Sam Reber Tutoring

As a musician I learned the value of practicing every day, especially those musical passages that were difficult. It wasn’t just about building skill, but also muscle memory. The daily grind of teaching my fingers where to go for each passage of music eventually became fluid playing because my fingers “knew” what they were supposed to do. It was so important to go slow and be accurate in the beginning so my fingers would learn the correct pattern. If I went too fast and kept messing up then that is the pattern my fingers would learn. This idea of practicing every day and laying a good foundation can really help the child who struggles in school. Some children need the consistency of practicing skills everyday to build that muscle memory in their brain. Some students need to go back to basics to retrain their brain from the bad habits they have learned from rushing to learn a skill before mastering the foundations. It takes daily practice and it doesn’t have to be long. A tutor can help you learn what skills to target with your child and what exercises to practice daily. Ultimately it’s the day in and day out of targeted practice for short periods of time to get the brain muscles trained. Start with what your child knows and can have success with, and then build from there. It takes time and can be frustratingly slow, but daily practice builds mind strength and endurance. It’s a marathon working with a child who struggles academically, and they need lots of cheering on, but practice is key to finishing the race.

There have been many times in my life when I have had a question or problem at home and wished I knew the right person to call for help. I knew that if I could ask that one question to somebody with the right expertise, I could figure the rest out and move forward. When my first daughter was born I belonged to a young mothers’ group. The woman who organized the group was a retired labor and delivery nurse, Pat, and she encouraged all of us moms to call her with our questions. Pat was one of the most valuable resources I had as a young mom. All those little things that I didn’t know were normal for a baby were all solved with a quick call to Pat. The school year has rolled out in my area this week and I have seen a lot of parents confused and wondering how they will get through this year. I would love to be your Pat. I have a subscription service available where your child or you can call me during my office hours to help with that one question that will help you move forward. This is different then a personal tutoring session. This is perfect for students who are proficient, but get stuck and need a quick assistance to move forward. Check out my website for info and pricing. I’m running a special for the month of September for $10 off my subscription service. I can be your resource to get through this year.

Sometimes things look hard and too complicated like taking apart your daughter’s iPhone. I had warned my daughter to prepare herself if things did not turn out as hoped. It was a little scary taking the first screw out and then prying that bad boy open. I had one thing in my favor - preparation. I didn’t know how to put a new screen on my daughter’s phone YET, but I read instructions, watched videos, and came up with a plan to help me in case I got confused. And you know what? I did it. We can teach our kids to do the same thing. It’s ok to be unsure. Failure might happen, but the principle of YET, is a powerful one. When we model that for our kids it can help them learn to take on new challenges. When we model what it takes to face hard things it helps them learn some of the best life skills they need to prepare for when they are are on their own one day. There are lots of things we can’t do YET, but with some preparation we can do hard things.

It’s that time of year where my kids and I are getting ready to go back to school, but this year is different. Maybe you feel a little confused. Maybe you are wondering how you are going to get through the year. Maybe you are ready to dive into this year head first and take it on. Maybe you are looking for somebody to help you and your child navigate through this year. I would love to be that person. I offer individual tutoring for pre-k up through high school. Check out my website to view my services and pricing. We can get through this year and hopefully add some fun in there too!