HIGH SCHOOL WRITING TUTORS

High school students are caught between two worlds. Putting aside the childish elements of their lives in order to be taken seriously as adults, much is expected of them in terms of emotional and professional development. That pressure can chafe at times, especially when combined with social pressures and the requirements of a good report card. Luckily, the writing tutors at Tutoring4Less have not only gone through these rigors in their own lives but have helped numerous students do the same, many in the Los Angeles Unified School District. These tutors understand not only the curriculum but the difficulty of focusing on it when so much else is changing in a high school student’s life.

Tutoring4Less provides writing tutoring services to students in the:

9th grade

10th grade

11th grade

12th grade

• Deciding type/topic: in cases where a topic is not already assigned to the students, it is necessary to think of a topic to write about. A tutor can help a student find a topic that interests them and that will also prove a suitable subject of an essay.
• Brainstorming and research: considering the ways that a topic can be discussed, such as where/when/why/what/who and how, is vital to the formulation of a successful essay. Similarly, every great essay starts with research. A tutor can provide guidance on how a student can both brainstorm ideas surrounding a topic, and research productively.
• Thesis statement: after the foundation of the essay has been laid, a concise and clear thesis statement should be written to summarize the essay. While this statement should be one of the easier parts of the essay to write, choosing the right wording can be tricky for some students. A tutor is on hand to help a student find the perfect way to phrase the idea they are presenting.
• Outline: a good long-term habit for any writer to get into is to formulate an outline before beginning their essay. Organizing your thoughts is the best way to stay on track, keep to your word count, and produce writing in a timely way. A tutor will be able to show a student how to effectively outline an essay in a productive way.
• Writing the body: the body of the essay is where a lot of the work resides. With the support of a good tutor and implementation of all the previous steps, however, it should not be too onerous. It is important to bear in mind which writing style to use: a conversational or informal style is fine in different contexts but is rarely appropriate for an essay.
• Citing references: it is important for a student to support their writing with reference to source material. Different teachers might have different preferences for the way sources are referenced, such as MLA or APA.
• Editing: all students, when writing essays, must understand the importance of taking time to proofread and edit their work. Drafting is vital, and students should not get bogged down in editing as they write. However, effective editing of a completed draft is essential. A Tutoring4Less tutor will not edit or proofread a student’s essay; however, they will give students the coaching necessary to edit their own work and identify common mistakes. These skills will serve the student well in their future endeavors.