Mark's Tutoring Blog

I recently read an email from the mother of a potential client telling me about how her son excels in school but does not study for major tests. She was wondering if hiring a private tutor was the solution. As a businessman I was tempted to say, "Yes, hire me and I will come over 5 days a week," but as a teacher I knew that might not be the correct answer. The issue that so many students suffer from is lack of motivation. I do my best to motivate my students to demonstrate good behaviors and do well in class. This includes rewarding them for good behavior with tokens they can use to buy...

The follow may be helpful either to parents who are helping their child read at home or help parents talk with their son/daughter's teacher/tutor:

Teachers are taught that there are at least six major components that must be included for students to learn reading. They are Comprehension, Fluency, Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, and Vocabulary. Some also tack on such things as Spelling, Writing, and Handwriting but that is a completely different area which I may get into in a different blog. Below is a brief definition of those terms, questions you can ask your child's teacher, and "tricks"...

The fact that you are even looking at this website is a sign that you are the type of parent teachers love - - very committed to your child’s learning. In addition to looking out for possible tutors, another great way of helping your child if he/she has special needs is to support your teacher as much as possible. For example, if your child has communication issues (such as Autism), make sure you look into communication devices. I personally recommend Dynavox products. Send your child to school with a daily journal that you and the teacher help fill out together as a great way of communicating...