Introduction
At Marks Education, we believe that a well-structured and tailored tutoring session can significantly improve a student’s learning, academic performance, and test results. Are you considering enlisting the help of a tutor but unsure how the time in a session is spent or how it could benefit you? Stick around for an inside look at what a typical test prep session involves at Marks Education. We offer in-person tutoring in McLean, Bethesda, and Washington DC, but our tutors also conduct virtual sessions for students across the country and the world.
Before Tutoring Begins
Before any test prep sessions occur, students take a baseline SAT and ACT® to determine which test is best for them. Marks Education offers free in-person and virtual proctoring every Sunday. Tutoring sessions begin after a tutor has reviewed the baseline scores with a student and discussed scoring goals as well as target test dates and a tutoring schedule.
Preparation Tips for Students
To make the most of each session, we advise students to come prepared. Generally, this means completing and correcting homework, reviewing and attempting challenging questions, and identifying areas of difficulty. A student’s self-awareness and commitment to the tutoring process are more important than most realize.
Test Prep Tutoring Session
Test preparation will be unique for each student, but our tutors share some common best practices for their test preparation sessions. Think of these six steps as a guide, with plenty of room for customization to meet the needs of every student along the way.
1. Initial Check-In
Naturally, every test prep session begins with a general check-in. We want to hear how things are going in class, if you had trouble on your homework, and how you’re feeling about any upcoming assignments. We’ll also check in on any important upcoming deadlines, your registration stats, and any updates on accommodations This helps guarantee that both tutor and student are aligned with the same goals and timeline.
2. Homework Review
The next phase involves going over the student’s test prep homework. In some cases, this could mean going over practice test or workbook sections to review skills or content. We encourage students to review their homework independently using our provided answer keys before they come to their tutoring session, that way they can try to figure out why they made a particular error. Any problems they can’t figure out should be circled to review with their tutor. This approach helps students become more self aware and to practice their learning strategies.
3. Identifying Patterns
We expect students to come to sessions with their homework done so that while you’re in the session, we can go over any errors or issues you faced. In addition to self-identifying errors from checking their homework, Marks Education tutors help students learn to recognize patterns and identify areas that require more attention in our personalized tutoring sessions. We then work with the student to create an effective action plan moving forward. In this way, we are able to spend more time on targeted areas, efficiently using students’ test prep time.
4. Introducing New Strategies or Content
Depending on where you are in your test prep, often tutors will introduce new strategies or content areas for the student to work on. For some, this might mean presenting methods for tackling the annotated graphs on the ACT® science section, for others, it might mean instruction on how to extrapolate data presented in charts.
In addition to strategies, we review content such as geometry problems from the math section, or semicolon and comma rules tested on the English section. Our tutors are excellent educators who present material in a way that is tested and proven that students can understand.
5. Practical Application
Another key part of the tutoring process is practical application. This means going through a timed practice test or practice test section. Your Marks Education tutor will generally observe the student as they take the test, making note of how well the student applies the strategies they were taught and provide immediate feedback.
6. Assigning Homework and Wrapping Up
Each session concludes with a homework assignment and a brief recap. That way both parties know what is expected of them before their next session.
Conclusion
Ready to schedule your baseline test so you get get started with your customized test prep tutoring? Contact Marks Education for tutoring in McLean, Bethesda, Washington DC, or anywhere in the world.