Is Online Tutoring the Best Route to Take? By Heather Eagar

Have you heard a lot about online tutoring but are just unsure as to whether it is the best route for you to take? Your apprehension is definitely understandable – especially if you’ve been given no information about the differences between online and standard tutoring.

So if online tutoring has been suggested to you, yet you don’t know if it will actually benefit you, don’t spend anymore time wondering. Instead, take a few minutes to explore some of its characteristics to help you make a more informed decision.

Online Tutoring is Similar to Offline Tutoring

One of the first concepts to understand about online tutoring is that it is not much different from offline tutoring. Of course, there are a few distinctions to consider, including the fact that a tutor will not be walking into your home and sitting at a desk with you to work. However, in many other ways, the online tutoring experience can be very similar to that off the offline experience.

For example, there are services available, such as live chats with certified tutors, that can provide the same or better support than you would have received in person. Of course, you don’t get the benefit of the face-to-face conversation with body language. However, it this is not so much of an issue, then utilizing online tutoring resources such as live chats or tutoring through email correspondence may just work out well for you.

Online Tutoring Can Offer Numerous Resources and Heightened Convenience

As the Internet continues to improve, so do the resources offered through it. It is for this reason that now many online tutoring services offer live one-on one chats. But that’s not all that you can take advantage of. Some sites allow you to engage in live group sessions with other students. Also, you may be able to take advantage of 24/7 website access, downloadable study forms, tutorials, tips, and FAQs that can keep you informed in the wee hours of the night when you’re biting your nails about a homework assignment or big test. But what’s best, is there are a ton of certified tutors, teachers, and even college professors offering their services online. So you don’t have to worry about reliability through this vehicle.

Online Tutoring Requires an Internet Connection

Before you say yes to online tutoring, you want to keep in mind that it inevitably requires an Internet connection unless you utilize a downloadable program (some still require a connection for tech support). Whether you want to take on live chat, email tutoring, or interactive tutorials, you will need a connection to conduct your activities. If you don’t have Internet access at home, or think you won’t be able to get to a computer sometime during the weeks that you need assistance, then utilizing the traditional face-to-face tutoring format will probably work best for you.

If online tutoring sounds good, but you still can’t make up your mind, your decision may come down to cost. Some online resources require one-time fees, while others may charge monthly. Comparing online costs to in-person tutoring services may help make the ultimate decision that much easier.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=372969&ca=Education

The Benefits of Assisted SAT Preparation By Heather Eagar

There is often nothing scarier than having to take the SAT for the first time. You are faced with so many unanswered questions regarding the exam. How long will it take? What will I be tested on? How will I be scored? How in the world can I prepare for this thing?

Because there is so much that you don’t know about taking this important college entrance exam, it’s good to engage in some form of SAT preparation. There are a number of books that can help you study on your own, but there are also some benefits to getting assistance with your SAT preparation. Here are a few …

Help from an Instructor

One of the major benefits of seeking assistance for your SAT preparation is working with an instructor. You can utilize instructor-assisted preparation over the Internet or in a classroom setting, and both are uniquely helpful as they both place you in an interactive, group environment where other students are asked to participate while the certified teacher instructs.

Whether you choose the online/offline group environment vs. the one-on-one individual tutoring environment (which is also available online or offline), you benefit from someone else providing a unique and well-informed perspective on the ins and outs of the exam. So while your preference of online or offline and individualized or group tutoring is completely up to you, it’s good to know that any of them can likely guide you more poignantly than preparing alone, especially if this is your first time taking the exam.

Motivation from Other Students

Whether you’re getting SAT prep assistance in a classroom setting, or working in a group chatting environment, the competition you can receive from other students in prep courses may just be the motivator you need to dig in and excel. There’s often no better feeling than knowing that you understanding the work you’re studying. And a way to verify this knowing is through classroom participation. So for those students who are better motivated by participation and competition with other students then getting assisted SAT preparation through group prep courses can be very beneficial.

Confidence Building

If you’ve heard about the SAT exam and maybe have even thumbed through a test prep book but still feel extremely underconfident about the exam and what to expect then assisted SAT preparation can be very beneficial. While the SAT is similar to other standardized tests in that it is timed per section, the test material is likely to be vastly different. Because there aren’t other tests that take on its specific format, it’s good to get help from someone skilled with this exam. This way, you can go from being clueless to feeling completely confident that you’re going to be prepared on the big day.

If you’re self-disciplined and love preparing for any exam on your own, then you may benefit greatly from your own personal SAT prep sessions. But if you prefer the assistance of an instructor, like being motivated by others, or are simply too unsure to go at it alone, then assisted SAT preparation is probably the best route for you to take.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=373730&ca=Education

Taking Advantage of SAT Assistance Online By Heather Eagar

If you’ve recently signed up for the SAT exam then you may be biting your nails wondering how you’ll actually be able to prepare for it. Your school may offer preparation courses or workshops that can help you out a lot. But what if you don’t have time to stay after school, or can’t secure transportation home afterward?

In the past, this would mean spending time flipping through SAT prep books on your own in hopes of cramming in every detail. But now, with many online resources being available that offer similar benefits as afterschool courses, you can just as easily prepare for your test from the comfort of your home.

So what’s available? Let’s take a look at some options you might want to take advantage of …

Online Prep Courses

So you probably didn’t know that you can take advantage of online prep courses that are similar to those that are available at your school or local library. You definitely can. There are resources that offer live online sessions very similar to the face-to-face tutoring environment – however, they’re conducted through chat. This means you don’t have to make sure you’re at a specific place to take on the session. Instead, you can take your computer with you wherever you’re comfortable and simply log on to the session when it’s time.

Also, incorporated in many online prep courses are practice tests that allow you to take the SAT as you would on the actual exam day. This simulation allows you to work through the problems in a timely fashion so that you’re comfortable with each section.

Tutoring

In addition to online SAT preparation courses, you can take advantage of tutoring resources that help you work through sections that may be giving you more problems than others. For instance, if you make low scores on the critical reading section when you take the practice test, this raises a red flag that you may want to seek some type of tutoring assistance before taking the practice exam again. Luckily, there are live chats, as well as online tutorials, that can help you with each section. Even better, some resources give you access 24/7, allowing you to relieve those late-night jitters that would otherwise leave you yearning for more assistance.

Test-Taking Strategies

Did you know that there are specific strategies that you can take advantage of that can help you move effortlessly through the SAT exam? You’d be surprised by the tips out there that can leave you feeling much more confident on exam day. Some of these tips might include never spending more than 2 minutes on a question, or leaving questions blank if you don’t know the answer because doing so doesn’t cost you points. There are so many other great strategies out there that not seeking them out and utilizing them would be a crime.

Now that the secret’s out – there are great online SAT resources available – it’s time for you to take advantage of them. If you don’t, you may lose out on that edge that can get you the SAT score you’ve been dreaming of.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=371925&ca=Education

Does Your Child Need a Math Tutor? By Heather Eagar

Math is a tough subject. It starts with difficult concepts such as addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication, which can be very challenging for young children. But as time evolves, and the concepts become more difficult, incorporating algebra, geometry, and maybe even calculus, math can become downright impossible to understand.

If one or more of your children are currently taking math classes, you may or may not need a tutor to help them excel in this challenging subject. To help you determine whether it’s right for you, let’s take a look at some signs that they may need help.

Your Child is Working Hard with No Results

One sign that your child may need a tutor is if you notice that he or she is working extremely hard but doesn’t seem to be achieving desired results. For example, suppose your child is participating in class, doing everything the teacher asks, yet is still having problems mastering the concepts and getting the grades you both hope for. In this case, your child may need more individualized time with a certified math tutor who can administer various learning methods coupled with repitition to help your child excel.

Another sign that your child may need math tutoring assistance is if he or she is working hard and is achieving desired results in homework, but not test taking, or vice versa. Usually, if the child is doing well with homework and not test taking then this is a sign of test anxiety. He or she may panic when the time comes to answer questions on the spot, resulting in an inability to focus. On the other hand, the student may do great with tests, but may have problems completing homework assignments. In this case, the student may feel bored by the work and unmotivated to complete assignments. In either case a tutor can help to either increase confidence for tests or come up with fun games to make homework more exciting.

Your Child Isn’t Working Hard

Another way to determine that your child may need math tutoring is looking for signs that he or she is showing a complete lack of motivation and is simply not making an effort in the classroom and/or during homework sessions. As opposed to the previous example where the student is working hard but isn’t mastering the concepts, in this scenario, your child hasn’t tried hard enough to know whether or not he or she is capable of understanding the work.

If you have an unmotivated child, a math tutor can be just as beneficial as in the previous example. However, in addition to finding a tutor who is good at teaching math concepts, you will also want one that has a personality equipped to handle a lack of motivation. The tutor needs to help your child understand the importance of math in the classroom and in life. Also, that tutor should be skilled in ways to make math fun.

It’s no secret that math can be a challenging subject for just about anyone to master. But the sooner you and a tutor can get your child motivated about the subject, the more quickly you will see the results both of you have hoped for.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=372731&ca=Education