Certified Tutors From Cleveland State University

We went over ratios and proportions. The students had trouble remembering some of the expression rules. Our next lesson will include refreshers for this past material.

Today the student and I covered the different methods to solve quadratic expressions, and recognizing expressions that can be solved with the quadratic formula, completing the square, difference of squares, and factoring perfect squares. He also practiced solving problems graphically. We also covered how to do a box and whisker plot, as well as how to interpret one. Overall the session went well. He made a few small errors or took an extra minute or two to answer the question when we first began with each topic, however he began to answer questions quickly without making small mistakes after I had him do the same types of problems over and over again.

First, I reviewed the student's homework because she wasn't sure it was correct. I asked her questions and explained the concept of negative and positive numbers and she was able to figure out where she made mistakes. This hopefully made her feel more confident. My other goals were to check her multiplication fluency and help her understand multiples of 10. She solved most of the multiplication combinations that I gave her, but had a harder time with twelves. I suggested she should use a math website that will help build her fluency. Next, we built a Multiple Tower to show the first 15 multiples of 10. If she can be confident with her 10's, she can be ready to multiply 2 by 2 digit numbers. I have seen her be successful with 2 by 1 digit, but she doesn't have a strategy to solve the larger numbers, yet. We did solve one story problem, focusing on key words and what the question was asking. She did well as we worked on different activities. She was willing to go back and check her work, catch her mistakes, and change her answers. I left her a worksheet on keywords, a times table chart, and a whiteboard to practice solving the story problems. I am hopeful that she is willing to build on what she knows to reach her goals.

The student has solid mathematics skills; he can calculate fast. I answered his questions from his homework. He understood quickly when I explained. We covered topics such as function domain, range, intercepts, asymptotic lines, logarithm, function limits, derivatives. He said he felt good after the session. I like that.

We were able to go over a previous test that the student had taken (before our tutoring sessions) and correct and learn from the mistakes. The good news is he's allowed to retake a similar version of the test. The concepts included were defining 3 centers of triangles (circumcenter, incenter, and centroid), solving triangles with the Pythagorean theorem, simplifying radicals, and beginning to solve problems with similar triangles, starting with the mid-segment theorem. I had him practice note-taking skills by constructing three triangles and then using a straightedge and compass to find the three types of centers. Since the course does not use a regular text, he is writing his own, based on the theorems and diagrams of those theorems as he encounters them. He likes this hands-on approach.

The student and I covered math and science tonight by completing his study guides. For the most part he understood his math review sheet. He was a little confused by how to convert between metric and US units, but with review, he remembered. We worked on slowing down and trying to set up the problem before jumping in and answering the question quickly. We also finished his science study guide and he was able to spend some time reviewing it. He has a general grasp on the information but it would be good to study more to fill in the extra information he is having trouble remembering. We will meet Monday-Thursday next week to study for his finals. Great session!