There are three main habits that tutors help their students develop for the "SOS" Binder System for Math. Tutors teach these steps to their students, supporting them as they practice, so that the student is eventually able to complete the steps on his own. The three steps are:

• Organization
• "In Binder" Math Flashcards (Record/Review - For Language Based Subjects)In Binder" Math Flashcards are used, primarily for math and the sciences while Record/Review is used for language based subjects.
• Analysis

Habit #1 - Organization - An essential first step in any effective student program is the habit of organization. Daily organization of materials ensures that pertinent materials can be retrieved easily and necessary information is always at hand. In order to make organization a habit, however, a good organizational system must be set up to handle all of a student's needs and it must be simple to use. Overly complex organization systems often go unused by well meaning students. The "SOS" program receives rave reviews from students who find it, not only easy to use but extremely effective in managing their paperwork as well as their time. In addition, students assessment skills are also exercised as they *estimate and *time-block their long-term assignments. (*Estimating refers to chunking a long-term assignment and estimating the amount of time needed to complete it, while time-blocking refers to placing these blocks of time in an agenda book)

Habit #2 - "In Binder" Math Flashcards (or *Record/Review) - Study aids such as "In Binder" Math Flashcards and techniques such as Record/Review, (*for language based subjects - see Appendix) are unique to the "SOS" Program and help to enhance student's memory/learning capacity and strengthen their meta-cognitive skills. While, "In Binder" Math Flashcards are used for linear, symbol-based problems, commonly found in math and the sciences, Record/Review is used to support learning and meta-cognition for language based subjects. Because these techniques were designed to stimulate both sides of the brain and utilize a spaced repetition format, students are not only continually strengthening their memory stores but they are also becoming aware of the degree to which their class materials are being processed, otherwise known as "meta-cognitive" ability. When performed on a daily basis, these cognitive skills are continually strengthened, leading to an overall cumulative effect on the advancement and quality of the students overall learning.

Habit #3 - Analysis - Completing the cumulative cycle is a technique used to raise student awareness of the possible causes of testing error. This is the technique of "Analysis" . The Analysis technique is an "SOS" technique that is used when tests and quizzes are returned to the student. Through the process of analysis, students learn to identify an error or error pattern on tests, uncover the "exact" cause of the error and generate a solution that is uniquely the student's. This is important for developing student's long-term meta-cognitive abilities as well as helping to strengthen his assessment skills. In time, students who practice analysis learn how to uncover whether a testing problem resulted from a memory issue, cognitive/study issue or behavioral issue.


Math Tutoring Techniques In addition to the 3 Habits of the "SOS" Binder system for Math, there are two techniques tutors can use to help their math students locate the causes of their math confusion and break through to clarity