UNDIVIDED ATTENTION
Busy classrooms tend to be dominated by the most confident, needy and attention-grabbing students. Quiet pupils and individuals who plod along with little fuss can often get overlooked by the teacher, until exam results reflect a lack of understanding – at which point, it can often be too late. Shy students may also be unwilling to ask for or except help in a classroom setting, and if they do, their time will be likely be limited to a few minutes. Home tutoring gives your child the luxury of exclusive attention to work through problems, ask questions and talk over approaches in a relaxed and focused environment, without the distraction of other students.
CONFIDENCE BUILDING
Bad behaviour and poor achievement can often be linked to a lack of confidence and self belief. With feedback time limited in schools, it can be de-motivating if a child regularly receives poor test scores, low grades and written work or maths pages that are riddled with red pen and corrections. A personal tutor can help individuals recognise their strengths and celebrate their achievements, no matter how small. By setting achievable targets and taking small steps, a student can slowly build confidence and enjoy a journey of success and progression, rather than get continually knocked back.
PERSONAL LEARNING STYLES
Every individual has their preferred way of working, whether that means talking through a task and discussing their ideas out loud, or writing down their thought process independently. Good classroom lessons are designed to cover a range of learning styles but this isn’t easy for teachers to do consistently. A private tutor tailors the learning program around the individual needs of each student to unlock their full potential. They can also help improve your child’s ability to work in a range of different learning styles, or help them to recognise the ways they learn best. As well as boosting their understanding, this can also help them to enjoy and get more out of the school day.
RENEWED ENTHUSIASM
It’s a sad fact that many school curriculums are restricted to fairly narrow schemes of work. If an individual doesn’t engage in the topics they’re covering at school, they can soon lose interest in a subject and start to disengage. A private tutor can help inject new enthusiasm into a subject by making it seem relevant to your child. A ‘boring’ topic like ‘weather’ in Geography could be linked to something exciting like outdoor expeditions, skiing or sailing, for example. Reading comprehension in literacy could be developed by reading books and articles about football or space; and maths problems can take on a whole new meaning if they’re given relevance to real-world business. Whatever your child’s passion is, a private tutor has the flexibility to appeal to it.
FLEXIBILITY
Students may require extra support during particular times of year, especially if they have exams looming. Private tuition can be on-going or can be focussed in short and intense bursts, depending on what suits the student best. Many tutors can offer sessions at different times of day. If your child is too tired for after-school tutoring, then Saturday mornings could be an alternative option, or you may find that a series of focussed sessions during the school holidays is more effective.
