Absolute Value Tutoring is a process of engagement for the student, not just tutoring. We can simply help with homework, or help change a student's total outlook on learning. The chart to the left is an example of a program that we would consider for a student who is simply not connecting the dots in school.

At the end of these first 7 steps, the student will himself/herself in an agreement with the tutor — The end result of which will be to probe what the student thinks they want in life and explain the realities of a competitive world and to understand the relationship between rules and motivation in it; to engage in a prescribed system of organization; to discuss the concept of incremental effort that makes or breaks a student in school; to agree on the use of electronic tools, to make school more effective and to develop note taking skills (checked notes); and to commit to reading a book outside of school work and reporting on the progress of that book in each session. The 8th step is a temperature check for the student to reflect on how his/her life is about to change through this process, and to ask the student if he/she is ready to proceed. And the 9th step, like life itself, is ongoing work. The student is required to be accountable for not only school work, but for managing it themselves and reporting out on his/her progress.

The idea is to gently but firmly move the student from a spectator in school to a participant in life. 99% of the time, this simple idea works.

Students preparing for post secondary education need to understand that the difficulty factor in will multiply not recede when they graduate high school and attend college. Success is not all about intelligence. It's also about commitment and which practiced, familiar habits are a part of the students daily routine. It's about the student being honest about who they are, so that they can practice, now, the methods they will use to successfully matriculate in college.