Tutoring Services
ISEE tutoring for students applying to 5th-8th grade
SSAT tutoring for students applying to high school
Math tutoring for students in 4th-8th grade
SSAT & ISEE Tutoring
Secondary School Admissions Test & Independent School Entrance Examination
SSAT and ISEE tutoring programs offer comprehensive coaching for test preparation as students apply to high schools or middle schools. Starting with basic strategies and working up through whole tests, I train and support students so they feel prepared to get their best scores on test day. Each program starts with a diagnostic test to establish beginning scores and to determine the best areas to focus on for point gain. Students meet either once per week for one and a half hours, or twice per week for an hour. We cover overarching test strategy, strategies for specific question types, and academic content. Students are assigned daily homework outside of session to reinforce skills and practice taking sections of tests. Students take a full-length practice test before their first real test as a “dress rehearsal” and a way to identify best areas of focus directly prior the test. Taking the real test twice or (even three times) allows students to build on previous experience to get their best scores.
SSAT and ISEE programs usually start either early in the fall of the academic year that students are applying to schools, or during the previous spring or winter. Detailed descriptions of various tutoring timeframes are below. It is best to plan for test prep programs to run through mid-to-late December to ensure that students have time to get their best scores before January applications. However, if students find that they have achieved their score goals earlier than expected, they can always finish a program early. All tutoring is billed by the number of hours spent tutoring, and that also covers the price of all books, materials, and practice tests which are provided.
Fall Programs for Upper Level SSAT
The Upper Level SSAT is taken by students applying to high school. Fall SSAT programs start with a diagnostic test in late summer or early fall, and students usually complete 10-15 weeks of tutoring. Students meet once or twice per week and work on all sections of the test: Verbal, Reading, Quantitative (math), and the Writing Sample (essay). Students practice strategies for specific question types (such as analogies and inference questions), study vocabulary and prefixes, and build skills for working with advanced material (such as algebra, geometry, and readings with complex language). Students also learn overarching test strategies and practice those as part of their homework, starting with small sections of practice tests and working up to multiple full test sections.
Fall Programs for Middle Level or Lower Level ISEE
The Middle Level ISEE and Lower Level ISEE are taken by students applying to 5th through 8th grade. Fall ISEE programs start with a diagnostic test in late summer or early fall, and students usually complete 10-15 weeks of tutoring. Students meet once or twice per week and work on all sections of the test: Verbal Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Math Achievement, Quantitative Reasoning (puzzle-like math), and the essay. We focus on making sure that they have a solid foundation in test-taking skills, such as pacing through the test and how to make guesses. We touch on academic content (such as vocabulary and math topics), and we work on strategies for specific types of questions (such as main idea questions, sentence completions, and quantitative comparisons). Students take small sections of practice tests near the beginning of their program, and gradually work up to taking full test sections.
SSAT & ISEE Tutoring: Half-year and full-year programs
Full-year and half-year programs include everything that fall programs include and more. Many families choose to begin test preparation during the winter or spring of the academic year before they apply to schools in order to give students more time to raise their scores. This means that students and families have reduced time pressure and a good foundation established by the time fall begins. Students who have done this have sometimes as much as doubled their scores on some sections of the test. Students who start in advance also have more time to learn academic content for the test (such as math skills, reading skills, and vocabulary), which can also benefit them at school.
SSAT & ISEE Tutoring: Custom Program Length
Need help with ISEE or SSAT test preparation but don’t fit into one of the schedules above? Contact me and see how I can help you! Programs of less than 10 sessions focus on giving students overarching test strategies and familiarity with the test. As time allows, we can add more detailed strategies and content to help students increase their scores.
Math Tutoring for 4th - 8th Graders
Academic Year and School Math Tutoring
Math tutoring supports students with their math classes at school, works to fill any gaps in their math foundation, and increases math knowledge. Tutoring is usually once or twice per week for an hour each time. School math homework can be used as a jumping off point to help students learn as much as possible about the topic they are studying at school. I often assign a small amount of daily homework between sessions, as practice and reinforcement are essential for increased math ability. In addition to working towards school tests and quizzes, tutoring can also be used to refresh previous math on the same topic, as a rusty foundation is often cause for confusion when learning new math. Math tutoring programs can start and finish at any time of year.
Summer Math and Extracurricular Tutoring
During the summer, math students can review and solidify math from the previous school year and get help with summer assignments for the upcoming school year. Students can also use this time to solidify foundational math skills, get ahead with math for the upcoming school year, or do math for fun!
