For almost 50 years, the SAT has played a pivotal role in the college admissions process. The upcoming transition from the traditional paper-and-pencil format to a digital, adaptive SAT marks one of the most significant changes since its inception in 1926. The Class of 2025 will be the first cohort of U.S. students to undergo both the PSAT and SAT in a digital, adaptive format.
Early acceptance rates at these institutions showed a significant advantage over regular decision rates, according to U.S. News data. Though crafting a standout college application can be a time-consuming and stressful process, submitting an application in the fall, well before the typical winter deadline for regular admissions, is possible.Read on to find out more.
In recent years, and especially during COVID, the private tutoring industry has booming in the U.S. As a result, there are plenty of tutors out there, so the question is, how do you find the right one for you? We’re here with a list of the best way to choose your perfect tutor. Read on to find out more.
Vint Hill Educational Services offers subject-based tutoring in math, science, reading, writing, English, history, and foreign language. Most of our math tutors can teach Pre-Algebra up through Calculus. They are also prepared to aid elementary school children with structure, basics, guidance and workload focus, and to help middle school students navigate the ins-and-outs of staying focused in this increasingly digital educational world. Our tutors take subject-specific tests before being hired, so we can guarantee they know the content.
We don't just assign any available tutor; we actually handpick the best tutor for your child. Before accepting the tutor, parents receive a tutor profile to review and approve. The tutor matching process consists of the following: subject area knowledge, tutor education, tutor personality, tutor background, student weaknesses, student schedule, and location preference (in-office, in-home, or public library).
Each session is usually one hour in length and one-to-one for individualized support. Parents receive access to our online Teachworks tutoring system and will be able to review tutor session notes, receive session email reminders, and keep track of session hours used and hours remaining.
We know these are challenging times and we are here for you. Please reach out with your questions and we will help relieve your worries and get your kids on track!
There is a host of tools at the student's disposal for interacting with what we are reading. The concept is known as active reading and it will work to increase comprehension and retention of information. Try out some of the strategies below.
BEFORE YOU READ:
• Z – Sweep: Performing a Z-Sweep will help you understand what lies ahead. Move your hand from the left to the right under the first line, then back around through the body of the text, and then finish with a sweep from left to right at the bottom. Read the first sentence, glance or sweep through the body, and then read the last one or two sentences. By using this strategy, you can gain a cross-section of what you are about to read.
• SCAN: This strategy significantly improves text book reading comprehension in middle and high school students.
S = Survey Headings and Turn Them into Questions
Find each bold heading, and turn it into a question. For example, if the heading is The War of 1812, you should think, “What happened in The War of 1812?”
C = Capture the Captions and Visuals
Glance at the pictures or diagrams and read each caption.
A = Attack Boldface Words
Be sure to focus on the terms in bold. Quickly read these words for an understanding of the main vocabulary words.
N = Note and Read the Chapter Questions
This is perhaps the most important pre-reading strategy. Read the review questions at the end of the section first. This will help with the main idea behind the passage.
AS YOU READ OR AFTER YOU READ:
• Highlighting: Using color helps to increase attention. Highlight the main points and be careful not to become “highlighter crazy”. Highlight the main points after you read a section. As yourself, “What’s the main point of the paragraph I just read?”
• Margin Notes: Questions or comments jotted in the margins next to important paragraphs provide visual cues. Writing down quick notes as you read really helps with retention. Furthermore, when you go back over the book before finals, all the main ideas will be there for you.
• Summary Writing: Summarizing information is time-consuming, but it is the best way to be sure that you understand and remember what you read. You can write brief summaries at the end of each chapter or at the bottom of your 2-column notes. If you write a summary within 24 hours of taking notes or reading, you’re much more likely to retain the information.
Contact us and you can start working with a tutor on active reading strategies!
Essay questions are based on themes and overall ideas. Teachers like to use essay questions because they give students the opportunity to express everything they’ve learned over the last few weeks. Essay test answers reveal more than the bare facts. When submitting essay answers, students are expected to cover lots of information in an organized manner.
But what if you prepare for an essay question and the test doesn’t include one? No worries! If you use these tips and understand the themes and ideas of the test then other questions will come easily.
1. Look for teacher “special” words. If you hear your teacher use “again we see” or “a similar event occurred,” be sure to take note of it. A pattern or chain of events is key.
2. Every day themes. As you review your class notes after school, make sure to look for themes. Brainstorm your own essay questions based on your themes.
3. Glance over chapter titles. Textbook chapters often refer to themes. Look at each title and think of ideas, events, and terms that fit within that theme.
4. Practice the questions. Be sure to use vocabulary words found in your notes and course books. Highlight or underline and go back to review their relevance.
If you take good notes and think in terms of themes, as you study, you’ll be prepared for every type of test question. You’ll soon find that, in understanding the theme of each lesson or chapter, you’ll begin to think more like your teacher.
Contact us for Academic Coaching and we'll help get you prepared!
Organizing your homework is a great way to improve your grades. One successful way to do this is to incorporate a color coding system into your homework routine.
Here are the steps:
1. Get a set of inexpensive supplies arranged by color.
You may want to start with a pack of colored highlighters, then find folders, notes, and various stickers to match them.
• Folders
• Sticky notes
• Highlighters
• Round stickers
• Labels
• Flags
2. Select a different color for each class. For example, you may want to use the following system:
• Orange=US History
• Green=Algebra
• Red=Chemistry
• Yellow=English
• Blue=Health
• Pink=Marketing
3. Create a connection between the color and the class. Here's a good starting suggestion, you might relate the color green to money or plant life. This may make you think about math subjects or biology class. Try to relate a few colors to some of your classes. The connection will be clear in your mind after a few days.
4. Pocket folders: Use each folder to keep track of homework for each class. The type of folder isn't important; just use the type that is best for you. Sometimes your teacher will recommend a specific folder.
5. Notes work well when it comes to researching articles. You can note down book and article titles, phrases, passages, comments, and such, to use in your paper, including bibliographical citations. Keep standard manila notes if you can't carry multiple packages of colored sticky notes. Use different colored pens in order to keep track of each class.
6. Flags are for marking pages or reading assignments. Place a colored flag at the beginning and ending pages for each assignment. You can also use flags for marking dates in your organizer. Place a flag on a date when an assignment is due. You can use different colors for your various classes. You'll have an everyday reminder that a due date is approaching.
7. Highlighters should be used when reviewing your notes. During a lecture, take notes like you usually do and be sure to include the date in your notebook. Once you get home, look over and highlight using different colors. You can breakdown the colors by subject, information type, or relevance. If your papers get jumbled up (or never get put into your classroom folder) you can recognize them by the highlights.
8. Round stickers are great for your wall calendar. Be sure to keep a calendar in your room or in the kitchen, and place a color-coded sticker on the day that an assignment is due. For instance, on the day you receive a research paper assignment in history class, you should place an orange sticker on the due date. This way, everyone can see an important day approaching, even at a glance.
Contact us to learn more about Academic Coaching. Our tutors will make sure you stay on track and on top of your assignments! We have coaches in Northern VA, Richmond VA, Fredericksburg VA, Bethesda MD, and Washington DC.
Learning styles can differ from student to student. Learning styles are the approach an individual takes in learning, or acquiring and assimilating new information. If the student can discover how he or she learns best; the individual will know what strategies and study techniques to employ, in order to accommodate one’s learning style.
Primary types of learning styles:
1. Visual
2. Auditory
3. Kinesthetic or experiential
Who are visual learners?
• Don’t like long speeches
• Responds to viewing charts, pictures, and graphs
• Enjoys observation
• Enjoys visual stimulation
• Develops images in their mind
• Thinks in terms of images and pictures
Visual recommendations:
• Watch your teacher’s body language and pick up on certain cues
• Keep a notebook and pencil readily available
• Write material over and over again
• Draw pictures to help associate what your notes mean
• Utilize technology: computer, tablets, laptops, apps, and other media
• Ask questions in class and stay involved
• Visualize information as a story
Who are auditory learners?
• Prefers oral instruction
• Not a fan of lengthy notes
• Diagnoses meanings through tone and voice
• Responds well to speech and lecture format
• Talks ideas through in their head
• Picks up quickly on words, pitch, and voice nuances
Auditory recommendations:
• Talk things out to yourself
• Try to use word analogies
• Say information out loud, over and over for memorization
• Practice classroom presentations
• Get involved in debates
• Use songs and melodies to aid in memorization
• Converse with friends about your ideas
• Read words out loud when proofreading
Who are kinesthetic or experiential learners?
• Likes to touch and handle objects
• Uses their hands when communicating
• Design oriented
• Enjoys using tools and equipment
• Responds well to activities: painting, drawing, or physical activities
• Sitting for long periods of time is not easy
• Willing to take more chances
• Attracted to exploring
Kinesthetic or experiential recommendations:
• Take breaks when studying
• Switch up topics frequently
• Do more physical things when studying: walk around, ride an exercise bike, play with a squishy ball, read notes while doing chores, chew on taffy
• Make your work desk colorful and intriguing
• Visualize your work from beginning to end
• Play soft music in the background
• Have parents and friends proofread your work
• Use bright colors for highlighting reading passages
• Glance over a passage first to get a feel for it
Learn more about how our tutoring services can help your child!
1) Show your child how to be and stay organized
2) Get rid of as many distractions as possible
3) Create a plan for tackling homework assignments
4) Get your child to see how homework can relate to tasks in everyday life
5) Support your child and provide encouragement
6) Make your child look up to you by working on a task at the same time
7) Be interested in what your child is working on
These tips should help get you and your child set in the right direction!
Learn more about homework help and Academic Coaching by contacting us today.
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