The Value of Quality Tutoring

March 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Teacher and Student In A Classroom At SchoolA 2010 New York Times article (“As Private Tutoring Booms, Parents Look at the Returns“) takes a close look at tutoring and evaluates some of the benefits.  As you might imagine, there are a number of advantages noted.

For children struggling with keeping up at school, tutoring provides significant help that will show results in virtually all of their academic pursuits.  There are a number of dynamics at work with good tutoring that combine to produce results.  These benefits may start with better grades at  school, but extend also to increased self-esteem, better peer relationships, and a better home life.

One of the most significant advantages of tutoring is found in the relationship between your child and the tutor.  It’s frequently difficult for parents to offer significant help to a struggling child, because the scope of your relationships can actually serve to hinder the effectiveness.  An Academic Learning Labs tutoring relationship will be targeted to help your child overcome obstacles in specific areas of study and study habits.  Parents simply do not have that type of relationship.  You’re the one who chides them to clean their room, wash the dishes, and occasionally deny them the use of the car.  These elements are naturally part of your relationship, but they complicate the effectiveness of your schoolwork interactions.  And in a classroom setting, a teacher has dozens of other students competing for attention, so the specific needs of any individual frequently are sidelined in favor of teaching to the middle.

When your child works with one of our tutors, none of these issues cloud the task.  Many children quickly become enthusiastic about their tutoring sessions for these very reasons.  They are learning to overcome obstacles at school with someone who is sympathetic and dedicated to their success — without broader concerns that may be present at home or school.

School KidsBut tutoring is also vital for children on the other end of the spectrum.  Many children display superior talents in areas that quickly propel them to levels that are beyond the scope of a typical classroom and may quickly exceed their parents’ abilities.  These children can benefit greatly from targeted tutoring that will feed their talents and equip them to excel.  They are no longer bound by the limitations of a classroom setting that is incapable of meeting their specific needs.  We will provide tutoring that unleashes your child’s abilities giving them the challenge and satisfaction they are unable to find in school.

At Academic Learning Labs we have flexible tutoring plans designed to meet both your budget and schedule.  We are one of Orange County’s leading tutoring services.  We specialize in helping students reach their academic goals through math tutoring, science tutoring, and SAT/ACT Prep programs.  Located in Rancho Santa Margarita, we’re dedicated to helping your child fulfill their potential and partnering with you to propel them to success.  We have proven tutoring programs that will equip your child to excel in high school and succeed in college as well.  Call us at 949-546-0800 for details on our college preparation tutoring.

Filed Under: Academic Success, Rancho Santa Margarita SAT ACT Tutoring, SAT Prep Tagged With: , ,

Spotlight on Math Tutoring

October 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Triumph at Math

Triumph at Math

In the life of virtually every student, there comes a time when a new math concept is introduced and he or she simply cannot grasp it.  There can be many reasons for the difficulty, and it’s essential that your student be given the tools to grasp the new concept.

Teachers do the best they can, but it’s just not possible for a single teacher to meet the exact needs of an entire classroom full of students.  At Academic Learning Labs we have tutoring available for all grade levels and cover every area of math from basic addition and subtraction to the most sophisticated calculus and statistics.  Getting an early handle on any difficulties is vital to help your child avoid the discouragement that comes with lowered grades.

For elementary grades K -5, we specialize in the following areas:

  • Numbers and Basic Counting
  • Addition and Subtraction
  • Multiplication and Division
  • Fractions and Decimals
  • Problem Solving
  • Time and Money Concepts
  • Geometry and Graphing
  • Measurement including Area, Perimeter and Volume
  • Basic Statistics including Ratios, Proportions and Percentages

For middle school grades 6 – 8, the following topics are covered:

  • Algebra
  • Geometry
  • Problem Solving
  • Probability and Statistics

 Our high school tutoring covers these areas: 

  • Algebra I & II
  • Geometry
  • Trigonometry
  • Pre-Calculus
  • Integrated Math
  • Senior Math
Tutoring at Academic Learning Labs will bring a fresh start for your student.  The individualized attention we offer allows us to accurately assess your child’s strengths and weaknesses, so we can create a course of tutoring designed to meet his or her specific needs and bring immediate improvement.  Your child will show more enjoyment in school, and often find that he or she can actually excel at the topic.
Call us at 949-546-0800 to learn more about our individualized tutoring plans.
Filed Under: learning, Math Tutoring, Tutoring Tagged With: ,

The Challenge of Talented Children

September 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

We’ve all heard the stories before.  Some remarkable person is being interviewed on television and when asked to describe their early school years, they say they were bored to death.  School could not keep up with them, and they lost interest.  Many of these folks drop out of school or just struggle through the boredom while trying to fight off discouragement.  It’s sad to see such potential delayed because their talent and understanding far exceeded that of their peers.

We see this quite a bit at Academic Learning Labs, and it’s one of the things that excites us most about our tutoring.  While much of our tutoring is intended to help children struggling to keep up, we also have programs available in every area of study that are designed to challenge and encourage talented children.  And there are a lot of good reasons to make sure we keep our children challenged in their learning.

Less Boredom = Better Behavior

Boredom is The EnemyThere’s a good reason for the persistence of that old adage, “Idle hands are the the devil’s workshop.”  A child who is teeming with energy, but burdened by boredom will almost always find something to alleviate the boredom.  As parents, we are in a unique position to guide these activities into creative and challenging directions.  If we fail to do this, we create an environment for our children to stray into relationships and activities that may be harmful for them.  We really need to do whatever we can to help our children thrive in areas that will challenge them and help shape their character for a better life.   Extremely talented children can present unique challenges in this area, as we may not have all the tools and skills needed to keep them occupied and growing.

It’s sad that some of the kids who do the poorest in school are those who actually have the skills and intellect to do the best. But without proper guidance and support, they may waste their amazing gifts.  It’s vital as parents that we step into this situation to provide necessary challenges to keep these children utilizing their gifts.  Here are some ideas to consider:

Get them involved in athletics

Many highly intelligent children appreciate the challenges of athletic competition.  Keeping your child physically active is a natural supplement to their mental activity.  Physical challenges nearly always have a mental aspect to them, and will serve your child well to keep their energies channelled in productive directions.

The magic of music

It’s never too late to expose your child to the magic of music, but the earlier you start, the better.  Starting at just 4 or 5 years old there are programs Kindermusik that get children to start exploring the world of music.  Later, kids can develop an appreciation for musical skills with programs like Guitar Hero.  And older kids can create their own music and record multiple instruments on programs like Garage Band included on Apple’s Mac computers.  Stretching your child’s imagination through music will augment their intellectual growth.

Volunteering

Children who excel in their school work often find themselves with extra time on their hands.  In your ongoing effort to keep them channelled into healthy and worthwhile pursuits, we encourage you introduce community involvement into their schedule.

This is most effective when a parent models the behavior.  There’s an entirely different dynamic at work when you send your child off to volunteer compared to when you pack up the entire family to participate.  Opportunities abound.  Start with your pastor or rabbi to find opportunities available.  The Orange County Rescue Mission is also a good choice.  Make a commitment as a family to get involved, and then watch as your children grow in their understanding and compassion, as well as their academic acuity.

Expand their academic skills

It’s not uncommon for parents of exceptionally bright children to find that the sophistication of their homework is more difficult than anyone else in the family is able to comprehend.  But don’t worry, this is one area that Academic Learning Labs can help.  Our tutors are able to handle advanced placement tutoring in every subject.  We can quickly step into a very vital role in your family to help keep your child challenged, growing, and pointed in the right direction.  Call us at (949) 546-0800 for more details on our tutoring.

 

Filed Under: Community Involvement, Homework, Parent Involvement, Preparing for College, Studying, Tutoring, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Overcoming Discouragement and Discovering The Freedom Found In Accomplishment

September 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Here at Academic Learning Labs, we often see students and parents arrive with a burden of real discouragement.  Sometimes they’re facing the pressure of midterms or year-end finals and have finally realized they need some real help to pull things out in time.  In can be a very stressful and discouraging time.

It’s Likely Boredom Is Your Enemy, Not Low Grades

Fighting Boredom Is Essential

Many of the children that we see for remedial tutoring are actually struggling with the pace and teaching methods at their schools.  Many students who struggle with their grades may actually be struggling with teaching techniques that are not well suited to their personalities.

We are often delighted to quickly find that a child struggling with math is actually quite a whiz at the subject when they’re given the correct tools for their best learning.  Classroom sizes continue to increase, and school teachers do the best they can.  Even the most diligent teacher cannot significantly personalize the learning experience for a given child, but that’s exactly what we do at Academic Learning Labs.  Our model for effective tutoring is not based upon a template we teach to each student.  Rather, we feel that each or our students is the template for their learning.  While your child is learning from us, we are learning from them.  We are finding out what causes their best responses, and we’re crafting our tutoring to match that.

Freedom Through Accomplishment

The outcome is remarkable.  Students who may have long felt they just could not understand a subject, begin to have tutoring sessions filled with “Aha!” moments.  As they climb each of the rungs on this learning ladder, they begin to grasp overall concepts as well.  There’s nothing we love more than watching our students run out of a tutoring session to tell mom or dad all about the new concept they grasped today.   It’s a triumphant moment for us, for their parents, and most importantly, for the student.   We count our successes not as much by improving grades, but improving outlooks.  We realize that most families come to us due to our skill at tutoring.  But we delight most in seeing our students shed the burden of their discouragement and start feeling the freedom of how powerful they are to learn and grow in areas they may have once thought impossible.   Students who may have once dreaded third-period algebra, find themselves actually looking forward to it with a renewed confidence and freedom.

We’ll be happy to spend some time with your family to show you exactly how we can bring these results to your family as well.  We have tutoring sessions available for virtually every subject with both group and individual settings available.  Please give us a a call at 949-546-0800 to learn how we can work with you to help your child excel in school and experience the freedom of self-confidence.

Filed Under: Classroom Size, harmful effect of class size, Parent Involvement, Studying Tagged With: , , ,

When and How To Start Planning For College

September 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Most of us are aware of studies that show the lifelong earning of college graduates far outdistances workers with a high school diploma, but there’s much more to the story than just the money involved.  People with college degrees usually have a better understanding of their world, are more well-rounded, and more engaged as citizens.  There are plenty of good reasons to encourage our children to follow a path that leads to college.  There are also good reasons to start them on this path early.

The College Board is a great resource for students of all ages.  They are known to most students as the not-for-profit organization that conducts the SAT test nationally. They also provide significant resources to energize students and equip families to prepare for college both academically and financially.  Here are a few great tips we found on their website:

1.  Have your student let everybody know their plans for college

The College Board has a great tool for college-bound students to create a personalized web page to tell the world about their personal pledge to attend college.  Have your student visit http://youcango.collegeboard.org/your-pledge and fill out the form.  They’ll receive a unique website address that they can post on their Facebook page or email to all the relatives.  There’s a real advantage to having your extended family involved in the college conversation with your child.  There are lots of decisions to be made and lots of great advice to be had from your family.

2.  Start early working on financial aid and scholarships

Plan for college

Send them to college with great study skills and a firm financial footing

College is expensive, but there are significant resources available.  It’s wise to start planning for your child’s college expenses when they are very young.  While it’s a bit premature to start touring college campuses with your 6-year-old, it’s definitely a great time to start a savings account.  Every parent hopes to see the day when their child walks forward to receive their college diploma, and the excitement of that day is maximized for a parent who helped their child achieve this goal without incurring any student debt.

There are a number of ways you can start preparing for the financial needs of your child’s college education, and the IRS has several methods of savings that offer tax benefits.  We encourage you to spend some time reviewing your options, and get started right away.  529 Savings Plans are especially popular and can be created by both parents and grand parents. SavingForCollege.com has lots of great advice and is currently offering a free downloadable book full of information on how best to chart the financial path for your child’s college education.  The State of California has also established the ScholarShare College Savings Plan.  Visit their website at  http://www.scholarshare.com for more details.

3.  Prepare your child academically

 There’s nothing like a good scholarship to warm the heart of parents and students alike.  There are many resources for college grants based upon a wide variety of factors, but students with the best grades always have more scholarship options available to them.  This is where Academic Learning Labs can join you in preparing your child for their college career.  We have a number of proven programs that will assess your child’s academic level and provide improvement needed to perform well both in SAT testing and in their school work.  Great high school grades combined with a great SAT score open up a much wider range of opportunities for your child in their choice of colleges and in the financial aid available.  Call us today at (949) 546-0800 for more details on how we can help your college plans.

Filed Under: College, Preparing for College, SAT Prep, Tutoring Tagged With: , , , ,

Simple Choices, Lifelong Results

August 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Helping our children make good choices is one of the most important jobs we have. Encouraging our children to build upon their natural curiosity is often a gateway to learning.  Just a few changes in your daily routine can made a long term difference in how your children learn from the world around them.  Here are a few tips to encourage your children along the way:

Learn While Riding

Time in the car can be a fun learning experience

1.  Travel Low Tech

Time spent in the car can bring a wealth of learning opportunities for your children, but much of the opportunity can be lost when music players or electronic game devices are brought along.  We’re not saying you should stop the use of all electronics, but it’s wise to set aside some travel time for more productive activities.  After you get over any initial resistance, you may find your children looking forward to these adventures.

2. Where Did It Come From? 

While younger children may stay amused with simple alphabet games in the car, keeping older kids engaged can be more of a challenge.  Helping older children develop reasoning skills and deeper thought processes can be as simple as prompting them to take a closer look at common items around them while you’re driving.  There’s a world of difference between asking your child to locate a red car and asking them to explain how that red car moves down the road.  Do they understand how a car’s engine works?  How do a car’s wheels move with limited friction on bearings?  How was the metal formed for the body panels and frame?  Where did the metal come from for these parts?  The answers may remain unknown while you’re in the car, but that’s part of the game.  How do they imagine these things work?  Prompting them to solve these puzzles is helpful for growing more critical-thinking skills.

3.  Learn Good Research Skills

Many families start planning for their fall and winter vacations shortly after school starts.  This can be a great opportunity to teach your children the power of good research.  If you’re planning a trip to a theme park, ask your children to research for the trip.  Can tickets be purchased in advance?  Is there a way to get discounted tickets?  What is the best lodging for the most reasonable price nearby?  It’s a great way to teach your child the wealth of information available, how to access it, and have them build excitement about your upcoming trip.  Good research skills will be a valuable skill throughout their entire education.

4.  Get Help When Needed

Here at Academic Learning Labs we offer a support system to increase the effectiveness of the work you do at home with your child.  Frustration quickly grows with children who are struggling with their schoolwork.  We are most effective when we partnership with parents to create an environment that encourages and rewards your child as they progress in the area of study.  The overall impact on your child’s self-esteem is significant as they begin to grasp concepts in the welcoming environment we offer.  Struggles with homework will become less frequent.  Would you like more details about our courses and the results you can expect?  Give us a call at (949) 546-0800, and we’ll be glad to answer your questions.

Filed Under: Homework, learning, Lifelong Learning, Parent Involvement Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Homework and Test Prep Study Tips

November 16, 2011 By 1 Comment
Homework and Test Prep Study Tips

Studying for an upcoming test is a part of every student’s life but the question becomes “Does your child know how to study?”

The most important skills your child needs are to get organized, learn to take good notes and study effectively. The key for parents in this is to encourage them to take responsibility for their work, monitor homework, asking questions and understanding what works for your child.

The best ways to help your child get organized is to provide a place to study such as a desk or table where your child can spread out all the papers and books along with their essential supplies (pens, paper and calculators), help your child develop a system which helps them create an organization method that sticks with them.

Encourage your child to learn to estimate how long each assignment will take, which will teach them to plan realistic schedules.

Test Prep

The key is to teach them that rereading the information is not the same thing as learning. Rather than simply reading the information over and over again, they can try applying the concepts allows for active learning.

Help your child make the most of his time by taking advantage of study times. A car ride or when they are waiting to be picked up after school can be an opportunity to study.

Look for other sources of support. Whether it be a tutor, or a “study buddy” or study group, sometimes these sources of support can help by filling in the gaps of how their study techniques and help test their understanding of the material.

Be sure to take note of what study techniques and styles work for you so that you can use them in the future.

One of the most important things you can do for your child is to help them destress. Learning the right skills can really help reduce anxiety as can physical activity and other relaxation exercises. If your child seems stressed out about a test, make sure to talk to him about it so that you can evaluate the situation, and their workload. If you have concerns be sure to contact the school and discuss some options.

Filed Under: Studying, Tutoring, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Welcome

November 8, 2011 By 15 Comments
Welcome to the new Academic Learning Labs blog. We are excited to have this forum to share important tools, resources and perspectives for achieving academic success. Academic Learning Labs is a tutoring center providing comprehensive learning programs for pre k- high school students. Our blog will focus on local and national education news, proven test prep skills, homework support and education spotlights to give you an up close look into the power of learning.

We pride ourselves on being a foundation for lifelong learning, as Plato said “The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future in life,” and we hope our blog will give us the opportunity to share in our students’ journey through education.

We would like our blog to be an opportunity to share positive learning experiences with our friends, clients, parents and students, so please feel free to participate in our comments section of our blog. Education is constantly evolving, so if you have a topic you would like us to discuss or just want to send your feedback, we welcome the opportunity to share ideas and look forward to being a part of your learning odyssey.

Filed Under: Tutoring, welcome Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,