Raise of hands here – Who has sat down with a friend and talked about opening a bar? Come on! I know many men who have done this in our back yard! How many of us have chatted over coffee about starting our own coffee shop with scrumptious pastries as a side? How many of us actually took our dream and made it a reality? I met a couple gals who did just that. Over months of lunches, two long-time friends repeatedly discussed their concerns for the future of our children.
Meet Renée Pugh-Smith and Jackie Garrett. They were able to take these long lunch conversations and concerns and turn them into a reality. Instead of griping about the future of our children, they decided to become the solution. They developed the concept of j&R Tutoring. They took pains to hire instructors who have years of classroom experience; they are parents and grandparents. They all have Masters of Arts degrees in Education, and they all have current background checks on file.
When speaking to Renée, one story grabbed me by the heart. One student had been struggling with reading, but according to the mother had been doing fine in math. Recently, the mother started to notice a reversal in her math grades. A diagnostic test revealed that she was actually well below grade level in all math domains. The child had been going through the motions of computation but was not actually learning and understanding the relationship of numbers to everyday life. Her teachers at school had thought it was due to not paying attention. They were right, but their reasoning was wrong. The child had simply grown tired of doing math sheets for no apparent reason.
j&R Tutoring discovered that the child liked to bake. So they worked with the mother and found an age-appropriate cook book. Using recipes, she learned to divide and multiply them and, most importantly, she learned how numbers help with everyday life. This activity gave a concrete reason for learning them. By connecting the computation to a real life situation, the child was able to see why learning math is important and fun.
Being a mom of two small children, I have concerns about the future for my children. It makes the world seem a little brighter knowing there are people in this world who not only value our children and their futures, but can put a plan into action to make life a little easier for us all. Homework time can be stressful in many homes. Just remember you are not alone. There are people out there who care and can help!
Their motto: They want kids to think, “Is today the day I GET to go to tutoring?” Not, “Is today the day I HAVE to go to tutoring?”
To find out more information about j&R Tutoring, call 317-849-4182 or visit www.jnrtutoring.com. They are located at 13255 Britton Park Road, Fishers, IN 46038. If you are driving into the McDonalds on 131st and 37, they are to the right as you go through the drive thru.
