Brainfuse is a portal to learning open to all ZB Library users

Students who fall behind in school need extra instruction to get back up to speed. They need a tutor, whether it’s a teacher, parent or a paid instructor to lift them back on the educational track. If a struggling student doesn’t get that little extra, it often jeopardizes their educational career.

Tutoring services beyond what working parents and overburdened public school teachers can provide are costly and are unaffordable for many residents in our community. That is why the ZB Library has subscribed to Brainfuse, an academic tutorial services in the form of actual human beings providing one-on-one instruction for students and residents of all ages and education levels living in Zion and Benton townships.

Brainfuse HelpNow is a unique blend of one-to-one homework help, state-aligned skills building, and a full-services writing lab. With HelpNow, patrons are just a click away from expert tutors and a powerful suite of services to accommodate virtually any need, including:

• One-on-one homework help
• Skills building that meets state educational standards
• Writing assistance featuring live assistance and a 24-hour writing lab

Working with a Brainfuse tutor live online, struggling students are evaluated as to exactly what type of instruction they need to get back on track. Tutors then help students with their school assignments, which goes beyond the mere “question-and-answer” homework help. Traditional homework help services require students to ask specific questions in order to receive help. But these services cannot help students who are struggling to learn or master a new concept, or who have issues that run deeper than a set of questions. Recognizing this reality, Brainfuse created its HelpNow program: a suite of services designed to meet the needs of today’s student.

HelpNow tutors are trained, qualified instructors. They have the experience and tools necessary to guide students through new or difficult material. Rather than merely providing answers to homework problems, HelpNow tutors bestow knowledge.

HelpNow is the first tutoring service of its kind to offer several types of writing assistance. Live writing assistance during the initial stages of the writing process can help with organizational structure, idea brainstorming,
preparing an outline, etc. With the 24-hour writing lab, students submit writing in file format, and then Brainfuse writing tutors return the file with comments within 24 hours. This priceless type of writing instruction helps students better organize and present their thoughts by evaluating writing in terms of voice, word choice, ideas and content, sentence fluency, organization and conventions.

Are you a student who having trouble in one or more of your classes? Or are you a parent of a child having trouble making the grade in school? This free service offered by the ZB Library will lift struggling students back up academically, and it’s offered free at your library. You can access Brainfuse online on the library’s web site, or if you need personal assistance, you can inquire about it at the Adult Services or Youth Services desks at the library.