The Tutor.com Blog

HOMEWORK!  HELP! is a blog series for parents written by Tutor.com’s Vice President of Instruction, Joan Rooney. Follow the posts and stay tuned for more tips on surviving the homework wars with your kids this school year!

Advanced Placement (AP) classes offer benefits and challenges for high school students and can leave parents in a conundrum.  Should I encourage my student to take these classes?   What should I expect?  How can I help?

AP classes are one way of preparing students for college level work.  They cover more material than traditional classes, require independent work, research, writing, and higher level thinking.   Students who pass standardized AP tests at the end of the course may be eligible for college credit or may eliminate some college required courses.   This is a real benefit in terms of the possibility of accelerating the amount of time your student may spend in college and consequently reducing overall tuition.  For students who know what area they want to major in, these courses can eliminate the need to take foundation classes and allow them to immediately focus on their area of specialization.

Students should carefully consider however which AP classes they should take and how many they should take at any one time.  AP classes take place at a fast pace and require a significant amount of independent work.  Given the fast paced curriculum, teachers often do not have the luxury of slowing down to provide extra time for students to grasp complicated material.

Parents can help their students by guiding them on which AP classes to take.  Students who have an interest in the subject, have had some previous success with the subject, have strong organizational and study skills and express a willingness to commit to the work will find themselves most suited to these classes.

Parents can also bring a sense of balance to the decision making process on the number of AP classes to take.  Many high schools limit the number to three to prevent students and their families from getting  caught up in the desire to ensure acceptance at top tier colleges by taking more AP classes.  Colleges continue to look for well-rounded students who exhibit the ability to manage college work, but also who have demonstrated interest in other school and life activities.

Finally, AP coursework is demanding and can be stressful.  Parents should look for signs that their child may be getting overwhelmed.  Is your child frequently losing sleep to get work done?  Are you noticing withdrawal, falling grades in other subjects, changes in their behavior patterns?   Encourage your child to discuss their school work and their feelings about it with you.  If you notice a problem, help your child to identify ways in which they might re-prioritize or manage their time more efficiently or consider alternative courses.  Encourage them to discuss issues with their teachers.  Reassure them that you are there to help them address their challenges.  AP courses emphasize creative problem solving.  If the AP course itself becomes a challenge, it is one more opportunity to apply those skills.

If you are interested in how Tutor.com has worked for AP Students go to www.tutor.com/schools/programs  to read about Red Clay Consolidated School District in Delaware.  The district selected 102 AP students to have access to Tutor.com.  At the end of the school year, the district analyzed the AP exam results for those students who had access to Tutor.com and found that these students performed better on the exams with an average of 0.855 points higher (the AP exam is scored 1 to 5).

HOMEWORK!  HELP! is a blog series for parents written by Tutor.com’s Vice President of Instruction, Joan Rooney. Follow the posts and stay tuned for more tips on surviving the homework wars with your kids this school year!

Have you ever noticed how naturally curious young children are?  They want to know what snow is and where cheese comes from. They go through that “why” phase:  “Why is the sky blue?  Why doesn’t the moon fall out of the sky?  Why are your keys in the refrigerator?”  They love being able to count and name things.   They want to reach and grab and try new things.  How can we nurture that spirit and encourage our children of all ages to become lifelong learners?

School sometimes has the unintended consequence of making students think that learning is short term or temporary.  “ I need to complete this assignment to get a good grade.”   “I need to learn algebra to pass the state test or the SAT’s.”   Of course these are important goals, but parents play a unique role in encouraging students to continue learning outside of assignments and class work as well as in reinforcing and enhancing that learning.

Here’s a few ideas parents can try to instill a lifelong love of learning in their children:

Provide new experiences.  Parents and communities often introduce children to sports.  Consider also introducing them to art of all kinds, musical performances, science museums, parks and farms.  Explore together the resources of your community.

Discuss your interests with your children or develop new interests together. Are you interested in the organic or locally grown food movement?   Do you love the theatre?  Are you a history buff?   Seek out farmers’ markets, local galleries, open studios, high school or college theatrical performances, historic homes or buildings, or botanical gardens with your children.

Attend to your child’s interests and strengths.   Budding scientists, engineers, musicians, artists, teachers and astronauts start at home.  Parents can help nurture a child’s interests and create a lifelong passion.

HOMEWORK!  HELP! is a blog series for parents written by Tutor.com’s Vice President of Instruction, Joan Rooney. Follow the posts and stay tuned for more tips on surviving the homework wars with your kids this school year!

We all lead busy lives.  It’s hard to squeeze in the learning our children are supposed to do such as homework and studying, never mind additional activities that challenge our young learners.  Sometimes assignments can be more fun when the entire family participates.  Here are a few tips to motivate your kids to keep learning even when the school day is over. 

Word Play

Does your younger child have sight words to learn? Is an older child working on vocabulary?  Try posting words on colorful post-it notes around the house for younger children.  Post vocabulary words for older children and for the family.  Older children love to challenge their younger siblings. Can you stump each other with a new vocabulary word a week?  Who can use that word in the funniest sentence?

 Tell me what you are reading?

Is that a good book?  I’ve always wanted to read that book, do you like it?  Showing an interest in what your children are reading and doing so in a genuinely curious way communicates that you value reading and you value your children’s opinions.   There is an added benefit too.  Discussing books or articles encourages us all to think critically and analytically about the work which reinforces learning and understanding.

Math problem of the Month

Word problems are often challenging for students of all ages.  Post a math problem on the refrigerator and let the entire family figure it out. At a minimum it may be encouraging for younger students to see their older siblings and parents grappling with how long it takes those trains that are leaving and arriving at various stations at different times to finally get to their destinations!   If you want to challenge your children, check out Bedtime Math.  This is a free service that will email you a math challenge every day.  They even break it down for younger and older students.

We’d love to hear from you.  What do you do with your family to make learning more fun?

HOMEWORK!  HELP! is a blog series for parents written by Tutor.com’s Vice President of Instruction, Joan Rooney. Follow the posts and stay tuned for more tips on surviving the homework wars with your kids this school year!

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

We have a goal. We decided that this year is going to be different. No more worries and tantrums, handwringing and all-nighters around homework. Although I believe in the power of positive thinking, I also agree with Antoine de Saint-Exupery that a goal without a plan is a wish.  So how do we convert that wish into reality? We need a plan.

Planning is essential for homework management. The two key components of a homework plan are “when” and “where”. Once you have nailed these down, both you and your student are on your way to homework sanity.

The When

Ideally, homework should be done when the mind is relatively fresh and when your student has time available on a regular basis. When something is “on the schedule” it tends to get done. Homework needs to be scheduled and every effort should be made to adhere to that schedule.

Does your child tend to do his or her best thinking right after school or perhaps during school hours?  Does he or she fade as the daylight decreases? Or is your student more likely to need to participate in some physical activity or have a break after school and then feel refreshed and ready to work after dinner? Are there enough available hours in study hall, after school locations or after dinner that meet your student’s patterns?

Once you figure out the best time blocks, put them on the schedule. There are many options. You can use a  colorful wall calendar or whiteboard at home for younger children and cell phone or other electronic calendars for older children. If your child is into mobile apps, there is an app called myHomework that allows kids to enter their assignments and due dates as well as their classes and schedules. If you want to receive reminders of the assignments, there is an annual charge of $1.99.   

Older children will want to manage their assignments themselves and it is good to encourage this behavior. However, if your child has had difficulty in the past keeping track of assignments and due dates and is unlikely to keep up with an online assignment program, you may want to establish check-in times to make sure that the assignments are being tracked. Also consider a reward system. This could be as simple as making a favorite dinner or treat or some families contribute to a special fund for a treasured item such as a new cell phone. Money is put in each week an assignment is completed on schedule.  

The Where

As is the case with time, having a regularly scheduled place where homework is completed is an important basic which can easily be captured on the schedule. Mondays 10 to 11 and 2-3, study hall; Tuesdays 3 to 5 at kitchen table and so on.  

Homework is a scheduled activity just like soccer and doctor’s appointments. Everyone needs to know when and where these activities will take place. 

What’s your plan for getting homework done this year? We want to know!  Just tell us in the comments section.

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As our VP of Instruction, Joan Rooney oversees staffing and instruction for Tutor.com’s 2,500-plus tutors and coaches. Joan, a former classroom teacher, is a passionate educator who has been quoted in Parenting Magazine, Redbook and Woman’s Day providing tips for parents and teachers on how to better engage students in and out of the classroom and on and off the computer.

HOMEWORK!  HELP! is a blog series for parents written by Tutor.com’s Vice President of Instruction, Joan Rooney. Follow the posts and stay tuned for more tips on surviving the homework wars with your kids this school year!

The calendar turns to August. The Back to School ads appear. And that feeling of dread starts in your chest cavity and radiates up and down your frame. Tranquil summer evenings will soon give way to… the Homework Wars!

You picture every night, rushing home from work, trying to get dinner prepared, served and done by 7:30 so that there will still be time. Will this be a night free of angst and struggle or will the math, or science, or Shakespeare demons wreak their havoc with your children?

Maybe this year could be different.

Parents often feel somewhat at the mercy of schools, teachers and homework assignments. One thing you have on your side is that you know your child. You know their personalities. You know if they will  find the time and complete their assignments on their own or if they could use some structure to help them. You know their interests, likes and dislikes. You know if they will spend hours on science but leave writing a literary analysis of Silas Marner till the last second. You know their psyches. You know if they feel comfortable stopping when they get stuck  or  if they are fragile spirits who lack confidence and may tend to get quickly frustrated. And you know that your child is always growing and changing. Knowing your child is your secret weapon in the homework wars.

Take some time before the start of the school year to think about how your child typically deals with homework.  Identify one or two ways in which your child struggles with homework and one or two ways in which you might help him or her focus on their strengths and take steps to address their challenges.

During the first week of school, set aside time to have a conversation with them about homework. “We had a few challenges with homework last year. How do you think things will go this year?” Wait for a response. You are encouraging your student to take the first step in taking control of the homework situation. S/he may have some excellent suggestions.

If no suggestions are forthcoming or if the conversation does not go the way you had planned, try proposing an idea that you balance with a success. “You seemed to have no problem last year with math (or short term assignments or reading or…) but you had a few challenges with English. What if you (or for younger students, “we”) form a study group for English, or always start with your English assignment so you get it out of the way first, or create a calendar for yourself  to plan out the work so that you don’t get stuck at the last minute, or set up a regular meeting with the teacher to make sure you stay on track? Which of those ideas do you think would help?”

By providing choices, you provide a measure of control for your student. They cannot control what the assignment is or how much work they will be given, but they can control how they will respond.

This year really can be different.

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As our VP of Instruction, Joan Rooney oversees staffing and instruction for Tutor.com’s 2,500-plus tutors and coaches. Joan, a former classroom teacher, is a passionate educator who has been quoted in Parenting Magazine, Redbook and Woman’s Day providing tips for parents and teachers on how to better engage students in and out of the classroom and on and off the computer.