Online Tutoring - Groza Learning Center

The Importance of an Academic Summer Program

An academic summer program might sound boring to many students, after all who would want to study during their summer vacation? Luckily, this program is not just about nose to the books learning. In addition to avoiding” summer learning loss” students acquire skills and tools to start the new school year off strong, students can explore their creativity, build their confidence, and explore their unique learning styles. Summer learning programs will prepare students for future academic years, as well as giving them a foundation for their career-related endeavors. So what’s the harm in attending an academic summer programs?

If you have contemplated enrolling your student in a summer learning program but are on the fence here are some reasons you may want to consider it.

4 Benefits of Summer Learning:

1. Expands A Student’s Knowledge and Skills

An academic summer program gives students the opportunity to work on projects in groups while, simultaneously teaching them new tools and giving them new skills to enhance their team-building and communication skills. At Groza Learning Center, we have curated a Young Entrepreneur Program that teaches students how to develop, create, and become leaders in business and life. These practical and valuable life skills empower students and give them the confidence they need to navigate higher studies as well as the real world.

2. Bridges the Gap Between Virtual and In-Person Learning

Over the past year due to the emergence of the coronavirus, all learning was conducted virtually. Many students and teachers were unprepared for this change, which caused a lot of stress for all parties involved. Students began to tune out, lose motivation, and were falling behind. This year students are not only facing “Summer Learning Loss” but are also dealing with “COVID Learning Loss”. Attending an academic summer program will help bridge the learning gaps created during those zoom sessions and make re-entry to in-person learning easier.

Academic summer programs will help children stay focused and prepare them for their next academic year. Just a few hours a week can help students stay on track and get ahead, so that they can begin the next academic year off strong.

3. Improves Social Skills

There is no doubt that in the past year, maintaining and building social skills has been difficult. Research has shown that social interaction is a crucial component for healthy child development. Due to the virus most children have missed a year of developing this important building block. If your child is struggling to make new friends or is having a hard time re-connecting with old ones, an academic summer program will help them transition back to in-person learning.

4.Encourages Exploring New Interests

Many students, especially those in high school, have a tough time honing in on and choosing a field of study that will help them in their career. It is okay for students not to know exactly which career path they are interested in, through an academic summer program they may discover new skills and interests that can help them focus on their path.

Takeaway:

Now that you are aware of the importance of an academic summer program, it is time for parents and students to find the right programs and enroll in before the summer gets away.

How to be Productive Over Winter Break

Sure, I will get some work done during winter break . . .eventually.

It knows when you are sleeping

It knows when you’re awake

It knows when you are bad or good

So be good for goodness sake

You better watch out

You better not cry

You better not pout

I’m telling you why

Procrastination is coming to town!

Case in point…I REALLY did not want to sit down and write this article for December. Winter break is a time to sit back, relax, recharge, and recoup. It is certainly tempting for students (primarily middle and high school students) to spend their days mindlessly scrolling through social media, watching TV, or playing video games. After all, they have three weeks, and there will be plenty of time to get to any schoolwork that may need attention. Sure, they will get some work done . . .eventually. But suddenly, it’s the last day of break, and they are stressed out for the upcoming semester because they got nothing accomplished.

As parents and teachers, we know this year has been extremely challenging for students; many have fallen behind due to online learning.

Winter Break is the perfect opportunity to get students caught up so that they can begin their journey into 2021 with confidence, in-fact, winter break is an even better time than the regular school year to seek private tutoring. For starters, tutoring over the winter break gives students the ability to catch up or get ahead in a stress-free manner.

CALL A TUTOR!

An experienced tutor will help your child:

Review the semester and identify weaknesses.
Check-In with teachers; often, teachers will allow students to hand work in late.
Fill in the gaps.
Strengthen study skills.
Teach organizational techniques.
Prep for ACT, SAT, ISEE.
Boost confidence.
Reduce homework battles.
Write college essays.
Maintain structure and accountability.
Get ahead for next semester.
Support your child during their Zoom classes.

Groza Instructors are experience, and many, are credentialed teachers who will go above and beyond to ensure your child’s success.

When it comes to tutoring and academic advancement, Groza goes far beyond simply finding the correct answer. We seek to enhance, and even entirely reshape how a student thinks about each subject. We work with families to identify learning objectives and hit their goals.

Because every student learns differently, we carefully monitor and optimize their unique learning plan as they advance, giving special attention to their unique learning style, how to effectively engage and inspire the student, and what the individual progress suggests moving forward.

Your child is unique. So, don’t settle for a one size fits all approach.
Instead, give them a learning experience that meets their individual needs.

Groza Learning Center’s Winter Break tutoring programs

How to Build Successful Learning Pods

What is a Learning Pod?

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many school districts across the country are continuing with remote learning for the 2020-2021 school year. Parents worry that their children are not advancing academically or socially since they lack in-person teaching and are isolated from their friends. Learning pods to the rescue! A learning pod — also referred to as a pandemic pod, teaching pod, learning bubble, or micro-school — consists of a small group of children receiving guided education outside of school through a parent, tutor, or hired teacher.

How to Build a Learning Pod:

Parents considering forming learning pods should consider the following questions:

1.What are your academic goals?

All-day coverage
Academic support
Enhancement of remote learning
Learning through play

2. Are your children going to be safe?

Are the other families following the same social distancing practices?
Do you have adults available to lead the pod, or will you hire a private teacher?
Where will your learning pod be held?
Will you require regular testing for everyone?
Will you have mixed grade pods?
If so, are you familiar with the pros and cons of mixed grade learning pods?

The Pros of Learning Pods:

individualized learning plans
minimizing health risks
flexible hours and days
socialization
helps kids stay motivated
higher concentration
greater confidence
higher course completion
greater engagement
mental health
support for working parents

What parents need to be aware of :

Choosing the right curriculum can be stressful.
Researching state homeschool requirements can be confusing.
Is someone ensuring that your teacher is following proper CDC guidelines and social distancing protocol?
Does your teacher have all the necessary credentials?
Do you have a substitute if your teacher becomes ill or quits?
Do you have insurance for all students and teachers in your home in case someone gets injured?
Are you receiving updates and progress reports from the teacher?
Is your child learning at their pace and to their academic ability?
Learning Pods do not always work well for high school students since, being in the same grade does not necessarily mean you are taking the same subjects.

Groza Can Provide a Safe Alternative:

Fully Vetted, Experienced, Insured Teachers/Tutors.
18+ years of reputable history in providing personal tutors.
Learning and Grade Level Assessments
Customized Learning Plans
Customized Curriculum
Learn from the safety of your home with an in-person or online teacher
Learn in our center, which follows strict CDC guidelines
Full transparency with detailed academic updates for parents
Regular COVID testing for teachers and staff
Peace of mind

For more information about our Learning Pods and Homeschool Programs:

Call: 310-454-3731

Email: tutoring@grozalearningcenter.com

Grow With Groza

Effective Executive Functioning Skills

What is Executive Functioning?

Are you familiar with the term “Executive Functioning”? Executive Functioning has been described as “the management system of the brain” that accesses information, thinks about solutions, and implements those solutions. The term may be new to you but there is a high probability that your child is currently struggling with implementing executive functioning skills.

Building executive skills is becoming increasingly difficult in our modern society. Children are bombarded with information, carry heavy academic workloads, and busy extracurricular schedules, making it challenging to stay focused and stay on task.

Indicators a student maybe struggling with Executive Functioning:

Disorganization
Trouble organizing thoughts
Keeping track of belongings
Not knowing where to start, feeling overwhelmed
Panic when rules of routines change
Difficulty transitioning between activities
Time management issues, last minute cramming, procrastination
Being scattered
Poor or no planning

Note: although many of these signs are characteristic of ADHD (almost all kids with ADHD struggle with EF),children can struggle with EF without having ADHD or learning challenges.

How to Manage Executive Functioning Issues:

Systematic, explicit instruction and strategies are at the heart of executive functioning remediation. It is important to model, teach, and test different coping and metacognitive strategies so that the student can adopt new ways of thinking about and doing work.

By teaching kids targeted exercises and real-world implementation of such structure, students begin to build new ways of thinking, habits, and routines that positively impact not only schoolwork but also enrich their day-to-day lives.

Skills Learned through Executive Functioning Programs:

Increased attention span
Strengthen working memory
Organization, planning, and prioritizing
Starting tasks and staying focused until completion
Self-monitoring (keeping track of your schedule, belongings etc.)
Flexibility thinking and understanding different points of view
Regulating emotions
Self control

Learn More about Groza’s Executive Functioning Program:
Call: 310-454-3731 or
Click: https://grozalearningcenter.com/contact/

Avoid Learning Loss: Take Advantage of the Summer Months

“Summer slide” is the term used to describe the loss of learning that many children experience, particularly in reading and math skills over the summer. With worldwide school closures due to COVID-19 districts are bracing for an even larger slide. Experts agree that missing school for a prolonged period will likely have significant impacts on student achievement come fall 2020.

According to research from Northwest Evaluation Association, “30% of literacy and 50% of math gains could be lost” due to the transition to online learning.

Take Advantage of the Summer With Learning Camps: Increasing academic skills in the core areas of math, science, and English over the summer is imperative to successfully move on to the next level of classes in the fall.

The Benefits of Summer Learning:

Avoid Learning Loss
Bridge Learning Gaps
Get Ahead Start
Graduate on Time
Learn New Skills & Abilities
Discover Learning in New & Fun Ways
Build Confidence
Develop a Growth Mindset
Stay Challenged & Motivated

For More Information About Groza Learning Center’s Summer Camps:
Call: (310) 454-3731 or Click Here

Get Kids Excited About Writing

Canva-happy-smiling-little-girl-writing-homework

Now more than ever, we rely on our devices to keep us connected. They are the guardians of our emails, text messages, and social media, leaving us little reason to write letters. Will the art of letter writing become a thing of the past? Will our children experience the joy of picking out a beautiful piece of stationary, taking the cap off that favorite pen, gliding it smoothly across the page, addressing the envelope, licking the stamp, dropping it in the mailbox, and patiently waiting for a response?

In our fast-paced, instant gratification world, thoughts and feelings that were once expressed with words and sentences have been replaced by emoji’s and abbreviations. The quicker we can get things done, the better, because time is of the essence. Right? Most people would have answered yes until the coronavirus outbreak came along and shifted our paradigm. As a result, many of us have been forced to slow down and have found ourselves with a lot of extra time. Has anyone else been cleaning and finding old sentimental items like handwritten letters from the past?

The ability to write a proper letter is still essential, and will never go out of style. Despite having technology at our fingertips, teaching children to write letters can be rewarding with many added benefits, and the best part is it will feel like Christmas morning when they receive a response.

The Benefits of Writing:

Improve communication skills
Enhances vocabulary and language skills
Penmanship
Builds concentration and focus
Self-expression
Critical Thinking
Planning
Organization
Taking pride in their creation
Imagination and Creativity

Here are some fun ideas for encouraging kids to write:

Let your child choose fun stationery, pens, and stickers
Go online and create personalized stamps
Write to a family member or a resident at a local retirement home
Find a pen pal in a different state or country
Send thank-you letters to your local heroes (frontline workers, grocery store clerks, police officers, firefighters, etc.)
Write an editorial for a local newspaper or magazine
Write a letter and create a time capsule

Groza’s Creative Writing Program:

Our program focuses on developing your idea for a story while you choose a format that suits your style. We will brainstorm and outline, develop characters and plot, and try out twists and turns through activities designed to help you create a finished piece of writing.

For more information or to schedule a
complimentary consultation, please call

(310) 454-3731 or click here.

Thinking About College? Your SAT Prep Guide

The SAT is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. It is also one of the most challenging components of the admissions process and requires effective planning in order to achieve success.

Deciding when to begin prepping for the SAT will vary; starting too early may leave you struggling since the content on the SAT might not be taught in school until later in the year, plus you will likely forget the material by the time the test rolls around. In contrast, starting too late will not earn you the high scores you are capable of.

Despite this, every students’ journey will be unique since each learns at a different pace with differing strengths, weaknesses, schedules, and goals.

Step One – taking the PSAT/NMSQT®:
PSAT/NMSQT® (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) is a preliminary version of the SAT exam. The PSAT can be written once per year, and many students take the test in both their sophomore and junior year. Earning a high score on the PSAT in your junior year could qualify you to receive a National Merit Scholarship.

Step Two – take a practice SAT:
A practice SAT is not the same as taking the PSAT. The practice SAT will include all the content found on the official SAT(including the essay), allowing you to establish an accurate baseline score, identify weak areas, and set realistic score goals.

Step Three – create a learning plan and timeline:
The intensity and length of your SAT test-prep will depend on which college you want to attend (State School vs. Ivy League). For instance, highly selective schools like MIT and Harvard are looking for scores of 1500 and above. In addition, your timeline will depend on whether you choose a more extended and gradual approach versus a shorter and intense one. These decisions will be based on individual study styles, schedules, and goals.

Factors to Consider When Building Your SAT Success Plan:

When To Take The SAT:
Students typically take the SAT a few times, it is recommended that the first time is in the fall of their junior year, the second in the spring of their junior year, and the third in the summer or fall of their senior year. However, many students prefer taking it in the winter of their junior year, when they have covered most of the material in school.

College Application Deadlines:
Typically students taking the SAT are doing so as part of their applications to 4-year colleges. Regular decision deadlines for colleges are around January 1 of senior year. But remember, early action (EA) will push your notification and deadlines up by a few months. The most common EA deadlines are November 1 and November 15. Typically, you will hear back in December, maybe even before you send off your regular decision (RD) application.

SAT Test Dates:
The SAT is offered seven times throughout the year, in March, May, June, August, October, November, and December. You will most likely take the SAT three times; therefore, creating a test schedule is crucial since you will want to leave several months in between test dates to prep effectively and increase your score.

Overlapping Dates:
Accounting for overlap with busy times of the year, like AP exams, IB exams, college applications, varsity sports, and extracurricular activities in junior and senior year, is imperative. Effective planning will help balance your schedule, alleviate stress, and allow you to stay focused.

SAT Test Dates:

Due to COVID-19, June 6th SAT and SAT Subject Test Administration have been cancelled.

The College Board will provide weekend
SAT administrations:

Aug. 29
Oct. 3
Nov. 7
Dec. 5

Students can register for these administrations starting in May. They will contact students directly when we have the exact date. Eligible students can register with a fee waiver.

For each administration, they are preparing to significantly expand their capacity for students to take the SAT once schools reopen so every student who wants to take the SAT can do so.

How Can Working With A Tutor Maximize Your SAT Score?

Customized Strong Study Plan:

Create timelines
Assign homework
Target weaknesses
Teach important test-taking strategies
Reach and crush goals

Motivation and Accountability:

Provide coaching, mentoring, and cheerleading
Keep students on track
Students are more engaged
Interactive learning
Build trust
Consistency
Confidence

Personalized Attention:

Lessons tailored to fit your schedule
Critical thinking
Test-taking strategies
Opportunity to discuss questions/concerns in-depth
Build confidence
1-to-1 learning

Free SAT Practice Test — Begin Your College Journey

Get started on your SAT prep today!
For more information or to schedule a
complimentary consultation, please call

(310) 454-3731 or click here.

Private School ISEE Action Plan: Lets get Prepared

What is ISEE?

Getting into the right private school can be an incredibly confusing process for parents and students. Similarly, registering, applying, and testing can often feel daunting and frustrating. The first step, research and select schools you would like to attend. The second, register and prepare for the ISEE. The ISEE, or Independent School Entrance Examination, is a test that students are required to take to gain admission into private schools in the United States. Therefore, if you want your child to attend a private school, they will most likely have to register and test for the ISEE as part of the admissions application.

ISEE Test Dates for Private Schools:

Students may register to take the ISEE one time in any or all of three testing season

Fall (Aug.-Nov.)
Winter (Dec.- Mar.)
Spring/Summer (April-July)

Note: Most private schools require ISEE official scores be submitted between Dec-Jan

Levels of ISEE:

Primary Level (entrance to grades 2-4)
Lower Level (entrance for grades 5-6)
Middle Level (entrance for grades 7-8)
Upper Level (entrance for grades 9-12

How is the ISEE structured?

Quantitative Reasoning
Verbal Reasoning
Reading Comprehension
Mathematics Achievement
Essay ( The essay portion is unscored and sent to the schools you apply to)

How Can Groza Learning Center Help?

The importance of preparation is truly the key to success during this time, which is why Groza is here to create a clear path for your child and provide the necessary guidance along the way, online and in person. Grozas’ award winning program prepares students for the ISEE by introducing tricks and strategies to attack each question, reinforcing important academic concepts, instilling disciplined work habits, and building confident test taking skills. Furthermore, you will likely notice an improvement in your child’s current grades since the ISEE contains math and verbal material that intentionally goes beyond most students’ comprehension level . As a result, your child’s overall education will be enriched with valuable skills that will benefit them well beyond the ISEE.

Our Recommendations for success:

Apply to at least 3 schools
Start your preparation as early as possible
Take a practice test to establish your benchmark
Identify strengths and weakness
Work with an education specialist who can identify and strengthen weak areas
Leaving plenty of time to prepare and improve
Consistently complete independent home work to insure retention and understanding
Repetition – Repetition- Repetition

How Can I Tutor My Child Online?

How Can I Tutor My Child Online? That is the question many parents are asking right now. With school campuses closed and turning to online teaching, parents are turning to online tutors to help with the workload. Now, how do you find that fantastic qualified online tutor?

Here are a few things to consider in your search. Learning Centers, as opposed to individual private tutors, do the background checks and vetting of their tutors, so you don’t have to. They are already tried and tested. You’ll also want to keep in mind what type of student your child is and what kind of teaching works best for them. For example, are they gifted, do they have some learning difference, or are they smart but struggling? You’ll want to make sure your tutor and their resources can create a customized plan for your child. For example, look for 1:1 online instruction that ensures that your child can move at their own pace, their individual needs will be addressed, and subsequently, they will rock their best results.

Consider the Groza Learning Center, which has developed an award-winning, online tutoring program for students from Pre-K all the way to the college level. They provide each student with an individualized tutoring plan that focuses on his or her personality, strengths, learning style, and growth areas. They have been successfully using their system for 17 years. That’s an excellent track record!

In addition, the Groza Learning Center is offering free online tutoring for children of our superheroes in the healthcare industry, doctors, nurses, and all the hospital workers on the front line. We are in awe of their dedication and grateful for all their hard work.

How Much Is Online Tutoring?

When it comes to hiring an online tutor, there is a myriad of options, so it should come as no surprise that pricing varies depending on your child’s specific academic needs. Tutoring rates are based on professional experience and qualifications, where you live, and the complexity of the subject matter.

On average, an online tutor starts at $95, but if you are looking for the most highly qualified, you should prepare to pay more for experienced and educated instructors. Tutors who are proven to be the most successful not only have the educational chops, but they have a passion for teaching and the personality to connect and engage with their students. The best can transform what they know in a way that makes it accessible to your child, and adapt their tutoring to the individual needs of your student.

The Groza Learning Center has one-to-one online teaching that is live, interactive, and engaging. Groza can help your student finish out the school year by empowering them with the tools they need to learn productively and confidently. Their program is for a limited time only, and only $48.

In addition, Groza is offering free tutoring for children of our superheroes in the healthcare industry, doctors, nurses, and all the hospital workers on the front line. We are so in awe of their dedication and grateful for all their hard work.