Lucky Number ... Six?

Writing is not as hard as you might think it is. Really. All it takes is some effort and some know-how. I can help you with both. Teaching and tutoring English for a number of years has given me the opportunity to train with a multitude of methods that all have beneficial effects on a student's writing. As one quickly learns in the area of writing, what seems like an abstract, ephemeral process can be turned into something that is concrete, doable, and most of all, writable. And, that, Ladies and Gentlemen, is where six, does indeed, become your lucky number. Really.
It has nothing to do with games of chance, the same suite of five, or three "sevens" matching across a quarter slot game. It does, however, have everything to do with a thing called the Six Traits of Writing. And what are they? A group of teachers came together and graded many pieces of student writing (hey, some things in life never change). As a result of their collaborative grading, they came up with six traits of writing that strong papers in the pool all had, as a unifying theme: ideas and content, mechanics, word choice, organization, voice, and sentence fluency. What developed out of this collaboration can help your student become a skilled writer. Really.
So, here is the breakdown of the six traits: each trait is graded on a scale of one to six, with six being the highest. What is also given under each score is some written text that exemplies, for better or for worse, what makes a score what it is. There is a total of six numbers, and those numbers are then averaged for a score that ranges anywhere from a zero (the student wrote nothing) to six (highly improbably, but it has happened). Aiming for a total score of four to five is a goal that can be reached. Really. So, how do you get your student there?
Well, hiring a tutor that has a mastery of the English language, but also, who has a mastery of the types of rubrics school districts are using is a step in the right direction. Taking writing step by step, in addition to teaching the traits in chunks, can solidify an exemplary writing model that your student can use in any classroom. Since many students have difficulty with developing and elaborating ideas, I usually start tutoring with the trait of "ideas," and show them with graphic organizers, with the recalling of prior knowledge into other subjects that they know, and with showing them the cause/effect relationships their own ideas have, how to turn a one sentence wonder into a beautifully substantial paragraph with innumerable possibilities for discussion and thought. All it takes is the introduction of the process and some practice.
Really.
For more information about students being tutored in the Scottsdale and Phoenix areas, please visit www.excellenceinacademicstutoring.com.

For more information about the six traits (now Six Traits +1), please visit www.nwrel.org.

What You Should Know about Tutoring

Two weeks ago, I had an enlightening conversation with a woman to whom I had been describing my business. She asked me what kind of services I provided for the students I tutored, and as I ticked off a myriad of situations in which a student might benefit from the use of a tutor, she was quiet for a moment, and then replied, "I always thought tutoring equalled trouble!" It was then that I had an epiphany. As a teacher that is "true blue," and as a tutor who understands all of the ways tutoring can help children, I was flabbergasted to realize that, maybe, a good chunk of the population believed the same way that my lunching companion did. If that is the case, then please allow me to make my case for illustrating the innumerable ways parents can benefit their children by hiring the likes of me (your English and reading specialist, extraordinaire):

• curriculum enrichment: Think of tutoring as preventative maintenance on your child's knowledge for the school year - tutoring can reinforce, supplement, and assess what is being done at his school, and also provide additional knowledge to widen the child's knowledge base.
• specific academic goals that need to be met: Whether your child needs to get an "exceeding" or "meets" on her English portion of the AIMS test, whether your child is gearing up to write her senior research paper, or whether your child needs to learn the "ins" and "outs" of the library in order to do proper research, tutoring can help with all of those tasks.
• literature enrichment: Would you like to improve your child's analytical, higher-level thinking skills? Would you like to see your child make connections between the literature he's reading in school and with happenings that are taking place on a national and global level? How about having your child make connections between the literature and himself? (by the way, those are all ideas that are listed in the state standards of this beautiful state, of ours). Well, proper tutoring done by an expert can help develop those critical thinking skills that each teacher, nationally, wants to see in their students' work.

The point here is that there is always a reason to hone and develop your child's writing, reading, and analytical skills. The point is that not only does learning never go out of style, but that this schematic building of knowledge will enhance the child's worldview, and, as an adult, will line his wallet. Knowledge makes you rich mentally, spirtually, and in this earthly world, financially.

For more information about tutoring in Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona, please visit http://www.excellenceinacademicstutoring.com/ for services that will assist your child in being a standout, but also, a child that stands apart from others.

Kids Need the Skills to Help Them Study

My report card for science had a glaring "D" marked offensively on the page, and I remember being as shocked as my mom, when I saw how poorly I did. It has stuck with me, so much, in fact, that I can remember the incident, clearly, even now, as an adult. The funny thing about it is that I had no idea I was doing poorly in science. It really came as an unpleasant surprise.

As a business owner of a tutoring company, and working with kids with their own studying habits, it comes as a bit of a shock that I didn't put my own experience together with what some of my students struggle with, at the present time. It did not take me long to figure out that almost as much as poor grades result from lacking the comprehension of a particular subject, another major factor in not achieving the highest grades in school is due to a lack of a structured environment at home, that consists of a schedule as regimented as the school day itself. No reason anyone should feel bad about this, as it takes discipline, even from the most Spartan of individuals, to daily plan out his days. However, keeping a few things in mind will help get your student on the right track (and most importantly, the right grade).

1. Students should always carry an agenda book with them, that not only are they responsible for, but that the parents and tutors are responsible for, too. Having teachers contact the parents and tutors about what's on the agenda for homework and major assignments is beneficial, especially when signatures are required from a parent or tutor. Having all the key players involved really makes it foolproof for the most lackadaisical student to go through her academic career with blindfolds on. It might not always take a village to raise a child, but having a few extra pair of eyes always keeps straying ones from roving too far from the academic objectives, at hand.
2. Parents or people that work closely with the student should help their student by creating a daily agenda, in which homework, time for major assignments, time for studying for tests, and even chunks of time that are planned for fun, are all written down on a weekly basis. This daily agenda can be written on a calendar, or even a makeshift one that the student creates himself. There are very few things that help a student internalize her responsibilities more - having her write what not only the things she's accountable for, but scheduling in free time, or activities that come as a reward, will also give the student the power over the academic reins, and that is what we want.
3. Students should have support not only from parents, but from teachers and tutors, as well. Teachers and tutors can supplement the child's knowledge with the content that they need, but also, with the knowledge of what is needed to pass the next test, or to earn the next "A" on the child's paper.
4. Giving students "tricks for the trade" also help tremendously with study skills. Making games out of vocabulary that will be on the test, testing students on the material that will be tested, and giving them an ample amount of practice with assignments that reinforce the academic objectives that are being taught, are all invaluable ways of ensuring success.

Lastly, maybe the most important thing to keep in mind is balance. I remember that after the upset with the science grade, I worked so hard to bring it up, that all of my other content areas fell behind. Everything in moderation!