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Summer Learning and Why It is Powerful

Attention! This website will be moving to TutorBird!

Summer Offerings!

You are already approaching the end of the school year. Many of you will be thinking about what the summer looks like for your families and I want to share some learning opportunities for your child.

I have really been doing a deep dive into creating some amazing opportunities for your child. I know how crazy summer time can be, and sometimes we are focused on daycare schedules, swimming lessons, summer ball schedules, camps, and just the normal hustle and bustle of daily life.

This is why I am sharing this information with you now. You’ll have time to think about it and sign up for my waitlist.

I had so much fun at the summer adventure camp I offered last summer, I have decided to bring it back! This will be a live virtual group that meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11 am Central Standard Time for approximately 40-45 minutes. This group will be diving deep into reading. Each week we will explore a picture book, learn more about the world around us as we develop background knowledge. We will learn vocabulary words and do some writing to support what we are learning. Your child will have a dedicated learning space I call an EdHub for Learning where they will join the meeting. But your family can go back in and do more learning outside of our time together.

This group runs from the first week in June through August 16th, 2024. Students need to have completed Kindergarten, First, or Second grade to participate.

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I am running this as a tuition group. You’ll not only have 2 opportunities per week to join a live group with other children and, of course, me, but you can go back in and practice as much as you’d like!

Your child will also have a dedicated online practice portal where they can go at any time of the day to take a deep dive into reading, math, and typing.

This group will fill up fast, so get onto the waitlist before I close it!

Click here to sign up for LIVE K-2 Classes

What Other Opportunities Do Parents Have?

For families that just cannot commit to a specific day time due to your busy schedules, I have built Log-in-and-Learn EdHubs. These EdHubs are managed by parents. I have the structure for you, but you get to determine what day, what time, how long your child is practicing their skills.

I have added practice materials that my students would useif they were working on in our lessons. Your child will have access to recorded stories that I have read, recorded reading comprehension strategies, downloadables for your family to pick and choose from, links and pdfs to practice not only reading but: vocabulary, writing, science, art, and math!

Another bonus, I have built out two age groups to chose from, Kindergarten though 2nd grade and 3rd-Fifth grade.

Want to learn more?

Follow the link to get signed up for the waitlist and learn more! Register here:

K-2

3-5

Are you looking for resources that you can use with your child? I have a few places you can seek printables for your child.

Free Resources from Tutoring with Sheryl

Paid Resources from Tutoring with Sheryl

Tutoring with Sheryl Podcast

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Why I use EdHubs with my Students 

If this is the first time you have stumbled upon me, let me introduce myself. My name is Sheryl Uehling. I am a former elementary school teacher with 32 years of teaching in public schools in the state of Nebraska and current owner of Tutoring with Sheryl and Tech Coach for Tutors. 

My career was wonderful. It challenged me in so many ways. I learned how to teach, create, counsel, and be patient. The first 20 years were spectacular.  I was excited, energized, and eager to spend as much time in my classroom as possible.  Afterall, working hard to get the expected outcomes was a sign of achievement for my students as well as myself.  My parents and grandparents had modeled this to me from my earliest recollection,  so I knew what it meant to put in the time and effort it takes to get the results you want!

But, after raising 3 children of my own, being married to a hard working farmer, taking care of our property, earning a Master Degree in Curriculum and Instruction,  meeting the daily demands of teaching, managing an ever increasing population of misbehaving students, having more expected outcomes with less time to prepare,  I finally decided to retire. I cried buckets of tears. How could I possibly leave the career I had built and the community of students that had been such an integral part of my life? How would I stay connected to my teacher friends? I felt like I was closing the door on education.  

I applied to a few jobs but nothing really resonated with me. I just kept thinking, I am not ready to leave the classroom.  But, I really couldn’t sustain the expectations any longer. I had made the decision to try tutoring.  I had researched tutoring and stumbled upon JoAnne Kaminski two years prior to my exodus from the classroom and had worked partime for Varsity Tutors, so I did have experience and research.  I made a website, pasted a decal on my car with my website.  I had one student the summer I retired and gradually, I built my presence and abilities to tutor online as an independent tutor.

None of this happened overnight.  It took me quite awhile to get my systems in place.

As I gained additional students and narrowed my teaching niche, I was able to identify resources I needed to be successful.  

I had to figure out what ways to be successful with my teaching as well as my planning.I was using Google sheets to store links for websites, I was downloading pdfs and then searching for them on my desktop or adding them to my drive and loosing them. I was creating numerous jamboards as whiteboard options for my students. I was saving my YouTube videos as liked videos. Ugh, it just wasn’t working. I was trying to be productive, but I was just creating a mess for myself.

I stopped to reflect and I remember asking myself,  why was I not using Google Classroom? I had used it in my classroom for differentiation. I had to teach in small groups in public schools. I would work with a small group of students, and then the rest of my students would be working on other independent and buddy activities.  I knew how to differentiate and how to utilize this powerful tool. It was simple enough for students,  but effective for the teacher when managing lots of things! I had the answer to my frustrations.

So, as I began to move my students from in-person to online the first year I was tutoring, I began creating individual classrooms for my students.  

Each student had a private meeting link embedded in their classroom so they could always find it no matter what. They had all of the necessary links for the instruction I was providing. 

I had suddenly simplified my life and created an enhanced learning experience for my students! They could come back at anytime to continue learning! Presto! EdHubs had been created and I didn’t even have a name for them yet. 

Over time my EdHubs have developed and changed to meet the needs of my students. As I have created small groups and instructional hubs, the goals have changed but the concept has not. 

I am proud to share this experience with my tutoring families as well as other amazing eduators. 

If you are looking for an amazing tutoring experience for your child, I have it!

If you are an educator looking for more information,  I have that as well! I offer support to teachers, tutors, and small businesses who are seeking solutions to streamling educational content for their audience. From Realtors, hair dressers,  and educators alike, there are unique and powerful ways to integrate Google Classroom into your business.  

For more information,  fill ot the appointment form, and I will get back to you.

Best Time to Contact You(required)

https://midwesttutor.com

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Why Do I Use Decodables with My Struggling Readers?

Struggling readers need plenty of support. During most of my lessons, my students go through a process of learning through phonics-based instruction.  As my students practice their systematic instruction they learn the letter sounds and letter combinations that create the words they read. I use decodable readers as they read text during their lessons. It is important that my students are seeing words they can sound out based on the skills they have learned. 

Once my students begin to gain confidence with decodable texts, I then begin to introduce grade level text. That may seem like a recipe for failure,  but it isn’t.  What happens is, my students have been working so diligently at sounding out words, this carries over into non decodable text, and they suddenly find themselves using their decoding skills with words they don’t know. As they continue to gain confidence and knowledge about cracking the code, they can decode more and more words. 

Then we begin to incorporate more and more writing as they gain more knowledge about words and suddenly they are improving in their spelling and writing. Afterall,  it really is all connected.  

My students are seeing dramatic gains, their parents are delighted, and the kids are improving not only in reading, but in all of their classes. I get so excited when I get reports from their parents about how they are doing. I get even more excited when our meetings begin with the kids telling me about their successes in the classroom.  

This process isn’t always easy for the kids, but once they see their hard work is paying off, their attitudes change. The parents are a vital part of this success. From making sure they are in attendance,  communicating with me about progress as well as problems,  and understanding that this is a process. There is no magic pill. It takes time, but the rewards are immeasurable.  

If you have a Kindergarten through Fifth grade student who needs extra support, contact me for their free reading assessment. Let’s get them on track. 

Second semester is here. Your child is confronted with new information,  review is over,  the words are more challenging as well as the expectations.  

I will be announcing my summer offerings soon. You’ll want to check back in the coming months as I will be revealing my EdHubs for Summer Learning, My Summer Reading Adventure Camp, and I will be continuing with my one-to-one reading support. My summer schedule begins on June 1st. Summer sessions run from 8 am-10am, CST. Reading camps will run from 10-11am, CST. EdHubs will be available 24 hours per day, they are set up as log-in-and-learn sessions and are subscription based. They are updated monthly.  

If you’d like to be placed on the summer wait list, be sure to email me directly at sheryluehling@gmail.com.  

Be sure to tune into the Tutoring with Sheryl podcast on Spotify. You can find me at this link. Click here. 

To book your reading assessment, fill out the form! I will get back to you!

If you are a teacher, wanting to learn more about tutoring,  be sure to check out:

Tech Coach for Tutors

You can find me on social media. Click the link to discover those locations.

Enjoy the resource library to support your child on their learning journey.

Book a READING ASSESSMENT

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Why is Vocabulary an Important Piece of the Reading Puzzle?

Reading is such a complex skills and it requires so many pieces of the puzzle. One factor to reading comprehension success is simply having a bank of words that children know and can understand. Even if your child is able to read the text, if they do not have a solid understanding of the words used, the text is meaningless. 

Part of the instructional strategies I use with my students is to build vocabulary. Having a strong knowledge of words in the language you are reading, will really help the reader understand what they are reading. 

My husband farms, and I remember when we were first dating, he would use words for the machinery he was using in the fields. I had no clue what he was talking about, until I saw the machine in action. He would try to explain it to me, and it just didn’t make sense. Afterall, I grew up in a city. As he taught me about his craft and I saw the tools he used it gradually made sense when he was talking to me about what he had done during his day. 

He had a similar experience with me. I would talk in teacher lingo about IEPs, 504s, behavior contracts, lesson plans, and grading scales. He was familiar with grading scales because he was a student earlier in life. But the other terms were just a bunch of nonsense. 

Both of these are examples of the struggle someone can have in conversation. Let’s consider the struggle a student would have when they are reading a text and they have not learned the vocabulary that goes with the text.

When we consider how many words we have in the English language and the sheer amount of information someone needs to know to be a really proficient reader, it can feel like an overwhelming task. 

Do not get overly worried about this. It will take time for your child to develop all of these skills. Let’s just take a step back and consider all of the opportunities you have to help them develop a strong vocabulary. 

My first suggestion is to read with your child. Stop at appropriate times in the text (book) you are sharing and talk about words. Choose a word to talk about. Then have your child use it in a sentence. Then go back to the reading to keep your story moving along. When you are finished, talk more about that word. Use it in daily conversation. Pretty soon, your child is going to know that word. 

Consider using a variety of words for everyday items. This will help your child build their vocabulary. Pretty soon they will start to use those words interchangably. 

Play word games like Scrabble or play crossword puzzles. These offer great opportunites for talking about words in your language. 

Don’t ignore the power of a strong vocabulary. It will help your child tackle tough texts with confidence because they will have a bucket full of words to help them understand and comprehend it. 

For more information about Tutoring with Sheryl, be sure to visit:

https://midwesttutor.com/home-2

or 

https://linktr.ee/sheryluehling

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Why Does Attending Events in the Community Show That I Support Learners?

 I have always felt a very strong commitment to my local community and I live in a space where community is hard for me to have. The reason it’s hard for me to have a community is because I personally live on a farm down a gravel road 3 miles away from the nearest community. With that being said, I have always made an effort to make sure that my kids were involved in community events. We were always very involved in our church. Both my husband and I also helped coach younger students in softball and basketball. It was really important for us to make sure that our children had experiences with other children their age. 

So I’ve always felt that community is important not only for the well-being of somebody but also to stay connected to your roots. I’ve always had a firm belief that it takes a village to raise a child. I taught at our local school for 32 years before leaving to become a professional tutor. When I was teaching I had a community already built in place for me. I had other teachers that were merely a door or two away from me. There were plenty of kids in the building for me to see, to say hi to, and to teach. When you leave the four walls of your classroom you’re suddenly on an island by yourself and you have to figure out ways to stay connected to other people.

Many people in the surrounding towns already know that I have a private tutoring business where I help support Learners with their reading. But, there is a large group of people that do not realize that this is what I’m currently doing. The best and most efficient way that I have been able to show other people what I’m doing is by showing up at community events and supporting the kids.

If you have followed my journey from classroom to private tutor you probably know many parts of my story. I started out by simply building a webpage, and opening a Facebook page to tell others what I was doing. Then I gradually started to share my message on social media like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube. What I found was many people are okay with looking at your video but it didn’t really equate to relationships. That is what I seek as a private tutor. I have a firm belief that not only should I show up in my community, but I need to build relationships with other people so they know me, and trust me.

I’m going to give you some examples of how I have shown up in my community. and when I say my community, I really do mean my local community, not just the community on the internet. The first way I showed up for my community was last winter at a community event in the closest town to me. I had recently joined the business club and we were going to invite Santa Claus to come and visit the kids. We were all asked as small businesses to contribute to the event. Right away my mind went to what can I do to help support the kids in my community? I have a love of reading and I’ve always enjoyed teaching reading. How about if I go and get books to give to the kids. My mind went directly to, who is going to give me these books? I reached out to local libraries and asked if they had any gently used books that they would be willing to share so that we could improve literacy in our small town. I had three local libraries within 25 miles of my home say yes. So I drove to these libraries, received the books, placed a sticker in each book stating where they came from, and then at the event I laid them out on a table for the kids to get a book. I also created activity pages for the kids and provided them with pencils, rulers, and of course a big smile. I knew I was doing my job to help support literacy in my community, but I was also fostering relationships. I was a part of my community.

My next big local event was participating in our County Fair parades. I live in the state of Nebraska and our county fairs are the place where we show up to support our local 4-H kids. I contacted the organizers of the parades to see if I could drive through, and throw out items for the kids in the parade. The organizers agreed that this would be fine and so my husband and I showed up to two local parades. I threw out bracelets with motivational sayings on them, bookmarks, pencils, pens, markers, and popsicles. All of these items had my QR code on them or my website on them, so parents knew where they could get in touch with me.

I then reached out to our local school districts and asked the Superintendents if I could drop off flyers to families for the teachers to put into the hands of students to take home. The Superintendents agreed, I showed up and gave a big thanks and clearly some of the teachers handed out some of my flyers. How do I know this? Because, I have already gained several students from these events. By taking the time to show up to local events, I have shown that I care about kids, and my social media and my website have proven that I am an actual tutor and I am providing services and making a difference in the lives of children.

I most recently attended Trick or Trunk at a local town that I also consider my community. This is the community where I started my teaching career. I spent 13 years at the schoolhouse in town teaching 4th, 5th and 6th graders. Then I spent the remainder of my career at the school we all moved to.  It is always a joy to go back to what I consider my hometown. I showed up with my trunk decorated. I handed out 105 bags of popcorn. and I also handed out almost 200 activity pages to local kids in the community. All of these activity Pages were centered around activities that get their minds thinking, their hands moving, and the learning going. I included my QR code and my website on those documents. Why? I want parents to know where they can get a hold of me in the future if their child runs into a problem with their learning. It is amazing to me the number of people who went into my website and started to click around and take a peek at things. I know that by showing up in my local community, I am providing parents with a resource that they probably did not know about. so time will tell as to whether or not my local marketing has a bigger impact than my global marketing.

I would love to know if you were a parent that attended any of those events. I would also like to know that if you are a parent, have you downloaded my free materials? If you are a parent, have you looked at my paid subscriptions for Interactive Learning opportunities for your child on my Learning Resource Store? Is there something that I can create to help support your child?

I really do think that sometimes people ignore the fact that you can have a positive impact in your local community. I really would encourage you to look at what you can do to help your community out. even if it is just showing up and picking up trash off the street, saying hello to a neighbor, or participating in local craft shows, or shopping locally at your local grocery store. I want to thank all of you who took the time to stop to say hi to me at all of these events. I also want to encourage you, if your child is having a learning struggle at school do not wait to get help. It does not have to be with me, but I would encourage you to look for resources or a trained professional to help them with their learning. Being stuck with a learning problem in school all day, certainly will never make it for a fun day at school. School doesn’t always have to be fun, but we do want it to be fun enough that our children are actively engaged and learning. 

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Why Won’t My Child do Their Homework?

 Parents often wonder why their child doesn’t want to do their homework. They often think it is because their child is just being lazy, or indifferent about doing the work. When kids are frustrated they often avoid doing anything. When a child is frustrated with school in general, the last thing they want to do is homework. Adding another layer to the homework issue, is when students struggle to read. If they are behind in their reading, if they cannot decode, or have any issues with any area of reading, then they will struggle to do homework. 

Let’s apply this to an imaginary child. Let’s say we have a 2nd grade student who is only a sight word reader. They are given homework and the expectation of the teacher is for them to complete the homework. 

The teacher is assuming that when the child takes the homework home, there will be someone there who will support the child. But, the reality of this is that there is no one at home who can help this child complete the homework. The child doesn’t want to disappoint the teacher, so the child attempts to do the work on their own. 

The child returns to school, hands the homework in with a smile on their face, and the teacher takes the paper and then marks it all up. The teacher pulls the child away from the group and then says they need to fix it. They might go over a few points with the child, and then they send the child back to their desk to have them fix it or they send the homework back home for another attempt. 

The reality of this situation is that it happens more often than we would like to admit. But, what is a parent or a family left to do when this is their reality? What if the parents have to work in the evening when the child needs help? What happens if the parent really wants to help, but just doesn’t have the ability to do the work. Even 2nd grade reading can present problems to parents who have no knowledge of how to teach reading. The struggle is real. I see this so often with the kids I work with. The parents really want to help, but they simply can’t. 

That is when they find me, I complete a simple assessment with the child, chat with the parents about their wishes for their child, and then we create a plan of action for how I can help their child. I meet with their child at regular intervals during the week, and then we work on filling in the gaps so the child can be successful in the classroom. 

I don’t focus on the homework, I focus on starting where the child is at and we build from there. Through regular practice and building the knowledge the student needs support with, we gradually see improvements. It is absolutely incredible to see the changes and the excitement the kids get when they see that what we are doing is actually working. The parents are excited and the teachers are relieved. 

My goal is to help the kids get the best help they can. I celebrate when parents recognize their child needs some help and they find it for them. My best advice to parents is, do not wait to get help. You will never regret finding someone who can help your child move forward with with knowledge and confidence. Afterall, if your child is struggling with reading, it is affecting ALL of their subjects.

For more information about Tutoring with Sheryl, be sure to visit:

midwesttutor.com  or https://linktr.ee/sheryluehling

If you are ready to move forward with the process of getting help for your child, be sure to use my booking link and get on my calendar. If the time doesn’t work for you, simply leave that in the notes, and we can work together to find a better time for your family.

While you are at midwesttutor.com, be sure to look at the resources for things that will help support your child with their learning adventure.

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The Importance of Reading Comprehension

Booking Link, Free Reading Assessment

As I continue with my quest to research best practices for teaching reading, I ran across an article by Anika Gibson, from Reading Rockets called Reading for Meaning: Tutoring Elementary Students to Enhance Comprehension. This author compiled some great research behind the importance of teaching reading comprehension as a skill. As a former 5th grade teacher, I agreed with what Anika had to say. In the article, Gibson speaks about the fact that reading is more than decoding words on a page. The student needs to be able to do something with what they have read. She goes on to share the researchers who unraveled this and then suggests some basic skills that we can implement with our own readers to support them in their quest to understand and use the information they are reading.

As a preface to this, it is also important to note that if a child cannot read a passage with 90% accuracy, then the passage is probably too difficult for them to understand, and then intervention needs to be supplied. I would suggest going back and discovering if the child is struggling with decoding and they need help with vowel teams and consonant clusters, prefixes, suffixes, and Greek and Latin roots. If the child has that skills, but they still are not fluent, then I would suggest the actual practice of reading aloud and working with words in general to build their ability to read smoothly and understand the words they are using with the material. But if the problem comes down to an even deeper problem of not knowing the letters and the sounds, then you have to back all the way up to the phonemic awareness and phonological practices so they build the knowledge they need to decode the words. This makes the struggle even more complex when the student is in the 3rd, 4th, 5th grades and they still cannot read. That is a conversation for another day. But, the cautionary tale of don’t wait to get help should be resounding in your head if that sounds like your child. Don’t take this lightly, they need intervention and they need it now.

Anika Gibson provided some strategies in her article and I wanted to focus on one of them. That is the use of imagery and visualization. When my students were reading a text, I would stop them and either ask them to tell me about the picture they saw in their heads as they were reading, or I would have them do a short sketch of what they read about and then talk about it. If the image didn’t match what we were reading about, I knew that the students were not comprehending what they were reading. This meant, we needed to go back into the text and dissect the text and talk about the events, characters, feelings, problems, vocabulary, and so on that they may have missed. Then rereading a portion or even perhaps the entire text and discussing it again, led to better comprehension skills.

Sometimes our students are working so hard on the physical act of reading, they cannot take the time to actually absorb what they are reading about. By stopping to investigate whether the student understands what they are reading, allows you as the instructor to immediately address the situtaion.

Anika Gibson gives many other suggestions for improving comprehension with readers, and I highly recommend her article. If you do not have time to read it, but would rather listen to me discuss it, I made a YouTube video of the article and I will link it here.

If you are seeking great research about reading, I also highly recommend Reading Rockets. They have many authors who are actively doing research and sharing many ways to teach reading. As will all learning, it is important to know your students and the skills they need support with in order to move them forward with the skills they need. This blog post is simply a discussion of one strategy that is useful when teaching reading comprehension skills, but is one that many struggling readers need support with.

If your child is stuggling to read and you need support, don’t wait to get help. If you would like to schedule a free reading assessment with me, you may go to my booking link and fill out the information. If the time provided doesn’t work, simply note that and we can reschedule it for a different time that will work for you and your child. I would love to help your child gain the necessary skills to move forwards as a knowledgeable and confident reader.

To listen to Sheryl’s podcast, visit:

Tutoring with Sheryl on Spotify

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Welcome Back to Learning! 

For most children,  school is in full swing for most children in the United States.  The newness may already be wearing off, and your child may be preparing for their first assessments.

This can cause a lot of stress for many kids. We don’t want them to fear assessments, and there are some simple things you can do to support your child as they prepare. 

If you know the date of an exam, that is always a bonus. With that in mind, you can set a study schedule where your child is doing a little but to prepare each day. That way they are not studying frantically the night before. 

Studying is a skill, just like reading and writing are. Here are a few things you can incorporate into your child’s study habits.

Reread material. A second read is always great for recall. Teach your child how to skim the material looking for things they are not familiar with. When they get to the unfamiliar portion, slow down and reread.

Note taking can begin at any age. Younger students can draw pictures for recall and talk about their understanding of the material. Older children can learn specific note taking strategies. 

Flashcards may be boring, but the good news is, you can spice them up! If your child is using them, you will need to create or use a game. I love the idea of taking something totally monotonous and turning it into a game. You can play a fun card game with them by simply collecting the cards that the student gets right and calling them points and then they lose points for the ones they miss. They try to beat their score each time. 

There are plenty of other ideas, but you can start with these ideas and you will have fun getting creative! 

Remember to stay on top of things so your child isn’t going to fall behind and get frustrated. 

If your child is struggling with reading, do not wait to intervene. Reading is the basis of all learning, so it is very important to help your child when they struggle. If you are not able to discover what is going on with your child, find someone who will do an assessment with them. I am one of those people! I always offer a free assessment and then chat with parents about what I am seeing with your child. I can offer you suggestions and if you want to move forward with services, I am happy to help you out! Here is the link to my calendar where you can create an appointment with me. The assessment takes about a half hour and then I visit with my parents afterwards. 

I hope you have a wonderful start to your year! Keep the learning going!

For more information about Tutoring with Sheryl, follow this link. You can listen to Tutoring with Sheryl on her podcast, you can follow her Facebook, Instagram, and other social media. Feel free to like and share if this is something others would benefit from!

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Small Group Adventure Camps for Your Child

Are you seeking a small group learning opportunity for your child to help boost their reading skills? I have an opportunity for you! Let me take a moment to share! But, before I forget, let me add the registration for right here, so it is easy to find!

Attending?(required)

FOR THE OLDER STUDENTS:

Reading Boost: Unpacking the Power of Words! 

This Reading Adventure Camp will begin in September and will be held over 25 days, with the class meeting three times per week. 

These classes are meant for upper grade reading students entering grades 4, 5 or 6. The lessons will run approximately 45 minutes. 

 I will be using a curriculum that will help these learners attack multisyllabic words (longer words). They will review the vowel teams, prefixes, suffixes, and Greek and Latin Roots. Students increase their understanding of words, learn new vocabulary, learn word attack strategies, and increase their fluency rates. 

 I have been using the curriculum in a one-to-one setting, but I would like to open this up to a small group.

 I will be accepting up to 5 children in this group setting. If a child signs up for a class and cannot attend, it will be taped and the lesson will be shared with the family. If more groups are needed, we will adjust the dates and times accordingly.

The child will need to order a workbook and the link to that will be provided once the prepayment for the class is accepted. The cost of this powerful and transforming instruction will be $250 paid in advance (or $10 per class session). 

If you are interested please let me know.

Registration for this class will close September1st, so you have enough time to get your workbook ordered and delivered. 
We will meet on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings from 6:30-7:30 pm starting Tuesday, September 5th. This class will run until November 1st (no classes on Halloween).

For more information about Tutoring with Sheryl, be sure to visit:

midwesttutor.com/home-2

https://linktr.ee/sheryluehling

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Get Ready for Some Summer Fun and Learning!

Listen to the Tutoring with Sheryl Podcast on Spotify!

I always love summer time! The sun shines, the kids are home and we get to spend time together! It is such fun! But, as the summer goes on, it seems like we run out of ways to keep the kids busy and then we are counting the days until they are back at school. How about considering planning for summer now, so you know you have a much better summer and you can feel confident that you have some tools in your toolbox so it will be a fun experience for the entire family!

This blog post will include some opportunities that I am offering but also some ideas that you can do on your own! 

I am working with Kelly Michelle Dhramashi from The Reader’s Club on Facebook. She has invited me to be a part of her FREE Parent Workshop Series. She is providing four parent workshops to provide ideas for parents of children in Kindergarten through third grade. She is giving ideas about things you can do as a family to stay engaged in summer learning. Here are the links to the first three in her four part series. I will be a part of her second workshop. I will be sharing fun and engaging ways you can keep your child engaged in math over the summer! Did I mention it is free??? Sign up to be a part of this fun learning opportunity!

Here is the information:

Kelly Michelle Dharamshi, M. Ed. is the founder of The Reader’s Club. She will be teaching you how you can help your Kindergarten or Grade 1 child strengthen their foundational reading skills, and share resources you can use to help your chid.

The workshop, Help Your Child Become a Great Reader, is on May 11 @ 6:30 pm ET.

You can register by clicking here. 

Sheryl Uehling is the founder of Tutoring With Sheryl and a veteran math teacher with over 30 years of experience! She will be showing you how to use games and fun activities to strengthen your Kindergarten or Grade 1 child’s foundational math skills.

The workshop, How to Support Your Early Math Learner Over the Summer and Build Momentum for Fall Success, is on May 18 @ 6:30 pm ET. 

You can register by clicking here. 

Beth Dangerfield is the founder of Spark Education Services and co-founder of Flouish Pediatitric Hub. Beth uses a direct instruction literacy intervention program to help kids who are struggling readers close the gap and read at grade level and beyond. Beth helps many learners who are neurodiverse, particularly students with ADHD. 

The workshop, Academic Success for Kids with ADHD, is on  May 23 @ 12:00 pm ET. 

Click here to register. 

Other learning opportunities that I am providing are summer math and reading adventure camps! I am offering small group sessions on Thursdays in June and July. We are going to do fun activities with math in June and reading in July. Follow this link for the details! You won’t want to miss out on the fun!

Here are some other FUN things you can do this summer to keep the learning going!

Language Arts:

Journaling is a great way to get your kids writing and thinking about the world around them. And, who doesn’t want their child writing during the summer? 

Junk Journal: It is like a scrapbook that you create by using pictures from newspapers, magazines, or print outs. Kids add drawings or other items to the pictures and then they write about them. They can tell a story about them or even create poetry. 

Gratitude Journal: Kids get to write about what they are thankful for. Those kiddos who love to draw can illustrate their feelings or thoughts. 

Practice Typing Skills: 

At some point, all kids need to learn to type. There are some free websites that will support your child as they learn to type. 

education.com (With a subscription, your child can learn to type using the Brainzy gaming system that is built into the program.)

www.typing.com  (You can get the free edition and your child will get to to play some games. If you purchase the premium edition for teachers, but that may also be available for homeschoolers. It may be worth a peek!)

www.typingclub.com  This is a free website. It is super simple, but it will provide you with an accuracy score as well as a word per minute. I thought I typed faster, but I guess I only type 28 words per minute! Who knew?

Reading

Reading: Reading challenge for each child and then do a Read-Aloud as a family.

Give a prize at the end of summer for the winner! (Affiliate Links)

Some great summer reads for the family include: The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies (she has several other great books like, The Magic Trap, The Candy Smash, and The Bridge Battle)

And, who doesn’t LOVE Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White! 

Math

Games are the big go-to for summer! (Affiliate Links)

Checkers or Chess are solid games for your child to learn that will teach them problem solving and strategies for analyzing situations! You can pick boards up at garage sales and discount stores. 

Make a number line on the sidewalk using chalk, use a foam dice and have the kids roll the dice. Then they get to hop that many spaces. They can hop forward and backward on the line. Make up your own rules and have fun exercising and counting forward and backward!

Frisbee Number Toss

Take a marker and write numbers around the edges of the frisbee. When the frisbee is caught with both hands, look to see where the thumbs are closest to. The player who threw the frisbee yells out the operation (add, subtract, multiply, divide) and then the player who caught the frisbee announces the the numbers and shouts the answer before throwing the frisbee back. 

Create a lemonade stand! Engineering and design, and then have them sell some from your driveway! 

Science: 

Science Experiments for kids  

A big shout out to Coffee Cups and Crayons Blog! This is a haven for awesome science labs your family can do together, learn, and have fun! Be sure to check this website out!

https://www.coffeecupsandcrayons.com

Not into online websites for ideas and you prefer a book with ideas instead? Here are few to take a peek at! (Affiliate links)

Awesome Experiments for Kids

Awesome Physics Experiments for Kids

Gardening:

Start a garden with your kids! If you don’t have space, try container gardening. Here is a great video that shows what you can do with a small outdoor space!

No room to do this outside? How about an indoor kit? My grandaughter (2 years old) has one similar to this at her home in Chicago, and they LOVE it!

Art:

If you have little ones, get an empty container, fill it up with some water. Grab some paint brushes of different sizes and go out to the sidewalk or other cemented area (your deck works as well) and let your child paint with water! This is great for motor skills and creativity. 

Driveway Art:

If you aren’t opposed to some chalk on your driveway, give your child a theme (dinosaurs, farms, zoo animals, anything goes!) and let your kids get creative! Chalk is inexpensive and you can clean it up with a garden hose! 

Outside:

Four Square

Classic game of four square! Use chalk to create a 2 by 2 box where players can stand. Get a rubber ball that is large enough to throw and catch for the size of the child. Players will take turns hitting the ball into the box using 1 or 2 hands (much like you would do with tennis). The other players will return the ball to another opponent’s box. If the opponent misses the ball, they step out of the boxes until one player is left. This will get the kids outside and moving!

Jump Rope

So many kids don’t know how to jump rope. Bring back this classic! Keep track of how many times your child can jump. Set goals and see if they can beat their last attempt. Try to learn double dutch. That involves at least three kids and two sets of rope. Here is a link to a YouTube video where you can watch it and try it out for yourself!

I hope these ideas will get you motivated to think about summer learning and keeping your children’s minds active and learning! For more information about Tutoring with Sheryl, be sure to visit https://midwesttutor.com/home-2

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Frustrated with Your Child’s Report Card?

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I have conversations all of the time with frustrated parents. If your child’s report card is Standards Based, they might be getting proficient or meeting the standard. You might see B’s if your child is getting a letter grade. Perhaps you see a 3 because your child’s school is using a number and that tells you they have met the standard. But, for some reason you have this nagging concern that your child isn’t really proficient and you are concerned that this letter scale isn’t really showing the true picture of what is going on. 

I am not pointing fingers at anyone, but when you really examine what is going on and see things at home that you question, you get frustrated. You want answers. You want help. So what is a parent supposed to do?

I have heard the saying, just wait and your child will improve. Don’t worry, this is normal. But, when you see things like your child simply cannot do any math independently, or simply cannot read anything that is at grade level, you are left to wonder what is really happening?

So, what are parents supposed to do? My biggest suggestion to you is to take action. Do not ignore these reports When your child is behind, you are going to want to identify where they are behind and figure out what you want to focus on. For example, your child is struggling with their regrouping with addition. What should you do? Try some of these strategies:

Look for videos on YouTube that might help you understand the topic so that you can teach your child. 

Look for practice materials that you can use to practice those types of problems. 

Try to make your practice fun. Practice and then play! Play? Play a game with your practice problems. Take your fun outside. Take a whiteboard with you and an erasable marker. Find your basketball and play a game of horse. If you get the problem right, you can shoot the basketball close to the hoop, if you get it wrong, you have to stand back. If basketball isn’t your game, think of other ways you can practice. 

Here is the thing, as the parent, you really do need to take action. Sometimes we are told to wait and see what happens, they tell us our child will outgrow the problem. Then two years later the problem is still there and it has gotten worse. 

Or, we were never told there was a problem and we find out there is a big issue that none of the teachers ever talked to you about. Suddenly you’re being told that your child is now several grade levels behind, but no one took the time to tell you this. 

Most of the parents that contact me for tutoring services have similar stories. I always congratulate them on reaching out to someone for help because that takes a lot of courage to do. It is so disheartening to learn that your child is struggling in school. Immediately we go into Mama or Papa Bear mode and we want to protect our kids. We want to blame others. We will literally cry about it and we want to blame ourselves. I know because that is how I felt when my child needed help with speech. I thought I hadn’t done enough to help my son and now suddenly after asking if he was doing okay and everyone was telling me he was, he really wasn’t. 

Taking action may sometimes mean more than YouTube videos and practice materials. There are other options out there. Do a web search for online learning tools. I say this all of the time, but Sal Khan and his khanacademy.org are wonderful! He has curated some amazing videos with practice problems to help guide your child as they learn new materials or review topics they are struggling with. It is a free program, but if you love it, I recommend sending them a donation. It really is that good!

Another amazing tool to consider is IXL. You can get a parent plan and then you get access to math, language arts, science, Social Studies, and Spanish for grades preschool through 12th grade. Be sure to look at what grades are supported for each area, as that may vary. I have my own subscription and I use it as practice materials when I need quick support for the students I work with. It isn’t my teaching tool, but it is a support tool. 

I love SplashLearn.com. It is a gamified version of a learning tool that you can purchase as well. You can get support with math and reading, however you will want to check the levels to be sure it is a good fit for your child. You can even print out worksheets to use for practice materials. 

The last tool I want to share with you is Education.com. I have used this website for its free version for years in my teaching practice, but now that I am a private tutor, I have finally taken the plunge and purchased it for myself. I love that it has workbooks, worksheets, videos, songs, and games all geared for math, reading, and grammar. There may be other topics on there as well. It spans Preschool through 8th grade, so if you have multiple children, you can support more than one at the same time. You may have to pay extra for that, but contacting them directly to ask about purchasing is probably best. 

There are so many tools out there that you can use to support your child on their learning journey. I know that many of these things cost money. I do not want you to spend a dime. However, when we think about overcoming a struggle, sometimes we have to pay for the help. So, when you make your decision about how you want to support your child, consider that sometimes it does require some cash. Set a budget and go from there. Sometimes we don’t realize we are spending money on things that we don’t really need, and we can rethink our family and help our kids out at the same time. 

And, if you really aren’t too excited about paying for an online service, but you want a professional to help your child, consider hiring a tutor. There are many ways to go about doing this. You can look into websites that have hundreds or thousands of tutors, and get someone who will show up and help your child with homework. Or, you can seek out a private professional and work with them to create a plan of action that will focus specifically on skills that your child needs support with in order to move forward with their learning. That is what I do. I support families of children in PreSchool through 6th grade who struggle with math. Most parents seek me out for this particular problem, and then when they find out that I am an actual teacher, they have me work with their child in other subject areas. I am happy to help if their needs are in my area of expertise. 

I hope this article helps you have the confidence that you need to take actionable steps in supporting your child when they become stuck, or need more support with their school work. If it is helpful, please share it with someone you think may need it. 

If you are looking for free resources to support your child, be sure to visit my website and look for the resources link. You can find it at: https://midwesttutor.com/resources.

To learn more about Tutoring with Sheryl be sure to visit the following:

Welcome to Tutoring with Sheryl

https://www.instagram.com/elementarymathtutoring/

https://www.facebook.com/tutoringwithsheryl

Tutoring with Sheryl on Spotify

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Are Assessments Important When Working with a Tutor?

Assessments can be very important when working with a tutor, because they help to identify the student’s strengths and weaknesses in a particular subject or skill. The tutor can then use this information to create a customized learning plan that addresses the student’s specific needs and goals.

I always provide a free assessment when I work with families. I don’t charge for this service because I want to learn about the child. Once I know what they are asking for support with, I create an assessment or find one that aligns to the child’s state learning goals. I then find a time to meet with the family to complete the assessment. Then I do the assessment and provide the family with feedback when I am done. 

Here are some reasons why assessments can be important when working with a tutor:

  1. Identify knowledge gaps: Assessments can help to identify areas where the student may be struggling or have gaps in their knowledge. This can allow the tutor to focus on these areas and provide targeted support.
  2. Set goals: Assessments can help both the tutor and the student to set specific goals for what they want to achieve through tutoring. By identifying areas of weakness, they can work together to set measurable goals and track progress over time.
  3. Measure progress: Regular assessments can help to measure progress and determine if the student is making sufficient progress towards their goals. This can provide important feedback for the tutor and student and help them adjust their approach if needed.
  4. Adapt teaching methods: Assessments can also help the tutor to adapt their teaching methods to the student’s learning style and preferences. By understanding how the student learns best, the tutor can provide more effective support and help the student to achieve their goals.

Overall, assessments can be a valuable tool for tutors and students alike. By providing important information about the student’s strengths and weaknesses, assessments can help to create a customized learning plan and ensure that the tutoring experience is as effective as possible.

If you are working with a tutor and they have never mentioned an initial assessment or how they are assessing progress as they go, be sure to ask some questions. Assessment doesn’t necessarily mean an actual test either. 

Many times I ask the child to show me how to do some sort of a task. I like to call these my “exit tickets.” Sometimes they can show me the correct way to do some sort of a task, like adding fractions with unlike denominators. If they cannot do the problem without support, I know that they are not proficient at it and we need to revisit the task during our next visit. If they can do several problems without support, I feel confident that we can build on that skill and continue to move forward. 

I encourage you, as the parent, to ask about this if you are not sitting in on the tutoring sessions or getting feedback from the tutor. 

If this information is helpful, be sure to share it with others. If you are looking for an elementary math tutor for your preschool through sixth grade child, let me know. I will offer your family a free assessment, provide you with feedback, and provide you with an initial learning plan as we move forward. If I discover that I am not the right person for your child, I will help you in your search to find a tutor that can support your child. My goal is to support both the learner and the family as we move your child forward with confidence. 

For more information about Tutoring with Sheryl be sure to visit the following:

Home

https://midwesttutor.com/home-2

https://linktr.ee/sheryluehling

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Should I be Worried if My Child is Behind in Reading?

Many of you know me for my math tutoring support. While I do love to tutor elementary math, I also love the challenges and joys of teaching reading to children. The look in their eyes when they understand the letter sounds, they learn to put the sounds together to form a word, then they learn how to read sentences. Eventually they learn how to put the words into ideas and they comprehend what they are reading. It really is a magical experience for both the child and the one who is teaching them to read. 

But, what if this isn’t the experience your child is getting? They cannot sound out the words. They don’t understand the letter-sound relationship. They struggle with every step. They cry, you cry. You want to pull your hair out! 

Yes, this really can be the experience that some families go through. There may be many reasons for this struggle. If you are a proactive parent, you are probably seeking solutions to this problem. I congratulate you. Not all systems of teaching work for each child. Some children need more repetitions of letter sounds. Some children need more structure. 

Many times children just aren’t ready to read. I remember a time when my friend’s daughter was about 3 years old and she was reading. My child was 4 years old and she was just learning the letter sounds. As a teacher, I questioned, what did I do wrong? Should my child be able to do this? Then, my teacher’s brain kicked in and reminded me that not all children learn to walk at the same pace. We didn’t all learn how to drive at the same pace, and frankly, some people don’t drive at all. We didn’t all learn to do math at the same rate. So, reading at the same pace and doing things exactly the way others do it doesn’t really seem logical. 

Some children will take longer to put reading together. That is fine. Do not panic. Even if you are getting reports from your child’s teacher that they are slightly behind, don’t panic. I would encourage you to be proactive. That means there are some steps that you can take as a parent. 

You can read to your child often. I would recommend starting this at birth. When you read to a child at birth they are learning to listen to your voice. They are learning the sounds it takes to communicate. As they get older, they learn that there are letters on the page, pictures on the page, and they begin to put meaning to that as you read to them. 

Once your child is school-aged, they will learn more about the alphabet and they will begin to piece the sounds together through explicit instruction. We call this phonics. If your child is not in a phonics-based reading instruction, I would really encourage you to find one of your own. There are all kinds of things that you can use to support what they are learning at school. Is this going to take time? Yes. Is this going to take some money? Maybe. It depends on what you choose to use. 

I would really encourage you to get some letter-sound flashcards and practice those with your child. I would also encourage you to find phonics-based materials that include decodable readers for your child to enjoy and read through with your support. A decodable readers is a text or small book that your child can sound out the words while reading, once you they have been taught the sounds.  As your child learns the letter combinations and words, they will be able to independently read the decodable readers. 

I want to caution you, there are words in our language that are not as phonics-based as we think. Look up Fry Word Lists. There are some words that won’t follow those phonics rules. We still need to teach our children some basic sight words.

If you combine phonics and sight words, I feel you are supporting your child and eventually they will learn to read the written words you provide them with. This isn’t a one and done situation, however. If you really want proficient readers, you need to spend time reading books on a daily basis. Your child needs direct and explicit reading instruction on a daily basis. Just telling your child to go and read and then ignoring them is not teaching them to read. If you are serious about this, it is going to be a group effort led by you, the parent, as the school teaches their set curriculum. 

Something else you can do to support your child is find texts that they can read. You want to challenge your child, but if they cannot read the words on the page, they are not going to read the text. A great test of this idea is to have them open the book up to the middle, have them read one page. Keep track of the number of words they stopped at or couldn’t read. If they have more than 5 errors on the page, the book is too hard. They are not going to comprehend what they are reading. Imagine reading a set of directions and not knowing some of the words. Do you think you really understood what you were reading? Probably not. The same goes for our kids. That doesn’t mean they can’t check out books that are harder for them, but it does mean that you may want to provide more support for them as they read the book. 

If you have not listened to the podcast, Sold a Story, I highly recommend that! It is an investigative report that tells about the history of reading in America and how it moved from phonics based instruction to balanced literacy. This approach has failed many, many children, and we are now seeing the results of a lack of phonics. It really is an eye-opener. 

I know that I will have some readers that disagree with this. But, these readers probably haven’t seen the struggle that your child is going through. They may not understand the frustration of watching a child try to read a text and that child has no way to move through it because they only know a few sight words. They don’t have the skills to sound out the word. Even when you tell them to sound them out, they don’t know all of the letter-sound combinations. They simply stop. 

I want your child to be successful in life. That means they need to be literate. That involves learning to read. The bonus is the joy of reading and what it brings to your child’s life as they make their journey. 

I hope this has been helpful to you. Be sure to like and share this information with others.  I included some great links for you to look at if you are in need of quality materials that may support your child’s journey. 

For more information about Sheryl, be sure to go to:

Home

https://linktr.ee/sheryluehling

(As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn based on your interest in these items. You may choose to look at the links via my link, or you may look on Amazon directly.) Happy learning!

Alphabet words cards

Decodable Readers (example)

First Little Readers 

Montessori Short Vowel Reading System

Phonics for Older Students

Phonics and Word Study for Older Students

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Why I complete an assessment when meeting a new family and what it tells me about the child I am going to work with.

I am quite certain that there are some tutors that will take a phone call, accept a new student, ask the parent what their child needs to work on, and then just start working with their child with no plan of action in place. After all, the parent knows exactly what they need to work on, and the tutor is probably just going to help with homework.

Well, it doesn’t work that way for me. I ALWAYS do an assessment when I work with a new family. Once I find out from the parent what their concern is, I ask questions. Once I clarify and get my questions answered, I create an assessment or find one that will allow me to “see” the problem in action.

If the child is a third grader with difficulties in math, then I will find out the state they are residing in, and look for State Department of Education. That will lead me to a few things. I always look at their grade level, I read over their state standards, then I look for their state assessments. If they have beginning of the year, middle of the year, or end of the year assessments, I will read those overs. Depending on the time of year, I will select the appropriate practice test, download it, and print it out. Then I will cut it into “cards” for a game. I then create a gameboard for the assessment using Google Slides. I download that and print it out and add the cards to the gameboard, I place all of this in a ziplock bag and include a die and game pieces. I add a markerboard and manipulatives for math games as well as an abacus. I take this with me when I meet with them. If I am doing an online assessment, I do exactly the same thing. I just take those physical objects and create digital substitutions.

If I am creating a reading test for a student, I use DIBELS to do word knowledge and reading fluency tests. This is a little bit harder for me to gamify, but if I begin with a game, the kids are typically more relaxed and ready to do the reading on that test. So, I create a word game or comprehension game and take that if I am not already doing some sort of math game with them prior to the reading assessment.

I take notes as I go and then I create some sort of a report for the family. If the child can leave the room, I will discuss my observations. If they cannot or don’t want them to, then I will type up a report and send it to them. I follow up with a call or an email.

This assessment does a lot for me and for the families I work with. It gives me a chance to “see” how the child answers questions, what their thinking is, and how they respond to different situations.

As I communicate with my families, it allows the parents to see that what the teacher has reported is actually happening. I don’t mind if parents sit in on the assessment. I want them to see the process and watch their child. I also want them to see how I communicate and work with their child.

I think starting with an open dialogue and conducting a fact-finding mission allows me to think through how I can best serve the child. I then share my thoughts with the family and tell them how I can help to move their child forward and support them on their learning journey.

This is a service that an experienced teacher can offer because they have done these assessments in the classroom. I appreciate the fact that I get an introduction to the child and their needs.

Once I get the assessment done and have communicated the needs of the child to the parents, I then communicate dates and times for availability to my families so we can schedule our sessions.

So, if you are looking for a tutor and you find one that doesn’t offer an assessment or consultation, take pause and ask a few questions of your own. You want to find out how they will determine how they will discover your child’s needs.

For more information about Tutoring with Sheryl, be sure to visit the following:

https://linktr.ee/sheryluehling

https:/midwesttutor.com

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Is your child struggling to get homework completed? If so, they are not alone.  

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 As a former teacher, a parent to grown children, and grandparent to a toddler, and a current elementary math and reading tutor, I know that homework can be a struggle. It is a struggle for a lot of reasons. Let’s unpack those reasons and see if we can do something about them. Afterall, we all want our kids to love learning. We don’t want them to struggle, and if we can change just a few things to make a big difference, I think we can all agree that it is a good thing. 

When I was struggling to get homework from my fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students, I would shake my head and think, “Why aren’t they all completing their work? It is simple, They just have to finish up the work we started here in class.” After many, many years, I finally decided it wasn’t worth the struggle for me or or my students. I had to make a mind-shift about homework. I discovered that research said elementary students didn’t have a huge benefit from homework. So, I thought, I really needed to reconsider this idea of homework. I made changes to my classroom routines, and I also made changes to what homework would look like. If they had homework, I would ask them to complete a project that they were self-directing. I also gave them an exit ticket where they had to show me that they actually understood the material. If they didn’t, then it was up to me to meet with them and do more practice with them. 

With that being said, I still had a few students that would occasionally have some homework. I tried to limit this to just a few practice problems. My homework became encouraging reading at home for 20 minutes per night, and practicing math facts each week. The students that did this, actually had great gains during the school year. I could always tell the ones who were doing this. Their confidence was higher because they were exposing themselves to more words and their vocabulary was increasing. They also had higher math fact fluency, and they were able to spend less time thinking about the computation portion of their homework, and more time on the steps it would take to solve the math problems. However, I also would provide parents with some advice about what they could do to create a learning environment for their child. 

Some of the advice I would give to parents was to create a learning environment for their child. Asking their child to sit at the kitchen table that is loaded with tonight’s supper, the TV playing on high, or their siblings playing nearby doesn’t create a learning environment. Setting up a small workspace that was dedicated to studying is critical to success. Making sure your child has adequate work space that is clutter-free, has paper and pencils, and a quiet environment where there are few distractions is key to success. Make sure there are no distractions like gaming systems, tablets, or phones that the child may want to play with.  (Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.)

Being close by is important for younger children. They typically have more questions and will get stuck more often. Be sure to allow them to be as independent as possible. However, if they need support, be sure to provide it for them. Stick to things like reading directions, asking your child if they have questions about things. Answer those questions, but be sure you are not giving the answers. Lead them to the answers, but don’t give the answers away. 

Provide a positive environment for your child. Nagging about what your child’s teacher produces a very negative effect on your child. Be sure to keep your discussions positive. When your child sees you are happy with their teacher, they will also stay positive. Nothing is worse for the child than when they feel like their teacher is against them. Stay positive. 

Time management may be a problem as well. You may want to consider a timer for your child if you feel they need support with staying on task. Being sure you set the timer for short periods of time is vital for success. When they know they only need to work for a certain time period, they are more apt to stay focused. You can find several types of timers that may help your child stay focused. Here are a few I would recommend.

I would also encourage you to consider using some sort of a planner for your child. You can purchase planners where children can list their assignments and when they are due. You can also consider using a trapper system with folders for your child to use so they can put their work in a folder for each of their assignments. I realize that these systems work best when children are old enough and responsible enough to carry through with them. But, they are things to consider if your child is struggling with organization. 

Lastly, I would encourage you to stay in contact with your child’s teacher. I do not mean that you need to contact them daily. However, if you are concerned, be sure to reach out and just do a quick check in to see if your child is staying on task, getting their work done, or if they simply need to work on certain areas outside of their school day. 

I hope that some of these suggestions will inspire you to take action and that these ideas will support your child’s homework time. 

For more information about Tutoring with Sheryl, be sure to visit:

https://linktr.ee/sheryluehling

Resources for you!

https://instagram.com/elementaryonlinetutoring

https://www.tiktok.com/@midwesttutor.com

https://www.facebook.com/tutoringwithsheryl

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My child’s teacher says my child needs testing! What is that?

Since I am the author of this post, I just wanted to give some background for the reader that may not follow my blog and is wondering about my authority on this subject matter. I am a former 5th grade teacher. I worked in a public school system for 32 years. I am quite certain that if I was an Educational Psychologist or a Principal or Superintendent, my perspective on this would be slightly different. But this is the easiest way that I can describe how our school went about supporting students who needed additional levels or support in the classroom. Your school district may do things differently. And, to be honest, the school district that I have recently left may be doing things differently today than when I was there. But, this will give you a loose idea of what to expect.

I always think that when a parent or caregiver is told that their child may need further testing, the alarm bells go off in their head and they suddenly think something is wrong with their child. I know that when my child had to go through this testing as a youngster, I was a little bit worried as well. I knew he was very bright, but he had a speech issues, and after trying all sorts of things, he eventually had an IEP. He worked very hard and only needed speech suppport for a few years, but I can tell you, being on the parent side of things is definitely different than being on the teacher side of things.

Let me tell you a little bit more about some reasons your child may need to have some academic testing done in the school setting and why it is a good thing. So sit back, relax, and hopefully I can shed some light on this for you.

First of all, this isn’t something that suddenly comes up. If it is, I would say that someone wasn’t communicating with you in the first place. If the school system that your child is in does a good job of communicating concerns with you, then this idea of “testing” won’t be a surprise at all.

Typically, children are tested for academic issues after all other avenues have been explored. When a child begins to struggle in the classroom, most teachers will reach out to the family and let them know that there may be issues. Teachers do this to inform parents of the problem, and most of the time, the teachers will inform you that they are going to try some things in the classroom to add support for your child.

The teacher will typically try those strategies out for about 4-6 weeks, they will document how things are going, and then they will follow up with some sort of communication with the family. Many times, as a new strategy is implemented, the problem will just remedy itself.

If that strategy didn’t work, the teacher may try a few more times to do some sort of in-class intervention. The teacher will document again, then fill you in on the results. However, if those strategies don’t work, then they will most likely get a team involved. This is typically made up of an administrator or school teaching coach, and then several teachers in the building. You may or may not be invited to this meeting, but the teacher will report what the team thinks should be tried in the classroom. They may offer suggestions of things that you can try at home as well. They will try the intervention for 4-6 weeks, they will meet again, document what has happened and will inform you about it.

Depending on the school system, and the strategies and systems that are in place, your child may go through several of these interventions during the year as the team documents things and continues to provide supports within the classroom. Your child may even get some pull-out time where someone in the school system will work with your child one-on-one.

Many times the team will tell you that your child has a 504 Plan or something like this. It depends on the state or country your child is in. This is a formal plan of action that should be followed in the school system to support your child as they learn. As the team continues to meet to see if things are working or not working for your child, the teacher will inform you of the progress.

If this level of support isn’t working, that is when you may be told that your child qualifies for some academic testing. This is when an Educational Psychologist will meet with your child and take them through a series of “tests.” These tests provide data for the psychologist to analyze at a deeper level than a classroom teacher can. They will create a report that you will go over with them at a meeting called an MDT (Multidisciplinary Team Meeting).

This meeting will simply cover what was discovered from the data that was collected about your child. This is when your child may or may not qualify for special education services. If your child qualifies, it is up to you to determine if you want your child placed in this program. If you agree, then an IEP (individualized education plan) will be shared with you about the amount of time your child will receive support during their day at school. The report will tell you what they get services for, and who will be providing those services. It will tell you specific ways the teachers will provide accommodations for your child. And, it will also tell you if your child gets extended breaks, additional time to complete assignments, and other things that will provide support for your child during their day at school. It will state the goals your child is to meet.

Once you sign the paperwork agreeing to these terms, your child will be allowed the accommodations listed. If you do not agree, then your child will go back to regular classroom setting.

Your child will be re-evaluated every three years once they are in the Special Education Program, to see if there is still a need for these services. You will also receive updates about their progress at each grading period. This is typically done during parent teacher conferences and also done with written reports when report cards come home. You will also have a yearly IEP meeting to adjust the plan of action for your child. Your input will be asked at the IEP meetings, so come prepared to share things your child is doing well with, and things you would like to see your child supported with.

What are some of the things that could qualify your child for testing? (This list came directly from: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/iep.html

You may be a homeschooling parent and wonder if your child can get these services as well. Yes, you can. But you have to be willing to work with your child’s home district. I always encourage homeschool families to be sure to get that support.

If your child is struggling in school, do not wait for the school district to take action. If you see a problem, you can always reach out to your child’s teacher. However, do not just show up at their door and expect a meeting. You need to treat them like your doctor and set up a meeting time that will work for them. Be considerate of their time. If they ask you to come before or after school, do this. They are most likely meeting with you outside of the contracted hours, so come prepared with your questions and concerns. Be willing to listen, and be willing to do some things at home to support your child as well. After all, you want your child to be successful at school.

If your child is seeking help outside of their school day, search for a qualified tutor that can support them in the subject they need help with.

I hope you now understand the process of “testing” and that it doesn’t have to be scary.

For more information about Tutoring with Sheryl be sure to visit https://linktr.ee/sheryluehling.

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Do online tutors have community like classroom teachers do?

Yes, we do! As a matter of fact, I have worked hard this year to create a community for both myself and the people who follow me, but I also am building my own network of reliable tutors that I can feel confident working with. How? Well that story follows the timeline of my journey as a tutor. If you are interested, keep reading! It is quite a story!

In 2022, I made the decision to leave the physical space of my classroom. I have to tell you that I was terrified. It was all I ever knew. I had visited with several people about possible jobs, but nothing really called to me. I had been teaching in the classroom for 32 years, I had added online tutoring in the evenings, and I really enjoyed doing that.

I had trained myself with the Google tools by taking both of the Google for Education courses and passed both of them and I loved that! So, I was really wondering what my future was going to look like.

I knew that I was really going to miss the kids, but I just didn’t want to be in charge of a full classroom for 8 hours a day anymore. I really needed a reset. So, I did some research and found Joanne Kaminski. She is an online reading teacher, and I did a binge watch of her online YouTube channel and as I listened, I really thought, “Hey, if Joanne can do this, I can too!” With that decision in mind, I continued to do research to figure out what tutoring was going to look like as I moved forward.

I finished my year with the online company that I was working with for the last two years. They were really good about providing me with students, I now understood how I could support my learners online, I had a lot of confidence and understanding of the Google tools and how I could use them to create my own community. I jumped off the high dive and was hoping it would hurt when I hit the water.

Well, it kind of stung when I hit the water. It wasn’t that I wasn’t doing things right. I just needed more structure. When I found out that Joanne Kaminski had written a book for tutors to build an online business, I ordered it and devoured it in a day. I was so glad I read it because it confirmed that I was doing things right, but that I probably could improve on some things. So I concentrated on those things and found my business intelligence was growing.

I also joined JoAnne’s Facebook community and that is where I learned about Esmy Lozano. I began to follow her because she was speaking about Instagram and how to get students by using this platform. I really wanted to learn more. I had already learned all about the teaching tools, I knew how to teach, I knew how to structure my business, now I needed to grow my presence. So, I hired Esmy as my coach and she helped me realize that I needed to grow my presence and she showed me how. I still need to do a better job of building my brand, but I do think that I learned a lot about stories and how to create Reels to share with others.

I then thought about TikTok and if I even wanted to use this platform. I jumped again, and even though I don’t like what some of the content others put on this platform looks like, I do know that I am putting out things I want to share with others. So, I began to post on both Instagram and TikTok and it is finally producing returns. I am growing my presence on both platforms, my Facebook Tutoring with Sheryl page at Midwesttutor.com is growing as well.

I have been able to get another new student and am loving working with her as well. We meet twice a week online and she is another bright star in my week! I had built trust with my student’s mother and she was ready to move forward with me. I felt so humbled and honored, especially because her mother is a teacher. It is such an honor when another educator hires you to work with their child.

If you are new to the tutoring world, don’t worry about getting students. It will happen. It isn’t as fast as it is if you work for an online company or a company you actually work at in person. But, you can grow your presence. You can build trust. I continue to work on my professional relationships and I delighted to have talked with other professionals and continue to learn from them as well.

I have learned that you need to show others what you do so they know more about you. My goal in 2023 is to host two summer camps online, and to continue to grow my online tutoring. I still love to travel to the homes of my current students, but I also love to work online. They are alike and different at the same time. If you haven’t read my post on my comparison between the two of them, you can check it out here!

Most of my online information is centered around math and how we can support our kids on their math journey. I specifically focus on elementary-aged kids in grades K-6. I do offer support in other areas as well when parents ask, but I really focus on math. I think that math is its own language, and helping kids understand it is something that I find challenging, and I enjoy supporting them. It is such a joy to see them light up when they get a concept that had been a puzzle to them, and now they can understand it and they are finding success in their classroom.

Be sure to go back and check out the links in this post. If you are ready to have your child work with me, I would be very humbled! Just click on this link and fill out my very short form. I will get in touch with you and we can do a free assessment or consultation to see what your child’s needs are.

Have a great time celebrating the holidays with your family and friends! I hope it is wonderful. If you are looking for some fun activities you can do with your kids and family by going to my resource page and printing out some freebies! If you are seeking some items to support your child in math, be sure to visit my Etsy shop. You may find something there as well.

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In-person vs Online tutoring, how do they compare?

I provide both in-person and online tutoring sessions to my students. I personally love the variety of it, and I enjoy the challenge of providing both services. They both provide a perfect situation for my students because I create lessons that are exciting, fun, and challenging. Let me paint a picture for you as I share some of the things that I do with my students.

I have in-person sessions where I travel to the homes of my clients. In preparation of these home visits, I create activities that are focused on the goals of each of my clients. This is similar to what I used to do in my classroom. For example, when my students were studying fractions, I would take time to outline the skills my students needed have in order to meet the goal of the unit. I do the same thing when I am working with my clients. If they need to improve on their multiplication skills, I will typically do a review of addition to make sure they understand that skill. I may take a portion of 2 lessons reviewing this. Then I will introduce the idea of multiplication by using repeated counting skills. I will use graphic organizers and manipulatives to help them practice grouping and counting. I will then incorporate games that allow my clients to practice their math facts. Eventually we will lead this double-digit by single-digit numbers where I teach them how to multiply larger numbers. This all takes time, but as we work through this, I ensure that my clients know the steps and have a solid understanding of the concept of multiplication. These steps are same steps that I take when working online.

I spend time making board games as well and looking for board games that we can play as we practice our math facts. I find this lessens the stress and keeps the meetings fun. The child is still practicing their math facts, but we are also incorporating some strategizing as we go. One of the things I recommend for families is that you use a gameboard that you already have at home. Then pull out the flashcards that you already own and use them as question cards to move forward on the gameboard. This is a great way to use somethings you already have on hand, and it is an easy way to make practicing something that is dull, a lot of fun!

There are times that I bring worksheets and we use some of the problems for practice, but we will rarely do all of the problems. I want to be sure the kids understand the problems we are practicing, and I certainly don’t want them to feel like they are in school. I want them to feel supported and continue to have fun while they are learning.

I don’t use any video or digital lessons when I meet in person. It is easier for me to explain things in person using a whiteboard or a manipulative when I am sitting right next to a student.

All of this requires preparation and planning, but I do the same amount of preparing when I plan for a digital lesson.

My planning goes the same way, but I have to really get creative when I am doing an online lesson. This requires me to research or create things that my students can manipulate just like we are in person. I use Google Meet because it talks nicely with my whiteboard (Google jamboard), it works well with Google Slides and Google doc, gmail, and Google’s calendar. I can quickly and efficiently access my materials in the meeting without having to download things to share my screen.

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I think the hardest thing to do is to get this information into a whiteboard that is easy for both me and my student to use. What I will typically do is create a Google slide with the image I want to cast into the background of the whiteboard, then I will import that image after taking a screenshot of it. If it is embedded into the background, then it cannot move around. Then I will create any manipulatives that need to be on the screen. For example, I might need counters. Within the jamboard, I will create a circle, add color, and then duplicate it as many times as I need to for the activity we are doing. Or, I might need a protractor, so I will find an image with a transparent background, I will add it as an image onto the screen so it can be moved around. All of this takes quite a bit of time and planning to make sure my whiteboard is ready for each of my students.

Google Meet Session

I also use a Google Classroom for each of my students or classes. I can add a Google Meet link inside of the classroom and my kids can join after I invite them for the lesson. Then I can share my whiteboard, slides, etc.

I would estimate that it takes me about an hour of planning for each hour of teachings. Then it takes me about 10 minutes after the lesson to write my notes and get my invoicing done. That is the same for both in-person and online clients.

So, in order to teach an in-person client my total time is 1 hour of planning, 1 hour of teaching, 10 minutes of office work, and then total travel time to and from which is about 40 minutes round trip. I only charge my clients $50 for an hour of instructional service, but as you can see, it is closer to 2 + hours.

When you are considering if you want in-person or online tutoring, I think you can be assured that you are getting the same thing! I love the challenge of teaching. I love the kids, and I have been so blessed with wonderful, supportive parents.

For more information about Tutoring with Sheryl, be sure to visit https://linktr.ee/sheryluehling

You can find more information at https://midwesttutor.com and https://www.youtube.com/@tutoringwithsheryl/

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Should I be worried if my child’s homework is messy?

That is an excellent question. I think it all comes down to what is the homework for? Is this an assignment that was just given for practice, or is it going to be some sort of an informal or formal assessment? Knowing what the final result of the homework would be the key to being concerned about whether it is neat or a total train wreck.

We would all probably love to have nice neat work being produced by our children, and if you are a teacher, I know you would appreciate it. But, we all have had that one child, or one student that just seems to always has a very messy product.

As a parent, I would ask your child what the assignment is for. If they say it is just for practice, I probably wouldn’t get overly concerned, unless it is something that requires alignment like math. For instance, if it is a long multiplication page with multiple steps, then it probably does need to be neat. Or at least neat enough for it to be readable by the child and potentially the teacher to read. If it is a set of notes and the only eyes on it will be the child’s then I wouldn’t worry about it. They can probably make sense of it. However, if you ask them to read it and they cannot make any sense of it, it is most likely time to have a talk about the quality of their work. It would also be a time to discuss the audience of the piece of work. If it for your teacher to see, make it legible.

What do you do when your child’s teacher cannot read it and you suddenly realize things are worse than you thought. Your child’s teacher isn’t able to assess your child’s work with accuracy and then your child may not get assessed appropriately due to lack of understanding of the text. I would then say that you need some help. I would definitely consider doing some diagnostic work.

You can purchase handwriting pages for your child. These can be found in many stores and on Amazon. If you need a link, this one may work for your child. (“As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”) Be sure you know which way the letters are supposed to be formed. Have your child practice writing both manuscript and cursive. Be sure to practice numbers as well. Be sure you pay attention to spacing between letters and words. Be sure you emphasize capital letters and punctuation.

If this still doesn’t work, then you may want to consider getting professional help. Sometimes a tutor can step in and take over where you were working. However, there may be some other issue that only an Occupational Therapist can help with. It is okay to get help. If your child’s teacher hasn’t suggested an evaluation and you are still not seeing progress with your personal interventions, then consider asking for help. An evaluation can be set up after an initial observation is done. Sometimes a brief intervention at school is all it takes. Other times you’ll need an IEP (Individual Education Program) that must take place via the school to get help.

Remind your child that they are not in trouble. Remind them that even when things are hard, they can do it. You just want to ensure that your child is able to communicate in writing and that is why you are practicing.

Something else to consider would be to allow typing of written work. While this won’t work for all subjects and lessons, it will work for many things. We are living in a digital world and this may be a good way to tackle the problem. If your youngster is too young for digital responses, consider building up hand muscles by playing with clay, playdough, digging in the dirt, playing with small toys that have moveable parts. All of these things help to build muscles to support writing.

I hope this information has been helpful for you. As I always say, don’t feel badly asking for help. Sometimes a short intervention is all that is needed to build skills and confidence. Feel free to share this information with anyone needing it.

For more information about Tutoring with Sheryl go to https://linktr.ee/sheryluehling.

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Preparing for Parent Teacher Conferences

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School has been going for many public schools for about a month to 6 weeks. This is the time of year that public and private schools begin to plan and provide Parent Teacher Conferences.

Having been on both sides of Parent Teacher Conferences, I would like to share a few thoughts that may be helpful for both teachers and parents. If your child is homeschooled and you are working with a professional for support, you can use this advice as well. My biggest piece of advice is, keep the doors open to communication. You are working as a team. Being open about how the child is performing and any plans of action that can be taken to support the child are vital to success.

I will back up a bit and talk directly to teachers. First of all, thank you for your dedication. You are working hard to create nurturing environments for students. You work hard each and every day, as well as during your evenings and weekends to create lessons that will work for all of the learners you guide on a daily basis. I know how challenging this is and many times it is underappreciated. You are not only working on the lessons and the tools needed to implement them, you are instructing large groups of children and managing them all day long. It can be exhausting, but also very fulfilling. Sometimes it seems overwhelming. Many times your schools don’t provide time during the day to prepare for conferences, and this means it is another thing you are preparing for during the evenings. With all of that in mind, try not to wait until the last minute to prepare for these conferences. Parents will only have about 15 minutes of your time. You want to make the most of it. Consider sharing student work with parents. Be sure to discuss strengths as well as areas for improvement. Be honest and open but also remember that these children are the most important people to these parents. Avoid teacher jargon. Parents don’t understand a lot of the vocabulary that teachers use. Be mindful of the time and make sure that the parents aren’t late for their next appointment.

Parents, now that you have read what the teachers are doing, be sure you are on time. Do not bring little ones with you. Take the time to get a babysitter. It is very difficult to have open discussions with siblings there. It also slows the process down. You know you are only going to have 10 to 15 minutes of the teacher’s time, so you want to be ready to go. Show up ready to listen. Have your questions ready to ask at the end of the conference. Stay positive. If you have concerns ask them openly. If you run out of time, be sure to ask for an additional conference so you can get your questions answered.

To both teachers and parents, my best advice is to be respectful of one another. I cannot tell you how many times a parent has taken their frustrations about their child’s performance out on me, as the teacher. While I can appreciate the frustration, if they are frustrated, so am I. We need to see these conferences as a team. Staying professional and considerate will be the best way to move forward.

Another piece of advice is, do not wait until conferences to ask questions to the teacher, or as the teacher, reach out to the parents. Waiting until the conferences is waiting too long. It is important to get the communication going sooner than later. If you haven’t reached out yet, you can still open the doors to that. Send an email or call and leave a message. This is so important!

Parents, if you discover that there is a need for improvement, ask questions. Don’t accuse, just ask for information about what needs to happen to move your child forward. It is really important because you need to see yourself as a member of the team that is supporting your child. If you find out that your child needs to practice material, then take that seriously. Teachers would love to give their students all of the time they need to study and take care of things during the school day. The reality of this is that there simply isn’t enough time. Especially if your child has somehow fallen behind.

Once you know what your child needs to work on, as a parent, know that it is okay to ask for resources. Teachers have all kinds of resources that can support learning. However, if you ask for the resources, I really hope you use them. Teachers will go out of their way to provide what you need, but the expectation is that you will work with your child at home.

I hope these ideas will create a great experience for the teacher and the parents during Parent Teacher Conferences.

If you discover your elementary-aged child is in need of a tutor, feel free to reach out to me. I can work with you and your child’s teacher to move them forward in their learning. For more information, go to midwesttutor.com or fill out the contact form below. Best wishes for a great Parent Teacher Conference!

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My child used to love school and now they don’t!

You are not alone, if you have heard your child say they don’t like school. Most parents might feel the same way. Maybe you had a bad school experience and now your child feels the same way you did. But, as the parent, perhaps your thoughts have changed about the importance of a good education, and now you are wondering what to do.

Here are a few simple tips you can try. They may work, they may not work. Each child is different. What works for one, may not work for the next. But, trying is showing your child that you are there for them and you want to help.

Tip Number 1: Don’t ignore this statement. If you choose to ignore it, you are sending the message to your child that they are not important. Sit down with your child and ask them what they mean by this. As they answer, use prodding questions like, “Can you tell me more?”

Tip Number 2: If the child tells you something you feel their teacher(s) need to know, ask for a meting to discuss what your child revealed. But, your meeting is not a time for blaming the teacher or another student about how your child is feeling. It is a time to discuss and create a plan of action about how to move forward in a positive, respectful manner.

Tip Number 3: Recognize that it is okay for your child to struggle a little. Once they grow up and move out, you’ll be glad that your child learned how to deal with a problem. But, don’t wait until they have struggled for a long time. Being on the struggle bus puts undo stress on your child which could result in other problems.

These three simple steps may help your child in both school and life.

Sheryl is the owner of Tutoring with Sheryl. She works with families who are seeking support for their child’s learning.

For more information, go to midwesttutor.com.

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It is my privilege to teach children!

It is my privilege to teach children. I say this each year, but it truly is. When parents send their children to work with me, I am honored and humbled. I don’t take my job lightly. I have taught school for 32 years and this year is the first year that I am not inside of a physical classroom. However, this is my third year of tutoring online. 

Parents send their kids to work with me for all kinds of reasons. Parents contact me for all kinds of reasons. Some of my parents have needed intervention in a particular school subject. Their child is falling behind and struggling and doesn’t seem to be progressing. Some parents send their child to work with me because they want their child to be challenged. Other parents just want support with homework help because they can’t give their child the time they need to help them with a particular subject, or they don’t feel they are able to help them. Other parents reach out to me as a support with their homeschooling. They want someone who has taught a particular subject to support what they are currently teaching. They want someone who can go back over the material and make sure their child is supported. They want someone who can bring a different spin on the information. I have had parents contact me to help their child learn study skills as well. They need to learn skills to move them forward that aren’t necessarily subject based, but are based on skills they need to learn to meet their classroom goals. 

You ask yourself, “How can she do all of this?” To answer that question as simply as I can, it comes from experience. Like I said, I have 32 years of experience to draw upon. I’ve taught all subjects in a self-contained classroom as well as departmentalized classes. I come with a whole host of skills. And, I don’t shy away from a challenge. Many times I find myself researching ways to meet needs once I know the need. I don’t shy away from contacting other teachers and tutors when I feel like I need to get techniques that may be helpful with my students.

I do my best to offer my students a variety of activities to help them learn the skills they are needing support with. I meet with most of my students virtually, but in some instances, I will travel to family homes if they are near me. I offer services that last from a half hour to an hour depending on the age of the child and what the goals are for them. But, all of my students are offered a private Google Classroom where they get a variety of tools to practice skills when I am not meeting with them. Parents appreciate the opportunity for their child to continue to move forward even though I am not personally meeting with them while they are doing their independent practice. 

I will typically tell parents that I am their child’s academic coach. I don’t take the place of their teacher, because their teacher is either a public school teacher, private school teacher, or they are homeschooling and the parent is the teacher. I just assess student needs and determine what areas they seem to need support with. 

As I am setting up my schedule for the fall of 2022, I am already looking for online tools to support what I will be teaching. For my in-person kiddos, I am looking at the tools I have and the games I plan to take to their homes to support what they are learning. I get excited just thinking about the possibilities. 

I love getting to know both the kids and their families. I know how demanding it can be to work all day and then worry about your child’s education. It can be exhausting for parents. But, that is where I come in! I discover what their child needs and then I work my magic. 

Is it always easy? No, but learning requires patience and I know that. Sometimes we just have to stop and switch gears to keep moving forward. I think that is the beauty of understanding kids. They have a lot going on. They are going to class, they have homework, they have their friends, they have their homework, they have their activities, and they have tutor time! So, the last thing I want to be is “another thing to do.” I want the kids to see me as their coach. I cheer them on as they practice their skills and I do my best to find what works best for them. 

Many people ask me what I tutor. Most parents will ask me for help with math. But, I tutor children in reading and writing as well. Even though I taught science for 32 years and loved it, I don’t tutor it. It is difficult to find things that work well with what the student is learning in school. When I do agree to work with a child on their science, I just focus on their homework for science. But, I will do it if I am already working with a child in another subject area. 

I also have parents who will ask me to work with their child in multiple subject areas. I am also happy to do that. Since I work with children in elementary school, we will typically do a half hour of one subject and then do the other subject. 

I get asked how often I work with children. Some parents only want me to meet with their children once a week, but if I agree to that, I will typically encourage at least 45 minutes. When meeting with students, we need to focus on their needs, but it is important to meet often enough to see progress and meet needs. Some parents want two or three times per week, and I have had some parents ask me to meet with their child 5 days a week. I am happy to meet as often as my schedule allows. 

I know how important it is to support my students. I do the best I can and I know parents appreciate that. As I said earlier, it is my honor to work with these kiddos. I want them to love learning and feel supported. 

I look forward to my fall kiddos. My schedule is filling up and I am excited about the learning that will be taking place. If you are looking for an expert that will provide individualized learning to meet your child’s needs, feel free to contact me. You can find more information about me at midwesttutor.com. I always offer a free assessment of needs and create a report for family members so they can see what it is that I will focus on. I think they really appreciate that and feel confident in the process that I will take to support their child. 

Best wishes for a wonderful new school year from Sheryl at Tutoring with Sheryl @https://midwesttutor.com. Feel free to get in touch with me with any questions! I will get back to you!

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I want to raise a reader!

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So, you really want to raise a reader? Absolutely! It isn’t as difficult as it sounds! You just need to provide books and spend time reading to your kids. And, you need to model reading yourself.

Sounds too good to be true? Well, I don’t think it is! All three of my kids were different when it came to reading. My oldest daughter really wasn’t too excited about reading. My middle child, our son, loved to read and he still spends a lot of time listening to audio books while he is working. Our youngest daughter was more into reading than our oldest daughter, but she was really into mysteries. So, if I could find something that was filled with mystery, then she was hooked.

I think it is important to take your child to the library. Especially when they are young. Have them get used to walking into a library and choose books to look at. Even if they don’t read all them, you are exposing them to a variety of books and writing styles. They are most likely going to grab books that they don’t even understand the language, but they are looking at the pictures. They are immersing themselves in the pictures and learning to turn the pages. Get them excited to go and look through books.

They can go “shopping” for their books and then take them home and enjoy them. Make a big deal of returning them when their due date comes up.

Provide them with a special space at home where they can sit down and enjoy their books.

Sit down and read with them. Do this as a part of their day. They will love it!

Once they get hooked on the reading portion, then take them to other places to get books. Great places to look for books are at garage sales. They can go to Goodwill and look through all of the books. You don’t have to pay a fortune for books. Good used books are a great place to start. If they don’t end up liking the books, then they can just sell them on your next garage sale or share them with a buddy.

But, if you are one to really want new books because you love the new book smell and how the new pages feel, then of course, go out and buy some books. Amazon is a great place to buy books. (“As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”) For example, if you wanted to purchase the book, Shiloh, for your fourth grader, you can quickly find it as you search. If you are already a prime member, you won’t have to worry about a mailing free and you can get it sent to you! They even offer it as a Kindle version with audio! So, they make it quick and easy to get a book! And, if you get the Kindle version, your child can read silently while listening to the book and improve both their fluency and their comprehension skills.

Wow, I wish I would have done a better job of using audio books with my own children. I think this would have really enriched the reading experience for my two daughters.

My son, was a totally reader. He loved everything from Eragon to Merlin. He was really into the mythological realms and the magic of these fun adventures.

As my granddaughter to learning to love reading, we are buying books for her that she is spending a tremendous amount of time listening to. She is even reading them to me! Most of the time it is babble, she is only 22 months old! But, occasionally we a get a phrase that makes sense. One of her favorites is Corduroy Goes to School. She loves the flaps that she can pull down and see what is underneath as I am reading to her.

No matter how you provide the books, I just really recommend that you go out and look for some books that your child will like. Remember, if they are youngsters, they are probably just “reading” the pictures. That is okay. You can read them the text. But, make the time to read to them. Make it a routine. Kids love routines. They feel comfort in them. Taking time to sit down and read with your child allows you to bond. Once they get older, they will be reading to you. It isn’t hard to raise a reader, but it will take time.

I wish you the best of luck as you get your reader excited to explore books!

If you are in need of summer reading tutoring for your child be sure to let me know! I am happy to help your child learn to love reading! You can find more about me at midwesttutor.com and you can email me at sheryluehling@gmail.com.

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What do tutors help with during the summer?

I have clients this summer who are working with me to enhance their skills in a variety of areas. They are not attending summer school and have chosen to work with me instead. We meet twice a week for either 2 half hour sessions, or we do 2 one hour sessions. I don’t recommend more than 40 minutes for students that are in third grade or below. The simply cannot focus that long, and I want my students to be absorbing the information I am teaching them. My students who are in fourth grade and above do well with one hour sessions and we typically have plenty of time to take a deep dive into the things they are working on.

So, what does this look like? I send home a calendar reminder that we will be meeting the day prior to our meeting. I include important links that my student might need to have access to. They open our link by going to the calendar app on Google. I am on the other end of the link with the same links open. I make sure we both have the same things open and ready to go. We do a quick check in, and then we get started.

I use Google Calendar to schedule online meetings with clients.

Each meeting looks different because each leaner is working on skills that they want support with. To illustrate what happens during the online meeting I will give you an example. If they are doing math, we will do some skill practice, and then work on some more challenging problems or skills-based problem-solving activity. Then we typically do some sort of work on a management system like khanacademy.org or splashlearn.com. Both of these math management systems have phenomenal content that can be used with students in math as well as reading. If parents are available at the end of the lesson, I will always do a quick chat with them and see if there is something that they would like me to focus on for the next meeting and I will take notes so I remember to include this the following week. If parents are not available, then I always send home an email update of our lessons. Then I end the meeting.

This is an amazing tool. I harness the power and use it as a tool for direct instruction and support materials as my students learn math content.

What does the student do in-between our meetings? Most parents like me to “assign” some work for their child to do outside of our meetings. If that is the case, then I create a private Google Classroom for them and I post weekly activities for them to do. Depending on the age of the child and what they are able to do independently, I will give things in khanacademy.org or splashlearn.com to complete, or I will send home links of things to complete. I post these things on their Google Classroom under their Classwork tab. Some of my students continue to work on projects that we started but they didn’t have time to complete.

Private Classrooms are provided for my learners.

I want to support the learning of each child and meet their needs and this seems to be the most effective and efficient way to do so.

If you are in need of summer tutoring for your child, feel free to reach out to me. I will set up a Google Meet and send you a personal link to a private online meeting. We can discuss the needs of your child. I will then do a free assessment of your child, on a date that will work for both of us. Then I will compile the information and send you a report of my findings. I will follow up with you and give you a plan of action for the child and if you are in agreement, we will move forward with private tutoring lessons.

I have had a lot of very happy families. They are very pleased with the results and the children are supported, encouraged, and challenged. I would love to help your child move forward through the summer months so they are ready to go next fall.

For more information about my tutoring services, go to midwesttutor.com. You can send a request via an email directly to me at sheryluehling@gmail.com.

Happy summer learning to all of you! Don’t let the summer slide hit your child and find they are behind at the beginning of the school year. We can work together to prevent that and start the school year ahead of the game!

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What does tutoring look like from my perspective?

Welcome to my office!

What does tutoring look like for me?

I have to tell you, that it is always a delight to meet with my clients. I get excited to see them on the other end of the camera. I welcome them and ask them how their day has been going. I also ask them what they want to work on.

In this blog, I will let you know about my most recent visit with a young lady who is in 5th grade. She lives in New Jersey, and I live in Nebraska. We are definitely a few miles away. But, we meet on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 5 pm CST, 6 pm EST.

I typically try to show up a few minutes prior to the start of our online meeting. I make sure I have pencil and paper. I make sure I have some links to the things we have been working on, just in case we need something ready to go. I look back at my notes and my lesson plans, and make sure I am ready to roll.

In her case, I am working with her on 5th grade math. We have been working on measurement and geometry, so in my most recent visit, I have fired my computer up and had links ready to go. However, when I met with her, she was not in need of what I had opened up. She was requesting support on long division with decimals as well as a reteach on how to make conversions using in mass in the metric system.

We spent about 45 minutes making sure she understood the difference between dividing a decimal number by a whole number. Then we added the decimal in the divisor’s spot. I made sure she understood why we were moving the decimal, and suddenly things fell into place.

She was feeling very confident with that. She took some notes and said, let’s move on. Then we moved into working on understanding the place value system in the metric measurement system. She finally started to understand it as I retaught her about the fact that each one of the place values is either 10 times larger or smaller depending on the way you move through the place values. I showed her she could multiply by powers of 10, or we could simply determine how many place values we are moving and then just move the decimal. The light switch went on, and she was able to move within the system with little to no confusion. She did ask if we could practice that again on Thursday, and I agreed I would be ready to go.

At the end of our hour, she stated that she did very well on her most recent math test. She thought that she maybe only missed two. She felt very confident about her state math assessment as well. Her mother was very pleased about her progress and had added a second hour with me. She was very happy about her progress and wanted more time.

I am sharing this with you because I want you to know, that I take very good care of my clients. I am constantly looking for ideas that may work with each child. I use humor as we work together because I want them to enjoy our time together.

I also want you to know, that I do my best to work around the child’s schedule, while keeping our time together as consistent as possible.

I just finished some time up with one of my most recent clients, and I asked his mother if she would have time to give me a testimonial. I really didn’t know what she thought about how things were going, but I did know that her son, who was working with me on 3rd grade math, was doing very well. She sent me this testimonial, and I could see that I really was making a difference. Here is what she said, “Sheryl provided fantastic support to my son for a number of reasons.  She was very flexible and understanding of his needs and kept the lessons engaging even when he was distracted or tired from a long day at school.  She provided a positive energy and a genuine enthusiasm for learning.  Sheryl is a fantastic teacher and resource!“

As I am moving into summer, my schedule is filling up. However, I do have some time slots available. If you have need of a tutor, be sure to reach out to me. I would be delighted to schedule time to meet with you and your child and do a free consultation/assessment. It typically takes about an hour, but sometimes it is just a little bit longer, especially if your child needs more processing time.

For you convenience, you can fill out the form at the bottom of this sheet if you are wanting the most direct link to reaching me. However, you can find out more information by going to midwesttutor.com.

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Are Audiobooks a Bad Thing?

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I sometimes get asked if audiobooks are a bad thing. And, my answer to that is a flat out no. For some people, this is the only way they find time to read. I know I have enjoyed some really great books on “tape.” I even recall a road trip where our family listened to Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls, on audiotape and at the end of it, my entire family was in tears. So, yes, I love audiobooks. 

However, I wouldn’t recommend only relying on audiobooks for your child’s form of reading. The problem with that is if they only hear the written word, they are not being exposed to those words in writing. It is when they see the words that they really get to understand what they are reading. Listening to books on “tape” is a great way to hear the text. This is especially important if their families don’t have time to read to them aloud. It is when they hear the text, they learn the nuances of the language. This is vital to their language development. I would still recommend the written text be accompanied with the audio text, but when that won’t work, listening to stories is very valuable on its own. 

I have had many students who suffer from dyslexia and one thing that actually helped them to become successful in the classroom, was listening to audiobooks. I would provide them with a hard copy of the book  and then they would listen to the words as they read along with the audio. It made for a rich reading experience for them. They felt supported and got much more from what we were reading. 

An audiobook can give a reader a break from the text, and for some kiddos that struggle to make mental pictures of their reading, this is the best way to support their imagination as they read. Some kids take longer to develop this sense of imagery, so listening while also reading along provides the support they need to make those mental images. 

The more we can expose our students to written text, the better their language skills will be supported. But, in the end, audio books are not a bad thing. They are just another tool in the toolbox to support reading and building a love for the written language. 

I tutors students in elementary in math, reading, and writing. If you are looking for someone to support your child’s learning, feel free to reach out to me.

For more information be sure to visit:

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Should I sign my child up for a summer learning camp?

As we approach the end of the school year, parents start to consider ways they can keep their child actively involved. They look at prices for the swimming pool, they scan advertisements looking for day and overnight camps. They look into their local sports organizations. The list is endless. They might even consider their local reading program at the library. 

However, many families don’t consider summer learning opportunities. I know that as a parent, I would always try to get my kids to the library for some educational opportunities, but many times those ideas fell below my expectations as a parent. I wanted my child challenged. Being a school teacher meant I had the ideas to keep them academically inspired and challenged, but sometimes I just wanted to send them somewhere and let them learn from someone other than myself. 

And, let’s be honest. How many of us just don’t want to do the work to develop ideas and get things prepared in order to challenge our students? It is a lot of work. You have to have the idea, find the supplies, take the time to sit down with your child and do the work right along with them. Whew, that can be exhausting! You are just trying to hold down the fort at home. You have to find time to pay your bills and take care of the family. No one ever told you, you might have to spend time doing things that are educational with your child. You thought it would be fun just to play with them!

Parenting is hard. People have written books about parenting. Parents find themselves questioning how to go about supporting their child in all areas. It doesn’t just have to be the summer time activities!

As you go about planning your child’s summer camps, I hope you will consider nurturing their mind, not just their bodies. Yes, my kids all participated in sports. We spent countless hours at the ball diamonds, at the pool, and on the basketball court. All of those things are incredibly valuable to your child. But, when my kids were growing up, we really only had the library reading programs and Bible school that offered learning opportunities for kids. This was mostly due to the fact that we live in a rural environment. Today, parents have all kinds of things they can consider signing their children up for! With the advent of digital learning opportunities, kids can take classes all over the world and learn from experts in all kinds of fields. 

I challenge you to think outside of the box as you look at things for your child to participate in this summer. Look around for summer enrichment, and even consider getting your child support in academic areas where they may be in need of support. Keep the learning going so that when they show up to class next fall they are not behind. 

Summer learning loss is a real thing! It doesn’t happen for all children, but it does happen. There are differing opinions as to why this occurs, and I won’t go into all of that in this blog post, but as a parent, I think most of us don’t want it to happen to our child. Sure, we can tell that they have to read for 20 minutes a day. And, that in itself is a good thing, if they are really doing it! It is even better if you take the time to discuss what they are reading and ask them questions. But the average parent may not even know exactly what to ask the child about their book, other than,”What happened in your book today?” That is a great open-ended question, but if that is the only thing you ask and your child barely responds, then that isn’t such a great thing. How will you know that your child actually read the material? You won’t! 

I would encourage you to seek out learning opportunities for your child that are supportive, challenging, and lead to growth. 

I know that some people will shy away from social sites like Facebook or Instagram. But, I know of a lot of talented teachers and tutors that are available to help support your child and can be found on these apps. 

If you know that your child struggles with reading, giving them the summer off is NOT going to help them grow as a reader! Ignoring the struggle is never a good idea! 

If your child is a genius, then find someone or a program that will challenge your child to think about new things and new ways of doing things. 

I know that parents will oftentimes say to me, your cost of tutoring is too high. Well, they don’t consider that they are also paying for the time I am working outside of the one-on-one time with their child. I don’t think they would argue with their lawyer about the cost of his or her services. They know that the lawyer is working outside of the time they are meeting with the client to make sure all of their needs are being met. The same goes for the person who is going to provide the academic support for a camp or one-one-one learning sessions. They are creating support materials and lining up the programs. So, remember that when you are considering your child’s summer learning opportunities and you are thinking about costs. 

I know that most parents don’t bat an eye at spending thousands of dollars on their child’s gymnastics, volleyball, baseball, or other sporting ventures. Invest in your child. They are the next leaders of our world. We want them learning from others, we want them challenged, we want them nurtured, we want them to have experiences to draw upon. All of this will make well-rounded children. 

If you are looking for some summer learning opportunities for your child I may be a resource for you!  I am providing some! I am hosting 3 sessions of an online writing camp focused on poetry in the month of June. I know your child will have fun and learn more about writing through a creative experience. I am also hosting 3 sessions of an online financial literacy camp where we will focus on understanding our wants and needs and how to wisely use our money. We will learn about budgeting and how to keep track of our expenses. 

I also am offering one-on-one tutoring for students who need support with bridging any learning gaps in both reading and math. I also am available for enrichment! Just let me know what your child needs. I am happy to help you out! I am really excited to work with some great kids and families this summer. Thank you for trusting me with your kids! I look forward to hearing from you! I can be reached at suehling@midwesttutor.com or you can find more information out at midwesttutor.com.

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Does online tutoring really work?

After a year of working with students online, I would have to say that it definitely works. I have been blessed to work with students around the United States and we have had very little difficulty meeting each week either once or twice per week depending on their needs.

For those of you that don’t know me, I have a background in education. I am a certified K-6 teacher, licensed in the state of Nebraska, with 32 year s of experience in public education as a 5th grade teacher. Most of my students have been in grades 3-6 throughout my career. I have taught all classroom subjects.

So, how does this online tutoring work? On my end, I added a landline connection to reduce pauses in my video connection. While it isn’t perfect, we have very few moments of lag time. I have used my computer for all of the sessions except for one when my computer actually wouldn’t work, and then I met online via my phone and we still were able to communicate with very little disruption during our session.

From my students’ perspective, they have met with me on their tablets, phones, and computers.

I have been able to use Zoom when necessary, but I typically rely on Google Meet. With a link sent to the student, we find it quite easy to have our scheduled sessions.

My tutoring is much like my teaching. I find out what is needed and then I respond. If I am going to work directly with a student for a period of time and I know the goal, then I seek materials that will meet the child’s needs.

If I am focusing on homework support, then I use my student’s direction when we meet and respond to their needs.

So, what do each of these scenarios look like?

When I know the goal, I will find support materials and curriculum that will address the child’s needs. Let’s say the child is in need of support in reading. I do a reading evaluation of my own, and discover there is a need for support not only in comprehension skills, but they get stuck on multisyllabic words. I will find grade level appropriate words and we will do phonics study as well as comprehension skill practice. I certainly wouldn’t want my students to go without the support they need. I want them to grow in their area of support.

When students need homework support, I ask their parent or the child (if they are old enough and responsible enough) to send me the topics they are covering so I have an idea of what we are working on that night. If they can get me that list a few hours prior, I can typically have things lined up in advance. When I don’t get the list, then I focus on what they have worked on in class and expand on that skill. I have had a lot of success with and without a list, but it makes for a more productive session when I have an idea of what we are working on.

I get very excited when parents let me know their child is doing well in class and that they are improving on their report cards. I have had students working towards goals in their classroom and finding success and building confidence on the skills they are working on. With parent approval, I will reach out to the child’s teacher and coordinate efforts with them.

So, who are a few of the kiddos I have worked with? Well, I won’t name any of them, but I can tell you about a few of them. I worked with a family in California. The sister was in third grade and the brother was in fifth grade. I helped both of them with their homework, but we typically focused on writing. Both of them were dual language speakers. The third grader was an exceptional writer, but she would get confused on verb tense, so we really focused on that. She had great ideas, but had a problem getting them on paper. The older brother had a difficult time getting ideas generated. So, we used a lot of graphic organizers. He needed those to organize his thinking. He had to learn how to develop his ideas and needed a lot of support with grammar and spelling as well. Both of them had support with their math. The little sister did very well with her math and really needed a challenge. I was always on the look-out for challenging problems that I could stump her with. She loved the challenge! The brother did well once he understood the concept, but needed a lot of repeated practices to really solidify his understanding of the concepts.

I worked with another young man who was in the fifth grade and was living in California. He needed support on his writing. He was a dual language learner. He could generate his ideas easily, but he too struggled with spelling and basic grammar skills. So, we would practice multi-syllabic words and I really worked on generating basic sentences with him. I would always have him practice sentences that I would dictate to him, then I would have him choose one and I would have him write a story based on the sentence. He showed so much growth in a short period of time because we developed a routine that worked for him. His mom was so happy with his experience and his growth. His confidence really shot up and he was enjoying school again.

I worked with a 3rd grader in Missouri who needed support with his math skills. He was really bright and needed a challenge. He would have me check over his math homework, we would practice what he was doing in the classroom. But, I knew he could totally do so much more, so I kept challenging him. I was introducing him to double digit multiplication before his classmates and then moved him into long division with remainders before he needed to know it. He was ready and excited for the challenge. If he did his work quickly, then we would spend time on writing. He loved writing creative stories. His parents were so excited about the progress he was making and he was needing my support less and less. That means I was doing my job!

I worked with a young 5th grader in New Jersey who wanted math support. She was a really good problem solver, but would get stuck because of her computation skills. We really focused on learning her math facts and building her confidence with those so she could apply them to her math skills. Her school was using a lot of the Common Core Math routines, but what I found out with her was that she really just needed to focus on one way to solve the problem. I focused on the traditional algorithms with her, and she really improved dramatically. Her mom was so excited about her progress and her parent teacher conference report. The young lady was showing an interest in the advanced level math classes at her school and her mom was very excited about this.

Back to my original question. Does online tutoring really work? Absolutely!

I would love to work with your child! I am offering one-on-one tutoring and small group lessons. I have a few spots available for one-on-one tutoring this summer. If your child needs support with writing, reading, or math, let me know. I am sure I can help move them forward.

If you would like to learn more about writing or math this summer, I am offering two mini summer camps. My writing camp is focused on poetry. It is a very fun and non-threatening way to get kids focused on writing and learning in a creative fashion. We will even submit our work for publication! Click the links for more information on the camps!

Summer Digital Writing Camp (Poetry)

My other summer camp is focused on financial literacy. I hope to teach kids the importance of money and how to manage it and make good decisions with the money now and in the future.

Summer Digital Financial Literacy Camp

Let me know if I can support your child’s learning. I would love to support them and help them feel successful!

You can reach me through email at sheryluehling@gmail.com .

I look forward to hearing from you. If this was helpful, please share this information with others.

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How important is it to have routines for your children? 

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Somedays you just want to wake up and do what you want to do, and not worry about getting the kids ready, feeding the dogs, or making a meal on time. After all, you are ruling your life around the clock. You are already worried about getting to work on time, you need to just focus on yourself. So what if the kids miss their breakfast? Too bad if they stayed up late last night, it was only 10 pm. That certainly won’t make a difference. And, you are also planning that quick vacation and the kids are only going to miss 10 days of school. Not a problem, the teacher will give the kids their homework and they can do their work on the vacation. It isn’t a big deal. 

Hmm, take a second to think about what just happened in that previous paragraph. The parent is overwhelmed. They just need a breather. They are working, parenting, and planning a vacation. All of those things by themself aren’t too bad one by one. After all, we all need to be able to change things around in our day, week, and our lives. But, we need to consider the impact these changes have on our children. Take a moment and see the impact of these changes on our children and how it may affect their day, week, or life. 

Here is my thought process on the idea of keeping kids on a schedule as much as possible. 

I know, I know, you have heard it before. “Get your kids on a schedule, it will help.” But, your life is so busy, you can hardly see straight. Well, I want you to really consider the impact of a schedule. 

If you are currently working a job, most likely you are on a schedule. You know when to report to your job, you know when your lunchtime is, you know when the end of your day. That is pretty comforting, isn’t it? You know what to expect. You can plan how much time you have to spend on things and this can lead to productivity. The more productive you are, the better your job goes, and in the end, you are happy! 

Wouldn’t it stand to be true for your child as well? If they have a schedule and they know what to expect, then they will know they have a specific time for each activity they need to complete during the day. They will feel safe, and it will be comforting. They will have the opportunity to be productive, even if they need more support with this. This will bring happiness to them as well. Of course, this is if things are perfect, but it stands to reason that your child should have a sense of normalcy which brings a feeling of safety for your child. That is reassuring to them that things are right in their world. 

If things are “right” in their world, then most likely you won’t have behaviors that can sometimes occur when they are out of their routines. This can lead to tantrums in younger children, crying in slightly older children, and defiance in older children. 

According to Kaplan, The Learning Company, you should have a routine for your infant or toddler because it helps them “feel secure in their environment.” They go on to say that the children go on to be “more engaged with their environment and the people around them.” So clearly, this supports young children with their social skills and how they handle change within their homes. This will then support them with changes outside of their home. Allowing time for your child to build up to transitions is really important. When you take the time to give cues that your child can learn so they understand a change is upcoming, you teach your child that a change is coming and this will help reduce bad behavioral responses to change that we can see when the child isn’t prepared for the change in their routine or activity. 

Those routines that you build in for your child will teach your child independence and life long habits that will lead to good health and productivity in their life. 

Bedtime routines are always ones that are challenging to build, but are so worth it in the end. I remember learning that as a young mother. If I didn’t have my kids on a bed time routine, then I was the one who suffered. I had to deal with bad behaviors the next day because they didn’t have enough sleep. I had to learn to build in procedures to help them transition into their beds. We would have a snack, put on pj’s, read some books, head up to bed and say our prayers, turn the lights down low and say goodnight. The kids had to learn to stay there until they fell asleep, but if we stayed on a schedule, things seemed to go so much better. All of this was challenging, but in the end, they became independent as they got older and we didn’t fight the battle many other parents were fighting, because the expectation was it was sleep time and they were to sleep in their beds. 

Morning routines were sometimes rough as well, but they were just as important as the bedtime routines, if not more important. I was the main caregiver when the kids were little. I got the kids ready, most of the time I was the one making them breakfast and feeding them. I was the one packing the bags and putting the kids in their car seats, I was the one who was driving 20+ miles to daycare and then back to work, all before 8 am. If I didn’t have some routines in place, things were not going to go well. Maybe that is your role. Don’t you think a routine would be helpful? 

Consider packing bags the night before. Lay outfits out the night before. Plan out breakfast and lunch the night before. I know this adds to your evening, but in the end, your morning should be much less stressful. If outfits are laid out the night before, that is one less thing you need to worry about. You won’t be searching for the elusive sock or shoe at the last minute. You will know where the mittens or the sandals are. Homework will already be in the bag. The pacifier won’t be missing from the diaper bag. The sports uniform will be washed and ready to go. You won’t be wondering where things are because you took care of it the night before. 

And, what about that 10 day vacation during the normal school year calendar? Sure, it works for you! But what about your child? Yay, they don’t have to go to school! It is no big deal to you that the teacher has to put together 10 days worth of homework. That is their job. But, do you realize that your child is missing out on valuable instruction? Instruction that they are not going to get a homework packet? Yes, school is a routine. You need to also consider this when you are making decisions that impact your child’s regular school day. You need to consider the fact that the school day doesn’t just consist of some worksheets thrown at your child. It is planned instruction created to teach your child strategies and content that will enable them to be successful in school and beyond. Without that instruction, many children will have learning loss. And, consider the lesson that your child is learning from you. You may not intentionally be teaching them, but the message is that school isn’t important. How can it be if you are going to take 10 days away while school is in session. So, be very careful when you are making decisions with your routines and schedules, because they can have unintentional effects. 

Give yourself permission to make mistakes. Give yourself permission to stray from the routines and schedules. But, celebrate when things go right. You will do yourself a favor and your child. Your stress level will be reduced once your routines are in place. Your child will feel safe and secure. This will hopefully help with any unwanted behaviors. 

I hope this gave you some insight into the importance of routines and schedules. I know the importance of them in my own life and in my classroom. My students depend on them. I depend on them. My students’ success is dependent on my use of routines and schedules so we can accomplish as much as we can in our day. 

I would love to work with you and your child to help develop routines and support your child’s learning. If you are in need of some academic support for your elementary leveled child, feel free to contact me. I specialize in math, reading, and writing. I have had a lot of success supporting students and would love to help your child reach their fullest potential. You can learn more about me at midwesttutor.com. You can reach out directly to me at sheryluehling@gmail.com. Feel free to share this with others. I hope you found it informative.

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Do you have a senior that is preparing to graduate? Here is a simple timeline of things to consider doing to prepare for the big event!

(photo from pexels.com from free stock photos)

Feeling stressed about your child’s upcoming graduation? After doing three high school graduation parties, two college graduation parties, plus a wedding, I have some thoughts about preparing for the party. Maybe these tips will help you feel relaxed or at least organized as you plan for a successful celebration to your child’s special day. After all, you have raised and nurtured your child, you have cheered them on, and wiped their tears. It is a celebration for you as well. Congratulations on this big event. Plan ahead so you are done early and can sit back and enjoy this special time in your child’s life. 

Senior Year

Summer before senior year:

Schedule Senior pictures and order them. If you are having your photographer create your invitations, be sure you know the date of the graduation so they can add any information you want to the invite. I would encourage you to consider making your own, but be sure to include details for the actual graduation on the card and be sure to note if the party is on a different day. Give the physical address to both, but be sure it is very clear as to dates, times, and locations.

By December

Think about the day of your child’s event and secure a location for your child’s event. Put down a deposit if necessary. 

January

Discuss with your child what they want for a menu and look for recipes or a caterer. 

If you are in need of a caterer, be sure you contact a reputable one. Pay the deposit fee to be sure you have them on your calendar. 

February

Make a list of people you want to invite. Most senior students will send out a Facebook invitation, but encourage them to keep it private so you aren’t overwhelmed with a larger than anticipated crowd. This would be especially important if you are having your gathering in a smaller space. 

To determine how much food and drink, take the number of people you have invited and multiply it by ⅔. That will be pretty close to the number you will want to prepare for, but in all reality, only about ½ the number of people you invite will actually show up, and if you have the party on the same night as others, many people will not eat everything you serve. So, give yourself permission to run out! Leftovers are overrated!

March

Fill out the FAFSA form! Sorry parents, you really do need to do this. Go ahead and have the form linked to your taxes, it will save you a lot of time and headaches!

Fill out all scholarships. Ask for letters of recommendations from teachers. Try to have all of this done this month. Most likely your child began this earlier in the year. If not, put a rush on this! 

If you are preparing your own food, you can start to look for some things on sale. Some things like browning ground beef can potentially be done this month and placed in packaging in your deep freeze to speed things up as you prepare them later. 

You will want to secure tables, chairs, and begin looking for sales on disposable dishware, napkins, table cloths, canned beverages, etc. 

If you have room in your garage or a spare room, you can stockpile these items. Be sure to keep them organized so you can keep track of them. 

If you plan to order chips or things like that, then consider using Food Direct Services. They are really speedy and have a ton of things available that can help and you can avoid a trip to a major store. 

If you are purchasing soda or water bottles, consider purchasing the small bottles and can. Most people will not drink all of it and you will have a lot left over. Consider purchasing the small cups if you are serving lemonade or punch for the same reason. 

If you don’t have 30 gallon trash cans, consider going to Menards or some other store and purchasing several along with the liners. It will help you out when the day of the party actually happens. Consider your plan for the full trash bags as they fill up. Most people don’t consider this, they place them outdoors and then coons or dogs get into them. Consider throwing them in the back of a pickup if you don’t have other options.

If you are using a venue, you may have to purchase your own liners as well, so ask about this and get the correct size. You may also have to supply things like hand soaps, dish soaps, and hand towels at your venue, so ask questions.

April

If you are having cake and are ordering it, this is a good time to contact a baker and make arrangements. Be sure to pay the deposit as needed. 

Consider sending out your invitations 4-6 weeks in advance. Many people want to have advanced notice. This will give them time to purchase a gift and make time to attend the event. They may need to make arrangements for travel time as well as hotel accommodations. 

Consider asking a couple of older people watch any alcohol if you plan to provide it. You don’t want any underage drinking going on. Remind them of their job the day of the party. 

Ask a couple of trusted friends to help you with your serving for the day of the party. Ask the in ADVACNCE! You will NOT want to have to worry about this. Your family will tell you they will help, but they will get distracted with relatives and not follow through. You want several people in charge that are not relatives. You will be glad you did this! Consider asking a freshman or sophomore for help if you want a high schooler. Pay them to do the job and then they will take it seriously. You could also ask a service group like Girl Scouts to help and then give a donation to their club.

While it would be nice to have your entire extended family stay with you, I really encourage you to avoid this. Especially if you are hosting at your home. Your house guests will not be concerned about keeping the house cleaned up and you will want it to be picked up! It is too much stress. They will understand. 

If you are hosting the party at your house, this is the month where you will be very busy. You will either want to hire help, or complete these tasks on your own. Do a deep clean of all rooms. People will literally end up everywhere!

Clean up your yard and make it as presentable as you can. If you are planning on putting in flowers and you live in an area that this is difficult to do, then consider preparing planters. These can be pulled in if there is a late spring freeze.

As crazy as it sounds, organize your closets, cupboards, drawers, people will look in just about anything! Or better yet, leave a sign in them and say something like, “Did you find what you needed?”

Consider removing all medications that guests may get into without your permission. As much as we would like to believe no one would mess with it, you never know! 

Consider asking a friend to be in charge of taking candid photos. I have seen people lay out disposable cameras for friends to use at the party. 

Either borrow or purchase things like: roasters, beverage dispensers, coolers, card tables, display boards for photos, decorations. 

I purchase rolls of table covering so it is easily rolled out. I will then have leftovers for other gatherings that I host.

Determine what type of collection box or basket you want for the cards. If you want to decorate it, this is the time. A great idea is to get a larger Amazon box and cover it with wrapping paper and place a large slot in the top. Then you don’t have to worry about things getting lost!

Purchase thank you’s and stamps. You may want to consider purchasing postcards. Then you can avoid an envelope. One less thing to take care of.

If you are having a display of photos or awards, determine what you want laid out and how it will be displayed. You may need to line up extra tables for this, so as you determine tables and chairs, keep this in mind.

Get your appointments for your hair style and if you do nails or something like that, have them scheduled. 

Make any signage for your party, however, be careful about putting your name on anything. While this is helpful, it may lead to other issues, like unwanted guests. If your guests need directions to your home, then include them in the invitation. Most people use some navigation system now, so most people only need an address.

May/June or month of graduation

2 weeks prior to graduation, double check to see that you have everything you need (minus any fresh foods). This will give you time to run and get what you need.

If you are using a garage or shed, this is the time to clean it out. Then don’t allow anyone to park in it, or you will be starting all over. Keep the door closed! This will keep out the bugs and dust.

If you are able to and have access to tables, then you should set them up, but you may need to dust them off if it is really windy.  

Consider your outfit for the party. You want to be comfortable yet dressed nicely so the photos you preserve show how much you cared about the day. 

The week of graduation you will want to have some friends or family help you out. We all want to believe our child will help us get things ready, they are busy with their own agendas, and you will just need to give yourself permission to ask for help. 

Pick up the tables and chairs from the venue you are renting or borrowing them from. Be sure to find out when and how they are to be returned. Some places will rent picnic tables on wheels that can be pulled home hooked up to a pickup. Some towns will rent the picnic tables from the local park, but this will require a pickup or a flatbed trailer. If you have access to those things, these are definitely a possibility. You do not have to have searing for everyone invited. If you run your party as an open house, then have some tables and chairs. Many people will stand and visit. Then they will sit as others leave.

If you didn’t set up the tables, then this is the time to do it. Don’t put covers on them until the day before or the day of to avoid dust. 

Clean the house. Be sure to lay down extra throw rugs if people will be in your house. Put them over your carpet as well. People will not be taking off their shoes! 

Have extra toilet paper and paper towels on hand for guest rooms and the kitchen. Put extra liners in the bottom of your trash cans so they are ready to go and helpers can just take out the bag and add a new liner.

Place the canned drinks in coolers so the only thing you have to do is add ice the day of the party (add labels to the coolers).

Begin to prepare anything that can be done in advance. If you are making tacos, mix it up and then put it in bags and freeze it. It will only take about 2 days to thaw in your fridge if you don’t have too much. If you have a lot, then adjust. 

2 days prior, continue to get any food items made or picked up. DO NOT try to pick all of that up the day or or even the day before. You will be in tears from stress! Allow your family and friends to help you out!

Hang up all of your displays. 

THE DAY of the Party

If you have done your work in advance, then today should be easy!

Go early and get the ice you need to cool your beverages. As long as you don’t overfill your coolers, you should be able to get by with 20 pounds per cooler. Your drinks will melt the ice, so even though 20 pounds sounds like a lot, it won’t be.

Determine the route you want your guests to enter and leave. It is a good idea to have your graduate by the door your guests are entering. Wherever you are serving the food, consider the flow of traffic and the ease of laying food out. 

Think about where you want packages and graduation cards located. 

If you have food to warm up, you will want to provide plenty of time for that. You will want to consider putting the main food item first with all of the other items behind them. 

Place your signage. 

Lay out all cutlery, food, drinks, etc. Put out garbage cans with liners in the bottom. 

Get dressed and take some family photos before people arrive. 

Sit back and relax! 

You will want to put all of the foods that needs to be refrigerated away before you go to sleep, but the rest can wait until the next day. 

The Day after the Party

Clean up all of the trash. 

Return the tables and chairs. 

Begin the returns of the coolers, etc. 

Take down all decorations and begin placing them in storage containers. You may want to consider a storage unit for under the bed.  Or several, if you have a lot! The following year, have them go through it and decide what they REALLY want to keep. 

Sweep floors, vacuum, wash floors, wash bathrooms, wash all surfaces in your kitchen, wash the toilets and sinks and countertops. Dump trash from the kitchen and bathrooms. 

Open the gifts later in the evening when you have things cleaned up. You should have some leftovers, so you shouldn’t have to cook. Be sure to take good notes on who gave what, most people expect a written thank you sent in the mail. 

Within a week of the party

Write the thank you notes and get them in the mail. Waiting much longer means your child will procrastinate! 

I hope this was helpful! There are so many things that you have to do, and you can either take this advice or leave it. But, having done three, there are countless things to do, and I am quite certain that I have left a few of them out!

Congratulations on your special celebration!

Note: Sheryl is a full time teacher and part time tutor. If you’d like to know more about her, check out midwesttutor.com.

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My child says the homework is done, but my child’s teacher is telling me it isn’t. What do I do?

I have had this conversation with parents so many times. I completely understand where you are coming from. I have done it myself! You see your child and you say, “Do you have your homework done?” Your child responds, “Yeah, I did it already.” Or perhaps they pause and say, “I will do it tomorrow.” Or maybe they say, “I don’t have any.”

You find yourself confused because you get a message from your child’s teacher that states your child is falling behind because they are not doing their homework. Wait! My child is telling me that they have their work done, or they don’t have any homework.

What do you do? You could yell at your child. You could yell at your child’s teacher. You could ignore it and say, it is their problem. Or, you could sit down and have a conversation with both your child and your child’s teacher.

I would recommend a meeting together if it is possible. I recommend staying calm and listening to both your child and your child’s teacher. There could be a variety of issues for this problem.

Your child may not understand that they actually have homework. I have literally had students not understand the word due. They hear “do” and not “due”. So, in their mind, they are thinking, well she said it was “do” tomorrow, so I don’t have homework. I can do it tomorrow! But, I said it was “due” tomorrow. Suddenly, we can see that we have a problem.

Your child may not understand the directions, or they may feel completely overwhelmed with the idea of homework. This may be especially important to note if they are getting a lot of assignments. Your child might just be struggling with organizing.

Your child may not care about the homework. They may not see any reason to do the work.

All of these are responses I have seen either through my own children or with my students. The most important thing to do is to find out what the problem is so it can be addressed.

Coming from the point of view of the teacher, it can really be a struggle when the student doesn’t want to do their homework. When possible, I try to help my students understand the importance of using the idea of homework as practice. I typically fall back on a real world idea of practice. I teach fifth graders, and I realize they don’t drive, but I will use an example of driving to help them understand. I tell them that we can watch our parents or other family members drive the car and we may feel like we know all about driving. But, when it is our turn to get a license and we decide to walk in to our local courthouse to take our test, we may be surprised. Suddenly there are all kinds of rules and there is even a real driving test to take along with the written test. I emphasize that watching my parents drive may have given me the idea of driving, but actually understanding the rules of the road and knowing how to operate the car needs practice. This is the same as the homework that we are expected to do at school. If we don’t practice our skills, it is very difficult to move forward with the next concept.

So, if you are having a problem with your child not doing their homework, try to use an everyday activity to parallel the idea of learning skills as you explain the importance of completing the work.

I would also recommend looking at their executive functioning skills. Simply put, this is their organizational skills. If they are not using some sort of planner or method of keeping track of their homework, this may need some attention. You can support them as you check their planner and talk through what they need to complete.

I hope this is helpful! Work as a team with your child’s teacher or tutor. They will appreciate it. Your child will see that you are all on the same team. Hopefully they will feel supported.

If you need support with your child’s homework, feel free to reach out to me at midwesttutor.com. I am happy to help!

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Exiting the Classroom and Entering the Tutoring World

Lesson on Long Division

I recently shared this information on the app Clubhouse. I decided this made for a great Blog Post. You can listen to the clubhouse talk on the app, but I decided I would go ahead and recreate this into an audio version and share it on my blog post as well. I want others to know what I am doing and how I am doing it. If this is information that you want to share with others, please feel free. I hope you enjoy my journey. It has been fun to try new things! I am a learner, just like the kids that I work with and I hope to inspire you to get out of your comfort zone and do something new too. 

In case you don’t know who I am, I am Sheryl fromTutoring with Sheryl at midwesttutor.com

I am a 32 year public school educator-tough decision to leave the classroom, but it was the right time for me to make a change and move forward, still helping students, just in a different way. I now have 2 years private online tutoring experience.

I work for a major tutoring company and am working to build my own clients out and have 3 active clients outside of the ones on the platform. I am seking more as I build my “brand”. 

How did this all start?

In 2018 got my Google Educator Level 1 Certification. Iwas looking for a way to differentiate instruction in my classroom while still moving students forward with their learning. We were doing a lot of small group instruction and Google Classroom was a good fit for the things I was doing in my classroom at the time. So, I took the Google for Educators Training Course for Level 1 and passed the class. That fall, I implemented all kinds of things into the instruction in my classroom with that MLS (management learning system).

The following summer in 2019, I got my Google Educator Level 2 Certification. I learned even more about Google Tools and was I able to develop all kinds of lessons that my students could use both in my classroom and outside of my classroom. These were things I was creating to support learning in my classroom for reading, writing, math, and science. 

Then in spring of 2020 the pandemic hit and everything closed down. Our school didn’t know what to expect of our kids and how to move forward, but I was already using Google Classroom with my students, so I just kept moving forward. 

We were using Google Meet, while the rest of the teachers in my building were using Zoom to meet virtually with our students. I couldn’t figure out why they weren’t using Google Classroom with Google Meet, because they were integrated tools.  But, I just kept moving forward. My kids finished the school year, outside of the classroom, but I think most of my families were very happy. I was still able to provide a quality educational experience for my students. It wasn’t perfect, but I was more prepared than most of my colleagues for what had happened. And to be quite frank, it was a very big learning curve for everyone! But, we got through it. 

During this time, my sister who has 2 younger kids (one was in 2nd grade and the other was in 4th grade) was desperate for help. Their school was also closed and she wanted support. So, I started working with them a few times a week using Zoom. That was what she preferred, but I found it harder to do what I wanted to do on it. But, we worked on reading and math and I got comfortable presenting lessons and tutoring them via an online platform. 

I then decided to try to make some money at this tutoring thing because it was easy for me to do, and I enjoyed it. So, I was hired on a national tutoring site and began working with students in the evening while I was still working full time in the classroom. 

I love working for the company I work for, but I am currently working on building my own client basel. I believe I can do this on my own and I want to use the tools I am familiar and comfortable with to move my business forward. 

So, how am I doing that?

Well, I started to follow Joanne Kaminski on YouTube and I bought her book (How to Start and Online Tutoring Business) and read the entire thing in 2 days. And just for transparency purposes, “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. ”She has a lot of great information on her tutorials and you can sign up for classes with her.

 I also follow Esmy Lozano at bestonlinereadingtutor on Instagram and Clubhouse. She gave me inspiration to start to share my message on Instagram.

I follow Kasey Bell on Shake Up Learning (podcast). And I listened to all of the Google Teacher Podcasts with Matt Miller and Kasey Bell. I did this even prior to going out on my own, so I was building the background knowledge that I needed to teach digitally. 

And then I researched how to set up a website and did some research on the one I wanted. I decided on WordPress. It is harder to learn than most of them, but I figured I was smart enough to figure it out. And guess what? I did! My daughter who is a marketing manager was impressed that I figured it out. She helped me choose a design and then I just went with it. Her best advice to me was that I had to have a business plan before I started the website. I was thinking, “What on earth is a business plan?” So, as I do with all things, I researched and gave it my best shot. I recall that Joanne had great advice in her book, so I just went with the ideas I was gathering and put my page together. You can find it here! 

And, I had some really great colleagues at the school I was at that were cheering me on and believing in me. My husband was also cheering me on and so were my sisters and kids. So, I had a lot of people who believed that I could do this and I thought I could as well. 

So, here I am 2 years later,  I have officially retired as a public school teacher   and I am getting clients on my own. And, I am so humbled and happy that this is actually happening. 

I decided to leave the classroom and make a go of this. I was looking for flexibility. I wanted to continue to be with kids and work with other adults who wanted support. So, I put myself out there. 

I am doing things that are out of my comfort zone, but I am just moving forward. 

So, what does that look like? How do I make this work?

Well, I am keeping my blog up-to-date with things surrounding education. I have just registered to be an Amazon Affiliate so I can place links into my descriptions about things that could be helpful to families and kids as they are learning.

I created a Facebook page for my tutoring. I am slowly but surely getting people to follow me. I try to put timely information out there. 

I offered 2 short summer courses in June. I didn’t get anyone to attend, and that is okay! I will do it differently next time. I can share that experience on another chat. 

I am putting information on Instagram and YouTube. And, that has been a learning curve of its own. I am always looking for ways to create and share, so I enjoy that. Sometimes I have to really think about what I want to share and how I want to share it, but I am doing things and making it happen.  That all takes time and I am seeing traffic on all of it. I also put up flyers at local establishments. 

For some families, the summer break has just started. I am not working to get  clients for this summer, however, I do have several that I am currently working with. The work I am doing right now is for this fall. 

I have one student already committed to working with me this fall (they are a current student outside of my national company). I am delighted every time I meet with this student. We are working on building math skills that need support. This student also needs some help with visual perception skills, so we do that as well. I see this student twice a week for a half hour each time. I also provide one hour worth of homework per week for this student and utilize Google Classroom for that. 

I have another student that I am working with on math and reading and I meet with that student twice a week. This student is on the national company site. 

I just finished with another student who I worked with all year on math. She is taking the summer off and we will start again in late September. 

And, I just had confirmation of two new students from the same family that are homeschooling and they need support in math. This is a family that I will drive to their home due to some needs that cannot be addressed online, but they need the support and I am happy to give it to them. I will meet with each child for one hour each for math instruction. 

I have another student that I will meet with online for math support in the fall as well. 

I had another offer to work with Dallas Public Schools for next fall, and I am still considering that offer. It would be to do small groups and I am not sure if that is the route I really want to go right now. However, I do know that some people do small groups and love it. 

So, I am growing my business, but I am eager to work with other kiddos. 

You might be wondering how I go about doing online tutoring?

Well, like I said. I took the training for Google for Educators and passed Levels 1 and 2.  I use most of the tools in Google to support what I do. 

I pay for a Google Workspace. I did this on purpose. I wanted the things it would provide me with. You cannot get a Google Educator Account for online tutoring, so you have to use the Google Workspace. It costs me $9.99 per month for the service. 

I pay for my website. That was a bit more. I think all- in it is about $150. 

I pay for online liability insurance for teachers and that runs about $175 for the year. I have some teachers ask me, “Why do you have insurance?” My response is, “You insure yourself for the unexpected.” This is to save any assets that my family has from someone suing me for something that I did or didn’t knowingly do. I would NEVER do something that was inappropriate or dangerous, but some families have different expectations. I just want to be sure I am covered. This is what I call “malpractice insurance for educators.” I have NEVER been in a classroom or taught without it. I will always carry a policy. If someone tries to tell you that you are covered under your house insurance plan, they don’t understand what you are wanting. You want coverage for online teaching. I got mine through the Association of American Educators. You can go to their website for more information. 

I purchased a Dell Inspiron Touchscreen computer and it works great! However, sometimes I still need a tablet for better control, so I had to purchase one of those as well.

I have a Huion tablet that I connect to my laptop so I can do the writing on the screen as well, but I could get a screen writing utensil if I wanted to. The tablet was about $40. “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

I use khanacademy.org, so I send a donation of $50 every year to them to help support it and keep it going. 

I use a cheap pair of earbuds with a microphone from Dollar General. (I believe my total is about $1,125. So, I have motivation to get clients because you don’t want to spend money and not make money!

I use Google Classroom, Google Docs, Google slides, Google Sheets, Google’s email, Google Jamboard (digital whiteboard software) and Google’s calendar. 

I send invoices to my private clients using PayPal. I have not automated that. I know the people I am working with, so I just bill them at the end of the month. However, anyone I do not know personally, I bill in advance for services and they have to pay the month before. 

What do I work on during the sessions?

Well, that depends. 

If the student has homework, we do that first. If they are studying for tests, we do that next. If they are done with everything, I provide the rest. So, it is really important that the parent of the child is communicating with me what they need to be working on. I don’t want to waste time when we meet looking for things that will support their learning. 

What are some trustworthy websites that I use? 

Khanacademy and splashlearn.com are two that I use on a regular basis. They both support math and reading, and khanacademy also supports writing. I can go into those websites and others on another chat. 

The last thing I want to say is that if I can do this, you can too. It takes work. You won’t get clients unless you are actively doing something to spread the word. But, it will pay off. Just keep going at it. Tell everyone what you are doing. Show them what it looks like. My goal is to get 20 students for this fall. I would be absolutely delighted if that happened! I have 6 for the fall so far, so I am moving in the right direction! 

My families are very happy, my kids are very happy and they are making wonderful progress. They are all building confidence and learning what they need to be more prepared in the classroom. I feel so blessed. Thank you to my families for believing in me and sharing your child with me. They are the best part of my week!

So, if you know anyone seeking a tutor for their elementary aged kiddo, have them send me a message on midwesttutor.com. I would love to chat with them! You can find me on Youtube at Tutoring with Sheryl . You can find me on Facebook at midwesttutor.com, and you can find me on Instagram @elementarymathtutoring. You can listen to my podcast on Spotify at Tutoring with Sheryl. You can email me at sheryluehling@gmail.com.

And, if you are someone needing more support with moving forward with private tutoring, or you are a homeschool family needing support with setting up a learning plan for your child, please reach out to me. I am happy to help you out!

If you are a new teacher, and you want support with Google Tools, I can support you! Invest in yourself and you will grow and your job will become less of a burden and more of a joy to you! 

That is all for today. If you found this information helpful, please let me know. Thanks for taking this journey with me. I will be back at a later date to share more about the tools I use and how I use them in my private tutoring practice. It was a joy to spend time sharing this with you. Have a great day!

Should I make my child read alone, or should I read aloud to them?

(Photo from pexels.com from free images.)

I get this question asked of me during parent teacher conferences on a consistent basis. My answer is always yes. Then I will get a puzzled look from the parent or guardian because the answer was yes, and it clearly didn’t answer the specific question that was asked.

Reading is one of those things that can be done alone, with a buddy, or with a group! If we want our children to read and love it, sometimes we need to explore all kinds of options.

I will address a few ideas in this post and this may get your creative thinking rolling. As a parent, we spend time reading to our infants and small children. Once the child starts to read on their own, many times we think it is no longer necessary to sit and read to them. So, we send them off to their room to read. I can hear myself, “Just go to your room and read a book!” I am quite certain that I missed some opportunities to inspire a joy of reading for my kiddos. But, I guess that now that I know better, I will share this wisdom with you.

I know we are all very busy and sometimes we just simply don’t want to take the time to sit and read with our kids. There are dishes to do, laundry is piled up in on the floor, we still don’t even know what we are having for supper! Like I said, we just don’t have time to get things done. But, if we really want our kiddos to love reading, we might want to give ourselves permission to ignore the dishes and the laundry for a bit, and squeeze in a few moments before we mix up a quick supper.

Reading to your child is an amazing way to spend time together and bond. But, it sends a strong message to your child that reading is important. It also gives them an opportunity to hear the language you are reading to them in. I don’t want to assume you are reading a book in English, because you could live in Germany and reading in German. But my point is, when we read, we are sharing the language. Kids need to hear the language to become fluent. Many times the child hears the words, but doesn’t necessarily know how to say the words.

In older children, who can already read independently, reading aloud to them as they follow along can really help support multisyllabic words. A great example of this is the word photographer. Many times the kids will read it as photo grapher instead of the actual pronunciation of the word. If they hear you read it correctly as you share the text with them, then many times they will become familiar with it, and then read it correctly once they are reading independently. Perhaps you want them to read to you as well!

You have now had some great bonding time, and your child has heard the language, and you may have heard them read as well. The good news is, this really only needs to take 10-15 minutes. So, I guess supper can still get on the table!

This idea of reading alone also needs to be nurtured. Even if your child is not an independent reader, spending time with books is crucial. It allows your child time to explore pictures and text. Even if you don’t think they are reading, their brains are starting to make connections. Take time to go to the library and bring home board books for the little ones. Bring home picture books for the younger kiddos. Time looking at these books is building background information that can applied when the books are read to them, but it also builds background information for life and for support in writing.

Reading alone allows older children time to dive into different genres. Having a variety of books available allows children to spend time learning how different authors write. They can decide what they like and don’t like. Older children and even adults love picture books and graphic novels. Allow time in all of these texts.

As I stated earlier, it is important to read to your child, but it is also important to allow your child to read on their own. But, one of the best things you can do to build comprehension skills, is to ask your child about the books they are reading. If they can tell you about it, they are working on their comprehension skills. If they struggle with this, ask them what the liked about the book. That will then lead to other questions about the characters, setting, problem, and solution to the story. If they are reading non-fiction, then you can ask the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the text.

As you are reading, ask questions, laugh, wonder, and talk about the books. Sit back, relax, and have some fun with your child. Whether you realize it or not, that time will fly by. Make the most of it!

If you are seeking help with your child’s learning in the form of support or enrichment, reach out to me. I would be happy to visit with you about what your child may need support with. If the joy or reading just isn’t developing, I can work with your child to support them. You can reach me at midwestutor.com for more information.

(photo from pexels.com)

My child can’t seem to find their stuff, what should I do?

Finding stuff when things aren’t organized can be a serious problem. I can speak from personal experience! After a long day’s work, who wants to take the time to put everything away? I just want to sit down and relax! If I am feeling that way, then my own children probably are feeling that way!

To be honest, my own children are all grown up and are either at college or have their own homes. But, having experienced this struggle with organization, both personally and with my own children, I know how frustrating this can be! So, let’s be honest with ourselves. Even the most organized child, adult, or family can always use some solid advice, or reminders on some best practices when it comes to keeping ourselves organized.

If we are organized, we should be able to find what we need. Right? As I pondered this idea of “good advice,” I decided to check out some of the experts in the field and see if I agreed with their advice.

But, before I did the checking, I had my own ideas. Here is my personal advice. We can compare my ideas to the real experts!

1.) Put things back where you found them. (That would make my husband very happy!)

2.) Organize things the night before so you aren’t rushed the next day.

3.) Keep a calendar updated (and check it often).

4.) Make lists of things you need to do, or use a planner and record your homework and cross it off as you finish it up. (You can even do a digital list, and check it off as you go.)

5.) Get rid of things you aren’t using or store them so you can find the things that you need.

6.) Use some sort of organizational system in your workspace. For students, it could be the idea of keeping your things in folders or a box so you know where to look for them. For adults, it could be a filing system of some sort. Even keeping your digital files organized is very important!

7.) Have a system or a routine in place for your mornings and evening so you don’t get bogged down and forget to do the mundane things that require attention on a daily basis.

Okay, those are my top things I feel that are important to keep things moving in a positive way. Now here is the advice from the experts.

From: https://www.understood.org/articles/en/10-tips-to-help-get-your-child-organized they emphasize a few things for youngsters. Checklists, organizers, calendars, and routines are all mentioned in their article. But, they also emphasize using breaking tasks into chunks. That is a good idea to remember. I actually do that with my students in my classroom, I guess I just do it so automatically that I forgot to mention it as a strategy.

The same author mentions organizational strategies for grade schoolers. They also mention breaking tasks into smaller parts. Since this is mentioned again, that may be good advice for all of us. They mention using checklists. But what I found very interesting is that they talk about “wants and needs.” That is a big one for those grade school kiddos. Some things seem very important to grade schoolers that aren’t very important to adults. Teaching our kiddos about the difference between what a want and what a need is supports their decision-making skills. Helping them see how they have a choice and how that choice has outcomes is vital to success not only in school, but in life.

The article also recommends categorizing things they use or play with so they know what things are and they can place them in their appropriate spot.

They also emphasis keeping a family calendar and consulting it as they go about their day.

I found another article at: https://demmelearning.com/how-to-develop-organizational-strategies-5-tips/ that discussed some things that I didn’t mention. It listed important strategies of having a work and study space for your child. I agree, this is very important. If the child is sitting on the couch trying to do his or her homework and the family is watching television or gaming in front of them, the student will clearly be distracted. I whole-heartedly agree with this! Find a quiet spot so you can concentrate.

This article also mentioned time management. Another very important point. I would agree with working within a time frame. I always try to have my students stay aware of the time. Typically I will tell them the amount of time we plan to work on something, and then do a check-in about halfway through so they know where they are at within that time frame. If you are in working in your home, you can always use a timer on the microwave or oven and set a time for 10-15 minutes and break things into small chunks. This should help support your child with their time management skills.

They titled the next section in this article as “school supplies.” As I read this section, I read that the skill of keeping folders and notebooks labeled is important so the students know the categories they belong to. Then the student can file their homework in the right spot. The use of colored folders for work that is due and work to be worked on, may be a useful strategy for some students.

The next step was to take notes. Notes in grade school can be anything from a picture or sketch to remember what you learned about to taking full notes using an outline. All of those skills most likely need support from a teacher or tutor so they know how to do the skill and can utilize it in a successful manner.

I am certain that there are any number of organizational strategies that you, your child, or your family can implement. I think that you need to decide what it is that you need to do to get organized. I also know that no one can stay organized all of the time. But, if you can choose one or two things that you can do routinely, your life may be less hectic. I think your child will thank you later on when they see these strategies working for them. You may want to use them yourself. I wish you the best of luck as you work to organize your child, yourself, or your family.

Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions! It would be great to hear from you! Happy organizing.

For more information about Sheryl, see midwesttutor.com.

Growing a Reader

I remember being a young teacher and working with a family who had three children that attended our school. I also had a working relationship with their mother, who at the time held two positions at our school. She was the Title 1 teacher and the Librarian. Her kids were great writers, solid if not superb math students, and were voracious readers.

Her daughters would also watch a PBS program that was all about math and how kids could do fun math challenges and games. They would ask to write their fun math challenges on the overhead project. They had a natural ability to communicate and loved to learn.

These three children always had a book in their hands. They had high vocabularies and wrote well-developed stories.

Not only were the kiddos bright, but they were kind and considerate. I recall asking my friend what her secret was. She mentioned they would have supper together, read together, and went to church and Sunday School. I was a young mother and I knew what I saw in her children, I wanted to create in my own children.

I was also taking classes at the time, and one of the classes I was taking was about classroom management. We were using a book by Stephen R. Covey, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. As I was reading all of that, I learned how I could control the outcome of events, and that I was not just a victim of circumstance.

With this friend’s advice, and what I was learning in the book/class, I decided that my kiddos would have a nightly routine where we would read together. I also made sure they had plenty of books. We would go to the library and bring home numerous books. Since I was a teacher, I would utilize my Scholastic Book Clubs to order books at a reduced price. I wanted my kids to be excited about learning, I wanted them to be readers, and I wanted them to love the adventures books could provide them with.

Our family was already going to church, the kids were in Sunday School, and we were already having family meals together. So, I thought, why not see if this is the magic recipe for the kids to do well in school and hopefully in life.

I think it worked. All three of my children did well in school. They learned the magic books can provide them with. They learned that family time is important. They learned to keep God in their heart. They all graduated from high school in the top of their classes and two have completed college and are gainfully employed, and the youngest is in her freshman year and doing well.

Some of you will take this advice, and others may think some of this is nonsense. I would never say that I have all of the answers. I can say, it certainly didn’t hurt. I believe my husband and I raised readers. Why is that so important? I just felt it was important to have a solid understanding of information, the kids needed to be able to read. They needed to be able to think critically. If they could understand the written words, they should be able to comprehend information and solve problems.

If you do nothing else, find time to read to your kids. Not only will it help you bond with your child, it will open up a new world to them. Adventures await in a book! All those experiences help your child in the classroom as well as outside of it.

Happy reading!

photo from pexels.com

Is it a reading comprehension problem or a vocabulary problem?

I have worked with all kinds of kiddos and have discovered a few things along the way. I can typically tell what a student needs support in after working with them for a few minutes. It all comes down to having them read something to you (typically something at their level). As you listen, you are keeping track of the number of words they miss. Once they get to about 5 missed words on a page, I know we have a problem. Then I will ask them what they remember from their reading. If they can tell me all about it, it is most likely an issue with new words or phonetics. If they can read everything but cannot remember what they have read, then it is most likely a comprehension issue. Or, it could be both!

As a student who loved to read, but would miss many new words, I completely understand the struggle. I used to hate to read aloud! I was always worried I would make mistakes. I knew I didn’t know how to sound out words and was always puzzled by the fact that my classmates had it all figured out. As a child who moved multiple times as I was growing up, I found out that each teacher taught reading in a different way. I managed to grow up in a time where whole-language was a thing! It meant that the more you read, the better you would become. Well, that didn’t bode well for me. I didn’t understand the pattens for the sounds the words should make.

I didn’t seem to suffer a lot, but I knew I had to work a lot harder than my classmates to earn the grades I got. I ended up graduating in the top 10 percent of my high school class, I graduated from college with honors, and landed a wonderful job in a small elementary school. So, I was one of the kids who just figured it out.

However, I did discover along the way, that I had missed a vital component to my learning. Phonics! I had to do some discovery on my own, because by the time I got into to my education classes in college, we were doing whole-language again! The cycles seem to go round-and-round in education! But, I really studied this because it hit close to home for me.

I began to piece it all together and then as I put it all together, I thought, wow! Too bad no one ever really showed me this! Now that I know it, I do my best to show my struggling readers the sounds and help them to put it all together so they don’t struggle like I did.

Now, the other piece of the puzzle is the comprehension portion. If your child reads really well, but they cannot tell you what they have read, you have the opposite problem. They need to learn how to think about what they have read. There are many, many ways to do this. I find it fun to challenge kids to think in different ways about what they have read. As we talk and write about what they have read, they get to really understand it. That not only supports their comprehension skills, but it also supports their writing.

If your child is struggling with their reading, consider working with me! I would love to chat with you about your child’s needs. I know that all children can learn given the right tools. It is just a matter of discovery and support. Check out my website for more information! I look forward to hearing from you!

midwesttutor.com

I will not share any of your personal information with anyone. It will only be used to discuss your child and how I support their learning.

How long does it take to master a new skill?

Photo by Black ice on Pexels.com

I was thinking about this idea today and decided to do a little bit of research about this idea of mastery. According to dictionary.com, the meaning of mastery is to have a command or grasp of a subject. Why is this important? It is important when we think about our children and their learning. If they are asked to master a concept, but don’t get enough practice, then we have supply that practice time for them. But what if we don’t know how to assist them? I certainly wouldn’t have the expertise to help my child with high school calculus! That is when we find someone who does.

Let’s go back to this idea of math. Now suppose your child is supposed to master his or her math facts, and you either don’t have the time or the ability to teach them. You don’t really understand how teachers teach it, you just want your child to sit down with some flashcards and that should do it.

There is no doubt that repetition will work. It will! I have seen it over and over! I did a little research and found several people who reported that in order to master a skill, a person needs lots of practice.  One in particular is Josh Kaufman (Tedx Talk speaker). He stated that you may be as close as 20 hours away from mastering a skill. I would agree with this sentiment. Anytime I try to learn a new skill, it takes me awhile to really “get it”. When I was doing my online training through the Google for Education Teacher Training for my certifications, it took me about 20 hours for each one. I felt like I had learned the information but still needed to do some very specific practice to really become good at them. So, repeatedly practicing skills will definitely help you learn a skill. Once you learn it, you can use it, and that is where the real power comes from!

If we take the idea of learning math facts and only focus on the repetition of doing flashcards, the child will eventually learn the math facts. However, it can become much more powerful for the child to understand how the math fact was created. As they practice it, they have a much better understanding of the fact and it has more meaning for the child. They need a solid understanding of the concept for it to have meaning.

I know that when I have worked with students that struggle with their math facts, we get more results once they can see a visual representation of the math fact(s) or concepts. I wonder if you are seeking support for your child? If you are, feel free to reach out to me and see how I can help!

https://midwesttutor.com/

Why do parents seek the help of a tutor?

Parents seek assistance when they clearly see a need to support their child. Sometimes they want support in an academic area that they don’t feel prepared to provide support on their own. Sometimes they want to distance themselves from their child while they are working on their homework. This will allow them to continue to be a parent, and not a teacher. Those of us who have children know the struggle. It is a very real thing.

Is this a sign of weakness? Absolutely not. It is a sign that you care about your child and that you want find support for them.

There are many kinds of tutors. Some tutors are in high school and they have a talent in a certain area. They have the time to give to someone else. Other people have trained in a particular area, and can provide support.

Speaking for myself, I am a teacher. I have had many years working with children. I know that each child learns in their own way. I know that some children can work for an hour straight and do multiple activities during that time. Other students need time to visit before they start to work. They can do a few practice activities and then they need a quick mental break.

In my opinion, it takes someone who is a trained educator to really understand those nuances.

If you would like to visit about your child’s needs, be sure to click on the link and submit the form. I will get back to you and we can do a consultation. I look forward to hearing from you!

Work with Sheryl

Is Tutoring for you?

I believe that if you feel your child needs support, you need to seriously consider a tutor. Why? Teachers are very busy people, and I know we all want to believe that they can drop everything for our children. But, that is not always the case. Sometimes we need to work with another qualified individual to support our child’s learning goals.

Teachers are very busy people. They spend hours planning and creating wonderful lessons for our children. How do I know this? Because I am one! I know the time and energy it takes to create and implement those lessons.

I know that teachers have a full plate. They work with large groups, small groups, and one-on-one to support their students. But the fact remains, there are only so many minutes in a day during school hours. Those hours are spent learning all kinds of things. Sometimes your child just needs support in one particular area.

Maybe your child is a very fluent reader. They can read anything you put in front of them. However, they don’t understand what they read. They need support with their comprehension skills. Maybe they need a tutor.

Perhaps your child can figure out the steps to complex story problems, but they can never get the right answer. They might need more support on computation skills.

Perhaps your child has a brilliant mind and can write wonderfully crafted stories. However, your child cannot spell words, thus the reader cannot understand the brilliant masterpiece. You might need a tutor.

Tutors can target areas for growth and development. You can work together with the tutor to create a plan that will work for your child.

Your child will obtain one-on-one support and will have growth just due to the fact that they are getting support for their needs.

But wait, perhaps your child does well in school, but needs a challenge. Tutors can do that for your child as well.

I would love to work with you. My schedule is quickly filling up, but if you would like to chat, fill out the form in the link below, and I will get back to you. I look forward to hearing from you!

Work with Sheryl