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Sheila Cantonwine

Summer Math

5 Helpful Tips for Tutoring Math Over the Summer

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Students can lose quite a bit of math proficiency over the summer break, which puts them at a disadvantage at the beginning of the next school year. Parents appreciate help bridging the summer math gap with their children, and summer tutoring is a great way to do that. Tutoring is also a great way for teachers to earn supplemental income over the summer months. Before you start tutoring, there are some important things you need to consider. Keep reading to learn more about 5 helpful tips for tutoring math over the summer.

1. Choose Resources the Students Will Enjoy and Are Easy to Grade

Summer Math Packets for Tutoring

For me, this is the most important of the 5 Helpful Tips for Tutoring Math Over the Summer. As far as students are concerned, they want something fun to do. They also don’t want to have to work too hard because let’s face it, it’s summer break. These are the summer math packets that I use, and they are a big hit with students.

They have a fun summer theme that students enjoy, and they break the math into small pieces. These packets divide the summer math into nine pages of multiple-choice questions and nine skills pages. Students complete 1 of each (2 pages total) every week for a comprehensive review of their previous year’s math.

There are detailed answer keys for easy grading, and you can even have your students self-correct their summer packets.

2. Use a Reliable Scheduler or Calendar to Organize Your Sessions

Once you have more than a couple of students each week, it can be challenging to schedule everyone and keep track of your time. There are many online schedulers, but I prefer paper and pencil so I have the flexibility of changing things when I want to.

This is my favorite calendar to use. I love the printable version for my personal/family obligations, and the digital version would be great for scheduling your tutoring students. Just upload the files to your Google drive and keep everything there.

I love the pastel colors, and there are also options for bright colors, black and white, and calming blues and green. They feature seven different layouts, so there’s lots of flexibility in scheduling your students. They even come with free updates every year.

These calendars are also great for lesson planning too. Check out this blog post on 3 Ways to Plan Lessons with Digital Planners.

3. Work With Parents to Create Goals and Rewards

A lot of students need motivation to do math over the summer months. I like to use rewards to incentivize completing the math packets. Ask the students or parents what goal would motivate your students. Start with smaller rewards like going out for ice cream, then move to bigger goals like having friends over to the house for a get together or a visit to their favorite summer destination. Rewards will depend on the student’s age and what the parents feel is appropriate for their family budget.

4. Find a Location That’s Comfortable to Work In

5 Helpful Tips for Tutoring Math Over the Summer

I often tutored in my home since that was the most convenient for me. It was a little stressful making sure things were picked up and ready for students. I also made sure I had a space for parents and students to wait if they arrived early while I was working with another student.

If using your home isn’t an option then consider the public library, school, or even a coffee shop. Ask permission to use any of these spaces and know that you might need to pay a fee to use the space. Make sure the lighting is good, the temperature is comfortable, and it’s quiet. Students also like some privacy when working and it’s nice if there aren’t too many distractions.

5. Create Clear Policies and Payment Options

I always suggest that you have a tutoring contract or agreement when working with students. It’s so important to communicate your expectations as well as what you’re able to do. For help with your policies and payment options, check out this post on Helpful Things To Consider When Creating a Tutoring Contract.

I hope this article on 5 Helpful Tips for Tutoring Math Over the Summer is helpful. I wish you all the success in the world as you start tutoring your studnets.

Helpful Things to Consider When Creating a Tutoring Contract

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Helpful Tips for Creating a Tutoring Contract or Agreement

Tutoring students can be a great source of income and incredibly gratifying. As a math teacher, I knew that some students needed more time with specific topics. Weekly tutoring sessions were a great way to help those students. Before you start, it’s essential to communicate effectively with students and parents to ensure that everyone understands the tutoring agreement. Check out these helpful things to consider when creating a tutoring contract or agreement.

1. How much will you charge per hour?

The average fee can range from $25 – $80 per hour, depending on the grade level you are teaching. Fees are generally lower for elementary grades and increase through middle and high school.

Think about your teaching and tutoring experience. You can usually charge more per hour when you have more experience.

When determining your hourly fee, you might consider whether you will have additional expenses like transportation to and from the tutoring location or rental fees for space. Also, consider printing costs if you provide worksheets or other printable materials like task cards.

Finally, consider a family discount if you will be tutoring more than one child in a family. A family discount is beneficial for summer math when parents want their children to avoid the summer slide.

2. How and when will the parents pay you?

Helpful Tips for Creating a Tutoring Contract or Agreement

Payment options is so important and very helpful to consider when creating a tutoring contract or agreement. Cash or check always works, but also consider using electronic payments like Venmo or PayPal for convenience. Some people use QR codes or credit card readers for their phones also but you’ll need to factor in the fees for that.

You should also decide if parents will pay weekly, monthly, or simply at the end of each session. Consider accepting payments before sessions to eliminate the possibility of frequently canceled sessions.

Helpful Tips for Creating a Tutoring Contract or Agreement

3. Where will the tutoring take place?

I have used my home, the library, and the school as different places to tutor. If you are using your home, make sure you have a comfortable place for students and parents to wait if they are early for their session and you are working with another student.

Always ask permission to use public places like libraries and schools. Some may require a fee to rent a room or space, so consider that when determining your costs.

4. How long will the sessions be?

Helpful Tips for Creating a Tutoring Contract or Agreement

For younger students, grades K – 2nd, I’d recommend 30-minute sessions. You could have 45-60 minute sessions for older students. I usually work with upper elementary and middle school students and have found that 45-50 minute sessions work well.

If you schedule them hourly, that gives you 10-15 minutes to transition from one student to the next. That’s perfect for you to wrap up one session and quickly prepare for the next. You’ll also need to have time to chat with parents to let them know about their child’s progress or any issues that you think should be addressed.

5. What is the cancellation policy?

Life can be so incredibly busy so I recommend a 24 hour cancellation policy. If students or parents provide 24 hour notice that they won’t be able to attend tutoring, you won’t charge them. If they cancel within 24 hours, you will charge them for the tutoring session.

You also need the option to cancel the session yourself in case of an emergency or illness. Again, I’d recommend a 24 hour policy with that. If the family has prepaid for the session and you cannot deliver, you will need to reschedule or reimburse them for the money they have paid.

6. How will you handle vacations or long term breaks in tutoring?

Over the summer months when working on summer math packets, make sure parents let you know about vacations and longer term breaks from tutoring. That way you can better plan your schedule. I worked with a family who traveled the entire month of July but wanted sessions in June and August. It was helpful to know so I could better help their children and adjust my schedule.

If parents ask for materials to work on over the vacation, make sure you can provide that as well.

7. Students who are late for tutoring sessions

Everyone is busy and there will be times when students are late. Depending on your schedule, it might not be possible to extend the lesson for students. For example, let’s say you have a student scheduled at 4pm and 5pm. If the student for your 4 pm session comes late at 4:15, and it’s a 45-minute session, I’d recommend working with them until 4:45 so you have time to prepare for your student at 5 pm.

From my experience, if parents know their students will be missing time with you, they’ll make an effort to be there on time since they’re paying for the entire session. On the occasions that I decided to extend the sessions for the students, I found that the students were late more often than not. The families must value your time as much as you respect theirs.

8. Services you will provide

Tutoring Summer Math

Always be clear about the services and materials you will provide. For example, I generally plan the lessons and provide all materials for the student. I also offer additional homework if requested by the parent.

Always keep family and student information confidential. Although this seems obvious, it’s also important to say that you will not complete the student’s assignments for them (yes, I’ve had parents request that!)

For more information on creating your tutoring contract, I’d suggest using this website:

https://www.free-legal-document.com/tutoring-contract.html

I hope this is helpful and that you learned helpful things to consider when creating a tutoring contract. I wish you lots of luck and great success in your tutoring business.

Fun and Easy Summer Resources to Review 5th Grade Math

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Reviewing math over the summer months can be a real challenge for students. On the one hand, they need a break from school and daily assignments. On the other hand, reviewing math skills over the summer can make a big difference for back to school. The key is to have the review be fun and easy, so students are willing to do math over the summer months. It’s also essential to cover all the math topics from the previous year so students can easily transition to their new grade-level math. Check out these fun and easy summer resources to review 5th-grade math.

Summer Math Packet with Multiple Choice and Skills Pages

Fun and Easy Summer Resources to Review 5th Grade Math

Summer math packets are great for reviewing math. I love this particular packet because it combines both multiple-choice questions and skills pages. There are nine different pages of each, making it easy to complete over the summer. Students complete one page of multiple-choice and one page of skills for each of the nine weeks of summer.

There are also detailed answer keys for easy grading. Students can even learn from their mistakes by correcting their questions every week. This packet also comes with a printable and digital version, so it’s very flexible for all students.

Here is what one teacher had to say about this summer math packet:

This is such a great resource! I was able to use them with my summer program and with students who I tutor. The skills are exactly what I have covered in 5th grade. This was perfect! Thank you!

Summer Boom Cards With Self-Correcting and Interactive Digital Task Cards

Summer Math Review of 5th Grade

Students love Boom cards because they’re interactive. They can drag and drop, click, and type their answers. They also receive immediate feedback on whether they answered the question correctly. If they answer incorrectly, they have the opportunity to try again.

I love these Boom cards because they feature 50 different randomized questions for 5th-grade math. You can check out the preview of these Boom cards to get a good idea of how they work.

If you’re new to using Boom cards, check out this article on 6 Reasons to Use Boom Cards in Your Classroom.

I hope these resources are helpful. Hopefully, they give you ideas for Fun and Easy Summer Resources to Review 5th Grade Math.

Summer Math Your Rising 7th Grader Will Love

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Summer Math Review of 6th Grade

It is important to have summer math activities that your rising 7th grader will love.

When students take a little time each week to practice and review their math skills, it will make a big difference when they go back to school. It will make the transition to the next math level so much easier. Plus, they won’t worry about starting the year already being behind.

As a teacher and homeschooling mom, I know how difficult it can be to find a math packet that your child will complete. They must cover all the math topics without being too overwhelming.

Here are a couple of suggestions that might make summer math a little easier for you and your rising 7th grader.

Complete 2 Pages Every Week

Having students practice only two pages every week can be an excellent way to do a little work at a time. So many students wait until the week or night before school to review. That’s not enough time. Plus, completing 15-20 pages of summer math in one sitting is so intimidating.

I gave my children and students math packets divided into multiple-choice and skills pages. Doing one of each (2 pages total) was very manageable over the summer months.

Multiple Choice Questions

Students love multiple-choice questions because they have options. The questions are usually not as intimidating as short answers or fill-in-the-blank questions. They are also familiar because they are similar to the questions for standardized testing.

The multiple-choice questions must cover all the topics for 6th-grade math. Reviewing all the standards is the best way to prepare students for 7th-grade math. Listing the common core standard for each question is also helpful. That way, teachers, tutors, or parents know which common core standards to review. Sometimes, students need to relearn specific skills before beginning the school year.

Answer keys are a huge time saver too. If you are a parent helping your student with summer math, I suggest having your child grade their summer math. They can do this every week after they complete the two suggested pages. That way, they can see what they did wrong and learn from their mistakes.

Skills pages for Your Rising 7th Grader

Summer Math Your Rising 7th Grader Will Love

As a math teacher, I’ve found that every grade level has its own set of math skills that need a little more practice to master. Whereas the multiple-choice questions make sure students review ALL the math topics for 6th grade, the skills pages give a deeper dive and more practice.

Ratios, Dividing Decimals, Evaluating Expressions, and Multiplying Decimals, are some of the topics for 6th grade. Others include Coordinate Plane, 4 Digit by 2 Digit Multiplication, Unit Rate Word Problems, Dividing Fractions, Prime Factorization, and 4 Digit by 2 Digit Long Division.

I hope this is helpful, and I hope your rising 7th grader enjoys using this summer math packet.

4 Ways to Use Summer Math Packets in Your Classroom

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4 ways to use summer math packets in your classroom

Most teachers love when you can use a resource in more than one way on more than one occasion. It saves money and you can use the math packets differently depending on your class needs for a particular year. I love having flexibility with math packets knowing I can use them at different times in different ways. Over the years, I have found 4 ways to use summer math packets in your classroom.

Choose summer math packets that are divided into weeks or smaller chunks that won’t be too intimidating. For example, in these Summer Math Activities for Incoming 8th Graders, students complete one page of multiple-choice and one page of skills review for each of the 10 weeks of summer.

1. Over the summer to avoid the summer slide

This is probably the most common use of summer math packets. It’s always to a teacher’s advantage to have students ready to learn at the beginning of the school year. Sending home summer math packets is a great way for students to review the previous year’s math while enjoying their summer break.

In this case, you would be giving students the summer math packet that reviews the previous year of math. For example, if you are teaching 6th grade, you would send your future students home with the 5th Grade Math Summer Packet.

2. As a fun test prep for end of year state tests

Summer Math Review of 6th Grade Math with Digital & Printable Options

If you’re looking for some fun test prep, summer math packets are a great change of pace. This is especially fun if your testing is in May or June when students are getting excited about summer break.

Many of the summer math packets like this one here, cover all the math topics for the year. This makes it perfect for test prep. Many even have the standards listed on the page so you can easily see what topics need to be reviewed before the big end-of-year exam.

The summer math packets in my store also feature multiple-choice questions. This is great for practicing test-taking skills.

3. As a fun activity in the final days of school

Once students take the end-of-year exam, it’s hard to find engaging content. They’re done reviewing and so exhausted from the test prep. Depending on the class, I could sometimes introduce new topics for the upcoming year but that’s not always an option. Using summer math packets is a great way to get students excited for the summer break while still having valuable content in your math class.

4. An assessment at the beginning of the school year

Summer Math Review of 4th Grade

Because summer math packets cover all the math topics for the year, they’re a great tool for assessing your students. Having students complete the math packet in school can help you understand what topics got lost in the summer slide. It also helps to know what you might need to review before the beginning of the school year. Plus, it’s something fun to ease students into the first days of school.

If you’re using the summer math as an assessment, you’ll need to give students the previous year’s math packet. For example, if you are teaching 5th grade, you’ll need to give students the math packet that reviews all the 4th-grade math topics, similar to this one shown on the left.

Summer Math Packets You Might Be Interested In

Summer Math Review of 3rd Grade Math for Parents, Teachers, & Tutors
Summer Math Review of 4th Grade
Summer Math Packet with a Review of 5th Grade Math with Digital and Printable Options
Summer Math Review of 6th Grade Math with Digital & Printable Options
Summer Math for Rising 8th Graders with Digital & Printable Options
Summer Math Bundle for Tutors and Summer School Teachers

Summer Math Activities for Incoming 8th Graders

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Using summer math activities for incoming 8th Graders is a great way to avoiding the summer slide. This is so important for students when it comes to math. If students take a little time to review their math skills over the summer, it can have a huge impact on how quickly they transition to their new math class at the beginning of the next school year.

But, finding a way to review math over the summer can be a huge challenge. Students need a break after the busy school year. They’re often reluctant to do any school work over the summer months. In fact, many students often wait until the night before the first day of school to even look at any summer work.

Parents need a break from homework. They also struggle with giving their children “assignments” over the lazy days of summer.

Summer Math Packets Are So Helpful

Summer Math Activities for Incoming 8th Graders

That’s where summer math packets are effective. Having students practice 2 pages every week can be a great way for them to do a little math review at a time. If parents don’t want to manage this, there are always tutors that can help over the summer too.

For rising 8th grade students, it’s so important to review all the 7th grade math topics. That’s the best way to make sure they’re prepared for 8th grade math in the fall. I like to use a combination of multiple choice and skills questions to help them review the topics. The idea is that they do one page of multiple choice ad one page of skills questions each week. That way, the packet doesn’t seem so overwhelming.

Multiple Choice Questions

Summer Math Review of 7th Grade

These are effective because they are similar to the questions for the end of year testing. Plus, students aren’t as intimidated as they would be with fill in the blank questions.

It’s important that these questions cover all the topics for 7th grade so they’re fully prepared for back to school. It’s also helpful if the common core alignment is listed for each question. That way, teachers, tutors, or parents know what topics might need to be reviewed before the beginning of the school year. Answer keys are a huge time saver too.

Skills Pages for Summer Math Activities for Incoming 8th Graders

Summer Math Activities for Incoming 8th Graders

Each grade level has its own set of math skills that deserve a little more attention when it comes to review. Maybe it’s something that students need to show their work for or maybe it’s something that students should have more than 1 question to practice over the summer months. As with the multiple choice pages, it’s important that the answer keys are available for easy grading.

Here are some of the 7th grade skills that students can have a little more practice with their summer math packet: Integers, Order of Operations with Integers, Solving One Step Equations, Circles, Mean, Median, Mode & Range, 2 and 3 Dimensional Shapes, Multiplying & Dividing Decimals, Fractions, Probability, and Fractions, Decimals & Percents.

Students Complete 2 pages Each Week

The summer break is usually 9-10 weeks so having students complete 2 pages each week (one page of multiple choices and one page of skills review) can make summer math so much more manageable. Using summer math activities for incoming 8th graders in smaller pieces is definitely the best way to review.

Other Ways to Use Summer Math Activities for Incoming 8th Graders

There are 4 ways that I suggest teachers use these summer math packets:

  1. Over the summer to avoid the summer slide
  2. For test prep and state end of year testing
  3. At the end of year for a fun review in the last days of school
  4. At the beginning of the year to transition students to a new grade level and assess what topics need to be reviewed

I hope this is helpful and I hope you enjoy using this summer math packet over the summer.