5 Math Tutoring Tips for Parents

1. Counting
The most basic skills in mathematics are counting and grouping (“seeing” numbers in groups). To develop counting skills, help children learn to count from any number, to any number, by any number. Do all counting forward and backward.

2. Fractions
As counting skills begin to develop, fractions can be introduced. Long before introducing words like numerator and denominator, teach children that half means “2 parts the same,” and have them use this knowledge to figure out things like:
• “How much is half of 6? …10? …20? …26? …30? …50? …100? …248? …4,628?”
• “How much is half of 3? …11? …15? …21? …49? …99? …175? …999? …2,001?

3. Problem Solving
Children become good problem solvers when they are asked to solve a broad range of problems early on, at home and at school. Start with easy questions; let the level of difficulty increase as the child’s ability grows.

4. Money
Preschool and kindergarten are appropriate times to begin this training. It is best that parents take care of these things at home, rather than have teachers spend valuable classroom time on them.
By the end of third grade, children should have learned the basic equivalents:
• 20 nickels = 10 dimes = 4 quarters = 2 half–dollars = 1 dollar
• 1 dime = 2 nickels
• 1 quarter = 5 nickels
• 1 half–dollar = 5 dimes = 10 nickels

5. Grouping
To expand children’s thinking processes and help them “see” groups, ask questions like:
• “7 and how much more make 10?” “70 and how much more make100?” “700 and how much more make 1,000?”
• “10 and how much more make 15?” “10 and how much more make 18?” “10 and how much more make 25?”
• “17 and how much more make 20?” “87 and how much more make 100?” “667 and how much more make 1,000?”

Special thanks to Joe Restivo for his contribution on this article.

Summer Camp in Charlotte, NC - Accelerated Academic Program

At Swan Learning Center we know that children can excel. Our accelerated summer program is designed to teach students the basics needed to excel in school. The half day and full day programs are three weeks long. Additional weeks may be added especially when parents want children to work on more than one subject area. Before and after camp care is provided along with a full day program.

Registration Details

Times: Half Day Academic Camp

Monday- Thursday 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM or

Monday-Thursday 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Dates:

Choose three weeks between June 7 and September 2. Consecutive weeks are preferred for optimal learning retention. Parents choose in which 3 weeks to participate. Additional weeks may be added.

Morning Academic Camp 9 AM -12 PM

Includes Registration, Diagnostic Testing, Morning Snacks, Motivational Program and Progress Assessment when one subject has been the focus of instruction.

Tuition for 3 week camp $795

Additional Week $265

We Offer

• Place where all students achieve

• Diagnostic Testing

• Individualized programs

• Highly motivational Instruction

• Professional certified Teachers

• Unique Reward System

• Summer Camp where students have fun learning

Academic Assessment

Our battery of academic tests and screens identifies your student’s strengths and areas of need. Following the diagnostic testing we will confer with you to determine the specific programs to meet your student’s needs and goals.

Personalized Instruction

Work with teachers who get results. Learn in a positive and open environment where success is everyone’s goal.

Progress Testing

Student’s progress is assessed throughout the program. Progress testing after 30 hours of instruction provides a tangible measure of academic growth.

Tips for Test Taking

In a perfect world there would be no standardized tests, report cards or astronomical college tuition. There would also be no calories in chocolate, no such thing as wrinkles, and exercise would make you fat. Okay, maybe that’s my perfect world. Unfortunately, these are not realities. Most of us will have to slice off an arm and matching leg to pay college tuition, I will continue to look more and more like a Shar-pei every year and kids will be required to take standardized tests as long as they can sit upright and hold a No. 2 pencil.

Last week I focused on the sometimes crippling anxiety induced by the multitudes of standardized tests our kids are required to take. As promised, this week I focused my efforts on some practical methods of alleviating stress associated with test taking. To this end, I consulted with Psychotherapist, Licensed Social Worker and Parent Coach, Barbara Chamberlain. After putting our heads together we came up with the following suggestions:

One week prior to the test:

- Practice Deep Breathing: Once a day for 15 minutes, six counts in and six counts out.

- Positive Self-Talk: Adopt a mantra and repeat it whenever you think about the test, such as, “I am a really good test taker,” or, “I’m calm and focused during tests.”

- Visualization: Do a daily “dry run” in your mind. Picture yourself calmly sitting at your desk, reading the questions and filling in the bubbles.

- Get cardiovascular exercise to alleviate stress.

The night before the test:

- Don’t watch anything disturbing on TV, like "Friday the 13th" or the Kardashians.

- Before bed turn off all electronics — computers, cell phones, etc.

- Go to bed at a decent time so you get around eight hours of sleep (crucial!).

The morning of the test:

- Get up early enough to avoid rushing around, which is very stressful.

- Eat a healthy breakfast, but if you really don’t have time, grab something with protein.

- Drink lots of water for optimal brain function.

Some other ideas:

- Have a ritual to take the edge off: Brush your teeth while singing "Happy Birthday," touch your nose three times before picking up your pencil, etc.

- Have a lucky charm: Aside from being magically delicious, they help externalize the stress, so wear your socks with the rainbow toes, put your Batman action figure in your backpack, have the first valentine you ever got in your pocket and believe in luck!

Thanks to Susan Schaefer for providing some great tips! For more tips from Charlotte Math Tutors, contact Swan Learning Center today!

Tips for Tutoring Your Child

Here's some Great Tips on home tutoring we picked up from HelpingWithMath.com.

- Set up a program with your child - ensure he or she is part of this process. Agree a regular time and consider prominently displaying a calendar with days, times, and activities marked. Your child will have times that are best suited to their learning. If you can tutor your child at a time that is best suited to their learning then results will improve. For some children this will be before supper, for others it might be later in the evening and for others it might even be before breakfast!

- Have a quiet, comfortable, distraction free environment in which to tutor your child. This can be a challenge in some households but it is essential. Ensure the desk or table you are tutoring at is in easy reach of your math supplies - pencils, erasers, paper, protractors, rulers, calculators.

- Sometimes there can be frustration when talking with our children. We might think that they are not listening or that they are "tuning us out." This may or may not be the case, regardless here a some tips that will help encourage better listening when you are tutoring your child:

--- Have your child repeat what you have told them in their own words to ensure they understand the message.

--- Use body language. e.g. arm movements to illustrate your message.

--- Get close to and make eye contact with your child before speaking

--- Speak in short simple sentences.

--- Break longer messages into a series of shorter ones.

--- Stress important words.

- Work on your own math tutoring skills. Ask your local Librarian for a good book or use the Internet. Adopt an attitude that if your child is struggling with algebra, or geometry, or whatever you are tutoring them on, then it is your teaching as opposed to their learning that is at fault.

- Work as closely as possible with your child's teacher at school. Your teacher can provide guidance, suggestions, and resources that will greatly help your tutoring. Supplementing and complementing what is being taught in class will be more effective than following an alternative curriculum.

- Do not reinforce the belief that a person can simply not be good at math. Saying things like "I was never any good at math" just supports the misconception that a person is either born with, or without an aptitude for math and nothing can be done to change that.

- Younger children are more likely to not be sufficiently physiologically developed to handle certain arithmetic operations. This has absolutely nothing to do with intelligence. It is simply a normal part of a child's development that you should be aware of. Some 7 or 8 year olds will struggle greatly with certain concepts.

- Always praise and encourage your child. Work on your parent praise phrases and don't forget to give yourself a big pat back on the back for all your math tutoring help.

For more tips on math & reading tutoring, contact Swan Learning Center at (704) 442.1718