Our English tutors help students polish both their reading and writing skills so they’re ready to both comprehend the more challenging texts they’ll face in high school and express their ideas about them confidently and correctly. Whether online or at our Bethesda location, our tutors provide personalized instruction to strengthen skills in reading comprehension, grammar, and effective writing techniques.
English and writing tutoring can take many forms. In any English class on the same assignment, one student may be having difficulty getting organized and sitting down to write, while another might still be struggling with the reading itself. No matter the roadblock, we can help.
Set up a call so we can learn more about how we can help you and your student. You’ll get the answers to your initial questions and we’ll get the information we need to make the best match.
Our placements team will work to find a tutor that’s the best fit based on content, availability and personality.
Parents are welcome to join at the start of the first meeting as the tutor works with the family to craft an initial plan the supports the student and keeps everyone working together.
Academic tutors, as do all PrepMatters tutors, send follow-up session notes every week to keep students on track and parents on the same page.
English isn’t always easy, and neither are our tutoring sessions, but that’s where the growth happens. Students who work with us gain more than just the ability to analyze texts or write a solid essay. They develop the skills to tackle new challenges in reading and writing with confidence, ask thoughtful questions, and express their ideas clearly. Our goal is to help them think like a writer and read like a critic.
Our personalized approach enhances students’ reading and writing abilities, from grammar and vocabulary to advanced writing techniques, leading not only to better grades but better writing and, ultimately, thinking.
Consistent, positive reinforcement boosts students’ confidence and motivation. Our supportive environment encourages participation, tackling challenging assignments, and maintaining a positive attitude throughout.
We emphasize critical thinking and communication through activities that promote analysis and clear expression. These skills are essential for academic success and valuable in higher education and professional settings.
We are familiar with both the AP and IB programs. Our comprehensive exam preparation includes reviewing key concepts, practicing past papers, and teaching effective test-taking strategies. This ensures students are well-equipped to achieve their best possible scores on important assessments.
Most families choose PrepMatters for two reasons: our expertise and our professionalism. Both are rooted in the fact that our tutors simply tutor more than many others do. Some of our tutors are successful professionals with active day jobs, but almost half tutor as their sole profession. And none are college kids looking for a quick part-time job. Our SAT and ACT tutors tutor a minimum of 10 hours per week and some routinely see 30 or more per week. And as we like to preach around here, there’s almost nothing that doesn’t improve with practice. And our founder, Ned Johnson, has had lots of practice with over 40,000 hours of 1-on-1 tutoring logged over his career! And in that 20 years, we’ve also built the infrastructure that contributes to our student’s success. From our annually updated workbooks and materials, to weekly proctored practice tests, to regular calls from our Quality Assurance Director, there’s a complete team in place to help your child succeed.
Tutors typically have three goals during a first session: to learn about the student, to debunk myths about these ridiculous tests, and to deliver some pedagogical content.
Establishing rapport is the first goal. Tutors will likely ask your student some of the same questions you answered in your placement call, not because they didn’t read your answers but because hearing how teenagers frame their answers and think about themselves as students and testers is invaluable in knowing what approach to take. That initial conversation may take 2 minutes or it may take 20. Tutors will of course take into account impending test dates: a student testing in 3 weeks needs strategies sooner than one testing in 12 weeks. The longer the planned engagement, the more important – and ultimately more efficient – is the use of the initial chat in the first session.
Students often come with many preconceived notions about these tests: what they measure, what they mean and how they feel about them. It’s important to understand the context any student brings and make sure they know these aren’t intelligence tests and are simply tests of acquired skills – skills that can be acquired, like any others, through practice.
We cover writing, reading comprehension, grammar, and more.
The most salient difference between the SAT and ACT has always been the pace of the tests, and that difference is even more stark on the new test. Take the reading section, for example: SAT test takers have 65 minutes to negotiate approximately 400 lines of text and 52 questions, while ACT students have only 35 minutes for 350 lines and 40 questions. That breaks down to around 52 seconds per question for the ACT and 75 for the SAT. That’s a whopping 20 extra seconds per question or, put another way, 40% extra time for the SAT! And the ACT Science section is just as paced, if not more so.
Students who read quickly are much more at home on the ACT, while those who don’t may never be able to successfully cope with the pace of the ACT, no matter how much they prepare. While the ACT Reading section is faster, the SAT Reading section tends to be deeper. The ACT readings are generally more concrete and the questions are more literally answered in the passage, many times even using the same words as in the correct answer. In contrast and by design, passages of different textual complexities comprise the SAT reading section: most students will find some passages easier and others certainly more difficult. These more difficult passages tend to be more abstract, employ higher levels of diction, and require students to read quickly but more deeply.
On the ACT, a typical student refrain when approaching a difficult question is “Oh, right… I kind of remember that in the passage but I can’t find it.” Complaints on the SAT reading usually sound more like “Ugh… a question about that paragraph? I didn’t really get what they were saying there.”
The English section of the new SAT has received the greatest overhaul in its recent revision and now is a nearly identical to the ACT English section. That means that it’s less useful for students deciding which test to take. For what it’s worth, the English section is one of the most consistent sections on either test and thus typically the easiest for students to improve with practice. So no matter which test students choose, the English section will likely be just fine!
Costs vary based on the tutor’s qualifications and session frequency. Contact us for specific pricing details.
Yes, you can request a different tutor at any time if needed.
Yes, we offer academic tutoring services for various subjects, including many Math and Science subjects.
Yes, we have English tutors available at our Bethesda location or we can work with you fully remote.
Our team specializes in helping teenagers develop the skills, motivation, and successful habits to achieve their academic and collegiate goals. Schedule a consultation with our Bethesda tutors or online to start your teen on the path to success.
