Education Focus: Tutoring

Private tutoringFor today’s Education Focus I want to take a quick look at tutoring.  When Americans talk of “tutoring,” they generally mean any kind of private, one-to-one academic instruction.  Sometimes, it is possible that a student might be eligible to receive specialized, one-on-one instruction from his own school.  For example, a student might have a lengthy absence from school due to a chronic or long-lasting medical condition.  In this case, the school would assign a private instructor to tutor the student at home or in the hospital to help the student keep up with his classmates and schoolwork so he will not be behind when he is finally able to return to school.

Most of the time, though, tutoring takes place independently of the student’s school.  Because of this, it is the parents’ responsibility to arrange for this independent instruction and pay for it.  There are many options available for parents who wish to arrange to have their student tutored.  It depends on the reason why a parent wants to make such arrangements.

Most Americans view tutoring as a remedial activity.  This means that they are concerned that their student is falling behind in his school subjects, or has difficulty understanding what is going on in class or with doing his homework, and needs extra help beyond what the teacher can provide.  The parents want to make sure that their student can keep up with his classmates, so they enlist the help of a private educational center that focuses on providing remedial instruction, such as Sylvan Learning Centers, Huntington Learning Centers, or Kumon.  Strictly speaking, these places generally provide semi-private instruction rather than true one-on-one instruction, as students usually share an instructor with two or three other students.  In addition to the national franchises mentioned above, there are other private educational centers that also focus on remedial instruction.  Other options for parents in this situation might include hiring a college student or retired teacher to come to the home and provide individualized, independent instruction.  Of course, one-on-one instruction is going to cost more than semi-private instruction at one of the private educational centers, but some parents prefer this arrangement for its convenience and efficiency.

Some Americans, however, view tutoring as an enrichment activity.  They are concerned that their student is not being sufficiently challenged in school, and they wish to provide their student with more intellectual stimulation than is available in a normal school setting.  They might be interested in helping their student to accelerate, or get ahead in school, and thus they seek out tutors who can help their student progress at a faster pace than in a normal classroom.  Most parents seeking such a challenge for their student are generally not well-served by the national tutoring franchises, and so must look elsewhere for private tutors, such as searching online or inquiring at a local college.  It is more difficult to find a tutor for this type of instruction, but once one is found, the parents generally try to retain such a tutor, as they find it to be a worthwhile investment in their student’s education.

Additionally, most parents are concerned that their student get into a good college. To this end, then, many parents arrange for their student to have tutoring that focuses specifically on the SAT and / or ACT, which tests play a major role in the college admission process.  Although many SAT prep classes may claim to guarantee a specific point gain as the result of the student having gone through their program, the fact is that the degree to which a student’s performance will improve depends heavily on the circumstances of the individual student.  For example, a student who is already scoring at the 90th percentile will probably not see a point gain of one hundred points or more.  However, a student scoring at the 25th percentile could very well improve his score by two hundred points or more with practice and training.  It is important for parents and students alike to have realistic expectations from an SAT prep class, and recognize what such a class can and cannot do.

At Summit Language Institute, we provide private instruction for your student, whether you are interested in getting your student up to speed, or you want to help your student prepare for the SAT/ACT.  If you live in the Chicago area and would like more information, please contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation.

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Crossword – Basic Vocabulary 20 (solution)

crossword puzzle solution

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Crossword – Basic Vocabulary 20

crossword puzzle
Across
1 what grows on top of your head (4)
3 having a high level of mental ability and good at understanding ideas and thinking clearly (11)
9 not dead, alive (6)
10 a word used to ask or talk about how successful someone is at something; auxiliary verb (2)
11 a particular part of a country, town, etc (4)
12 a salty body of water (3)
14 one of the thin body parts that a fish uses to swim (3)
15 definite article (3)
16 a preposition used to say where someone or something goes (2)
17 the science that is concerned with studying the structure of substances and the way that they change or combine with each other (9)
19 a small metal container in which food or drink is sold (3)
20 a preposition used to show what a part belongs to or comes from (2)
21 the process of getting faster (12)
22 the ability to react to very small changes in light, heat, movement etc (11)
23 to move from one place to another (2)
25 a set of several carriages that are connected to each other and pulled along a railway line by an engine (5)
26 demonstrative pronoun for something nearby (4)
28 the state of being away (7)
30 the number between one and three (3)
31 deliberately hurting people or animals (5)
33 a conjunction used between two words or phrases to show that either of two things is possible, or used before the last in a list of choices (2)
34 worried or anxious (8)
36 an extremely large and dangerous fire (7)
37 negation (3)
38 money paid to the government on income or goods (3)

Down
2 a written or spoken request to someone, asking them to go somewhere or do something (10)
4 to train a wild animal to obey you and not to attack people (4)
5 cover for a pot or jar (3)
6 a word used when talking about something that might happen or be true, or might have happened (2)
7 the number that comes after twenty (6-3)
8 relating to or involving more than one nation (13)
9 a small cupboard with a lock where you can leave clothes or possessions while you do something (6)
11 any thing, event, situation, etc, when it is not important to specifiy which (8)
12 an adverb used when emphasizing the degree or amount of something by saying what the result is (2)
13 the gray and black remains when you burn wood or paper (3)
14 the last day of the workweek (6)
17 the space between a woman’s breasts (8)
18 the power that is carried by wires, etc and is used to make light or heat, to make machines work, etc (11)
22 a group of similar things (3)
24 white or gray fluffy thing in the sky, often producing rain (5)
27 not moving (5)
29 an eating utensil that has a small, bowl-shaped part and a long handle (5)
31 the front part of your face below your mouth (4)
32 flat and level, with no parts that are higher than other parts (4)
35 opposite of in (3)

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Idiom Focus: Animal Idioms 28

Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn. An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.

ride herd on:    watch closely and control someone

Example:  

Jane is a competent adult – you don’t have to ride herd on her to make sure she finishes the project on time.

road hog, ball hog, etc.:    someone who takes more than his share of the item

Example:  

Nobody wants Sam on their team because he’s such a ball hog.

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Crossword – Basic Vocabulary 19 (solution)

crossword puzzle solution

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Crossword – Basic Vocabulary 19

crossword puzzle
Across
1 the ability of particular people in children’s stories to make impossible things happen by saying special words (5)
4 a group of similar things (3)
8 a piece of clothing that you put on your head (3)
9 system of communication by written or spoken words, which is used by the people of a particular country or area (8)
10 a preposition used to indicate towards a higher place or position (2)
11 clothes that you wear next to your body under your other clothes (13)
14 something that you do regularly or usually, often without thinking about it because you have done it so many times before (5)
16 the large flat piece of wood, glass etc that you open and close when you go into or out of a building or room (4)
17 eggs mixed together and cooked in hot fat, sometimes with other foods added (6)
18 cover for a pot or jar (3)
19 opposite of left (5)
22 a word used when talking about something that might happen or be true, or might have happened (2)
23 to make something press against something else and move it around (3)
25 to become worse (10)
28 to enjoy something or think that it is nice or good (4)
30 opposite of day (5)
32 having a lot of physical power so that you can lift heavy things or do hard physical work (6)
34 conjunction used for comparing two things (2)
35 not near the coast (6)
37 a preposition used to show what a part belongs to or comes from (2)
38 a shape like a circle, but wider in one direction than the other (4)
40 the business of selling goods in large quantities at low prices to other businesses, rather than to the general public (9)
41 what a bird lays and sits on in her nest to make baby birds (3)

Down
2 one more time (5)
3 a piece of furniture for one person to sit on, which has a back, a seat, and four legs (5)
4 an activity or subject that you know a lot about (14)
5 something you think about (7)
6 the distance between the middle and top (or bottom) of a wave, like a sound wave (9)
7 another word for “car” (10)
11 knowledge about something, based on learning or experience (13)
12 the planet we live on (5)
13 a large farm animal used for producing milk and meat (3)
15 the glass part of an electric light, that the light shines from (4)
20 a male spirit or being who is believed by some religions to control the world or part of it (3)
21 drawn or stretched so as to be tense (5)
24 extremely unattractive and unpleasant to look at (4)
26 opposite of yes (2)
27 to decay by a gradual, natural process (3)
29 the final part (3)
31 one of the organs on the sides of a fish through which it breathes (4)
32 an adverb used when emphasizing the degree or amount of something by saying what the result is (2)
33 the importance or usefulness of something (5)
36 opposite of old (3)
37 the number you start counting with (3)
38 a smooth, thick liquid that is used to make machines run easily or is burned to produce heat (3)
39 a common domestic animal with fur and four legs, related to the wolf (3)

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Idiom Focus: Animal Idioms 27

Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn. An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.

rat (out) on:    desert or betray someone

Example:  

Although the teacher threatened all the boys with punishment if they didn’t tell who pulled the prank, they stuck together and refused to rat on Mark.

rat race:    rushing around, confusing way of living that does not seem to have a purpose

Example:  

Someday I’m going to save enough money to retire to Montana and get away from the rat race.

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Crossword – Basic Vocabulary 18 (solution)

crossword puzzle solution

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Crossword – Basic Vocabulary 18

crossword puzzle
Across
1 the money that you earn from your work or that you receive from investment (6)
3 the first day of the work week (6)
5 a preposition used to indicate towards a higher place or position (2)
6 the part of the body that you see with (3)
8 conjunction used for comparing two things (2)
9 a salty body of water (3)
11 above your head (8)
13 a piece of equipment for catching animals (4)
14 to jump into deep water with your head and arms going in first (4)
16 ways of sending information (14)
18 to possess something (3)
19 to regard someone or something with honor (7)
20 a wild animal like a dog that makes a sound like a laugh (5)
22 an object used for producing music, such as a piano or violin (10)
24 someone whose job is to advise people about laws, write formal agreements, or represent people in court (6)
26 a word used when speaking to a man in order to be polite or show respect (3)
27 to do something in a particular way or for a particular reason (3)
29 a line that gradually bends like part of a circle (5)
31 putting numbers together in a sum (8)
33 low in temperature, but not cold, often in a way that feels pleasant (4)
34 the small drops of water that form on outdoor surfaces during the night (3)
35 to go by using your legs and putting one foot in front of the other (4)

Down
1 a thought or suggestion (4)
2 not covered or blocked by anything that stops you from doing or seeing what you want (5)
3 the science of numbers and of shapes, including algebra, geometry, and arithmetic (11)
4 not alive anymore (4)
5 to employ for some purpose (3)
7 the ability to react to very small changes in light, heat, movement etc (11)
10 the number of years someone has lived, or something has existed (3)
11 an illegal drug made from poppy seeds (5)
12 decided or arranged without any reason or plan (9)
13 also (3)
14 when someone or something becomes impossible to see or find (13)
15 speed (8)
16 material used for making things such as clothes (5)
17 a small brown animal with a long tail, which uses its hands to climb trees (6)
21 not sleeping (5)
23 to hit something with your foot (4)
25 a color of the rainbow (3)
26 a long, thin piece of wood from a tree, which is no longer attached to the tree (5)
28 the number between one and three (3)
30 a long thin pole or bar (3)
32 a word used to ask or talk about how successful someone is at something; auxiliary verb (2)

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Idiom Focus: Animal Idioms 26

Every Saturday I’ll give you a couple of idioms to learn. An idiom is a saying or phrase whose meaning cannot be taken from the literal meanings of the words.

put the cart before the horse:    do things in the wrong order

Example:

Tom and Becky have been dating for only a month, and she’s already picked out her wedding dress?  Isn’t that putting the cart before the horse?

rain cats and dogs:    rain very hard

Example:  

You might as well wait before you go on your walk – it’s raining cats and dogs right now.

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