At Study Hut, we believe that developing a strong mathematical prowess begins in middle school math, which is why we strive to provide junior high students with a strong foundation in Algebra and Geometry. Since opening in 2006, we have helped hundreds of middle school students find success in the complex and intricate subject of mathematics. Study Hut regularly tutors students from the surrounding middle schools every week, and math is often the first priority and focus of the sessions. With one-on-one tutoring, students who come to any of our Study Hut locations find a friendly, focused environment where they are free to ask questions and complete their work. The Study Hut approach to tutoring middle school math involves breaking down the material into its simplest parts and then constructing the larger concepts using those “building blocks”. Before a student even starts their homework or test review, we believe he/she must first firmly grasp the reasoning behind the new material. Through the application of logic and “common sense”, we encourage the student to begin thinking proactively, and the results are always positive. In fact, it’s not unusual to see a student’s math grade increase by one letter grade in just one month at Study Hut.
At Study Hut, we pride ourselves in our unparalleled service to both the students we tutor and the parents of those students, and it’s part of the reason we received the South Bay Small Business of the Year Award in 2016. Our work is tailored specifically to the student, focusing on exact areas of their individual struggles. We take pride in our middle school student’s achievements. We all know very well how challenging middle school can be, socially and academically. We help students with the transition of middle school classes by being there for them, especially in the mathematics department.
As a parent, you know that your child is a complex individual, full of surprises. You know their dreams and aspirations, their fears and dislikes, what influences and what motivates them. You know that though they may grow bored at school, frustrated with teachers or affected by their peers, that if someone could find the key to tap into your child’s potential they would shine as brightly as they do in your eyes. It is this uniqueness that we try to cultivate. There are a few special ingredients that make Study Hut such a sweet place to learn and one of them is that we recognize each student’s individuality. Tutors are paired students that allow us to foster genuine connections and have a real positive influence. That’s why we enjoy being tutors. While many of our tutors can teach multiple subjects, Study Hut takes the time to place students according to their personality and ambitions. Seeing our students strive for the same goals we’ve have sought to attain inspires us and we pass this inspiration onto our students.
A real understanding of who your child is also helps us tutor more effectively. Biology becomes a basketball team, physics becomes skate boarding and statistics becomes the probability the Lakers will win the championship (100%, of course!) Students are no longer just another face in a sea of students but part of the Study Hut family. Every child learns differently, and relates differently. Parents know this for their children; tutors should know this for their students. We don’t just teach a child, we teach your child.
After missing a few consecutive days of school due to illness, a local Manhattan Beach Middle School Student (who shall go unnamed) was inundated by a surge of school work. Having missed many critical days of instruction, his class left him behind and he didn’t have the study skills to catch up on his own. He failed his first quiz after returning and wrestled with hopelessness and despair.
He met his teacher after school, but still couldn’t quite understand the lessons completely. Lacking confidence in his understanding of the material, he turned the tv on…and yes, mom was well aware. Stressed and working a full schedule herself, his mom was unable to help him understand his math concepts and therefore she couldn’t help him catch up. Struggling to keep his head above water, the student was desperate to find help. After talking to some teachers and parents, Mom heard about the Study Hut… and not a moment too soon!
After only two hour-long visits, the student caught up on all his school work, and felt confident working with the material. After two more visits, he was able to get ahead of the curve by mastering the math concepts from the chapter that his class had yet to cover!
Working with the same tutor each session, the student was able to master his homework as well as develop concrete study skills that he will use for the rest of his student career. Today, his scores and self-esteem are on the rise his and new study skills have given him the confidence to study on his own.
After a month of working with a personal tutor at Study Hut, he’s come from teetering on the brink of failure to blossoming. His scores have risen steadily and now he is a leader in class.
When attending middle school, organization is key to success, and that is why we focus a lot of our energy on the implementation of organizational skills. Assuring students’ backpacks are clean and folders have dividers are ways we aid in promoting the success of our students. We try to incorporate good habits while the students are young so they can really utilize these skills as they get older. As students grow, so does their workload, and organization only becomes that much more important with age. Read the rest of this entry »
The Plunge: One-on-one summer program for 5th graders entering Middle School
As the end of the school year nears, it’s time to start thinking about the transition into a new middle school. Bigger classes, different teachers for different classes, more homework, and more difficult material can be overwhelming if a student is not prepared to handle the stress of a new middle school. Now is the time for fifth graders to sharpen their organization skills and develop new study tactics so they can stay on top of their work as they smoothly transition into sixth grade. Read the rest of this entry »
American and British Literature
Approaching a piece of literature may intimidate a student, just because the assignment is enormous. English assignments don’t come with simple equations and formulas. Read the rest of this entry »
Transitioning from the eighth grade into high school is exciting and
daunting all at once. The ninth grade presents new opportunities for
socializing, organizing, and progressing in academic excellence. It is
during this time period that most students struggle with adjusting their
study skills to a faster-paced and more vigorous environment. Read the rest of this entry »
The transition from elementary to middle school is, arguably, the most important step toward success on the way to college. Middle school is, for many students the first stage when classrooms are divided by subject, when the time spent on homework stretches into hours — when organization and study habits begin to determine how well they can keep up. Read the rest of this entry »
Study Hut Tutoring individually tailors instruction to all ages. Our local and comfortable study culture enriches students in order to dominate on tests and raise grades. The Study Hut team fuels the ambition of students who have “cooled off” academically, as well as students who are eager to learn organizational and study systems which make school easy.
Chemistry students, to name one tough subject, are working effectively with local college graduates who attended the same class as their students. Elementary and middle school students are learning how to write a strong high school essay, a format that works with any topic. Bruce, a favored local tutor and product of the Manhattan Beach school system, comments about the goings on at the Hut. “Locals who train locals is not a new idea…coaches have been training kids outside of school for a long time. We have added academia to the list of summer activities in which to train.”
