PracTutor launches the pre-registration to help students learn Math and English in an adaptive innovative way

Louisville, KY. September 08, 2012 – PracTutor (www.practutor.com) is an adaptive learning platform to help students excel in Math and English. PracTutor was established with just one focus – THE STUDENT. PracTutor is trying to solve the challenge of how can we make any student love, learn and enjoy Math and English.

There are 39 million students in US in K-8 in public and private schools. Only 69% students make it to a high school and less than 70% to a college. Most of them falter at one of the numerous high school or college admission tests.  In college, majority of the students need to take remedial courses in Math and English.

About 40% of the students take some form of Math and English training program to prepare for high school and more than 75% to prepare for college admission tests. The students get frustrated with the narrow focus of such trainings or possible interventions not available when needed. PracTutor experience is personalized and it understands the student’s strengths to challenge them more on their strengths and it understands their weaknesses to eliminate them.

PracTutor is virtually effortless and very intuitive for the student to use. It applies intelligent algorithms to understand the student’s abilities in Math and English and provide practice and training to strengthen their skills. This training is mapped to each and every standard of the common core curriculum. PracTutor involves the parents and the school teacher in the student’s progress and provides all the elements required for the success of the student. A private tutor can help the student whenever they need any help.

“I created PracTutor because I was frustrated after using quite a few after-school Math and English programs for my two sons in Grades 3 and 5, I felt there had to be a better way, a better product and not seeing one, decided to create one.”, said Vatsal Ghiya, co-founder, PracTutor.

“I have seen a lot of my cousins and sons and daughters on my friends struggle with Math and English with numerous programs they work on. All of the training programs seem to be missing one or several elements.

We wanted to provide the entire ecosystem – a complete solution. That is what PracTutor is.”, said Hardik Parikh, co-founder and CEO, PracTutor.

PracTutor’s team comprises experts on Math and English from common core team, web designers, software developers, child psychologists, parents and school administrators.

PracTutor is in development right now and we would like to invite users for beta testing as soon as we have it out.

Watch what we do at http://youtu.be/HTo_D6N-CVI
Take a tour of the product at –http://www.practutor.com/tour
Pre-register using this link - http://www.practutor.com/

About PracTutor

Started in April -2012, PracTutor (www.practutor.com) is an adaptive learning platform to help students excel in Math and English. PracTutor is part of emPower Training Solutions (www.empowerbpo.com) that has been providing online compliance solutions to 100+ healthcare practices and hospitals since the last 4 years.

To learn more about PracTutor follow us at: http://www.facebook.com/PracTutor

PracTutor
12806 Townepark Way
Louisville, KY 40243-2311
http://www.practutor.com

Contact:
Hardik Parikh, Co-founder and CEO
12806 Townepark Way,
Louisville, KY 40243-2311
Direct (502) 400-9374
Email: hardik@practutor.com
Twitter: @hardikvparikh
Blog: http://hardik.practutor.com

All press related inquiries to press@practutor.com

Different ways of encouraging children to write through tutoring

Children have their own way of depicting creativity. Hence; in this blog; I have tried to make my readers understand the need for developing writing skills in children; and different ways of encouraging them to write creatively.

My blogs have always concentrated on highlighting various talents that can be very useful to children. Today this write-up is based on different ways through which tutors can encourage children to write. Writing is a very creative field which requires imagination and will power on the part of the child to grow in the writing field. As children always start off with something small and abstract there is enough potential of developing creativity through communication and connectivity. Now you might be wondering how connectivity comes in the fore for this subject? Let me explain this to you. While you are writing on something you develop a connection with the topic, the characters and the story. In the same way; children need to be encouraged to write more and more so that we can come to know different creative ideas in their ideas. Once they start putting their ideas into words the connectivity automatically develops. It also helps in critical thinking of the child; and improves their performance in school.

So as we have understood the need for nourishing written skills in children let me show you different methods through which tutors can easily inculcate the habit of writing in children:

• Word Power: It has been statistically proven that children love learning new words. They have the habit of picking up new words very quickly. In fact it has also been proven that children learn at least 9 words a day; before learning how to read. Hence; building word power is one of the most effective ways of making them habituated with the writing skills. Make them read magazine, newspaper or an article on the internet. Also make them aware of different words that they come across on internet and newspaper that are new to them. The other ways of making them interested in writing are:

§  Ask them to write notes or letters using the new words that they came across on day-to-day basis

§  Ask them to talk about words in the form of songs. This is a great way of making them learn new words. This way they can then use these words creatively to form various sentences easily

• Read loudly: When you are reciting a picture book to a child; make sure that you are reading loudly to them. Also make sure that they are paying attention to the different words being used in the sentences. This will encourage them to hear these keywords and frame their own stories; which will ultimately lead to great write-ups. This is also known as writer’s ears. Describe the characters that they love elaborately this way they will come to know how to write a part of the story and develop characters in that story.

• Provide healthy environment to the child to write: This is the most important thing while making children convergent about writing. The room where they are scheduled to write something should have a surface, writing tools, good lightning and inspiration. Always have all the interesting things that the child enjoys so that they can think creatively with these tools and develop their own ideas while writing on a topic. Remember that creativity can only be developed when the surrounding place is of the liking of the child and their creativity is enhanced with the props surrounding the room in which they are writing.

Tutoring is a very difficult profession. It requires lot of time and dedication. Creativity cannot be developed in a day. It takes time and patience. Hence; always be there for the child and provide your support thereby encouraging them to write on topic of their liking. This way you will inculcate the habit of writing in children in a very positive manner.

If you wish to post your comments and feedback on this blog; follow us at: http://www.facebook.com/PracTutor, http://hardik.practutor.com

PracTutor
12806 Townepark Way

Louisville, KY 40243-2311

United States

http://www.practutor.com

Reasons for seeing the best in children during tough stages in life

 I have written a lot about children in my blogs. This write-up is also focused on children but contains valuable information on seeing the best in children during tough stages in life.

Every single day in life is not the same. There are ups and downs in each individual’s life. We have to deal with these variations very carefully as we as group-ups are the mentors for our children. Children often look at their elders to see how they react under different situations and then copy their behavior. Hence; it is very important for elders to make a sort of decorum in their life even if they are going through a tough phase in their life. In this blog; I have enumerated various examples, which will help you understand the need for empathy and positive outlook in life.

But first of all let me start off with a famous quote of getting through tough times in your life.

According to Mary Manin Morrissey,

”Even though you may want to move forward in your life, you may have one foot on the brakes. In order to be free, we must learn how to let go. Release the hurt. Release the fear. Refuse to entertain your old pain. The energy it takes to hang onto the past is holding you back from a new life. What is it you would let go of today?"

This is a great quote which highlights the theme of this blog. In order to move ahead we need to let go certain things and look at the positive side of every situation. Always believe that there is a silver lining around the corner that will keep you motivated and you will encourage your children to feel the same. They can also derive the confidence from you to deal with tough times with best possible attitude. This is a very huge thing which not only requires patience and guts but also enough confidence in you to remind yourself that:

Tough times don’t last long; but tough people do.

Now let me get back to our topic of discussion and enumerate different ways to see the best in children during tough stages in life:

• Try to show empathy towards others: During tough times it is very difficult to think about others; leave alone the thought of helping others. But even a smallest of gesture can enlighten the day of another person. For example; you are under debts for the business you have done earlier and are lamenting over the need for doing business with that particular party. If a small child comes over and smiles at you; you should always smile back as that will make their day. It will also make you feel happy thereby doing something good for other without any pressure or commitment.

• Read a good literature: When you are going through a difficult phase books are your best friends. The best thing is to escape from the realities of this world by reading a picture story book to your 4 year old toddler. This way you will forget about your worries.

• Build self-reliance and confidence in children: When your child is in a spot of bother the very first thing that comes in our mind is how to help them resolve their concern. In future always remember that they will be on their own. Hence; always try to make them self-reliant and independent by dealing the problems their way but always tell them that you are there for them.
• Learn something from the loss: When life becomes tough due to some of the careless decisions that we have taken the most probable thing is to understand the mechanics behind the loss. Even for small children who do not have logical thinkers, they also understand clearly about the things that led to the loss. It might even lead to an inexplicable discovery of facts.

• Listen attentively: This is a challenging task when you are dealing with a crisis. I can understand this thing because I have had a personal experience where it becomes very difficult to listen attentively when you are thinking about something else while dealing with your day-to-day activities. In case of children, you need to overly patient because they will be playful and will speak a lot. So do not speak until and unless you have heard them attentively.

In the end I would like to conclude this blog by saying that children are the future of our next generation. They need to be tough enough to deal out with stressful situations in life. If you wish to elaborate further on this point; follow us at: http://www.facebook.com/PracTutor, http://hardik.practutor.com

PracTutor
12806 Townepark Way

Louisville, KY 40243-2311

United States

http://www.practutor.com

Proper synchronization between e-learning content and visuals

I have always been fascinated with visuals more so in e-learning content. Hence; it was natural for me to write a blog depicting proper synchronization between both these aspects to blend a completely attractive package deal for the target audience.

Ever wondered how there is an easy synchronization between dialogue delivery and lip sync between movie co-actors? This is because they work really hard to get their act together and put together a performance which is ever-lasting and creates a never ending impression on the viewers. In the same vein; e-learning courses need an initial push to make their course content visually attractive. The only way to make it possible is by merging pictures and visuals with the content so that the overall impact of the content goes through a tremendous change for the better of course! But the point is to make sure that the videos and visuals are synchronized in such a manner, that the students do not feel that visuals are irrelevant to the course curriculum.  The only way to do that is by including the images and videos only in the portions where they are of utmost importance. I have dedicated this blog on providing useful reasons that will help you understand the relevance of visuals in e-learning course and how they can these visuals be given a proper treatment in terms of the course design? This is a very big question and will be answered in this blog.

But first of all let us look at the reasons for including visuals in the e-learning course content:

• Images add new dimension to the content: No matter what your course is all about without images it would be like a dry canvas without any color. If you add images to the course it will give a new dimension to the course. It will also make the students enjoy the course more with the help of proper images and diagrams. Moreover; layout is of prime importance to the course pattern; whether you are the writer of the course or the designer this aspect cannot be missed at any cost.

• Arouse interests in the target audience with minimal attention: Whether you want to depict a tragic massacre or a violent conflict these things can be depicted through images which arouses interest in the minds of the students. It also makes students feel the emotions in less time. Please understand that words are more important at intellectual level whereas for emotional connection visuals are quite necessary.

• Visual is the new trend: Pick up any industry there is always a way to communicate visually with the help of images. Imagine an image of a large medical transcription company depicting happy employees, following protection of patient information as a part of their training. Hence; through visual images anything and everything is possible. This also shows that the company is following HIPAA law.

• Show the intangibility aspect of the product through visuals: In every business there are tangible and intangible aspects. Concentrate on the intangible aspects and depict them with the help of visuals. For example; in a medical transcription services protection of patient information is of prime importance depict it with the help of an image which showcases the benefit of hiding the information from others.

Gone are the days when you required a perfectly great visual to depict your industry standards. You do not have to use Hollywood graphics to show your services; the most important thing is to include or integrate interesting visuals to make it attractive for the target audience. This way you will attract more and more end users who will like to view your course content. In the end I would like to end this blog through an interesting quote from Orson Welles,

“Create your own visual style….let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others.”

If you wish to post your comments and feedback related to this topic; follow us at: http://www.facebook.com/PracTutor, http://hardik.practutor.com

PracTutor
12806 Townepark Way

Louisville, KY 40243-2311

United States

http://www.practutor.com

Points that distinguish thriving e-learners from successful classroom students

There has always been a huge debate over classroom education and e-learning courses. In this blog; I have tried to integrate some points that distinguish between thriving e-learners from successful classroom students.

Initially online education was regarded as a burden; because you had to research a lot on decent courses on internet and then enroll them. But with times, technology has evolved; and now we are seeing e-learning courses everywhere. In fact there is no restriction of age group to enroll for online education. Now this is great news for people who wish to be learners throughout their lives irrespective of their age. Now even K-12 students are using e-learning courses to make their creativity sound. This is a welcome change and there is many more to come in near future. But what are the distinguishing points that make e-learners different from successful classroom students? This blog will answer this question by providing some valid points of difference between both these teaching mechanisms. In the end you will be able to be answer the question whether online education is better than classroom education or vice versa? So let me start off with the points:

• Personal responsibility: As far as classroom teaching is concerned the personal responsibility of the students’ lies with the ability of doing the things that are explained in the class by the teacher; nothing more or less. Whereas; in case of e-learning students have to take charge over their learning. They cannot depend on anyone to explain them what to do next. They need to complete their task on time without any supervision, facilitate the work by submitting it to the teachers hence; there is more personal responsibility in e-learning courses than in classroom learning.  

• Guidance and direction: In a typical e-learning course the student will wait for the teacher’s guidance to complete the task but will not entirely depend on it. But in classroom education, students have been taught to follow what has been taught in a rigid manner. There is no scope for improvisation.  Good self direction is a very important component in education and learning. I have also emphasized this point several times in my blogs that self learning is the best learning. Hence; e-learning courses are a step ahead as they make students independent and think creatively while resolving the problem which is quite impossible in classroom education.

• Working independently vs. in group: Now this is a big point. Because as you know in e-learning courses the scope of doing group activities is minimal. You can interact with each other by organizing an online discussion forum but that personal touch of one-on-one interaction is missing from e-learning courses. Moreover, the time factor is also an important component and the students have to achieve their goals in specified period set up by the tutor. Whereas; in classroom education teachers can use this as an opportunity to make students work in group. This also makes them cover up each other’s weaknesses and built on their strengths. Hence; in terms of group activities class room education is far better than e-learning.

From the points mentioned above; we can say that e-learning has a key role in the future of education section. Hence; there is no way to confirm that classroom education is better than e-learning courses. But this is a huge debate which will never end. I would like to conclude this blog by inferring a quote from Arthur C. Clarke,

“Any teacher that can be replaced by a machine….should be!”

If you wish to share more points with us that distinguish between thriving e-learners and successful classroom students; then follow us at: http://www.facebook.com/PracTutor, http://hardik.practutor.com. We will be glad to receive your feedback.

PracTutor
12806 Townepark Way

Louisville, KY 40243-2311

United States

http://www.practutor.com

Myths and realities associated with tutoring

Tutoring is a very noble profession. But there are various myths that have been associated with it. In this blog; I have tried to uncover the realities behind these myths so that tutoring can get the distinct position in the education field.

I have always encouraged a healthy discussion in my blogs. Usually the topics have been about children as they are the future of our world. But today this write-up discusses about different myths and realities associated with tutoring. After reading this write-up you will come to understand the relevance of tutoring, the various benefits associated with tutoring neglecting the myths that have been based on false judgment of some people. But through this blog sanity will prevail and I will try to uncover facts that will make you realize that tutoring is also a very important aspect of education sector. But first of all let us try to understand why tutoring has become such a big deal in recent years? We all know that in conventional classroom environment it is not possible for the teacher to concentrate on each and every child and I have already said these thousands of times that the grasping power of each individual is different. Hence; it becomes quite difficult for a teacher to handle so many students in one classroom and answer all their queries. Due to these things there are times when certain students lag behind; and are not able to perform according to their knowledge. During such stages tutoring is required.

So now as you have understood the need for tutoring let me shift my attention to various myths that have been associated with tutoring. I will also try to uncover the realities associated with these myths so that we can get a clear picture in the end as to whether tutoring is required in today’s dynamic education environment or not. So let us start off this journey by discussing these myths and realities:

• Myth 1: Tutoring is only required for laggards

• Reality: Please note that tutoring is provided to children who take longer to grasp things but that do not make them laggards. Moreover; there are examples where even intelligent students have taken tutoring as an option to get more personalized attention and get good knowledge from the subject. No child should feel ashamed while asking help from tutors as this is essential for their overall progress.

• Myth 2: Tutoring is only for rich people

• Reality: There are various families who spend thousands of dollars on private tutors to make the future of their child but that does not mean that tutoring in general is expensive. There are different types of tutoring courses which are provided in accordance to needs of the child through online means. These online courses are very reasonable in cost and finding a relevant online tutor for your child is quite an easy task. You can learn about different pay scales of tutors based on major cities by copying and pasting the link below to a separate browser:

http://blog.tutorspree.com/post/15257341578/state-of-tutoring 

• Myth 3: Tutoring is required only if the teacher is not their job perfectly

• Reality: The reason for hiring a tutor can be different from the skill sets of their teacher. A teacher normally has to handle a classroom filled with large number of students. Hence; it becomes very difficult for them to pay attention to the individual needs of a student. In such cases to derive more knowledge from the subject tutoring is considered as an option. This is not to say that the teacher is not doing their duty properly; it is just that your child needs a little more attention than the other children.

• Myth 4: Tutoring saves students from getting “F” grade

• Reality: Like I have already depicted earlier; a knowledgeable child can also take the help of a tutor. Hence; it is not very important to think about grades when you first enroll for a tutoring course. The ultimate objective should be to gain knowledge from the course. If the child derives the requisite knowledge they will get much higher grade than F in their tests and exams.

• Myth 5: Tutoring takes lots of time

• Reality: Always remember that quantity does not ensure quality. Hence; even an hour’s study on a lesson can have an everlasting impression on the minds of the child. Once the child develops confidence in the tutoring style of the tutor it becomes very easy to enhance their confidence and make them learn new topics easily. Most tutors also give adequate amount of time to ensure that the child gets desired attention from them and get requisite knowledge from the course.

• Myth 6: Tutoring will solve all the problems of the child

• Reality: Tutors are not walking encyclopedia, they cannot provide answers to each and every problem of the child. But if you stay in contact with the teacher at school and ask them about the weaknesses of the child then they can be overcome with the help of tutors. Tutors will make your child develop independent quality to solve problems; and apply their knowledge, to get the desired resolution after understanding their weak points; and work on the improvement of these points.  

Hence; after going through these myths and realities I can safely conclude that tutors are required in today’s educational field. But they should be selected quite wisely after proper scrutinization. I would like to conclude this blog by mentioning a quote from Thomas Jane,

“We always need more tutors, because there are students who are waiting for a tutor to help them improve their reading, writing, math, or basic computer skills."

If you wish to provide your feedback and comments on this blog; follow us at: http://www.facebook.com/PracTutor, http://hardik.practutor.com

PracTutor
12806 Townepark Way

Louisville, KY 40243-2311

United States

http://www.practutor.com

Using creative methods to break the bad habits in children

It is natural for a child to have some habits inhibited in them. But if they are bad then it becomes very difficult for the parents and the tutors to break these habits. Hence; I have dedicated this blog in solving this concern by providing creative methods to break the bad habits in children.

I am a firm believer of the fact that children are fast grasper of the facts. Whatever they see from the surroundings they adopt it sub-consciously hence it is very important to keep their immediate environment free from contagious and bad habits. Sometimes they follow certain traits from their parents which are not good like shouting very loudly with each other, bad mouthing in front of the child or speaking badly about someone in presence of the child. These things have tremendous affect on the child in the long term. Hence; it is very important to keep a check on your activities as mature adults as see to it that children are not seeing things that should be avoided in front of them. Some of the basic bad habits in children constitute of biting nails, nose picking, not answering courteously to immediate circle for example saying please, thank you and sorry in day to day life, thumb sucking and knuckle cracking. Now these things become habits in the long term which are very difficult to break even during early adulthood. Hence; parents and tutors need to take adequate actions in order to curb these habits from children.

Now these habits are not formed with one instance but when they sub-consciously follow the same things over time they become habits which are quite difficult to break. It is also very easy to distinguish a good habit from a bad habit. For example; reading a comic book is a good habit for a child but biting nails is a bad habit. Once these habits are formed subconsciously it is very difficult to stop them. Now these habits form due to external pressure, anxiety or to release tension. Parents need to very patient with the child when the first observe these bad habits. It is very easy to punish the child when you see them with doing these activities. But by punishing them, you are encouraging them to continue with the activities for longer time. Rather than using the stick as an option, try to use the other approach of making the child understand the negative aspects of the habit.

Before I enumerate different creative methods of curbing these bad habits let me depict a quote from Rob Gilbert,

“First we form habits, then they form us. Conquer your bad habits or they will conquer you.”

As we can see if the habits are not broken quickly they become very vicious which can be very destructive for the child. Hence; let me now get to the point and give you various creative methods which can help parents to break the bad habits in children:

• Have a frank talk with the child: See without speaking with the child it will be very difficult for you to help them out. Hence; try to be patient with them and explain the various negative things that can happen if they continue with the habit. Initially ask them the reason for developing this habit. If it is because of some form of pressure or tension; ask them to look for other activities that can help them divert their attention from this habit. This way they will discontinue habit without any force.

• Give positive reinforcement when you find the child discontinuing the habit: When you find that the child does not follow the bad habit for a particular time period observe them carefully and then give them encouragement, thereby reinforcing the successes that they have achieved by discontinuing the habit for the duration and then call attention to the setbacks that can be overcome if they discontinue with this habit. Set a new goal for the child and ask them to curb their bad habit for particular number of days. This will help the child to gain confidence and be very effective in curbing their habit permanently.

• Ask them to make a commitment to their family about discontinuance of the habit: This is one of the best motivating methods that can influence the child to give up on the habit. Ask them to make a promise in front of the entire family including grandparents, family friends and teachers. This way everyone will support them to break free from this habit.

• Teach relaxation techniques to the child: Nail biting, sucking thumb are attributes of nervousness which can be curbed with the help of relaxation techniques. Ask them to practice breathing techniques. They should also try for positive self-talk whenever they feel stressed out or nervous.

• Patience is the best virtue: Since habits are not formed overnight. It will be difficult to change them instantly. Have patience and try to reduce the number of times the child is repeating the habit in a day. Once it is reduced considerably you can aim for the complete eradication of the habit. But if for some reasons, it is not possible to reduce the habit then it is always recommended to visit a mental health professional to get proper treatment of the child. But this method is normally only used in serious cases where the habit cannot be curbed through behavioral intervention.

Normally you would see parents using force to curb these habits from the child. But since I have always tried to solve concerns using creative means; I wanted to display different methods which will not only help the child overcome these bad habits but will also make them realize the importance of keeping a relaxed mind and healthy body for building good habits.

If you wish to post your comments and feedback about this article; follow us at: http://www.facebook.com/PracTutor, http://hardik.practutor.com

PracTutor
12806 Townepark Way

Louisville, KY 40243-2311

United States

http://www.practutor.com

Different learning styles of different students and how these styles affect the tutoring patterns

In my blogs I have always tried to look at different means of instilling creativity in children. This write-up is about different learning styles adopted by different students and how these styles affect the tutoring pattern.

Every child has a unique way of absorbing and learning things. When you are meeting a child for the first time it might take you some time to get their learning methods. But these learning methods can mean a lot for a tutor in strategizing long term planning for a child. In my blogs I have always concentrated on various facets through which children can be creatively engrossed in learning activities. In this blog I will talk about different learning styles in different students which make it mandatory for a tutor to change their teaching style according to the learning style of the student. But first of all let me enumerate different learning styles in children. According to an article written with the same subject by D. H. Sailor, he says that there are various theories which revolve around different learning styles of children but he finds the model discussed by Sliver, Strong and Perini in 1997 a good example which accumulates all the major learning from different theories and try to adopt in their model. So let me discuss about this model in detail to make it interesting for you to understand the different learning styles for students:

• Mastery Learners: These types of learners are aggressors. They try to absorb every new information in a step-by-step process. They are very clear about their objectives and like things which are depicted in simple manner. They believe in practical application of the learning. About 35% of students fall under this category.

• Understanding Learners: They have the innate quality of asking lots of questions. They are curious to learn new things and are inquisitive to learn them as quickly as possible. They have good reasoning ability which makes them good inspiration of transforming their ideas into practical solutions.  They are quite logical in their approach and always ask the question why whenever they are in doubt. They look for proof or evidence whenever they find it difficult to get the theory and are very practical in their approach. About 35% of students fall under this category.      

                         

• Self-Expressive Learners: These types of learners depend on their feelings and what they see in material to absorb things. They are artistic by nature and value originality. About 12% of students fall in this category.

• Interpersonal Learners: These learners require a group to perform better. They absorb ideas by sharing it with others. They are always very contributive and value the inputs that are useful for the entire group. They believe in providing services to fellow colleagues through volunteering. About 18% of students fall under this category.

But this theory cannot be used rigidly for each and every scenario. You can find that with a change in scenario, a self expressive learner might adopt the style of interpersonal learner’s style in different situation. For example; Imagine a scenario where the students are given a project on social studies. A self-expressive learner can create the project on his own; but by adopting “interpersonal learners” style he/she can get better knowledge of the project by contributing and sharing different ideas with each other and coming up with a creative project.

Likewise, we have already heard that creative people use left side of their brains and intellectuals use right side of the brain. But imagine a situation wherein you have to adopt both creativity and intellectuality to solve the problem. In that case you are using equal proportions of both sides of the brain. Moreover, there are children who are good are storytelling, drama or writing. While there are others who are very good at crafts, field trips, experiments and learning musical instrument.  

Hence; it is very important for the tutors to understand the learning style that is most comfortable with the child and then progress with their work. This will enable them to teach them in a better way and make them grasp things in a proper way through different ways that the child likes rather than teaching them in the same vein as taught previously. This way the creativity in the child can be developed and the tutor’s responsibility of imparting knowledge in the best possible way would be fulfilled.

If you would like to post your comments and feedback on this article; follow us at: http://www.facebook.com/PracTutor, http://hardik.practutor.com

PracTutor
12806 Townepark Way

Louisville, KY 40243-2311

United States

http://www.practutor.com

Fostering creativity in children at a very young age

Creativity has always been a debatable topic in any blog. But this write-up is different as I have discussed about different ways through which children can foster creativity at a very young age.

I have always given prime importance to creativity in my blogs. The reason for that is quite simple. Children are fearless in their initial years and hence they always are the first ones to try something different. But after couple of years as the child grows up the creativity in them decreases. Hence, the objective of this blog is to bring about different ways through which creativity in children can be fostered at a very young age which cannot be lost even after their teen years. According to an article titled “THE 7 BIGGEST CREATIVITY KILLERS” by GAIA AND ANDREW GRANT, a research was conducted and after analyzing lacs of IQ scores of children and adults it was found that although creativity scores kept on increasing till 1990, there has been a significant drop in the numbers since that period. It was also found that in a sample of about 1500 children aged 3-5, 98 percent ranked as “geniuses” in divergent thinking. While the percent fell to just 32 percent for children aged 8-10 years and by the age 13-15 years it declined further to a 10 percent. These figures are real and you can read about this interesting observation by clicking on the title of the article mentioned above.

Now let us get back and try to understand why does our creativity fall to such an enormous after our initial childhood days? The question is quite difficult to answer. But the one thing that I have observed in children is that they are quite inquisitive in learning new things and never feel bored in trying different things. But when we reach adulthood we are bound by the pressures of the society. We kill our creativity by doing the routing chore activities and thereby avoiding our inner voice which tells us to do something different. There is a child inside all of us which wants to try different and unique things but has been succumbed because of the external pressures of the society. Hence; the need of the hour is to encourage children in such a manner that they do not leave this creativity and curiosity. They should be encouraged to try different things in creative manner. Therefore, it is very important to foster creativity in children at a tender age of 5-12 years. In this blog I will try to cover up different ways through which you can encourage children to be creative and produce wonderful ideas indefinitely.

So let me start off by explaining each and every point in complete detail; so that children can find the freedom of expression in developing new ideas and concepts through creative means:

• Assign a place for creating: This is the most important thing for a child. When you give him the space to think about things with their belongings they are at their best. They can then think creatively and come up with astonishing ideas which have never been thought of. The key is to observe the child when they are alone and see how they are using the different tools that are available in the room to creative purposes. This will help us learn more about how creatively the child is thinking and can be used as a benchmark for future creative ideas.

• Expose them to imaging places and things that they will only dream of: When you take the child to a zoo and see a lion or tiger tell them to visualize about being in an African Safari. Ask them what kind of animals will they encounter over there? What would the Safari look like? How would the smell of animals be like? What noises would the animals make? This way you can develop creativity in children. You can even ask them to imagine being Popeye and Bluto, the bad guy takes away Olive to a jungle where there are different types of animals. Now ask them if they are Popeye; how will they save Olive from the animals and Bluto simultaneously? The answers that they give will instill creativity and will encourage them to think differently in a lighter vain as children love cartoons.

• Give free time to children: Leave the child with some free time. You know creativity comes during times when your mind is completely free. This way they can play with their toys and do things in an unstructured way. This way they will do something different which was never thought of which will instill creativity in them.

• Ask questions which instill creativity in children: When you are alone with the child ask them to come up with creative solutions to puzzles or ask them to mention their most creative moments. This way they will give creative ideas which are different and are never tried before.

• Arouse critical thinking in children: When the child gets older ask them how they would have solved a particular problem if they were about 2 years younger? Ask them to give reasons as to why they would approach the problem differently now as opposed to two years ago. This way you can brainstorm the child and get new thoughts from their creative minds which can give fresh outlook on the scenario.

I would like to end this blog by mentioning a quote from “William Blake”

“What is now proved was once only imagined.”

Hence, always encourage children to imagine and visualize the world in an entirely different way. This way they will instill creativity in their lives and will cultivate these habits since a very young age. If you have any questions or comments on this subject; feel free to follow us at: http://www.facebook.com/PracTutor, http://hardik.practutor.com

PracTutor
12806 Townepark Way

Louisville, KY 40243-2311

United States

http://www.practutor.com

The intricate part of making children learn spellings through tutoring

Every child has a gift within themselves and spelling keywords properly is also a gift which can be learned with proper guidance and training. In this blog I have discussed various ways through which children can be taught spellings through tutoring.

I have discussed a lot of different methods of teaching innovatively for English in my previous blog titled “Determining a breakthrough teaching mechanism for English online tutors”. You can read about the different innovative methods that can be applied while teaching English to children by copying and pasting the link given above to a separate browser. Now you might be wondering what is so different about this blog anyways because I have already discussed about different innovative methods in English language in my previous write-up. But today this write-up is on a different subject. I will speak about a very difficult scenario for tutors especially when it comes to teaching those children who are not very good at learning spellings for English language. Now I know that you might be wondering that there are so many blogs on the same topic available on the net and what is so different in this blog. I will explain that in a minute or so but first of all let me tell you that spelling skills cannot be learned in a day or two and need to be practiced for a longer time to make the child expert in spelling keywords correctly. Children usually lose their focus and mix up different letters while spelling them or they find it difficult to spell the word correctly despite lot of effort and concentration on their part. But the good news is that with practice and hard work proficiency can be developed in this area that can help children spell even difficult words with ease.

Now let me enumerate different ways that can help you make children learn spellings through tutoring:

• Ask the child to repeat the spelling of the keyword several times: I now recall my childhood days and remember that whenever I had some problems in any subject during my secondary education I used to go to my father and ask him to help me out with that subject. The only thing he used to tell me was to repeat the questions and answers several times, retaining a significant line in between and then asking them questions based on the line. In the end I had to tell him that I have understood everything and used to work on the subject myself.

In similar way, ask the child to repeat the spelling of the keyword several times loudly; and then try to write it about 10 times without looking at the reference book. This way the child will increase their grasping power, and retain the spelling for a longer period of time.

• Develop sentences based on the keyword and use sentences from that word: Now this strategy is quite useful when there are two words which are pronounced the same way like: seen and scene. Here the word “C” is silent in scene, hence; it is very important to make the child understand the difference between the two words by explaining that seen means to perceive with the eyes; while scene is a place, with the people, objects, and events in it, regarded as having a particular character or making a particular impression. After making the child understand the difference; form sentences based on the keyword. Like for example; today I have seen a scene from a play on Julius Caesar in theatre. This way the child will try to recognize the difference between the two words. This activity is particularly important to clear confusion from the minds of the child. Always try to use different examples for similar keywords for example; there, their, they’re and explain the meaning of each of these keywords properly so that the child is not confused while spelling these words.

• Do a mock spelling test:  For similar pronunciations of different words, say the word loudly in front of the child and then give them hints about the association of the keyword with different parts of speech for example; adjective, noun, verb, adverb etc. Then use the keyword in a sentence; and ask them to repeat the sentence loudly by repeating the keyword. This is particularly useful for children who find it difficult to write or read. This method can also eliminate the test anxiety amongst children.

If you find that the child has progressed a lot while taking their test; praise them, and always encourage them to do better. Increase their self-confidence by giving them incentives; whenever they spell a particular keyword properly. This way they will be encouraged to give their best; and it will be more like a playtime for them. Also maintain a scorecard and show it to them regularly; so that they can get positive vibes from it. They can then approach the next spell test with confidence.

If you wish to contribute further and post your comments and feedback on different ways through which children can be taught to learn spellings through tutoring; follow us at: http://www.facebook.com/PracTutor, http://hardik.practutor.com

PracTutor
12806 Townepark Way

Louisville, KY 40243-2311

United States

http://www.practutor.com

Illustrious characteristics which make eminent tutors differ from their competitors

I have always focused on children in my blogs but this blog is completely different. This time around I have concentrated on illustrious characteristics which make eminent tutors differ from their competitors.

Tutoring is not an easy profession. It requires lot of dedication and hard-work on the part of the tutor. There is lot of stress that needs to be dealt in a positive manner to make things easier for the children. A part of tutor’s job is to make life easier for the children. If they are able to do this through innovative techniques they are termed to be different from their competitors. They get a distinguished attention from the child’s parents and also get full support of the child. But what makes these tutors different from their competitors. In this blog I will highlight key characteristics that make eminent tutors different from their competitors. But first of all let me tell you something that I have learned from my personal experience. A good tutor always thinks from the perspective of a child and understands their psyche thereby changing their teaching methods according to the mood of the child. According to Albert Einstein,

“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.”

Let me now discuss the characteristics which make some tutors distinguished from their competitors:

• Proficiency of the tutor: A good tutor shows their proficiency with the way they handle the child; and teaches them through different techniques. Every child has a different temperament. Some are very quiet, while others like to waste time. Hence, it is the duty of a tutor to make the child learn the subjects through creative ways; so that they can develop interest in the topics instantly. This can be done through story-boards, asking them to write the story of the lesson in their own words without looking at the book or show visuals of animations of the chapter and ask them to write the story in their own words. This will help children in developing interests in the chapters and hence; would showcase the proficiency of the tutor in handling the child tactfully without using force.

• Familiarity of the subject: A good tutor is always ready for teaching even in late evenings. This trait makes them different from others. They are so enthusiastic of the subject that they fail to notice the time that they have spent with the children. They are always eager to share their knowledge with the children and are very good at learning new things. They showcase their talent by displaying their ability of making the child understand the chapters without any problem through different teaching techniques. They are specialized in that subject and so have gained mastery over it which makes it easier for them to impart knowledge to the children.

• Professional approach while dealing with difficult situations: A good tutor always shows professionalism while dealing with a tough child who is adamant of not studying. They use all their skills in making the student learn the subject through different methods in a professional manner. They never lose their cool when the child misbehaves or when they deal with the parents of the child.

• Instant availability of tutor most of the times: Now this is one of the most important characteristics which makes a good tutor differ from ordinary ones. A good tutor always takes out time for the child whenever possible. Even if they are not able to devote more time they ask the child to send them email and be in touch with them in case of any problem. Always remember that a good tutor will always have personal touch with the child most of the time. This is also one of the ways to gain confidence of the child in terms of teaching ability of the tutor.

Eminent tutors are always different from their competitors in these points. But the one thing that makes them most desirable is the ability of connection that they build with the children. They make friends with the children as soon as possible and try to use different teaching methods to make children understand the chapters in a fun-loving and creative manners.

I would look to conclude this blog by mentioning a quote from John Lubbock,

“The important thing is not so much that every child should be taught, as that every child should be given the wish to learn.”

If you wish to add on to the points mentioned above, please send us your feedback and comments as soon as possible by following us at: http://www.facebook.com/PracTutor, http://hardik.practutor.com

PracTutor
12806 Townepark Way

Louisville, KY 40243-2311

United States

http://www.practutor.com