Choosing a Professional Online Tutoring Service

Online tutoring has become a popular way to learn at home, but many parents and students are unaware of what to look for in a tutoring service.  Making the right choice for a professional online tutoring service is not that simple since a bad choice can hurt your child’s education.

Here are some things to keep in mind when picking out one of the dozens of popular online tutoring services.

Learning Tools

Would you like your child to learn with just a pen and paper, or you would rather wish they have a rich, immersive experience full of interesting and thought-provoking multimedia?

Some interesting tools available today include interactive animations, video lectures, and documentaries.  Digital, collaborative whiteboard-style documents give students and the online tutor the opportunity to share a page together, so all the work of a problem or drawings can be shown.

A variety of educational tools give tutors the ability to present information in several ways, responding to how the student learns best.  In the digital world, it is more important than ever to be fluent in many ways of information sharing.

Availability

How available will the tutoring service be?  Will you be scheduled, or can you get help anytime you need it?  There are a variety of online tutoring services, some with 24/7 help and some with pre-scheduled meeting times.

In addition to timing, you will need to consider the way in which you will be communicating with the tutor.  The best method of communication is online live chat.  This is text only at its most basic, with audio being a step up, and full audio and video being the premium.

Other forms of communication such as email or forums are also useful in their own right, as they provide a way to deal with more complicated and contemplative material.

Tutor Experience

Obviously, you want the most experienced online tutor you can get.  Be aware that tutoring sites have vastly different qualifications for their tutors – some only require the bare minimum, while other services employ many highly educated academics.

Look for the requirements that a tutoring service demands, and any certifications or degrees that may have been awarded to tutors.

What you want as far as learning tools, tutor availability, and tutor experience will largely depend on your needs, and why you want the tutoring in the first place.  In general, the more in-depth the education desired, the more comprehensive and fully-equipped the online tutoring service should be.

To check out a pioneer in online tutoring with a proven track record of success, go to the Growing Stars professional tutoring website and see what is on offer.

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How to Keep Kids Sharp This Summer

Summer break should be a fun time for kids to de-stress and unwind after a long school year, but unfortunately those long, lazy days of summer have a way of wiping out a lot of the knowledge that they acquired during the previous school year. Fortunately, there are plenty of things parents can do to limit the summer ‘brain drain’ affecting kids.

Read, read, read

Put a book in your child’s hands as soon as the school year ends. Kids who read for leisure do better in school than those who don’t, and reading also helps keep cognitive skills sharp. They don’t have to read the classics, although those are great choices. Comic books, newspapers, graphic novels and magazines count, too. Just make sure that they are age appropriate and challenging enough to keep kids interested.

Take advantage of the great free resources your public library has to offer, and ask if they offer a Summer Reading program. Reading to earn prizes is a great motivator for even reluctant readers, and many schools reward kids who bring in proof of their participation in a summer reading program at the beginning of the new school year.

Get Out and Play

Play is not only a great way for kids to burn off extra energy, it’s also important for their minds. Outdoor play keeps kids fit and sharp, and helps them develop good problem solving skills if you provide the right types of play.  Give your child an assortment of items to build an outdoor fort and let them work out how to do it. Or give them a pair of binoculars and a bird watching book so they can track the creatures that visit the backyard. Play helps make learning more fun all year long.

Keep a journal

One of the most important skills that kids need at school is easily forgotten during summer break. Writing is a very important skill that really needs to be used regularly so that kids are prepared when school starts back up.  The key to getting them to write is to keep it fun; no essays, unless they like to write them! Try giving your child a journal with a fun cover and have them document their summer adventures. They can add photos if they like, and share it with their classmates in the fall.

Use technology to your advantage

Computers can be a great tool to help keep kids sharp this summer, especially if your student is already struggling with any particular subjects. In addition to all of the amazing free resources available online, you can utilize online tutoring services to help keep kids classroom ready for the new school year. An online tutor makes learning less of a chore and more of a fun experience, especially for younger kids and teens.

Visit Growingstars.com for more information on finding a great tutor for your child this summer. They are affordable, fun and flexible, and they are dedicated to making sure that your child will enjoy learning during the summer break and beyond.

Resources:

http://www.summerlearning.org/?page=tip_sheets

http://www.naswvamag.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=541:schools-out-five-fun-ways-to-keep-kids-minds-sharp-this-summer&catid=101:features&Itemid=132

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5 Surefire Ways to Help Your Child Master Standardized Test Anxiety

Whether it’s the SAT or a grade school state assessment test, standardized tests can do a lot to determine your child’s academic future. This makes parents understandably edgy, and even young children can pick up on that anxiety. Here are five tips that will help you keep your child calm and confident for the big test day.

Explain What Will Happen

Diagnose Strengths and Weaknesses

Build Skills

Practice in Test Like Conditions

Use Anxiety to Fuel Achievement

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How Online Tutoring Can Shape Classroom Experience

Many parents are finding online tutors to be very beneficial in furthering their children’s education.  They help them to more deeply understand concepts, share resources, and provide a one-on-one learning experience that they rarely get.

It is no surprise that online tutoring services also have a positive effect in the traditional classroom.  Practically any skill or knowledge that might be needed in the classroom can be taught and practiced with an online tutor, and this flexibility means that there is probably always an opportunity for extra education.

While just about every student might benefit greatly from extra tutoring, there are some who need it a bit more than others.  Let’s take a look at some of the ways online tutoring can affect how children do in the classroom.

Kids Can Learn Supplemental Material with Online Tutors

In many cases, students are expected to know things that they may not have specifically learned in class.  They are typically rewarded for knowing such things, and their performance may suffer if they do not know them.

Online tutors can provide students with a wealth of background material that they can use to understand and excel at class work.  Having a solid background and some experience thinking about a topic lets students understand new material much more quickly and thoroughly.

Tutors Can Make Learning Fun

Teachers and parents both know that a child who loves something will learn everything about it, pretty much all on their own.  The key to a great education, therefore, is to inspire kids to fall in love with learning itself.

The best online tutoring services can do just that.  Since tutoring sessions are one-on-one, a tutor who loves the subject they are teaching is able to form a relationship with the student and show them their passion.  Learning directly from a knowledgeable tutor who cares about the subject being studied is an experience that students don’t soon forget.

A Bit of Tutoring Can Go a Long Way

In many cases, a bit of tutoring in the right subject can do wonders for several aspects of classroom learning.

An online tutor for basic math, for example, will bolster a child’s entire math studies including geometry, algebra, and computer classes.  A better knowledge of geography can help with social studies and politics.  Tutoring in writing and grammar will be especially useful, not only for English classes but for each and every class.

Online tutoring is a great adjunct to a traditional classroom, giving students an additional high-quality educational resource to learn from.  Tutors can help students catch up who have fallen behind, or inspire kids who may feel bored in class.  Overall, they serve to help kids excel in any academic pursuits they may take on, in the classroom or out.

For a dedicated tutoring service that is the perfect supplement to a classroom education, take a look at the Growing Stars online tutoring service.

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Why Some Parents Hesitate to Enroll their Kids Online Tutoring Services

Online tutoring provides a host of benefits to young students – it can help them understand content, catch up with other students, and give them a space to interact one-on-one with an enthusiastic teacher.

Many parents are skeptical of virtual services, and rightly so – we are used to interacting with people face-to-face, and we may not be sure of what we are getting when we work with online companies.  This is even more true of online tutors, because the education of your children could be at stake.

Parents are shy about online tutoring for a number of reasons. Here are a couple of them.

Fear of a Bad Tutor

When thinking about tutoring, people can be nervous about the quality of the tutor they might get.  Will they be thoroughly educated in the topic?  Will they have good teaching skills?  Most importantly, will they really care about how well your child is learning?

These are important questions, and their answers could determine the quality of your child’s education.  Most services will give descriptions of the education of their online tutors, listing the requirements they must meet in order to work for them.

Be sure to interview and thoroughly understand the qualifications of possible tutors for your kid.  You can go to the extent of knowing their academic achievements, how long they have been tutoring, and how successful they have been at tutoring.

Uncertainty About Getting Improved Results

Some parents ask, “Will online tutoring really help my child? This is a legitimate question to ask since some parents have heard stories about people spending big bucks on an online tutoring service, only to see no results. That notwithstanding, parents should not assume that just because an online tutoring service did not work for others, you will get the same result.

How then do parents know if their child will benefit from online tutoring?

The truth is, while tutoring may be beneficial for most students, it will be more effective for some than others. Students who are falling behind in a subject or two would benefit greatly from the additional time they would spend on those subjects with an online tutor.  Often, all it takes is a bit of extra work to get a child up to speed with their classmates.  In other cases, interacting one-on-one with an inspiring tutor can instill a lifelong love of learning, helping young students develop a good attitude towards academics.

Conversely, students who are doing very well in class and are bored can benefit greatly from online tutoring by being able to further explore their talents and enjoy a new tutoring model.

Online tutoring has room for almost everyone, so if you are interested in a high-quality service that provides a worthwhile educational experience, check out the Growing Stars online tutoring service.

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How Can Online Tutoring Inspire Creativity in Kids?

You want to do all you can for your kids, and sometimes this includes extra-curricular academic activities like tutoring. While more parents have recently been hiring online tutors for their children, many wonder what benefits a tutoring service would have on their child’s education.

Many parents have noticed that online tutoring has done something to unleash the inner creativity in their kids, inspiring them to create art, conduct inquiring science experiments, or just come up with interesting and novel ideas.

But how do online tutors inspire creativity? Here two ways in which they help children tap into their own potential.

The Power of One-On-One Teaching

The ability of a qualified teacher to pass along their wisdom through one-on-one sessions should not be underestimated. Finding an experienced mentor for your child is an extraordinary gift which gives them a window into a world they probably have very little experience with.

When a child learns one-on-one as opposed to in a classroom setting, they get the full attention of the teacher, rather than having it divided up among several dozen kids. This makes for a much more intimate atmosphere in which the tutor’s personality and love of knowledge can shine through. Children find real dedication, hope, and curiosity inspiring, and they can get a strong taste of this through a good online tutoring service.

Compare this to a traditional classroom setting, in which the only motivation students have for learning is to get a good grade on a test, and you can easily see why children are more willing to unleash their potential for an online tutor.

Since they work with only one student, tutors are able to customize their curriculum to fit the child’s needs. This means that they can give extra attention to areas in which the student is performing poorly, and give them the room they need to keep making progress where they excel. This creates a situation of both security and curiosity in which students feel safe to experiment with their creativity.

Bringing Knowledge to Life

One of the most important things a parent can do for a budding student is to work with their online tutor by giving them opportunities to put their knowledge to practical use. By giving children chances to use their knowledge, they will see their education as a tool they can use to solve problems and be creative.

Do everything you can to introduce your children to the real-life problems and challenges you face, and let them solve them for themselves. These could be figuring out the prices of items on shopping trips or reading the directions on food or gadgets. They can also include reading books and poems, as well as more elaborate projects like do-it-yourself science experiments, chemistry kits, and software programming.

A great online tutoring service will provide suggestions for such real-life opportunities, and be open to conversations on how to further enhance the student’s education.

To look at a quality online tutoring service with a record of successful education, see the Growing Stars tutoring service.

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Common Complaints of Math Students and How to Address Them

 Students love to complain about schoolwork, and no subject generates more complaints than math. So when your child starts griping, what’s the best way to respond? Here are a few of the most common math student complaints and some ideas on how to address them.

Complaint 1: “I’ll never use this in the real world!”

Math teachers often have way more curriculum to teach than they can reasonably fit into the school year, so they don’t have enough time to talk to students about how math is applied outside the classroom. You can counter your child’s complaint by helping her make the connection between what she’s studying in class and how it relates to everyday life. If she has a specific career aspiration, tell her what kinds of math she’ll be expected to use at work. If she plans to go to college, explain to her that she’ll need to pass trigonometry or calculus to graduate.

Complaint 2: “No one understands what the teacher is talking about.”

Unless your child’s entire math class is failing, most of her classmates understand enough of what the teacher is talking about to get by. What is likely happening is that your child is feeling lost in class and is generalizing her experience to make herself feel better. A complaint like this might be a sign that she could benefit from a math tutor or some extra help from the teacher.

If your child is outgoing, encourage her to ask questions in class. It’s likely that at least one other person in the classroom could benefit from hearing the answer to her quetion. Explain to her that by speaking up, she can help other struggling classmates who are too shy to raise their hands.

Complaint 3: “My teacher just doesn’t like me.”

Even if your child’s teacher truly doesn’t like her (which is unlikely), he can’t give her poor grades if she’s performing well in class. Ask your child why she believes her teacher dislikes her. Some students have difficulty taking responsibility for poor performance in a class, so they blame the teacher. If you gently challenge your child’s statement by asking questions, she may take ownership for her performance in class. In the event that your conversation leads you to believe that your child’s teacher is treating her unfairly, schedule a meeting with him to discuss your concerns.

Complaining is a favorite pastime of frustrated math students. If your child complains to you, lend her your ear so that she knows you’re willing to listen. But if she uses her complaints as excuses for poor performance, some mild pushback may help her to gain perspective and reinvest in her math studies.

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How to get the most out of online tutoring

Many children struggle with math, which can be extremely frustrating, and many children may wait until after their math grade plummets to a D or lower until they finally tell their parents they need extra help learning the material.

Your child may be struggling in a subject matter, but they are scared to tell you because they worry that you will be upset about the bad grade. Here is what you can do to help your student succeed in school by getting the most out of online tutoring.

Talk to your child’s teacher.

Be aware of your child’s class schedule, such as when exams are and homework is due. Ask your child’s teacher(s) for the class syllabus so you know what is going on even if your child is evasive.

Ask your child questions.

It is extremely important that you ask your child about his or her studies because they will not be running home to tell you that they are failing math or whichever subject it may be.

Lead into a question such as, “How are you doing in math?” with an anecdote about how you struggled in a certain subject when you were in school.

A couple of good questions are:

1. What type of help does he or she need?

2. How often does he or she need a tutor?

3. What time of day does he or she learn most?

Review the material with your student.

Your child’s tutor is the subject matter expert, who teaches your child everything they need to learn. As a parent, your job is to act as a refresher of the material they are learning.

Set aside a specific time for tutoring.

Finding time for tutoring can be tough, which is why you enrolled your student in online tutoring. Between school, clubs and sports, busy schedules can send tutoring to the backburner. In order to avoid this, mark a specific time when your child will set down and learn each day.

Of course you will not be tied to this time if something pertinent pops up, but setting a time is a good way to ensure that you are getting the most out of online tutoring.

Lastly, track the time your child spends online so you can assure yourself that the money you invested in online tutoring is being utilized.

If you are looking for an online tutoring resource then join the best in online tutoring team at Growing Stars (http://www.growingstars.com/).

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5 Fun Math Activities for Children

For some children, their struggle with math is attributed to sheer boredom with the subject. Some kids look at numbers, properties, and protractors and cringe because it just seems so complicated and intangible. However, you can keep your children interested in math by using fun, interactive games and activities.  By creating an engaging learning environment, you and your child can learn and laugh as a supplement to or in addition to the material that the teacher is teaching.

1. Online Games and Apps

Although computer games and apps are usually activities that you try to steer your child away from, some games and apps are educational. For instance, Coolmath-games.com presents children with fun games like Papa’s Bugeria, which teaches children geometry, counting and time management. This site also has Fraction Splat, a game that helps teach fractions. PBS’s website supplies kids with math games that even include their favorite characters from shows such as Sesame Street, Clifford the Big Red Dog and Curious George.

2. Math Jeopardy

Create your own Jeopardy game using index cards. You can create a different edition for each chapter that your child completes in math. One side of the cards should have dollar amounts on them, and the other side should reveal the questions.

3. Candy Counting

Children deserve a treat every now and then. Use Skittles or M&Ms for this tasty teaching technique. You may ask your child to guess the number of candies in the package prior to opening it, so that he or she learns how to estimate. Once your child opens the package, you can ask him or her to count the candies to discover the actual number. Depending on his or her age, try using the goodies to teach division, multiplication, fractions, subtraction or addition. Plus, your child will have a snack once they complete the activity!

4. Learning to Estimate

Estimating is an important skill for children to learn. To help your child understand estimation, or to enhance his or her understanding of it, try this fun technique:

Use macaroni or a cereal like Cheerios as pretend money. You may opt to use play money as well. Tell your child that a particular item is originally so many dollars. Tell him or her that one store offers the shirt at a discounted rate of so many dollars off, and another store has the shirt on sale for a percentage off.  Have the child estimate which one is cheaper and then figure out which one is actually cheaper by using the macaroni or cereal.

5. Create a Story or Board Game

Children love using their imaginations, so create a plot and use math questions as part of the plot line of the story. You could also develop a board game and use math questions as part of the game.

By making math fun, your child will be more likely to learn. However, games aren’t always enough, so you should still consider math tutoring. Math tutoring services can further assist your child, and the option of an online math tutor is available for your convenience. In fact, Growing Stars offers you and your child the option of online math tutoring at a reasonable rate.

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Save Your Sanity – Get an Online Math Tutor for Your Kid Today

Post-secondary schools have become much more competitive and math curricula have gone through some dramatic changes in recent years. Even if you were a math whiz kid back in the day, today’s methods of learning math may have you banging your head on the desk. Luckily, there is now the option to hire an online math tutor to help with your child’s homework.

Saving Your Sanity, and Your Child’s

When kids receive poor grades in math class, it can leave both them and their parents completely frustrated. The truth is that some kids just don’t “get” what their teacher is trying to teach them. These kids may become thoroughly frustrated with the topic and lose both self-confidence and interest in the process. This can make a parent look helpless.  Sometimes, however, it only takes a different teacher’s technique for the student to catch on. Online tutors can provide this outside view point and specialize their teaching to your child alone instead of trying to teach to an entire classroom full of students.

The Advantage of One-on-one Tutoring

The work that tutors do one-on-one with students can be a very effective way for students to increase their grades and finally understand the areas that they have been struggling with. Tutors both online and offline specialize their teaching to each individual student. Online video conferencing technologies help an online math tutor describe different math processes to students in just the same way that a face-to-face tutor would. Students and tutors can easily communicate instantly to each other and spend as much time as needed on topics that are of concern. This one-on-one work means that students play an active role in their learning instead of sitting passively in a desk.

Get an Online Math Tutor for Your Kid Today

Getting an online math tutor for your kid can offer some huge benefits including:

·         More affordability – many online tutoring services are much more affordable than hiring one to work in person

·         More flexibility – an online tutor can work with your child online at schedules that work for both your child and them. Parents’ schedules don’t need to be a consideration because they’re not required to drive their children anywhere.

·         More efficiency – an online tutor makes more efficient use of a child’s time. Kids are often involved in many extracurricular activities that compete with their homework time. Having an online tutor makes for more efficient use of their time, as it can be done on demand and does not require any wasted time for travel.

·         Safety – parents who worry about a child’s safety and security even with vetted tutors may feel more at ease with an online tutor

·         Experience – online tutoring provides the student with some very valuable experience using different technologies including video technology that will help them in their future endeavours

Visit growingstars.com to see how online math tutoring or tutoring in any number of subjects can make all the difference in your child’s education. There are a number of video testimonies from parents, students, and top educators that show their proven track record of success.

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