How Summer Tutoring Sets Your Child Up for Success
What are benefits of summer tutoring? As a parent, you want to give your child every opportunity to thrive, especially when it comes to their education. But national testing data from 2024 reveals a concerning truth: math and reading levels among students have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. In fact, many students in grades 3–9 are still struggling with foundational skills, widening the academic gap and impacting their confidence and long-term success. This summer, you have a chance to change that trajectory. Why Do Parents Choose Summer Tutoring? Most parents enroll their children in summer tutoring for a few key reasons: Skill Gaps That Don’t Go Away on Their Own During the school year, teachers are pressed for time. They move quickly through the curriculum, and students who fall behind often don’t get the individualized support they need. Summer tutoring is a powerful way to address those persistent skill gaps—especially in math and reading—before they become even harder to close. Preventing the “Summer Slide” Without consistent academic practice, students can lose up to two months of progress over the summer. This slide is even more severe for students already struggling. Tutoring during the summer months helps students retain what they’ve…
6 Proven Strategies to Help Teens Study Smarter Not Harder
What are good study skills for teens? Have you been searching for “how to study smarter, not harder” or “study skills for teens”? You’re not alone! Many students struggle with how to study effectively, but the good news is that there are proven strategies to help you study smarter, not harder. Not every study technique works for everyone, but trying a few new methods can boost your learning, improve recall, and make studying less stressful. Whether you’re wondering how to use your notes more effectively or how to study beyond just rereading your textbook, this list of study skills for teens will help you take control of your learning. By organizing your study time and space, you’ll improve your ability to retain information, recall it when needed, and have more free time for the things you enjoy. Here are six proven ways to study smarter, not harder! 1. Take Notes the Smart Way (Cornell Note-Taking Method) Better notes = less stress when it’s time to study! Whether you use a notebook, digital app, or Word document, the way you take notes matters. One of the most effective strategies is the Cornell Note-Taking Method, which divides your notes into three sections:…
Turn Your Knowledge Into Income and Side Gig Jobs: Everyone Can Tutor Something!
What subjects could you tutor? When it comes to making some extra cash from side gig jobs, everyone can tutor something. Choose a topic that fits your expertise and passion when choosing your tutoring subjects. Some of the best teachers and tutors are those who are passionate about their tutoring subjects and show up to work because they love their jobs. Think back to your favorite classes in school or a class you took to learn a hobby, and I bet that one of the reasons you loved the class was because the teacher loved teaching about it. The same goes for choosing side gig jobs. Start with something you love. Choose what you are comfortable with and knowledgeable about. If you love math, decide if you prefer tutoring younger or older students and go from there. If you enjoy sewing, what about starting with teaching a class on hemming a pair of pants or making a tote bag? Are you great a coding? Offer a week-long coding class to kids in your area and see where it goes. Everyone can tutor something. The list below can help you get started when choosing side gig jobs and tutoring subjects. Here…
My Child’s Teacher Emailed Me About Academic Concerns—Now What?
Which school teacher has the best communication style? If you’ve ever received a note from your child’s teacher about academic concerns, saying they’re struggling to organize ideas in writing, apply math concepts to real life, or make inferences while reading, you’re not alone. Many parents see these messages and wonder, What does that actually mean? And how can I help at home? I hear this concern from friends and family all the time. Instead of asking the teacher for clarification, they turn to me for advice—worried they might sound uninformed. But here’s the truth: It’s not ignorance or bad parenting. It’s a language barrier! Teachers often use academic terms that parents may not be familiar with, making it hard to translate concerns into actionable steps. That’s where I come in. I break down what these academic concerns actually look like in the classroom and offer practical, at-home strategies and academic resources to support your child. And here’s my number one tip—don’t be afraid to email the teacher back! Teachers and tutors are on your child’s academic team and can provide valuable insight into what will help. Below, you’ll find 10 common academic concerns for elementary and middle school students—what they…
How to Be an Online Tutor – A Free Workshop to Conquer Your Tech Fears
Would you rather tutor online or in person? If you’ve ever thought, “I’d love to tutor online, but I don’t know where to start,” or Googled “How to be an online tutor” you’re not alone. Many amazing educators hesitate to take their skills online because they worry it’s too complicated or that in-person tutoring is the only way to be effective. But here’s the truth: If you can tutor in person, you can tutor online. The core of great teaching remains the same—it’s just about learning a few simple tools to bring your expertise to a virtual space. That’s exactly why I created Tutor Toolkit 2 – How to Tutor Online—a free workshop designed to show you how easy and rewarding online tutoring can be. See Online Tutoring in Action One of my favorite moments as a student teacher was observing experienced educators in action. Seeing their methods firsthand helped me grow more than any textbook ever could. I took notes on everything from their bulletin boards to their classroom management and teaching style. My mind whirled with ideas for my own classroom. The same is true for online tutoring. When I took my private tutoring business online, I noticed…
How to Start Your Part Time Tutoring Business Over Spring Break
I love teaching but I need extra income. Do I need to start a business in order to tutor part time in the summer? As a teacher, you love your job, but let’s be honest—a little extra part time tutoring income wouldn’t hurt. Maybe you’ve thought about tutoring part time over the summer, but you’re not sure where to start. Do you need to start a business just to tutor a few students? The short answer: No. The better answer: Yes, if you want to do it right and set yourself up for success. Let’s say you start tutoring your best friend’s kids this summer for extra cash. Great! But then she tells her friends about how amazing you are, and suddenly, you’re getting calls and texts asking if you’re available. Without a plan, you might find yourself making snap decisions on pricing, scheduling, and lesson plans that you later regret. That’s why even a part time tutor should take a professional approach from the very beginning. Why You Should Treat Your Part Time Tutoring Like a Business Whether you’re tutoring one student or building a steady side gig, setting up a few business basics will help you stay organized…
Effective Family Communication: How to Keep Everyone on the Same Page
Out of 5, how many stars would you rate the effectiveness of your family communication? Improve effective family communication in a busy household by using a shared calendar, making time to finish important conversations, and having regular marriage check-ins. Poor communication weakens the family and leads to conflict. Which one of these areas would help improve your effective family communication star rating? Use a shared family calendar How to keep everyone on one page is LITERALLY keeping everyone on the same calendar page. Way back in the days of a paper calendar hung in the kitchen, my husband would tell people he had to check the calendar before committing to an event. When our kids were in middle school, we gave them access to my digital Google calendar so they could check the calendar before even asking us permission to attend an outing. My aging mom has access to my calendar so she can schedule doctor appointments when I am available to drive. When my adult kids call me now it usually starts with “I checked your calendar and saw you didn’t have a client right now.” Knowing what’s on the family calendar can be the first step to effective…
Time Management for Kids: Simple Tips to Help Students Stay on Track
Is it harder for you to estimate how long it will take to do a task or to manage your time appropriately while doing the task? As mentioned in a previous post on executive function, time management for kids is the ability to estimate how much time a task will take and manage time appropriately. In school, this can look like completing work within a deadline, knowing how long to study for an upcoming quiz or test, and budgeting time for other daily tasks and breaks. Common struggles students face are procrastination or underestimating how long a task will take. Here are tips and tools to help improve and reinforce time management for kids. Why time matters Part of school education is learning how to manage time and finish assignments within a deadline. Younger grades typically have one assignment at a time, whereas older grades have assignments for each class and further out deadlines. The benefits of time management are reduced stress, improved academic performance, and increased confidence and independence. Teaching students the benefits is as important as the skill itself. Knowing the why encourages independence as they learn to manage their workload effectively. Common challenges for students When students…
Top questions about starting a tutoring business
What are your top two questions about starting a tutoring business? Tutors and teachers often have specific questions about starting a tutoring business. I had to do tons of research into starting and running a small business before I was ready to start my private tutoring business. Sometimes, my research led to even more questions instead of helpful answers. I wished I had someone to ask all my questions to, so I wrote up a Q&A for you with the top questions about starting a tutoring business. Grouped by category, here are 13 topics people ask about when starting a tutoring business. Grab a cup of coffee, and let’s pretend we are at your favorite coffee shop and you are picking my brain about how I got started. I’m already smelling the Italian roast! Starting the Business 1. Legal Structure: Should I register my tutoring business as a sole proprietorship, LLC, or another structure? I can’t give you any legal advice, but I can say that many people choose to start an LLC to protect their personal funds from their business funds. Sam Vander Weilen is a good resource. (Sam has many good resources!) https://www.samvanderwielen.com/how-to-legally-protect-your-online-business 2. Startup Costs: How much…
10 Practical Executive Function Activities for Students: A Guide for Parents and Tutors
What are some of the main categories of executive functioning? Good kids may often say “I forgot” and genuinely not know how to stop forgetting to do homework assignments or turn in their work on time unless parents and tutors use executive function activities for students to help train their brains to focus and manage tasks. When it comes to supporting school-aged children, understanding the key categories of executive functioning is crucial. Executive functioning refers to the mental skills that help children plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and manage multiple tasks. These cognitive skills are essential for success in school, relationships, and life in general. Here are 10 main categories of executive functioning that parents and tutors should know about along with examples and executive function activities for students. Tutors can easily incorporate a tip or strategy into a tutoring session to help build executive function skills and parents can continue to reinforce the strategy at home. 1. Self-Control Definition: The ability to control impulses and resist distractions, staying focused Examples in school: Not interrupting others in class, waiting your turn, and resisting the urge to play during study time. Practical Tips and Strategies for Improvement: Use visual reminders, such…