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Helping English Language Learners

Jun 28, 2018 | Education, Literacy

Most of our students are non-native speakers of English or do not speak English at home. They struggle with vocabulary, grammar and background knowledge in English. They may also find it challenging to read and work in a culture different from their own. Consider how...

Building Math Skills through Games

Jun 27, 2018 | Math

The site coordinator for our JustMATH programs offers some thoughts on building math skills through games: If you ask a student who isn’t engaged in math (and even some who are) to fill in a worksheet, you will often get a response of “ugh.” However, when you can play...

Background Knowledge and Vocabulary in Reading

Jun 20, 2018 | Literacy

In April, The Atlantic published an article by Natalie Wexler that references research on the role of general knowledge in reading. Wexler begins by talking about national testing (National Assessment of Educational Progress/NAEP), then quickly moves on to address...

Math Tutors: Check out the Eureka Math Resources

Nov 16, 2017 | Math

Great Minds, the creators of the Eureka math program used in our local schools, publishes many resources online. You can go to the site, create a login and access the curriculum, or download tips for reviewing vocabulary and practicing concepts. Go to their web site...

Developing Reading Comprehension Strategies

Nov 16, 2017 | Literacy

Here is a great 5 minute video that helps tutors develop the following reading comprehension strategies with students: making connections, retelling, asking questions and making predictions. Almost all our students need to learn how to ask questions about what they...

What is a Growth Mindset and How Can I Use it?

Nov 15, 2017 | Education

This 5-minute video introduces the concept of a growth mindset when it comes to learning. We’d like all our students to believe that they can succeed in reading or understanding math concepts – that’s where a growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset comes...

Reading Strategies to Use with Your Student

Nov 15, 2017 | Literacy

Reading Rockets has an article about reading strategies that tutors can use with students in primary grades, but many of the strategies can also be used with older students, For example, the section on implicit modelling suggests how you might help a student who...

Common Core Standards in California

Nov 15, 2017 | Education

EdSource has produced a guide to Common Core standards and how they are being applied in California. The guide provides basic information on the standards, specifically addressing math and English language arts, and offers links to further information. Testing and...

“Every Kid Needs a Champion” TED Talk

Aug 11, 2017 | Education

Rita Pierson’s TED Talk from 2013 inspires us to develop connections with the students in our programs, and to celebrate their achievements. Take a look at this short video from a teacher with 40 years experience in the classroom, and if you like it, there are...

The Science of Reading Comprehension

Aug 11, 2017 | Literacy

Here’s a short, interesting overview from The 74 on how much general knowledge about a subject affects reading comprehension. This is where, as a tutoring organization, we can really step in and help students. 9 THINGS SCIENCE TELLS US ABOUT HOW KIDS LEARN TO...