Summer Specials

Our SAT preparation program is an 8-week course of 2-hour sessions with emailed weekly summaries of what has been covered which include suggestions as to what material to study between sessions at no extra charge. Some students prefer to have two 2-hour sessions per week and finish the course in 4 weeks. Many students like to do this prep during the summer, when they aren't also dealing with homework and writing papers. Our course is designed to increase knowledge and instill confidence in the content areas and to familiarize students with test directions, types of questions, and test-taking strategies.

The best time to take an SAT Subject Test is right after you’ve finished a year-long class in that subject. If, for example, you take U.S. History in eleventh grade, then you should take the SAT U.S. History test near the end of that year, when the material is still fresh in your mind. (This rule does not apply for the Literature or Foreign Language SAT tests; it’s best to take those after you’ve had as much study in the area as possible.)

In six 90-minute sessions for each specific, targeted test speciality, we'll prepare you for the SAT Subject tests likely to be required by your target schools. Most competitive schools require 2 SAT Subject tests for admission and separate test dates each knock out a possible shot at the even-more-important Reasoning Test. These summer workshops offer an excellent opportunity to prepare for multiple tests without trying to balance this preparation with a hectic school schedule.

Please click here for more information about SAT Subject testing descriptions and requirements for selected New England schools.

Our rate for the above workshops is $85 per hour. Best value: our discounted group rates for home visits to central Metro West and the Greater Boston area.

In addition, we are offering a 5% discount on the entire package, regardless of the number of participants, for registration on or previous to June 30th, 2011. Please call 781-652-9649 or email us for more details.

We offer group sessions in your home. Individual sessions may be held in your home or at whatever public library is most convenient for you between 3 PM and 7 PM on whatever day you prefer, subject to availability in our tutors' schedules. Our tutors run busy schedules, so we start promptly at the agreed-upon time and end promptly at the agreed-upon time.

No long-term obligation is required. Time slots and days will be based upon mutually convenient scheduling. Simply email or phone us to arrange an intoductory session.

Josh Sanford, Ed.M. is an seasoned, certified provider. He has his B.A. from Bates College in Classical and Medieval Studies with a secondary concentration in Educational Studies, his Masters in Education from Lesley University, 11 years of experience in working in Special Education and solid credentials for tutoring social studies, science, math and language arts. Josh is almost fully booked for the summer of 2011, but still has an afternoon slot open for individual or small MCAS or SAT prep in Metro West.

All Massachusetts students who are educated with Massachusetts public funds must pass the Mathematics and English portions of the MCAS before they can receive their high school diplomas, in addition to meeting all local graduation requirements. Students are also required to earn a scaled score of at least 220 on one of the high school MCAS Science and Technology/Engineering (STE) tests: Biology, Chemistry, Introductory Physics, or Technology/Engineering. Students who fail one or more of the required tests are offered multiple testing opportunities.

If your child has not yet taken the SAT, PSAT and/or MCAS test, or if he/she has taken the MCAS and scored at the Warning/Failing level or as taken the SAT and not done well, we can provide one-on-one or small group preparation for the exam in a series of 8-10 2-hour sessions which will include:

An introduction to the MCAS or SAT, including a description of each part and an explanation of how it is scored
Background information on kinds of accommodations that may be available, how to apply to get them, and how to advocate for a student with learning disabilities
General test-taking tips and specific advice for specific disabilities
An overview of math skills on the test, how to solve problems and a review of all skills needed for the test
An overview of the reading portion of the test, including strategies for handling complex reading passages, identifying critical information, comprehension, and answering questions
An overview of the writing portion, including how to find out if your prospective college uses it (in the case of the SAT) and writing tips
A review of the writing skills included on the test and vocabulary
Practice test questions and answers

There are alternate assessment options available for students who are unable to take the MCAS (the MCAS-Alt, which requires the submission of a portfolio) and accommodations are offered for those who can take the MCAS but have learning disabilities that necessitate these accommodations. During its annual meeting, a student’s IEP or 504 team must determine how the student will participate in MCAS for each subject scheduled for assessment. This information, including any accommodations that a student will use, must be documented in the student’s IEP or 504 plan.

Additional information about the MCAS for students with learning disabilities is available on the Department of Education’s website the Department of Education’s website.

The SAT consists of three major sections: Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing. Each section receives a score on the scale of 200–800. The test contains 3 hours and 45 minutes of actual timed sections, although most administrations, run about four and a half hours long (including the timed breaks). Students with verifiable disabilities are eligible to take the SAT with accommodations. The standard time increase for students requiring additional time due to learning disabilities is time + 50%; time + 100% is also offered.

Materials will be recommended before Session 1.

MTEL Communications & Literacy Skills Exam Prep

A passing score on both the Reading and Writing subtests of the Communications and Literacy Skills exam is required for all those who wish to obtain certification to teach K-12 in Massachusetts. This exam requires strong analytical skills and a precise command of written English, especially in the Open Response questions which represent half the score of the Writing subtest.

Ron Gordon is a veteran of this and other MTEL exams, having passed the Communications and Literacy Skills and High School Mathematics exams while successfully tutoring many others to passing grades in Communications and Literacy Skills, General Curriculum, Foundations of Reading and all levels of Mathematics MTEL exams. Ron earned a B.S. in Physics (Summa Cum Laude) and a B.S. in Mathematics from UMass Amherst and a Ph.D. in Optics from the University of Rochester, is a former Associate Editor of the journal Optics Express and is a registered patent agent. Ron has a passion for clear, elegant writing.

This workshop will focus on attacking the Summary and Composition exercises in the Writing subtest. Specifically, in four 2-hour sessions, participants will learn to:

Quickly determine the essential idea in the given passage for the Summary exercise along with the supporting statements while recognizing words which are redundant or simply do not add any weight to the idea
Use an outline to state a theme and summarize supporting facts, and efficiently construct a persuasive argument for the Composition exercise
Recognize the difference between clearly stated sentences which help the reader understand the topic and imperfect command of the language which muddles meaning.

Materials will be recommended before Session 1.

Fundamentals of Photoshop, Dreamweaver & Flash

Are you new to web design and development and ready to learn how to build your own web site? In three sessions of two to six hours each, depending upon the skill levels, needs and interests of the participants, Nevin Katz, a cartoonist and online learning specialist at the Education Development Center in Newton in addition to his work with us, will introduce students to:

Photoshop: Scanning and editing images and graphics, creating and adjusting layers, resizing, cropping, and pasting images, managing color, transparency, and effects, preparing images for the web
Flash: Designing and importing graphics, using drawing tools and color panels, animating with the timeline, creating and using symbols, shape and motion tweening, changing object properties, publishing to the web, testing movies, coding in Actionscript
Dreamweaver: Defining your site, managing file structures, creating a website, controlling document format, adding content, using the library, formatting text, adding hyperlinks, images, and tables, CSS layouts and management, creating class styles, uploading and updating your site

Application of Science & Mathematics in Sports

Classroom focus on teaching to standardized tests may increase students' scores, but it often decreases students' long term interest. Mike Cappillio's enrichment course is designed to rekindle students' interest in mathematics and the sciences and to hone their critical analysis skills by illustrating the connections and applications of physics, biomechanics, nutrition, calculus, and statistics in athletic activities like baseball, football, basketball, tennis, hockey, skiing/snowboarding, billiards, and golf. No prior knowledge of mathematics beyond basic algebra is necessary.

Mike, a research associate in the Developmental Immunology lab at MGH, is a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Massachusetts. He is also an avid sports fan and former multi-sport athlete. In three, two-hour sessions, Mike's students will be introduced to:

Physics: the basic concepts of momentum, impact, torque, acceleration and the kinematic equations explored through the lens of sports
Biology: An introduction to biomechanics as it applies to various athletic maneuvers (e.g. a pitcher's throwing motion, a golfer's swing); nutrition and its effects on athletic performance
Mathematics: statistical analysis of performance of various sports, with a focus on baseball

College Selection/Application Workshop

Summer is an excellent time to get a jump on college selection and applications and Aaron Lemmon, our college application specialist and one of our most prolific SAT prep coaches, is just the person to help you do that. Aaron graduated cum laude from Boston College with two B.A. degrees and more than $22,000 in merit-based scholarships and grants, including the highly competitive Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. He is proud to have helped students earn acceptances to competitive schools nationwide, including George Washington University, Northwestern University, Villanova University, Drexel University, Siena College and the University of Miami. In three 2-hour sessions, participants will receive help:

identifying their criteria for college
understanding college rankings
factoring the SAT II Subject Tests into their SAT master plans
developing their college short lists
drafting their application essays
understanding the ins and outs of student loans, such as the recently implemented Income-Based Repayment option for federal student loans, which offers opportunities for 100% loan forgiveness
understanding how the Credit Card Act of 2009 will impact their ability to get access to credit cards

SUMMER SPECIALS--Discounted Rates For Groups