Is ACT Tutoring Right For Your Student

The ACT measures a student’s current academic level in English, mathematics, reading, and science (as well as writing if the optional ACT Plus Writing is taken). If your student generally does well in his or her high school courses, you may wonder if ACT tutoring is necessary. Private tutoring isn’t for everyone—but it may make the difference in helping your child reach his or her potential on the ACT. If your student falls into one of the categories below, we recommend taking a look at our ACT tutoring options. The Straight-A Student Students who do well in school should naturally perform well on the ACT, right? Not necessarily. Strong students don’t automatically become strong ACT test takers, according to Mella Baxter, a high school reading coach and Hope Street Group National Teacher Fellow. â€Å"Some students are brilliant thinkers, but poor test takers,† Baxter writes in her takepart.com article, â€Å"The Standardized Testing Debate: The Good, the Bad, and the Very Ugly.† A variety of factors can impact how students perform on standardized tests, and high marks on a report card are no guarantee that a student will coast by on test day. Some students are overconfident and don’t read the test critically enough, which can cause them to fall for trick answers. Others may excel in math and science but struggle with reading, causing their composite score to fall. Some students also experience test anxiety, leading them to score lower than they are capable of. Even if your student is r anked high in his or her class, don’t rule out ACT tutoring. The Overachiever Your child may have already taken the ACT and done just fine—well enough to get into plenty of quality institutions. However, college counselors condition students to designate â€Å"reach schools,† so it is common for even high-scoring students to want to take the test again to maximize their score, or perhaps to secure scholarship money. The question is, how can he or she prepare differently this time around? Our experienced tutors know how to target the areas where there is room for improvement. With our one-to-one test prep services, on average, students increase their composite scores between 4 points.A report by the National Association of College Admissions Counselors states, â€Å"As it has been found that even small test score increases may increase a student’s chances of admission at selective institutions, if money and time are no object, commercial coaching or private tutoring may well be worth the cost.† The Reluctant Student Does your child usually need that extra push to complete homework and study for tests? If so, convincing them to study on their own for the ACT will probably prove even more difficult. Some high schools offer tutoring or academic help during study halls to assist students with course work, but many don’t offer comprehensive college admissions test preparation. And, while there are various free self-study tools available, your student may not realistically use them or benefit greatly from them without some guidance. Our tutors take into account the learning style and unique needs of each student—they work closely with your child to explain the format of the ACT, share test-taking tips and strategies, and teach all the content needed to succeed on the test. No matter what the reason behind your child’s struggle with the ACT, A+ Test Prep and Tutoring can help. To learn more about how ACT tutoring can help increase your child’s ACT score, click here. Photo Credits: 1st photo (ACT Tutoring) by Alena 2nd photo (ACT Tutoring at Library) by UBC Library Communications