Math Tutor Introduction
q Saved as “tutor resource folder – tutor introduction – math – mod 2007-09-21 930hrs”
q Extra copies in the “tutoring resource materials file” in the tutoring file cabinet’s materials drawer and in the ring binder for Xeroxing
Hi Tutors!
In 2007, Neighborhood House began after school instruction in reading and math for its young patrons: the Portland Reading Excellence Program(P.R.E.P.). While we have this captive audience to read with, why not add some math knowledge and practice too? Math can be scary for all of us, but competence in reading and math is essential for future success in tomorrow’s world. Math and curiosity are the springboards to great careers!
Neighborhood House has purchased an introductory math system from SRA that covers basic math skills and concepts from addition to simple geometry and logic. Here are all our resources to date:
q Neighborhood House has designated the 2nd floor classroom area for tutoring
q Addition Flash Cards and Multiplication Flash Cards are in the flash card box on the “Tutoring Bookshelf” in the classroom office.
q The SRA Math Lab 2a is a large box containing 3 types of cards: activity cards, number sense cards, answer key cards. You will find it on the “Tutoring Bookshelf” in the classroom office.
q A list of math texts, science texts, magazines, and websites will soon be available in each child’s math folder. We will locate these resources upstairs in the outer classroom or on the “Tutoring Bookshelf“ in the classroom office as they become available.
q Useful internet-based resources list will soon be made available in each child’s math folder. Eventually, we hope to add hyper-links to these on the Neighborhood House website.
Student hanging file and folder contents:
Each child has a green hanging file in the “Tutoring File Cabinet” in the tutoring office. It should contain a manila math folder as well as a manila reading folder.
Each child’s math folder will eventually contain the following:
q a SRA “Activity Card Progress Chart” is stapled to the back cover of each child’s math folder -please cross the lessons off as the child completes them.
q a “Tutor Session Notes” sheet – for you to review and record observations about the child’s progress
q answer sheets (SRA uses 2 types)
q scrap paper – to work out problems, giving examples, etc
q directions on finding a “tutor resource folder” with: “math tutor instruction sheet”, a number grid, a number place name chart, and a list of hardcopy and net based resources.
q Eventually, each folder will have a notebook for you to write down concepts for the pupil to review as you see fit. Make this a kind of individualized review text for the student.
The SRA Math Lab is made up of exercise cards stored in a large colorful blue box. The box’s three pockets contain 900 cards of three types. Each card type is numbered sequentially 1 through 300. The large “Activity Cards” are in the center pocket of the box. Each “Activity Card” clearly details a concept using an example or two. The examples are followed by three sets of problems to be solved. Each large “Activity Card” has a correspondingly numbered “Number Sense Card” in the left pocket of the box. These cards have extra problems if the child needs or wants more practice. Feel free to make up additional examples on your scrap paper. Answer Keys are in the right hand pocket of the math lab box.
Most “Activity Cards” use the ”Skill Card Answer Sheet” (SCAS) answer form. The Activity Cards titled “Mixed Practice” use a “Mixed Practice Card Answer Sheet”(MPCAS). These answer forms (SCAS and MPCAS) can be found in the Math/Reading Documents drawer of the “Tutoring File Cabinet” in the tutoring office.
When you have a child to tutor, enter the tutoring office and open the “student and tutor files” drawer of the tutoring file cabinet. Help pull the child’s math and reading folders from their hanging file. Get a Tutor Resource Folder for yourself. Ask the child if they want to work on reading or math. You can look at the progress sheets and the tutor session notes to decide which materials you need. If they want to work on math, you can take the whole math lab back into the tutoring classroom. If you want to use an internet resource, you need to use the computers in the front classroom.
The first goal for young students will be numbers and counting. Learning 1-20 and how to say and write these numbers is the first goal. Use your scrap paper or the blue workbook for this.
Next, we need to introduce the numbers 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100. Once we can write and say all these numbers, point out how filling in between them is just adding in the numbers 1-9.
Next, show them the hundreds, thousands, millions and billions in the same way. Kids are probably a little intimidated by big numbers, but you can help show them that the big numbers are just made up of the little ones stuck together. Your resource folder has a number grid and place sheet to help.
Once we have the numbers down, we can start with the SRA math lab and the flash card exercises. These resources are found in the tutoring office on the Tutoring Bookshelf. Flash cards are self-explanatory. SRA begins with addition and works up to more complicated concepts. Each child’s math folder has a list of SRA lessons on its back cover. Start at the first card and move onward, marking lessons off as you complete them. When finished, please return all cards to the SRA math lab box and return the box to the tutoring office’s tutoring bookshelf.
Please record your observations about the progress and attention of your student on the “Tutor Session Notes” sheet in the math folder. Scrap paper in each math folder is useful for working out problems or giving examples.
Please avoid calculators.
Once you have worked through all the SRA lessons we will hopefully have some math texts for you to work through and some web sites to visit. Leave a list of what you have done and what the child should do the next week.
Please record your tutoring session on the “record of all tutoring sessions” on the clipboard in the front classroom. Put your name on the PREP tutor sign-in sheet on the next clipboard. Flash cards are self-explanatory. Remember to sign out at the front desk in the lobby.
Thanks for your help!!