As children gear up to go back to school this fall, Pennsylvaniarents face a daunting question: “How much does my child remember from last school year?” The answer is often startling.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, children can lose as much as 25 percent of their reading and math skills over their summer vacation. This loss can make it more difficult to understand and retain new concepts taught in the next grade- and can even jeopardize the educational gains of the past school year.

So how can parents keep their children’s minds sharp for the challenges of a new grade? Not surprisingly, one of the first places many parents turn is the Internet. A wide variety of tools and resources are now available online to help children make the grade in the fall, and parents are paying attention to this trend. In fact, according to a recent study conducted by opinion Research Corp, 79 percent of parents will go online for homework help and academic resources this year.

Many parents point to convenience as a primary reason for targeting online educational resources. "With the Internet, there is no more shuffling to the library, to the tutor's house, and then back home in time for dinner. Many of the tools necessary to successfully complete homework assignments and review critical skills are available online," says Anne Krysiak, head of education and curriculum development for eSylvan, the leading online tutoring service.

of course, the quality and effectiveness of Internet learning programs can vary greatly. For example, the recent Opinion Research study found that only 15 percent of parents considered free online homework help services to be of high quality. Educators caution parents to carefully screen the options available to them to ensure that the programs are both safe and effective. “Many homework help Web sites only offer guidance on specific homework problems or links to other sites,” says Krysiak. “An online tutor who can provide individualized assistance may be what the student really needs.”

eSylvan, which launched nationwide in 2001, is the first and only Internet-based tutoring service to offer reading and math tutoring provided by state-certified teachers. Students receive personalized instruction from live, specially trained teachers over the Internet right from their home computer. Unlike with other homework help solutions, each eSylvan tutoring program begins with a comprehensive online skills assessment that pinpoints a child’s skill gaps in math and reading. The instruction is then tailored to those specific areas of need to ensure maximum academic improvement and to eliminate time spent on skills in which the child is already proficient. This proven educational system has already helped more than 5000 students across America prepare for the challenges of a new grade.

The company’s proprietary technology allows students and teachers to work on lessons by writing questions and answers displayed on both the student’s and teacher’s computer screens. Teachers and students also have real conversations using a hands-free headset, provided by eSylvan, that allows continuous two-way audio dialogue just like on a telephone.

How to Choose an Online Tutor for Your Child

Krysiak offers parents the following tips to keep in mind when considering online academic help for a child:

Choose personalized programs. Be sure your child's specific skill gaps are correctly identified before instruction begins. This ensures that his or her specific learning needs are addressed.

Look for flexibility. Because your child’s and family’s schedules may not be the same from week to week, make sure your scheduling needs can be accommodated in order to sustain learning momentum. Some online tutoring programs offer the advantage of flexible hours that work with the rest of your busy schedule.

State-certified teachers. Teachers with certification and classroom experience are often more effective and offer for parents a greater degree of security online than uncertified tutors.

Courtesy of ARA Content