Phyllis's Tutoring Blog

What are YOUR children doing this summer? Studies have shown that students often lose one to three months of learning over the summer break especially in Reading, Spelling and Math. With federal and state budgets not even giving schools enough tools for regular studies, students who would like programs for enrichment or remedial help are without resources. Do you REALLY want your child spending the whole summer playing video games and watching TV?

Continuing learning through tutoring during the summer months is a wonderful way of insuring a positive school year ahead. There are so many benefits...

I have been tutoring a little boy whose parents wanted him to learn English. They are here on vacation for only a few weeks, and the boy didn't speak a word of English. What a joy it is to teach him. It's like watching a seed take root in the ground, grow and turn into a wonderful flower. No, the child isn't a genius, he's not even particuarily gifted, he's just a regular little boy, here in the States for the first time. The first stop when the family arrived in Florida was Disneyworld. It didn't take him long to learn "Minnie Mouse" and "Mickey Mouse". Pointing to his cards, he says "Minnie...

When I tutor students about creative writing, I always tell them that learning how to write means much more than just answering the questions, "What, Where When, How Why." Here are a few of the things I teach about writing:

1. Be as knowledgeable as you can about the subject. Writing an opinion about something you know nothing about is not just not productive. It could lead to a lawsuit.

2. At least in the beginning, it helps a lot if you are passionate about the subject you are writing about. Oh, and never end a sentence with "about".

3. Develop the discipline of writing at a certain...