Award-Winning Test Prep & Academic Tutoring in Butler, NJ

"In this session, the student and I began by going over her questions about her homework problems. We reviewed how to compare fractions with different denominators, and how to spot situations where it is possible to use reason to compare fractions. She sometimes thought that it was possible to use mental reasoning to compare fractions in cases where she should have actually used math to do so. So, we continued to work on developing her ability to manipulate and reason with fractions. We discussed whether a given fraction was less than half or more than half - and, using this knowledge, we worked on predicting whether two fractions would add to more than one or less than one. We then tested our predictions by actually adding and subtracting fractions. She did a great job following the steps to add and subtract fractions and mixed numbers, as well as explaining her work. However, she was less sure when making predictions about the outcome of more complex problems involving adding or subtracting mixed numbers. We will continue to practice this next time. In the second part of the session, she and I worked on understanding positive and negative numbers. We used a number line to visualize adding and subtracting positives and negatives. We also practiced multiplying positive and negative numbers, and predicting when an answer would be negative and when it would be positive. Overall, she did very well in adding, subtracting, and multiplying with negative numbers. We will work on using negative numbers in algebraic equations during our next session."

"This was my first session with this student. She started algebra as a 9th grader a week ago. She is hoping a tutor can help clarify some of her questions as she progresses through the class. In this session, we worked through her homework from Chapter 2.5 and 2.6. There were many multi-step word problems and absolute value problems that we worked through while clarifying the teacher's notes and formulas. We also looked back on the review packet where she was able to show me which problems she had trouble with - finding X when there are fractions and when X is part of a fraction. We talked about the different methods for solving these problems and which method might work best for her. We talked about the importance of finding a common denominator and of doing the same operations to both sides of the equation. "

"We reviewed the online assignments from the student's Spanish class. This consisted of using vocabulary and working on the conjugations of verbs and adverbs."

"The student didn't have any questions from his class, as they had just finished the most recent module. I took the opportunity to teach him what trigonometric functions look like and how to graph them. We covered all six trig graphs, differences in amplitude, frequency, period, and how to transform sine to cosine through phase shifts. He seemed to really enjoy discovering the weird forms convolutions of functions created, and figuring out why they occurred, which led to a brief discussion of calculus. He should be at least a module or two ahead of the class now in terms of exposure. More rigorous homework using the class's conventions should prove much easier for him. We will meet again in January and make a plan for the new year."

"Today, the student and I went over solving for exponential functions, transforming exponential functions, and solving for recursive and explicit functions. He did very well with transforming exponential functions. We went over a few problems of the other functions, and I encouraged him to look over his notes again before the quiz. I think he will do well if he takes the time to study a little extra. "

"We covered defining functions, continuity, and discontinuity. Some of the material was new, so he student had a little problem with piecewise functions. Once we went over it, he understood what he was doing. He is starting to grasp the material very well now, so he is really confident in his approach. We went over some quick ways to find asymptotes for those types of functions. Finding those makes it easy to determine the behavior of the that function. He is coming along very well with his understanding of the material and pre-calculus in itself. "

"We spent most of the session practicing the FOIL methods of multiplying polynomials (mostly binomials) and special multiplication cases with these binomials in preparation for her quiz the following day."

"The student and I went over her homework. Her homework was practice in using pi to compute the circumference of a circle knowing the diameter and vice versa. I talked to her briefly about how pi was discovered by the ancient mathematicians."

"We continued working on trigonometry concepts from the student's current chapter. She completed the homework that the teacher assigned and worked on memorizing the unit circle. She mentioned that the problems on the test are much harder than what is assigned, so I asked her to work out several word problems at the end. I told her to contact me if she would like to meet before the next exam."