Do I need to consider a private tutor for my child?

 his year has been anything but ordinary and our children have had to endure learning like never before. Do we really know the ‘real’ affects this had on these young people? How do I know whether my child needs a private tutor? Maybe, you are asking yourself one or more of the following questions:

1. Is my child behind where they should be at this time of year?
2. Is s/he struggling to keep up, understand content?
3. My child learns differently to other children, are those needs being met in the classroom?
4. Do I understand the current way of teaching certain skills, for example subtraction?
5. How do I help my child effectively and efficiently do their homework?
6. My child needs support with their learning, how can I help?
7. Is my child being challenged and extended, reaching their full potential?

There are many reasons why your child may benefit from a private tutor. Here are a few:

• Tutoring can be a fantastic resource, providing encouragement and reassurance to pupils feeling overwhelmed by their schoolwork, and boosting the confidence of others that are doubting their own abilities.
• Tutoring also means having access to more general pedagogical expertise. Our tutors have thousands of hours’ experience working with students. They have their own special techniques to get the best out of their students, and can make recommendations, for resources and they have a network of other educational professionals that parents can turn to for advice.
• It can be difficult for classroom teachers to give each child the attention s/he deserves, and if a method isn’t understood properly, or if their skills, such as reading, writing, spelling and maths, are developing slowly, a tutor can work one-on-one with your child and work on the skill and understanding of the topic/method.
• Remember, every child has a unique learning style. Some children are visual learners while others are auditory learners or hands-on learners. Nowadays, in larger classrooms, teachers try to create lessons that cover all learning types to make sure that no child is left behind. However, a one size fits all approach may not work for all students.
• Sometimes kids avoid asking for help in school when they do not understand the material. Sometimes they lack confidence in group settings or are just a bit shy. A tutor can help explain and clarify concepts in a one-to-one basis in a comfortable environment. They can act as a role model to help boost self-esteem and provide positive learning associations.
• Support materials can be used to help develop skills and understandings, for example: hands on materials; number lines; manipulative fraction kits; counters; base ten blocks…and so on.
• A good tutor will identify a child’s weaknesses and take proactive steps to strengthen them.
• Tutoring is not just for students requiring support, even children with strong skills, understandings, and marks may benefit from tutoring, especially if they are not realising their full academic potential and to be challenged.
• A tutor can allow lessons to extend beyond the curriculum and embrace wider fields of thought. They will allow lessons to follow the imagination and natural curiosity of the pupil, fostering greater understanding and making learning something exciting, inspiring and fundamentally enjoyable.

Private tuition has long been seen as the most effective way to support a child’s education, providing them with a personal mentor and role model as well as a teacher.

*Note our tutors all have a current registration with the Victorian Institute of Teachers, meaning they are fully qualified, experienced and current teachers.