Tutoring sessions are highly individualized to provide optimal instruction for each student.  During the school year most of our students receive help with class work or prepare for standardized tests.  During the summer most students review material from the previous school year or preview material for their class in the fall.  Specialized curriculums are provided for some students who want to cover material outside of the school curriculum.  Whether the level is remedial or very advanced, we can provide assistance.  With a maximum student to teacher ratio of 2 to 1, your child receives the careful instruction he or she needs and deserves.

     The Math Masters program is designed to strengthen the student’s computational skills from basic addition through trigonometry.  Emphasis is on accuracy as well as speed, stressing the most efficient process for solving.  Students in pre-k through about 8th grade are appropriate candidates to begin this program.  However, the program is most effective for students who begin in the early elementary grades and who make a long-term commitment to the program.

     There are three major components of the program:

• The first component teaches students organizational skills.  Students are taught how to manage time effectively, keep an assignment calendar, organize their study areas, present written work effectively, and how to implement other strategies to keep them organized and focused.

• In the second component, various learning strategies are introduced.   Students are taught how to read and make effective use of their text books and reference materials.  Note-taking and proof-reading are also taught.  This portion of the course is designed to help the student extract the most useful information from class lectures and written materials.

• The third component addresses test taking.  Students are taught how to prepare for a wide variety of tests.  They are also taught effective test-taking techniques. 

     The study skills course is taught through our semi-private tutoring sessions.  The full course requires 15-20 sessions.  However, the number of sessions will vary according the the student's grade level and individual needs.  If a student does not want all three components of the program, sessions may be scheduled to address the student's specific needs. 

     The staff at Simply Math and Reading understands that even though a child’s A+ on his or her report card is a great accomplishment, students like tangible rewards to reinforce and motivate their study efforts.  That’s why our programs for younger students incorporate a sticker chart that, upon completion, entitles students to select a small reward for their hard work and dedication to learning.

     Simply Mathematics, Inc. was founded in 1991 in Ballwin, Missouri, by Elizabeth McGovern. Elizabeth left teaching math in the Rockwood District after ten years to raise her family. Her former colleagues often called to see if she would be interested in tutoring students in need of extra instruction. With degrees and teaching certification in Elementary Education and Mathematics and a Masters degree in Computer Resource Management, Elizabeth has a wide range of knowledge of education for students of all ages. Her private tutoring caseload grew so quickly that she decided to open an office outside her home to work with students three days per week. Word of mouth brought more students to Simply Mathematics than she could instruct on her own, so Elizabeth began to hire and train tutors. The key to her success was the ability to provide clear, accurate instruction, and sufficient practice for the student to master and retain new concepts. Much time was spent in developing procedures that all tutors could follow to keep their tutoring relevant, concise and effective. Tutors could then adapt these procedures to provide the best assistance and allow each student to succeed with the school curriculum.  This highly individualized instruction is unique in the tutoring world.

       So many parents requested the addition of reading to the tutoring offered that Elizabeth and her staff began researching the best programs available for teaching reading, writing, grammar and study skills. No one program seemed to have all the necessary components, so the best components from a variety of programs were incorporated into a single curriculum. The office in Ballwin then became Simply Math & Reading. The same principles of clear, effective instruction applied to these subjects as applied to the math.

      In 1998, Elizabeth and her core staff began developing the thousands of worksheets that comprise the Math Masters program. Extensive research and considerable teaching experience allowed the Simply Mathematics team to identify the essential concepts necessary for a solid foundation in mathematics. The Math Masters program relies heavily on the concept of clear instruction by a qualified teacher coupled with sufficient drill and practice. The emphasis in this program is on computation skills from basic addition through trigonometry.  Math Masters is intended to be a stand-alone program, but the worksheets and instructional notes for this program are also used in the tutoring program.
     In 2000, Beth Dare, a former tutor for Simply Mathematics, expressed an interest in opening her own center. Beth opened Simply Mathematics – SOUTH in 2001. Only math instruction is offered at this office, allowing Beth to translate her background in engineering to superior math instruction.