Make Time to Read with Tutoring in Sarasota

Sarasota and Bradenton Tutors discuss Study Skills

By: Ernie Bilodeau, Regional Director

Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services

Parent-teacher conferences occupy an integral part in the structure of the Elementary and Middle School levels of education.   These conferences are imperative to address concerns relating to children’s academic or behavioral aspects on a periodic basis.  At this level, children are developing their mental and intellectual processes while they simultaneously adapt behavioral attitudes and study skills which follow them throughout their adult lives.   At these conferences, the teacher shares their specific observations they have made about the student with the parent. 

Academic Achievement Tips

By:  Ernie Bilodeau, Regional Director

Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services

What do Bradenton and Sarasota parents tell me they really want for their child’s educational experience?  Why is it that some of their children’s grades fall short of their potential?    Just by asking yourself this basic question and seeking the answers, you’re already on the road to making a more successful student of your child.

Parents have everything to do with setting the correct tone to ensure a child achieves the most of his education.  By being actively involved in all areas of his education, you can make the act of gaining knowledge an intrinsic part of his everyday life!   While teachers, coaches, and tutors are crucial components in the process, no one is more important than your participation and involvement in the process.  Parental support and participation increases your child’s chances of superlative educational achievement.

A Sarasota Parent asks: “How do I know if my child needs a tutor?”

By:  Ernie Bilodeau, Regional Director

Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services of Sarasota

Parents from Sarasota and Bradenton often have the same basic question when we first meet – “How do I know if my child really needs a tutor?”   Parents are often surprised to find they missed several early indicators along the way and that what once was a little problem is now more serious, needing the extra attention a professional tutor/teacher can provide to get their child back on a successful educational track.

Even with current technology, it can be difficult for parents to stay on top of how their child is doing in school.  The reasons can vary, but, as I recently discussed with a parent in Sarasota, the school curriculum now progresses at a more rapid pace than in the past; and with most parents’ work schedules and other activities, it can be difficult to catch a minor decline in school performance until it becomes a more serious problem.

Summer Achievement Slide

Ernie Bilodeau, Regional Director

Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services

Research shows the summer break takes a huge toll on academics for most children.  At the end of summer, research finds children that struggled in the prior years, have learning disabilities fare even worse than other children.  The good news is that research indicates summer academic programs are a very effective way of bridging that school gap. We have seen children we tutor in Wesley Chapel, Brandon, Bradenton and Coral Springs not only retain what they learned the prior year, but make significant improvements.   Consider the advantages of setting your child up with a summer In-Home tutoring program as a way to give them an advantage in the classroom next year using the following strategies:

Give your Child a Summer to Remember

By: Ernie Bilodeau, Regional Director

Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services

Have you ever worried that your child’s brain might turn to mush playing too many video games over the summer? I know I did when my children were in school, but obviously I’m kidding.   It is a statistical fact that students can lose anywhere from one to three months of what they learn of the school year during a single summer break  - in particular in math and reading. In a study done several years ago by Dr. Harris Cooper, a professor of education at Duke University, found that one of the largest areas of summer loss in education is in reading. The most shocking was that the loss could easily be prevented with a couple simple solutions.

His study ruled out the possibility that sex or ethnicity had any impact on the amount of summer loss a student may experience in reading level. However, there was a substantial difference in summer learning loss in regards to family economics. The study compared lower income families, middle-income families and higher income families. What he found was that even though all comprehensive scores were relatively the same, those students in higher income families retained more and therefore reduced their summer learning loss.

Daily Writing Has Long Lasting Benefits

The Benefits of Writing on Students – More Than Meets the Eye:

By: Ernie Bilodeau, Regional Director

Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services – Sarasota and Bradenton

A writer’s world is often an imaginary land, filled with extraordinary characters and endless possibilities.  Even in the ugliest of circumstances, there is always hope for a happy ending, or at the very least, some sanity.

Surprisingly, the creativity that students pour into the art of writing can significantly impact their well-being.   The very real effects of writing travel a far distance from the fictional worlds of plots and heroes; daily writing can make long-lasting, positive impressions on the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of the people holding the pens.