Knowing the Right Time to Tutor

The school year is in full swing, and the classroom is a second home for your children. Five days a week, six hours a day and ten months a year they learn and develop into tomorrow’s leaders. Some children, however, require extra momentum or additional help outside of regular school hours to ensure success in the classroom.

Sometimes all that’s required is a little motivation from home. With television, computers, gaming consoles, friends and siblings, it’s a wonder any homework ever gets done. Try some of these tips to help stimulate your child’s learning at home:

• Create a “homework station” – a designated area that your child can personalize and make their own.
• Get your child into the habit of working with a calendar and a to-do list. This will allow them to feel a sense of accomplishment when a task is complete.
• Regularly check your child’s day planner or agenda. Many schools use them as a tool to increase communication between teachers and parents – they’re great for writing short notes back and forth or simply to keep tabs on what your child is working on.
• Get your child into a routine and have them do their homework at the same time each night.
• Create a reward system (for example: allow your child to watch a particular program or slot them computer time once homework is complete).
• Be involved! Be aware of your child’s assignments and keep them stimulated by asking questions about what they’re doing and learning in school.

While the above tips can help many children improve their work ethic and grades, sometimes extra help is still required. It’s important to be proactive in assessing your child’s needs, as well as their strengths so that you can access support before report cards come and it’s too late! Here are some signs that a tutor might be a worthwhile investment:

• Your child takes longer than expected to finish what seems like a basic homework assignment or has a large amount of homework.
• Your child seems to work hard but still receives mediocre grades.
• Your child frequently fakes illness, says they want to stay home or battles each morning to get out the door.
• Your child starts to say that they hate school and doesn’t see the point of doing well.
• You learn that your child starts to exhibit abnormal behaviour in the classroom.

After speaking with your child and their teacher, the decision to seek out a tutor might ultimately be best for your child since the individualized attention provided can have a dramatic impact on not only a child’s academic performance but also on their confidence and self-esteem.

There is a veritable sea of tutoring options out there. Among them is a provider called Grade Learning. Grade Learning delivers Individualized Tutoring to children, youth and adults. The distinguishing factor for you and your child is that Individualized Tutoring teaches to the individual rather than fitting the child into a pre-structured program. This means that each child goes through a comprehensive academic assessment, and that assessment is what drives the creation of their individualized tutoring program. The learning starts at the grade level the child is at rather than the level they should be at.

Grade Learning believes that each child is born with a desire to learn and that academic success depends on a partnership between children, parents, educators and schools. As a parent, you can help your child’s learning potential soar by putting the proper supports in place. This might mean an individualized approach to tutoring that teaches your child how to learn effectively, as well as providing them with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the classroom.

Invest the time in selecting the right tutoring program for your child. Introducing your child to their instructor-to-be and to the tutoring environment is a great way to gauge how he or she will react to the tutoring process. Keep in mind that at first many children feel embarrassed or ashamed about seeking out extra help. As your child begins to develop new skills and confidence, this embarrassment will soon transform into pride.

Happy Learning!