Our science tutors help students to see underlying connections in the material they’re studying so that they understand the story of the science they’re learning rather than try to memorize a series of unconnected facts and details. Our online and Bethesda based tutors have been helping students with Biology, Chemistry and Physics for many years.
“Science” is generally the school subject with the most variation. English and math classes are, well, always English and math. But, for better or worse, each new year brings an entirely new Science subject tot be studied, each with its own set of challenges and rewards. Students who like science can be excited that there’s always something new to love and those who don’t will hopefully be consoled by the fact that something new and different is always right around the corner.
We are ready and willing to help all types of students succeed, no matter their level of interest or the class they’re taking.
Biology classes are usually taken in freshman or sophomore year and thus can be part of the transition from junior high to high school. So helping students be successful in biology often involves helping them learn the study skills they’ll take to other classes as well: how to make a study guide, how to actually extract and record useful information from a textbook, or the best way to make and use flashcards. These methods are essential for success in biology, since the class requires students to assimilate a whole lot of information – often obscured by some pretty intimidating looking words. (Oxidative phosphorylation? Adrenocorticotropic hormone? Pharyngeal slits? Oh my!) We help students build frameworks for understanding how the concepts are related so that they aren’t left struggling to memorize arbitrary definitions of strange words in the absence of helpful context.
The biggest hurdle for most chemistry students is learning how to incorporate mathematics into science. Biology is very conceptual and information driven, and studying for it can be more like studying for history than math. That’s not so in chemistry. Studying for chemistry is much more like studying for math: there are lots of problems to do. And every one is a word problem. We help students build the good habits that are essential to setting up and working through long calculations with both accuracy and understanding. In addition, chemistry is a far more cumulative and incremental course than is biology. A quick start is crucial for students to be successful, since those fundamental building blocks learned initially will be used all year long. Students are more prepared for long term success when they can identify the most essential material early and get it down cold.
Students wishing to be successful in Physics must be prepared to deal with a much higher level of abstraction than they’ve seen before. While biology and chemistry deal with a perhaps larger volume of specific information, it’s at least rooted in things you can touch, feel or easily visualize. Physics, on the other hand, requires students to be comfortable with more abstract concepts of action-at-a-distance in the forms of gravitational, magnetic or electrical fields. We help students form models to more fully understand what they’re learning and how to apply it. Much like chemistry classes, physics classes also require students to perform computations to solve problems. In chemistry, however, the path through the calculation is usually clear: most students can identify the equation they need to use or the calculation they need to perform based on the question, even if they have difficulty seeing it through. Physics problems, however, requires students to be familiar with a wider array of equations and understand them well enough to know which ones to apply in a given situation. They need to not just solve an equation but set it up correctly based on the problem at hand, and that requires not simply memorization of equations but understanding of what the terms in them actually mean.
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.
Our Science tutoring places a strong emphasis on drawing connections to students’ everyday experiences. Science is how the universe works. Knowing more about science makes you better at almost anything you do that requires you to interact with your world. Cooking? Chemistry helps you understand why butter is solid but olive oil liquid, and biology helps understand why one is healthier than the other. Are you outside blowing leaves? Or on a field playing soccer? Those are the realms of physics – fluid dynamics and particle kinematics to be precise. And understanding how those work will, believe it or not, make you a better leaf blower or a better soccer player. Our tutoring emphasizes these real-world connections in order to both keep students motivated and solidify their understanding of the sometimes abstractly presented concepts they are learning in class
Our personalized approach helps students understand complex concepts and apply them confidently, leading to better grades and a deeper understanding of science. Regular tutoring sessions reinforce learning, ensuring academic success.
We create a supportive learning environment where students feel comfortable asking questions. This positive reinforcement boosts self-esteem and motivates students to engage more actively, leading to greater academic enthusiasm.
Our science tutors emphasize critical thinking and problem-solving through hands-on experiments and real-world examples. These skills are essential for academic success and practical, everyday situations.
We have years of experience with both AP and IB programs and provide comprehensive test preparation, including strategies, concept reviews, and simulated test conditions. This targeted instruction helps students perform their best on exams and develop effective study habits for future academic endeavors.
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.
All of our tutors undergo the same training and are implementing the same PrepMatters developed and refined methods – we’re all coaching from the same playbook. Our senior tutors, however, have literally thousands of hours of one-on-one experience that they can bring to bear in a session to be able to intuit the nature of their student’s roadblock and possible strategies to overcome it. While there’s no substitute for experience, PrepMatters’ having physical offices fortunately facilitates collegiality and cooperation among our entire staff so that newer tutors can get better faster. In fact, all new tutors are required to attend at least one roundtable a week with a senior tutor during which they can discuss their students’ needs to improve their own tutoring and their students’ results.
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.
Costs vary based on the tutor’s qualifications and session frequency. Contact us for specific pricing details.
Yes, we have science tutors available at our Bethesda location or we can work with you fully remote.
Those who love (or hate) science class in school may be leaning towards (or away from) the ACT based on the presence of its Science section, but that would be a mistake. The ACT Science section actually doesn’t test students on science. Just like the Reading section doesn’t ask questions about The Great Gatsby or The Grapes of Wrath, the Science section doesn’t test a student’s knowledge of biology, chemistry or physics.
The ACT is a standardized test and as such can’t depend too much on students’ high school curricula. Were the test writers being more honest, they might have titled this section the Reading Charts & Graphs section, because that’s exactly what students need to do. The real challenge of the ACT science section is twofold: working at the fast pace required and dealing with the fact that the questions can be answered from the given information without really understanding the experiment or what the data mean.
You can schedule a session by visiting our website and filling out the contact form or calling our office directly.
We cover a wide range of subjects including elementary science, earth science, biology, chemistry, physics, AP environmental science & others.
Yes, if you feel your current tutor isn’t the right fit, you can request a different tutor at any time.
Yes, we offer academic tutoring services for various subjects, including Reading and Writing and Math subjects.
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.
