Marina Koestler Ruben - How to Tutor Your Own Child: Boost Grades and Inspire a Lifelong Love of Learning—Without Paying for a Tutor

Copyright 2011 by Marina Koestler Ruben
Foreword copyright 2011 by Gerald Richards

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the
Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.tenspeed.com

Ten Speed Press and the Ten Speed Press colophon are registered
trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ruben, Marina Koestler.
How to tutor your own child : boost grades and inspire a lifelong love of learningwithout paying for a professional tutor / Marina Koestler Ruben.
p. cm.
Summary: A top academic tutor gives parents the tools they need to inspire after-school learning at home, without having to hire a pricey outside tutorProvided by publisher.
1. Tutors and tutoring. 2. EducationParent participation. I. Title.
LC41.R83 2011
371.394dc22
2010050451

eISBN: 978-1-60774-050-6

v3.1

T hanks, of course, to my own parent-tutors, Vicki and Bob Koestler. Im sure my mother is responsible for my writing career, given that she still reviews (and significantly improves) everything I write. Likewise, I think my father inspired my brothers love of computers and my interest in logic problems and in French (which he taught me while brushing my baby teeth). Thanks to Dan Koestler for his technological expertise (for which he will be compensated indefinitely with homemade ice cream) and his knowledge about the transience of school papers.

Special thanks to Laurie Abkemeier, at DeFiore and Company, who provided me with months of helpful advice before she even saw the proposal for this book and made it possible, within the span of a year, for two Rubens to provide publishers with books that have sections about mnemonic devices. And many thanks to everyone at Ten Speed Press, especially Lisa Westmoreland who edited this book.

Thanks, too, to Katie McLane, the owner of Potomac Tutors, who rekindled my enthusiasm for education and learning when I worked for her. And to Janna Taylor, who hired me at Potomac Tutors and now runs her own company, Mind Full Tutors.

So many others provided helpful feedback for this book, including Sarah Arikian; Nikki Bravo; Anne Charny; Anthony Dellureficio; Mike Fishback; Raina Fishbane; Gerard Hagen; Trudi Hagen; Nuit Hansgen; Elizabeth Ide; Ellen Kittredge; Diana Lazarus; Angela and Elaine Magnan; Tom Mansell; Ryoko Matsumoto; Jane Miller; Kenneth Quittman; Michelle Schneck; Scot Slaby; Rebecca Wallace-Segall; and Sara White (and her coworkers, students, family, and friends). Thanks to Alyson, Matt, Mimi, Rhea, and Taylor for your feedback and suggestions.

Thanks, of course, to my husband, Adam Ruben, who sacrificed large portions of a beach vacation to read drafts of this book. He recently published his own book ostensibly about helping students, Surviving Your Stupid, Stupid Decision to Go to Grad School. His book is antieducation and mine is proeducation; Im hoping the two books dont cosmically cancel each other out.

P arents, let me tell you two things. First, your children think youre amazing. Seriously. You may not think so and they may not say so (at least until they turn twenty-five or thirty) but they do. Second, you were your childs best teacher. You taught them right from wrong and how to tie their shoes. I say were because around first grade you were replaced. Replaced by Ms. Dunbar in the first grade or Mr. Silver the hip English teacherand thats okay. It provides you with the opportunity to take on another role in your childs education, that of tutor. Your child listens and pays attention to everything you say or do. So its only natural that your child learn about Ptolemy, practice quadratic equations, and recite Shakespeares sonnets with you. Marina Koestler Ruben wrote this book to show you how.

At our 826 tutoring centers, we have over five thousand volunteers who work with our students every day. They help students with math, reading, and writing. For various reasons, many of our students parents dont have the time or the capacity to help their children. Our volunteer tutors provide these students with a caring adult willing to spend a couple of hours of their time working with a young person on their homework. It means the world to our students to have someone spend that much time where the spotlight is on them, what they are working on, and how they can be helped. We provide training to our volunteers because tutoring can be scary. Having that young face look at you hoping you have all the answers can be an intimidating experience. We work to make tutoring fun and simple so that the tutor and the student both have the best experience possible.

I remember my first tutor. I was (and kind of still am) horrible at math. I scored a 275 on the math portion of my SATs. 275. I wasnt going to get into a good collegein fact, I worried I might not even get into college. My school assigned me a professional math tutor, a stodgy, socially awkward manwho smelled. But he was a great tutor. He was knowledgeable, very tough, and very patient. After two months of tutoring, I scored a 400. Not perfect, but a score that got me into a great college. I know the difference tutoring can make in a life.

This book empowers you to become the tutor, that additional teacher your child may need to achieve educational success. It provides you with positive reinforcement to let you know that you dont have to be a Rhodes Scholar to help your child prepare for a chemistry test. You just need the time and the desire. I know you have both. This book provides you with the tips and tools youll need to make tutoring your child an enjoyable experience for you both. Learning doesnt have to be confined to school. It can take place in the kitchen, the dining room, or the backyard.

A PhD is not required to help your child learn. Theres no mystery or secret sauce. Your child already thinks youre amazing, and being your childs tutor is just another sign of how great you are. Marina is giving you her secrets and her years of experience. She has given you tips and demystified the process. You have decided to become not just a parent but also that caring adult all children need. Have fun!

Gerald Richards

CEO

826 National

826 National is a network of nonprofit organizations cofounded by Dave Eggers and dedicated to helping students, ages six to eighteen, with expository and creative writing, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. 826 chapters are located in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Ann Arbor, Seattle, Boston, and Washington, DC. Our mission is based on the understanding that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention, and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success.