Certified Tutors From William Jessup University

We covered the chapter review on limits and continuity. The student was able to determine the limits easily. We then covered continuity, by evaluating whether a function had an infinite, removable or jump discontinuity. The exercise questions contained piecewise functions with regions of continuity and points of discontinuity. I explained to the student that the requirements for continuity at a point are 1) the function is defined at the point, 2) The limit exists at the point, and 3) the limit value equals the function value.

In this session, the student practiced creating valid equations based on information given in a word problem. We discussed the general idea that an equation can represent all of the points on a particular line. We also discussed what the slope of a line represents and common forms of linear equations (i.e. standard form and slope-intercept form).

Today we specifically went over the student's religion homework and math homework. His religion homework consisted of unscrambling key words and matching them to their corresponding definitions. He did a good job with matching up the definitions to the key terms, however it took some time for him to unscramble some of the key terms. With minimal cuing, he was able to complete his assignment. Next we went over his math homework. This is the first time we have gone over math together. He was given a math assignment of arranging fractions in order from least to greatest, and from greatest to least. He was also provided with number strips illustrating fraction comparison. These fraction pieces proved to be a great tool. I pointed out to him while he was working on the assignment a common trend, that as the denominator increased, the fraction was actually smaller. It took some time, but eventually he got used to the trend and was able to appropriately arrange his numbers. He drew some mental blocks as the assignment proved to be a challenge. I encouraged him to use his fraction pieces and align them accordingly. When he did so he was able to see the picture much more clearly. He said that he is allowed to use the fraction pieces on his exam. As he continued to use his fraction pieces, numbers and comparisons started to look familiar. He started to gain confidence during this assignments "I know this one, I know this one." However, he then showed signs of uncertainty. However, after I encouraged him to use the fraction pieces, his confidence was resumed. This assignment was challenging, and he did a great job at the assignment. I encourage him to use all provided resources. He enjoyed his math assignment despite its challenging problems. Throughout the math assignment, I had him read aloud his final answer arrangement. He was full of smiles and was energetic tonight. He did a great job. It was a pleasure to work with him this evening.

The student told me he was having difficulty with cross multiplication of certain proportions involving fractions. As we discussed his issues, we realized it was just hard for him to see where the divisions took place. Later I showed him various ways of optimizing what he's already learned that will be beneficial in future classes. He has a firm grasp on the current material and is also ahead. I do not believe he will have problems for the remainder of the course.

We covered different topics in geometry, including how to determine midpoint, distance, perimeter of a triangle and polygon, radius, complementary angles, and angle measures. The student is talented, and he just needs to practice more to get more secure with these geometry concepts. He has an exam on Friday, so he will redo his HW problems on his own to make sure he is comfortable doing them. I also recommended he visit a learning tool website for extra practice.

We covered variables, word problems, inequalities and arithmetic operations. The student struggled most with word problems and how to create equations from given information. She was motivated to work through the material reviewed. I included step-by-step processes, visual aids, analogies, stories and repetition to summarize key concepts. I left extra practice on variables and arithmetic operations. She is on a good track to succeed in pre-algebra, but will need more focus and practice towards understanding word problems.