Roger The Math Tutor

noreply@blogger.com (Roger The Math Tutor (Los Angeles)) — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:02:00 +0000

I no longer post at this blog. Visit http://www.homeworksanity.com for my most recent writings.

Another Mom Questioned Answered

noreply@blogger.com (Roger The Math Tutor (Los Angeles)) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 17:17:00 +0000

Mom Question # 4 - My kids are distracted with other things and don't want to bother with school work

Great question. There is scientific evidence that short term memory can only hold about eight ideas before it short circuits and can't communicate with long term memory. Learning anything is about holding something in short term memory long enough to transfer the concept to long term memory. Once this is done the information can be recalled without even thinking about the data.

This means if I have eight things going on in my short term memory then I can't move any of those ideas to my long term memory. So imagine the normal childs mind depending on age especially a teenager.

1. When is my friend going to call me?
2. Why didn't my friend call me?
3. Who just sent me a text message?
4. Who should I send a text message to?
5. Wait let me look at this video on youtube.
6. Crap I forgot to check my facebook.
7. Damn how can I put this idea into 140 characters for twitter?
8. How can I get out of that thing my parents want me to do tomorrow?
9. I hated school today.
10. What time is American Idol?
11. When can I download my favorite new song?

We can easily see how school, math, reading, writing or homework doesn't even make the top 10. This is slightly different than concepts that are important to our own personal wants, needs and desires..

We don't think about what day our birthday is do we?
We never forget when the weekend, or day off is do we?
Do we ever forget holidays?
When people are important to us we know what they want and need, right?
We usually don't have trouble knowing what day is payday?
Children know when school is out for the day and usually the year.

Avoidance of work,responsibility and accountability is not limited to children in school. School is also structured in a way where the child has two challenges. One challenge is their education and the other it their social status within the group at school.

In my experience when children are avoiding work they are usually doing well socially. When they are doing great and studies then usually the social is behind.

The parental priority should be balance. As a parent I suggest you take a bigger picture view. Are they avoiding the work everyday, or just today? If they are just avoiding today then let it play itself out. If they are avoiding it every day then here is my suggestion.

As a parent you have probably fallen into the trap of being a homework monitor. You will know you are in the trap if you hear yourself using these types of questions: Did you do your homework? Is your homework done? Show me your homework? Why did the school call me about you today? Why did I get an email from your math teacher?

The question is who set the trap? You, your child or the school?

If you set the trap then that is great because the only behavior we can change is our own. Why are we asking these questions? What is our motive? Almost always the answer is fear. The child though experiences it as control rather than support.

If your child set the trap then the solution is simple. Don't mention anything about their homework study habits until they bring a less than appropriate grade. When they show you the grade you have an option to react emotionally, or to respond productively. My suggestion is the later. Here is how I suggest the conversation go when the child shows you a grade of C, D and F. Look at the grade, be silent (a little acting is awesome), look at the child (still not speaking), let the silence be your tool and then give them a hug and say, "I'm so proud of you."

They will now be in shock. They will ask you something like why aren't you mad? Your answer is simply, "How could I be mad. This is exactly the grade you got for your effort. You didn't study. You didn't work hard. You got this grade.

Then after this part is over they will say something like, "I'm not getting punished?"

Calmly look at them and go, "Oh, of course you are getting punished because this isn't an acceptable grade." Then lay out the punishment and hold the term.

Nobody learns without consequences. Usually this will resolve the issue. If the issue continues then it is time for tutoring in regards to study habits.

3 Fun Questions From Moms About Tutoring

noreply@blogger.com (Roger The Math Tutor (Los Angeles)) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 16:14:00 +0000

Mom #1
My son is starting to scare me because he isn't doing his school work. This is a lot like someone else in my house. What should I do?

This is actually a really great question. Usually moms get frustrated with boys when their bad behavior reminds them of the person they are, or were married to for many years. There is no simple answer to this question, but here are a few tricks that work.

1) Own that you are upset with your husband. We are men it is in our DNA to do annoying things. If we didn't then we wouldn't need women to help us see the right path. Talk it out with your husband and ask him if he would like to try to handle the issue. Don't be surprised if he jumps at the chance.

2) Ask the child directly if he knows who else in the house does that same behavior? When he answers correctly tell him to go talk to the dad. Tell the child to ask the dad what happens to him when he gets caught with this behavior.

3) Use the phrase, "I wish you the best of luck with that behavior."

Once the humor breaks up the tension then simply ask them what they are struggling with tyring to learn. This is when you can jump in and help.

Mom #2
The person who teaches my daughter is a moron. What should I do?

The first thing you should do is let your daughter know that her problem is real and not her fault.

Second remember we can't change morons. If someone could they would be rich and never out of work. The moron won't see it because they are stuck in a mindset of "I'm right and everyone else is wrong." We all get caught in this trap during our lives.

Third is of course the massively used word - acceptance. Acceptance does not mean inaction.

Fourth create an action plan with your child where interacting with this person becomes a fun game between the two of you. You want to be the safe and loving place for them to land. You want your daughter running to you with the story of the moron. Then ask your daughter what was the moron trying to teach you today. Let me see if I can help you.

Fifth go shopping, or eating.

Mom #3
Why are they giving my child so much homework?

Simple. Teachers are teaching to the test. This means during class time they briefly go over the subject during class and shift the learning process to the student. We all know how crazy making this can be.

The best solution is to sit with your child and make sure they are understanding the core concept versus doing busy work. With math for example what is the concept behind a word problem? It is a game to see if you know what words mean addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

Bottom line try your best to make each annoying homework assignment into a fun project. Your child simply wants to connect with you. Don't always do homework at home. Go to a coffee shop, mall or other hangout place. Enjoy it rather than making it a trip to the dentist.

Send your questions to mathttuor.roger@gmail.com

My Child Won't Do What I Am Telling Him To Do

noreply@blogger.com (Roger The Math Tutor (Los Angeles)) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:23:00 +0000

I get this question in a variety of ways so I figured I would write a note about some strategies to deal with this issue.

Putting things off and testing limits is normal behavior. I am never concerned about the student who comes to me for tutoring who says, "They hate school." I am always more worried about the one who loves school and doesn't seem to have any problems.

The demands that are put on children today are much worse than the challenges we grew up with only a short time ago.

To make it even more complicated technology is involved at a much higher level. Cell phones, IM's, texting and everything else are both positive and negative tools to any learning process.

How do we not let this behavior drive us nuts? That is really the question we need to focus on and the only thing I know that works is to focus on responding versus reacting. This does not happen over night, takes practice, but delivers powerful results.

If you provide a child especially a teenager with an emotional reaction then they know they have the power. Remember from their point of view it is a power struggle. They don't feel they have total freedom. This is because they don't have total freedom. They feel monitored because guess what they are monitored.

If its important to have your child do a specific behavior then you must know what their current emotional currency is prior to bringing on any response.

Once you make your choice then you must take action without negotiating, or asking for permission from the child.

TIP: If you know the VIDEO GAME, CELL PHONE, or COMPUTER is the emotional currency that they care about do not threaten to take these things away for a period of time. That gives them power in the negotiation because at that point it is not real. Children deal with reality. In this stage they will feel they have power over you. That they are in control. Behavior wont' change if they feel in control.

SIMPLY TAKE THE ITEM AWAY WITHOUT TELLING THEM. Let them find this out on their own. Let them then come to you emotionally where they will be asking when and how it will be returned.

YOUR RESPONSE - It will be returned when (INSERT ONE BEHAVIOR YOU ARE TRYING TO GET THEM TO CHANGE) and show me over a period of a (BE SPECIFIC DAYS/WEEKS/MONTH) then you will get the PRIVILEGE BACK.

The critical thing is to remind them these things are privileges and not something they have a birthright to. It is also important to remind them you are responsible for them and their behavior. That is the primary reason for your modification. It is not because you want to be in this role, but it is one that you have to take on as a parent.

They will change because they want to know the limits. They know the limits are always changing. Try this and expect awesome results.

If you have a questions that you would like an answer to send me a message here, or email me mathtutor.roger@gmail.com To set up a SKYPE SESSION add ROGERTUTOR. Visit http://www.homeworksanity.com/ and http://www.funmathtutor.com/ for more tips or call (323) 387-3601.

Please forward this note to other parents and encourage them to add me on Facebook. Thank you for your support.

Back To School

noreply@blogger.com (Roger The Math Tutor (Los Angeles)) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:03:00 +0000

Roger The Math Tutor - Newsletter

To arrange a SKYPE session add RogerTutor

School Again????
Only a few weeks away and then another school year starts. Here are some important tips to remember regardless of the age, or grade of your child.

The teacher will form their opinion of your child within the first week of school.

The challenge is to not take any teacher opinions personally. They will just be a great signal of the year ahead. It is important to get the email of the teacher as soon as possible. The great news is a lot can be resolved through emails.

The teacher categorizes as a natural way to try to manage, or control a classroom. It is very difficult for them to change their perception without some strategy on your part as a parent.

Your child will form their opinion of the teacher within the first three days.

Here is the good news. You will know if there is going to be a problem with the teacher at least four days before the teacher does. Your child will form their opinion and fall into groups within the first three days.

If they tell you they like the teacher then it is probably true. It is easier for a child to say they don't like the class. This is because it gives them a built in reason for why things might not go smooth for the rest of the year.

The hardest adjustment is getting into the new daily groove.

The biggest adjustment is really a change in schedule. If you can get your child to make the changes in time the last three days of the week they start then you will save a lot of anxiety.

Get a homework schedule as soon as possible.

The first week is usually light, second is medium and third is let me dump this workload on you. Get on a schedule during the first week when it is light. Most children should work in twenty minute chunks and then take a short break. If the work is taking them more than thirty minutes then they need extra help.

Remember most children have the same goal that is to play more and work less.

It is best not to fight this, but to make it work to your advantage. When children understand the concept that they can get more done when they are focused earning them more play time they become extremely productive. Ten minutes of focused work can get a lot of homework done.

Consequences

noreply@blogger.com (Roger The Math Tutor (Los Angeles)) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:39:00 +0000

I have never found a parent that enjoys having to give their child consequences for bad behavior. A lot of parents get frustrated because they try to offer a consequence, but it just doesn't seem to work.

Here are some suggestions if you find yourself in this situation.

1. Talk it out before taking an action with the child. The best thing about a child showing some bad behavior is it gives you the opportunity as parents to talk things out. When one person is put in charge of the discipline it falls apart. The child will move towards the other parent. A child knows how to survive. They are amazing at dividing and conquering. It's intuitive to them. Spend a few days sharing what each of you see in the child and their behavior.
Make sure you both agree before starting to move forward with any new boundaries.

2. Identify the root problem What is the issue driving the behavior? Don't be surprised if the child will tell you. Approach the child in a calm manner and say, "What is going on with these grades? They don't seem to involve the first two letters of the alphabet."

Listen to their story first. The story is always the same it involves blame. They will blame the teacher, other students, etc.. Don't start the conversation in the story.

After the story is done then ask, "Okay I hear you, but what are you doing in this situation. What behavior can you change to make the situation better?" Remember since you did not buy the story the child is more likely to reveal the real issue. The answer will almost always be around some type of disruption to the class environment.

3. Listen to how the teacher views the issue. Email is best because it forces the teacher to put the behavior that is bothering them in writing. This action in and of itself relieves some of the teacher's stress. It does this because they now feel heard. Teacher's have learned not to tell parents about behavior unless the parent asks. These parents are usually willing to work with the teacher rather than against them.

4. Decide on the consequence. The consequence has to have currency to the child. It must be something they do not want to lose, or change. That is the only thing that will wake them up. In a recent situation we came up with the consequence of a haircut.

5. Decide the time frame for self correcting. If the child had the tools to get into the situation then they have the energy to get out of the issue. Two weeks is a good time frame. If they are not taking action within fourteen days then another approach will be needed.

6. Make sure that you are in agreement and sit with the decision for 24 hours. After you have the consequence and time frame then wait. This will allow you to take the action with confidence. If any doubt comes up then talk it out. You must be on the same page when this is presented to the child.

7. Deliver the information to the child. Make sure the child knows the new playing field. Do not let them try to negotiate. Explain to them this is the situation. You know you have achieved the goal when they don't like it. The goal was to take this energy that they created in you from the bad grades and to give it back to them. It is their burden to carry not yours.

8. Involve the teachers. Inform the teachers by email what the action steps are and that you need their feedback. Make it clear to the child that it is now their duty to make these teachers their friends.

9. Be supportive. The hard part is done. Be supportive especially through these two weeks. Let the child know they are not in it alone. That you believe in them.

If you have any questions please email mathtutor.roger@gmail.com or call (310) 492-3121.

A Reading Story

noreply@blogger.com (Roger The Math Tutor (Los Angeles)) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:15:00 +0000

One of my students is this really great writer, filmmaker and actor. Interesting thing is that he is in third grade. He writes these great little stories and was getting bored reading. I sat with him the first time and said, "Every time you get bored I want you to tell me." We had a blast. It would only be a few sentences before he would shout, "bored!"

I asked him, "why are you bored?"

"Not enough action," was his reply.

He was right. I had him write out how he could make the story better. It was amazing because he is amazing. We agreed that he really should not read any book unless it had action.

The next week he read a book in about 15 minutes. He stayed engaged, had fun and enjoyed the action. Then he revealed that he would really like to read "Harry Potter." This book was of course beyond his grade level.

We grabbed the book. I explained, "read and then write down any words you don't know." He fell in love with the first paragraph and only didn't know five of about a hundred words. I went over the words with him. He read the paragraph again and became excited.

We ended with the idea that maybe he could make reading a hobby. His teacher assigns him 30 minutes of reading per night. Making it a hobby rather than a task became interesting to him.

Sometimes it just takes sitting with a child and listening to them. They have great ideas.

Reasons I Like The Wide Range Achievement Test

noreply@blogger.com (Roger The Math Tutor (Los Angeles)) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:24:00 +0000

The Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT 4) is a time tested tool that gives us the specific insight into how a child is learning today. The child gets a benefit of one-on-one attention through the entire process. This is great because they are engaged, less likely to guess and more likely to stay present.

The screening has four elements (a) Word Reading (b) Sentence Comprehension (c) Spelling and (d) Math Computation. A fifth element is created by adding the scores of Word Reading + Sentence Comprehension. This aspect is called the Reading Composite.

The results are specific to age. The WRAT 4 can be given to anyone from the age of 5-94. The standard scores can also be converted into a grade equivalent.

The screening takes between a 30 to 60 minutes depending on age. The results are immediate and a roadmap to how your child is learning becomes powerful information to you. It takes the guess work of whether your child is ahead, behind or keeping pace. There is no way for the child to detach, or guess. These are the reasons other scores are often misleading.

The WRAT 4 is a powerful tool that the parent can take to the teacher. It is also a powerful tool for you as a parent to see where you need to focus your support.

To schedule a screening call 310-492-3121 or email mathttutor.roger@gmail.com

Screenings are held at my office 5405 Wilshire Blvd, or at your home. The cost of the screening is normally $250. During the month of October I am offering a 50% discount. Your fee is $125. I accept all major credit cards, paypal, check and cash.

Progress Reports

noreply@blogger.com (Roger The Math Tutor (Los Angeles)) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 23:42:00 +0000

Progress reports never really reflect what is going on with the child. They are specific yet vague. One of the children I work with got a progress report and it certainly does not match his abilities.

This is a child that does the work and is very smart.

The challenges of any progress report includes (a) to remember it isn't the grade (b) it can change and (c) it is an opportunity to force teachers to become specific rather than vague.

I felt it was worth sharing a few ideas on how to handle progress reports.

A - Remember It Is Not The Grade - A good progress report will not always translate to the same grade. Your child brings home a progress report showing an A. This actually may end up working against them. They may feel they have it all under control. Then they may fall backwards in their efforts. This may translate to a B or even a C.

The child that gets a high progress report should find things outside of the class to challenge their learning.

The child that gets a poor progress report should be a little upset and maybe even confused.

B - Remember It Can Change The grade can, will and should change. When a student gets to an A then make sure they are doing something with that knowledge in the real world. This is the only way to keep them engaged in the school system.

C - Force The Teacher To Become Specific Rather Than Vague If the progress report shows the child is disrupting class then get the details.

Ask the teacher specifically, "what has to change in the behavior for the grade to move up?"

Without this pressure the teacher can remain vague. A teacher will not risk giving a poor grade to a student whose parent is involved. Make sure you get the information direct from the teacher. Emails are great because they are clear.

"What are the three things my child needs to do in order to correct this issue?" Follow up as these items change and get confirmation about the change in writing.

I hope this helps some of the parents who struggle with report cards. Remember grading of any type brings up all of our core stuff.

STAR Scores

noreply@blogger.com (Roger The Math Tutor (Los Angeles)) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:34:00 +0000

These past few weeks parents have been getting STAR Scores for their children. STAR is an acronym in California for Standardized Testing And Reporting. The official State website is located at http://star.cde.ca.gov/

These reports are not always accurate. A parent can be left more confused about their child after viewing the report.

The math component is the most important. A child that increases their math score automatically move up on the other test elements. This is much less common if the language componets increase.

It appears this happens because the children are more focused on multi-step problems.

If you need a free analysis of the STAR Score for your child email roger@rogerthemathtutor.com

Take The Parent Quiz

noreply@blogger.com (Roger The Math Tutor (Los Angeles)) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 07:28:00 +0000

26 Tips For Back To School

noreply@blogger.com (Roger The Math Tutor (Los Angeles)) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 04:43:00 +0000

Visit http://www.rogerthemathtutor.com/

Click on the link for 26 Tips For Back To School.

Free Stuff For Parents

noreply@blogger.com (Roger The Math Tutor (Los Angeles)) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:00:00 +0000

Back To School is never fun for parents. They are always the most left out of the process. The teacher gets a paycheck. The child gets to play at least during part of the day. The parent becomes the navigator, negotiator and the neglected one.

Well, I do not forget parents. Here are some free things for you.

To check the items you desire visit http://www.tinyurl.com/2parent

"26 Tips For Fall"
"Is My Child Disruptive?"
"5 Tips For Scholarships"

Homework Help 101

noreply@blogger.com (Roger The Math Tutor (Los Angeles)) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:35:00 +0000

Here is a tip from my "2 Hours 2 Sanity" Parent Homework Workshop.

These workshops are now held on Monday 7-9PM, Tuesday 1-3PM and Wednesday 10am-noon and private sessions at your home are available click here to register online or call (310)492-3121.

20 Minute Focus Per Subject (This works for all ages)
This suggestion will help everyone in the house in regards to homework. When a child is doing homework they should focus for 20 minutes straight on only one subject. The results of this type of focus are amazing.

You and your child will immediately see a difference. This does not mean that the parent does the homework. The parent should never do the homework.

Here is a suggested structure for the homework.

1. Both the parent and child should understand what concept is being taught in the homework. (Time: 1-3 minutes of review before starting.)
Homework is really just repetition of a specific concept. For example the concept of reducing fractions. 100% of the homework will be on that concept. Within that concept the student will have to add, subtract, multiply and divide. However, there is only one concept being taught - reducing fractions.

If the student wants to avoid the work then they will speak as if the concept was not taught. Understand that is all that was taught. It is not in the interest of the teacher to just hand out a piece of paper for homework. The homework is actually a guide to the parent of what was taught that day.

Maybe the student didn't pay attention? Maybe the teacher was awful? Maybe the student doesn't get it? This has to be understood before they start the work.

When a parent says, "the teacher didn't go over this..." then I suggest the parent contact the teacher with the child present. As you start to grab the phone an interesting change will occur. All of a sudden the child will remember. Once you get them to that point then they are ready to do the work.

Avoiding the work is really just a warm up for the child to actually do the work.

2. Give them 20 minutes to complete the work. (The parent should not be in the room during this period)
You will be amazed that they can and will do the work. Usually with about 5-10 minutes left over. If a concept is complex then they will need a break. They can then come back and do another 20 minute chunk of homework.

3. Reward them for the focus! It is the focus that generates results. Even if they only focus for a few minutes that is progress. Focus comes from practice. We are all wired to avoid work rather than to focus on it because we want to play.

California Standards For Grades K-7

noreply@blogger.com (Roger The Math Tutor (Los Angeles)) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 19:40:00 +0000

Wanted to share some interesting facts with you in regards to California Math Standards for grades K-7. Standards change for grades 8-12.

On average these are the "math concepts" that your child will have to learn on a monthly basis.

Kindergarten- 2

1st Grade- 3

2nd Grade- 4

3rd Grade- 5

4th Grade- 6

5th Grade- 4

6th Grade- 6

7th Grade 6

This should give you some hope as a parent because these are extremely manageable numbers of concepts to be introduced to children.

The challenge for you comes when the child falls behind. Let's say we get to the end of the 3rd month in school for a 3rd grader. They should have a clear understanding of 15 math concepts. If they only have a handle on 12 of them then problems will begin.

Do not wait for the school to track the concepts. Email me with the following information on your child.

Grade
Last years reports/notes on math
Any challenges you are aware of as of right now

I will send you a free checklist to start off the year right!

email mathtutor.roger@gmail.com

Define Your Child's Standards

noreply@blogger.com (Roger The Math Tutor (Los Angeles)) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:38:00 +0000

I got to thinking about the challenges facing children in school today. They are doing less learning and more working. These children are growing up in a "testing environment" versus a "learning environment." The teacher is also in that "test world." This means the focus is all on hitting standards.

Think about that for a second. The entire system is designed to make our children average. Does that sound right? Put yourself in the child's mind for a second. The social value is to be in the middle. The truth is most children are actually ahead in some areas and behind in others - that is normal. That actually is the standard.

This is how we find what we are naturally great at and what we need help on.

The good news is as a parent you can and should create your own standards. Here are some suggested steps you can take before the school season begins.

Find Your State Standards & Read Them. This allows you as a parent to know exactly what will be ahead for you and your child. The hour it takes to go through these details will save you a lot of grief during the school year. You know your child. You know what the teacher will focus on. This allows you to see where they need support before the subject gets taught to them. Here is a link to standards in California http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/ This is a helpful link to standards in other parts of the country http://www.educationworld.com/standards/
Talk To The Teacher During The Second Week Of School. Talking to a teacher during the first week is a waste. Talking to them during the second week is golden. It sends a message to the teacher that you are an "active parent." The teacher is more accountable to this type of parent. Go over the standards with them for your child. Ask them how much homework they are planning on assigning.
Make It Fun For Your Child During The First Month. Let your child know that school and homework will be more fun this year. Since you know what will be happening (from reading the standards) you will be able to help. If you need support with making this fun then drop me an email. Have a great school year.

A Child Doesn't Get Left Behind

noreply@blogger.com (Roger The Math Tutor (Los Angeles)) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:51:00 +0000

Meet Wilson. This is a smart child that just needed some one-on-one attention. To help children like Wilson take a moment to offer your support by visiting this link http://tinyurl.com/l27eej

Donate time, cash, old computers, books to help children learn math.

Bad Attitude, or Bored?

noreply@blogger.com (Roger The Math Tutor (Los Angeles)) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 23:07:00 +0000

I was working with a child over the past few weeks who has a problem. The problem is they are "smart and bored." This translates to having a bad attitude. The child is always in conflict with everyone including themselves.

The challenge with a child like this is to hear them and give them a pathway out of their turmoil.

The first thing to do is to not react. Reacting only becomes a confrontation. This then takes time and delays doing the actual work.

The next thing to do is to test them on something they know. It does not matter if they are doing the test with a bad attitude. What matters is they do the test and then see their score. In this case the person scored 80%. This allows us to know that even with a bad attitude this is a B student.

When you look at the test the questions they missed were at the beginning and the end. This means once they get to the middle they are functioning at their highest level.

Show, ask and notice. After the test show them the results. "Hey, you did 80% and why do you think the questions you missed were at the beginning and end of the test?" Let them answer. Then ask, "Why do you have a bad attitude?"

They will always answer that they don't. Then ask them what you think to be true. In this case I said, "Are you just bored?" The answer was a yes.

Then set the new performance bar. In this case the student does sports. If they don't get a certain grade level then they can't play. I have to meet with their coaches next week to give a status report.

I said look, "I'm going to send you three tests. They are all on subjects that you know. You need to get 80% on all of these in order for me to give a positive report to your coach."

The student smiled and then said, "Thank you. I will do them today."

Follow Up. The follow up will be tomorrow and I will update this blog through the process. I am rooting for this child.

Update #1: Went to check to see if the child had done any of the online tests. They did not. This of course was not a surprise nor was it something to get upset over. Avoidance is of course part of the process. I sent a supportive email explaining the agreement. This was now the second time the work was communicated (1) Yesterday verbally and (2) Today in writing.

This information went to the student first and I will give them about three hours before it is communicated to the parent. This is of course where we always have to hope for the best, but accept that the worst may evolve.

Next Day Update #2: All three test were taken. The average score was 82% and this included one test that the student only got 50%. The high scores on the other two saved her and the truth is even when she doesn't know a subject she gets more than half right. That is pretty good.

Final Update: We had the meeting with her mother, coach, myself and her. Her coach was all about academics and makes all the athletes sign a GPA contract. This one had to sign one for a 3.0 average. She had wanted it to be a 2.5. When we went around the table I explained, "I'm not worried about your abilities. I know you are smart. I am worried about your attitude. I know you get bored." She smiled.

I really hope we never have to bench this kid for bad grades because she is really smart and on track for a serious sports scholarship. I'll keep you posted.

A Child Doesn't Get Held Back

noreply@blogger.com (Roger The Math Tutor (Los Angeles)) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:21:00 +0000

Just wanted to share a story about one of the kids I have had the chance to work with during the last month. Let's call him Wilson - since that is his name.

Wilson is a child who just wants to play. He doesn't mean to get in trouble. He doesn't mean to act up in class. The truth is he is bored because it isn't being challenged. This boredom of course challenged his teacher.

The teacher stayed locked in an idea about Wilson from the beginning of the school year until a few weeks before the end of the year. She was so focused on his disruption that her plan was to try to hold him back a year. This would mean doing 2nd grade all over again.

That was when I kind of came into the picture. Wilson told me what was really going on in the classroom. He explained that he was, "being picked on." I knew something was up because he was honest that he was disrupting the class.

My psychologist friend who we can call Chuck has a theory that I like a lot. It's the difference between ACTING UP and ACTING OUT.

Wilson was really ACTING UP. He was trying to get people to see his situation. I certainly saw it and explained to the mother that she should talk to some one higher than the teacher. She did and the agreement was made to allow Wilson to test. If he passed then he was on to third grade and if not then stay in second.

Wilson tested. He will be in third grade next year. This was accomplished without any help from the teacher. This information on the teacher is being passed on to people at the school that will have to act on this pattern of behavior.

Most teachers are really great, but this one is not. How many kids weren't as lucky as Wilson? When a child is ACTING UP all they are doing is asking for help. They want and need to be heard by ANYONE.

Once the child is ACTING OUT it is already too late. They don't feel heard because they weren't.

It takes 10-15 minutes of listening to any child to find out what is really going on. I encourage you to always take this time because without help from us to be an advocate for children they will be lost.

If too many get lost then who takes care of us? Who can you help today?

Pass this on.

Double Check Progress Reports

noreply@blogger.com (Roger The Math Tutor (Los Angeles)) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:23:00 +0000

I had an experience today tutoring a child that is worth sharing. He had gotten his final progress report for the year. I look at progress reports more from a perspective of where the "teacher and child" had a disconnect on learning together.

This is neither the fault of the child, or the teacher. It is just simply the area where the two stopped connecting on concepts. I noticed the teacher had said the child needed help adding, subtracting and dividing numbers that were three. This means 123 + 549 = ? would be a challenge for this child.

I noticed he was having trouble with two numbers in a row like 12 +9 = ? because he was trying to do it in his head, or on his fingers. Counting is the first math concept most children learn. Sometimes there is a pressure for a child to do too much in their head.

The child didn't like subtraction, but loved addition. I thought to myself, "I don't believe this progress report" and I offered the kid a challenge to add larger numbers. He started right in on problems like 1244 + 4345 = ? and got excited. He learned the concept of 1 thousand, 10 thousand and 100 thousand. He got so excited that he wanted to add numbers over a million and he did. Remember this is a 2nd Grader going into 3rd.

His teacher said he had trouble with addition of numbers in the form of 3, but he had no problem solving 984,723 + 323,931 = ?

He was proud.

His mom was proud.

The moral of the story is it was easier for this child to add a larger group of numbers because it was more like a puzzle. It was easier for his head to see adding numbers once there were 4.

What Is Algebra?

noreply@blogger.com (Roger The Math Tutor (Los Angeles)) — Thu, 21 May 2009 16:11:00 +0000

Algebra is basically a collision between the alphabet and numbers.

We go along for years just having to deal with 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9. Then all of a sudden we got an X, Y, N and other letters crashing the party.

In its simplest form we are just trying to find something. The something is always a letter which ultimately becomes a number.

Algebra is about relationships. When one number does something to another number it has an affect. Just like if a person does something to another person it has either a positive, negative or neutral outcome.

People that are good at relationships and social settings usually do well in Algebra because they like the journey of how things are connected.

People that are not good in relationships usually do superior in Algebra because they enjoy observing people without actually interacting with them.

When people find a challenge in Algebra it is usually because there is a new concept being introduced.

When you see a set of numbers and letters like X - 6 = 3 that is the new concept. If someone explains to you that this is "just a PUZZLE" then you get it. There are two pieces of the puzzle that we know ( 6 & 3). In order to complete the PUZZLE we have to find X. In this case X is 9 and that completes the PUZZLE. The concept is "WE ARE SOLVING A PUZZLE." Then every time you see one of these you enjoy it if YOU LIKE SOLVING PUZZLES.

What To Watch For ...

If your child is struggling with something in ALGEBRA first find out if the ACTUAL CONCEPT was ever TAUGHT.

All math is learned first and then becomes intuitive over a period of time.

Testing Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Roger The Math Tutor (Los Angeles)) — Wed, 20 May 2009 04:47:00 +0000

Test Preparation is a little different than math tutoring.

For your child to test well in any category the better they are in Math will give them higher test scores.

Testing is in and of itself a giant trap.

1. Students that are bright get bored by being tested. If they get easily distracted it can result in a score that is lower by 10-40%.

2. Students that understand math have a better chance of winning trick questions. All tests have trick questions. Most test have 2 answers that are probable. By removing the two throw away test answers the child gains a high advantage. Their chances of getting the answer right moves from a 25% to 50%.

3. Students that understand the math of moving through questions will test higher. If a student first goes through the test only answering questions that they are 100% confident on they build strength. If a test has 100 questions and the student moves through the test answering 60% without having to think then they can move into the other 40% with confidence, focus and a willingness to beat the testing at its own game.

Students should not over study for test prep. Here are a few tips.

Practice test no more than 2 times per week.
No studying after 7:00PM
Get to sleep 45 minutes earlier before a test.
Wake up 15 minutes earlier.
Have fun.

Tips For Parents

noreply@blogger.com (Roger The Math Tutor (Los Angeles)) — Fri, 08 May 2009 18:55:00 +0000

I find when parents have to help their kids with math it brings up lots of issues. If the parent was not good at math during school then it is even harder to support the child. This is an opportunity for you as a parent to heal any bad math experience you encountered.

MATH IS BASICALLY 4 THINGS

Growing a number by ADDING
Reducing a number by SUBTRACTING
Expanding a number by MULTIPLICATION
Distributing a number by DIVISION

Regardless of the complexity of a word or math formula these are the only 4 things we really ever do.

Even in a complex math problem all we are doing is using a combination of those four things.

When you hit a wall with a problem ask yourself which one of the four basic things am I to do next? That is how we get the answer.

This is true whether the language of the number is a whole number, a fraction, a percentage

My Math Story & Approach (Correct, Connect & Collect)

noreply@blogger.com (Roger The Math Tutor (Los Angeles)) — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:14:00 +0000

My Math Story

I was always good at math as a kid, but the truth is I hid this because it was not cool. I would always test well, but I never really wanted anyone to know I was good at math. It just did not seem like something that would be very cool.

I was also a fat kid at this time. I already had the being picked on as a fat kid under control, but to add "good at math" on top of that? Forget it.

Somewhere along the way I got taller and lost the weight. In high school my Algebra teacher made me an offer. I could do whatever I wanted during math class and he would give me an A if I joined the math club.

I agreed under two conditions. 1. Nobody could know I was in the math club and 2. Nobody could know I was in the math club.

He agreed.

The problem arose after the Math Club Team went to the State competition. A few weeks after the competition the teacher informed me that he had some good news and some bad news. The good news was I finished 5th in the Ohio State Math Competition. The bad news was everyone would know I was in the Math club.

My Approach To Tutoring Kids & Math

CORRECT
I find out how their math teacher missed passing on the skill set to them?
This is the first wall that has to be broken down. If we don't break this down then as a parent the cycle will never end.

CONNECT
Math then has to be connected to something they are excited about in the world. This can be anything from a sport to shopping at American Girl. Everything in the world has a math componet attached to it and that is the key. We all have to learn math whether we want to, or not.

COLLECT
Fun. It has to be fun. Once it is fun then we all collect the results.

Keys To Success

noreply@blogger.com (Roger The Math Tutor (Los Angeles)) — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:07:00 +0000

For a math tutor to be effective with your child they must connect on the following levels.

1. You must feel comfortable with them because you are trusting them to your child. Nothing is more important than your kid.

2. The child must connect with the tutor. This isn't just about math. This is about opening up the desire of the child to LEARN something NEW.

3. It must be fun.

4. The parent must participate to the best of their ability.