SERVICES
Subject-Specific Tutoring
Organizational and Learning Skills
Standardized Test Preparation
College Counseling
Academic Achievement Testing
Home-schooling Support
Oral Communication Coaching and Accent Modification
Proofing and Editing Services
SUBJECT-SPECIFIC TUTORING
Tutoring in most subject areas at all grade levels from kindergarten through college is available. We can work with the student for the entire semester or school year, or we can help the student through a challenging topic.
Some of the courses we tutor include:
- Elementary Reading, Phonics, and Spelling
- Elementary and Middle School Science
- Elementary and Middle School Social Studies
- Elementary and Middle School Language Arts
- Elementary and Middle School Mathematics
- American History, World History, Economics, Government
- Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, II, and III
- Geometry
- Trigonometry and Pre-Calculus
- Calculus
- Statistics
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- English and Writing (also see "Proofing and Editing Services" below)
- Spanish, French, Latin, Greek
If you are interested in finding a tutor for a course not on the above list, just ask!
return to topORGANIZATIONAL AND LEARNING SKILLS
We very often find that a student's lack of success in school is rooted in trouble staying organized and knowing how to use their resources for maximum academic performance. Therefore, Brainiac Tutors seek to integrate skills such as note-taking, note-book management, project management, day planner skills, etc. into each session. We can also provide supplementary sessions that are specifically geared towards teaching these skills.
return to topSTANDARDIZED TEST PREPARATION
ACT and PSAT/SAT
Every student should prepare for the ACT and PSAT/SAT. Test preparation is most effective when the student meets with us for an assessment several months prior to the test date. Realizing that this is not always possible, Brainiac Tutoring has set up two separate tracks for ACT prep and PSAT/SAT prep:
- The "Full Course" for either the ACT or PSAT/SAT has several components, including a pre-test, instruction, and a post-test. The student begins by taking a pre-test. Brainiac Tutoring scores the test and provides the parents with a full report, by test subsection, indicating which specific skills need to be strengthened. Brainiac recommends a specific schedule and customized curriculum to help the student develop skills. The amount of instruction time for students generally ranges from 2 to 22 hours, depending on the deficiencies found. After instructional sessions and student homework have been completed, a post-test is administered, scored, analyzed, and presented to the parents.
- The "Short Course" for either the ACT or the PSAT/SAT includes instruction on how to take the various subsections of the test and as much skill practice as possible, within the constraints of the time available.
Other Standardized Test Prep
Brainiac Tutoring also provides test preparation services for other standardized tests such as the ISEE, GED and GRE. Call or write for details.
return to topCOLLEGE COUNSELING
The college search process is a unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience that can be different for each individual student. Therefore, students and families may seek guidance in a variety of areas. Below, you will find a list of just some of the types of assistance that we offer:
- organizing of application materials and creating a plan of action to meet deadlines
- creating and refining a list of prospective colleges
- preparing resumes
- advice on college essays and short answer questions
- preparing for interviews
- requesting recommendations
- advice on standardized test taking and score reporting
- tips on communicating with colleges
- suggestions for maximizing impact at college fairs and campus visits
- ideas for getting to know reps when they are at your school or just in town
- explanations of basic admission and deadline terminology
- tips on applying for scholarships and need-based aid
- explanation of general college admission etiquette
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT TESTING
Sometimes group standardized testing conducted at the school does not yield complete information about the specific nature of a student's strengths and weaknesses. Individual achievement testing allows the educational specialist to observe how a student approaches the processing demands of the task, allowing for a better analysis of strengths and weaknesses.
This information can be beneficial to all persons working with the student, including providing our Brainiac tutors with helpful information to get off to a quick and successful start on the road to stronger academic performance. It can also be useful for meeting testing requirements for home-schooled students.
Targeted testing can be conducted in the areas listed below:- Mathematics component: includes analysis of math computation and fluency, quantitative reasoning of math concepts, and abstract and applied reasoning skills.
- Reading component: includes analysis of how the student applies decoding skills (particularly for younger students), phonemic understanding, word vocabulary understanding, and the ability to comprehend.
- Written Expression: component includes an analysis of building blocks to effective writing skill, including spelling skills, mechanics of writing, fluency in building simple sentences, and writing more complex sentences in response to prompts.
For students struggling across many aspects of academics, a comprehensive battery of all of these areas can provide additional insight into the nature of struggles, thus providing more complete information for recommendation and intervention purposes.
After the testing is complete, we will analyze the information, prepare a short written report that contains appropriate recommendations targeted to the unique needs of your student, and then meet with you to discuss the findings.
return to topHOME-SCHOOLING SUPPORT
Brainiac Tutoring provides instruction in selected courses within the student's curriculum or selected topics within a course. Call for more information.
return to topORAL COMMUNICATION COACHING AND ACCENT MODIFICATION
In today's competitive job market, you need to have the ability and confidence to use your voice effectively. Our Communication Experts are trained to meet the needs of organizations and individuals seeking to optimize their ability to communicate professionally. They are friendly, sensitive to cultural differences, and passionate about helping our clients achieve excellence in communication.
Accent Modification Services can be delivered in private coaching sessions or small group classes. Our Accent Reduction Expert, a certified Compton P-ESL Trainer teaches:
- how to reduce an accent in daily speech
- proper American English pronunciation
- prosody (intonation and stress)
- how to use American idioms correctly in professional and social settings
Course plans are designed on a case-by-case basis. Call for more information.
Presentation, Speech and Communication Skills can be taught in private coaching sessions or small group classes. Our Oral Communications Expert teaches individuals how to:
- be more naturally confident and dynamic in front of an audience
- access personal vocal charisma, and how to use it to in every situation
- increase the clarity of your diction, articulation, intonation and stress
- improve breath support, voice placement, and vocal quality, so that the voice is clearer, richer, more versatile and more confident
- develop awareness and understanding of cultural factors affecting communication
Course plans are designed on a case-by-case basis. Call for more information.
return to topPROOFING AND EDITING SERVICES
Brainiac Tutoring's Writing Experts are available to help students at every stage of the writing process for any type of paper or assignment. This help is available both in-person and on-line depending on the needs of the individual student.
Some of our writing services include:
- Grammar Instruction
- Outlining Assistance
- Pre-writing Techniques
- Research Methods
- Writing an Effective Thesis Statement
- Writing Effective Topic Sentences
- Consistency and Effectiveness of Ideas
- Editing and Proofreading
- MLA and APA Format Checks
The first step is a brief Initial Consultation with the Writing Expert. This Initial Consultation will help the Writing Expert understand exactly what the assignment is and what type of assistance is desired.
After the Initial Consultation, the Writing Expert will put forth a Proposed Work Plan. The Work Plan will include an outline of services agreed upon during the Initial Consultation. In addition, since it is critical that a student understand how to improve his or her writing for future assignments, the Work Plan will include a follow-up session with the Writing Expert to discuss the grammar/proofreading changes that were suggested.
Special Notes:
- One double-spaced page (12 pt font, Times New Roman) of proofreading usually takes about a half-hour, but this will vary depending on the amount of work requested. It is important to keep in mind that some people require more help than others. If the Expert foresees a page as taking longer than a half-hour, the client will be informed before work is performed.
- The Follow-up Session can be done via an online write-up (where the Expert explains exactly what the student needs to work on and why), a phone conversation, or an in-person discussion.
