easier to do the traditional vertical multiplication method!  What you can do at home is each night give your child a few problems to do using traditional method. They will be confused at first and might forget, but after a few days they should catch on.  Don’t overwhelm them with a ton of problems; 2-3 each night is fine.

The next thing I suggest is to review their long division skills.  Some students came to 6th grade only knowing how to do “partial sums” which again is fine with small whole numbers, but once you get into decimal division, it doesn’t work as well and creates confusion.  So first, review long division (or teach it depending on the case) and then review decimal division.  Most 5th grade math curriculum covers both long and decimal division so it should not be a foreign concept to a 6th grader.  Each night, give your child 2-3 decimal or long division problems.  Don’t overwhelm or overload.

Parents, if you don’t feel confident about making up your own problems, contact the teacher and ask if he or she can send your child home with a worksheet or if they can recommend a website with problems and examples.  Two very good websites with worksheets are edHelper.com (which is a paid subscription) and Math.com which is free.  And teachers, send your students home with worksheets to do at their own pace.  It may seem like a lot at the beginning of the year, but retraining math skills only makes learning new ones easier.

About our Guest Blogger and Author:
Mrs. Hilary M. is a Math Tutor and Teacher from Princeton, NJ who offers her professional math tutoring services on TutorMatch.com.  She also blogs at Mrs. Mo’s New Jersey, Baby! and HCM Tutoring.

Posted under Math Tutoring, Parents and Children, Tutoring

Many high school students have a difficult experience with their first classic literature assignment. The archaic prose of works by Dickens, Melville and Shakespeare can prove difficult to understand and seem like a whole other language. So how do we break the barriers between literature and learning? 

There are a variety of ways that we can increase comprehension when reading literature. Using these techniques increases the comprehension of a classic novel in a variety of students and can result in successful comprehension of the piece of literature.

One of the top ways to increase comprehension of literature in the classroom, and with tutoring tactics, is to compare the text with a modern day interpretation of the literature. Learning by comparison can be helpful. Comparing classic literature to modern situations can also help students. Often younger generations will be more adept to learn the themes of classics they are able to identify with. If the tutor is able to provide some mirroring within the classic to modern day situations, the student is more likely to learn the information.

Providing a translation for texts written in poetry can also prove helpful. Since poetry is a language all its own, especially with Victorian authors such as Byron, Keats and Shelley, providing a text with a contemporary translation under or opposite of each line in the poem increases comprehension for the student.

Using textual clues such as descriptive words to gain the feeling of the literature can improve comprehension greatly. These identifier words can create recognition of one word, which can lead to the comprehension of one phrase, which can lead to the comprehension of the whole page.

These are just some techniques a good tutor can employ to help their student’s grasp of reading comprehension with classic literature; find a tutor near you to learn more!

Resources for Classic Literature

• Classics at the Online Literature Library
• Classic Lit authors from A to Z
• SparkNotes and Study Guides on Classic Literature
• Free Classic Literature in the Public Domain from the Classic Literature Library
• GradeSaver Classic Notes on Lit Classics
• Free Online Literature and Study Guides

Posted under Reading, Reading Comprehension, Tutoring

Here’s a great video I found focusing on an adult literacy tutor in Rensselaer County, New York.  This volunteer tutor discusses why he started volunteering his tutoring services for adults in need of literacy education.  He’s truly a nice guy who saw a need and decided to donate his time and skill to help out illiterate adults.  A very noble cause - not only kids need tutoring, sometimes adults need tutoring in reading also!

This video is from the tutor’s perspective, there’s also another video from the student’s point of view.

Posted under Literacy, Reading, Tutoring

Learning English as a second language can be difficult to learn in a formal setting. Informal settings release the pressure from the learning environment and allow the student to feel at ease in the environment, therefore being able to absorb more.

English as a second language (ESL) tutoring sessions can range from basic exchange of conversation; these sessions can be arranged with two people wishing to benefit from learning the native language of the tutoring partner. It allows the two people to converse on a level of language that we use on a daily basis.

Informal tutoring sessions also create higher levels of reading comprehension through the use of everyday texts like: newspapers, magazines and letters and because these reading comprehension tools are being used, participants maintain an interest at the same time as learning the culture of the language.

Personal tutoring is referred to as face to face conversation. This has been proven to be the fastest and most effective way of learning a new language. The conversational tone also allows the speaker to learn phrases and slang that are not learned in a language classroom. These phrases are often avoided with the classroom, as they do not adhere to the basic language curriculum, but the phrases are necessary when traveling to another country.

There are two other additional concepts used in informal tutoring, these are: pen pal, or emailing and text, or voice chatting via the internet.  Although these additional methods can be helpful, the verbal cues provided in face to face information tutoring lead to learning English as a second language quicker and more effective.

Posted under ESL Tutoring