Tuition has traditionally been viewed as something predominantly for secondary school children. In recent years, however, there has been a surge in primary tutors, with parents determined to give their children firm foundations for the future. So why can tuition for your children at primary school be such a shrewd investment?
Firm Foundations
Children’s progress at primary-school can be fundamental to their future development, a time when they begin to construct the building blocks of their intellect. In order to fully process, understand and interpret things, children need to grasp the preliminary stages of learning. Many children who have struggled to grasp “the basics”, encounter difficulties later on. Before you know it, they are losing confidence and falling behind. A good tutor can help children catch up and address any fundamental issues with children’s learning.
One-to-One support
In crowded classrooms, sometimes with 30 pupils or more, many children can get overlooked. A teacher’s time is extremely limited to give children the one-to-one attention many need. If a child is struggling with a concept, teachers are often unable to devote the time needed to explain it fully to them and address any misconceptions and queries. Once a child is struggling in the unforgiving environment of the classroom, they may become unwilling to ask questions crucial to deepening their understanding. Working on a one-to-one basis with a tutor gives a child the opportunity to take as much time as they need to understand a concept and allows a tutor to tailor the teaching to suit the individual child.
Confidence
Private tuition can hugely increase a child’s confidence and self-esteem. Good tutors will get to know the children they teach and work out the exact issues they are facing in their learning and how they can address them. Knowing that they are receiving help and having the opportunity to discuss the difficulties affecting their learning, boosts children’s morale considerably.
With tutors tending to develop a more personal relationship with their students, they are able to see and cultivate the potential within them. This is all too easy for busy classroom teachers to miss, particularly if a child is well-behaved or an average learner.
Preparation for secondary school
For many children, the transition from the intimate and secure setting of primary school to the hustle and bustle of secondary school can be an unsettling and, at times, traumatic period. Sometimes the only constant a child has is their tutor, who can act as a steadying influence and a soundboard for any issues, gently guiding them through the early, challenging moments of a new school. The level of work at secondary level also increases dramatically and children often find it difficult to cope with the greater workload and stricter deadlines, leading to ructions with parents and teachers. A tutor can provide study advice, helping students to manage the work better and easing them into the process of secondary-school study.
Exam technique
In many primary-level assessments, children fall down on poor exam technique, nullifying a sound knowledge of a subject. Tutors can provide crucial exam technique advice and work through past papers with children on a one-to-one basis, checking their understanding and addressing any misconceptions.
Golden Age
At primary-school age, children have an exceptional capacity for learning new skills and knowledge- the “Golden Age” of learning. It is a time in children’s progress where are developing and consolidating fundamental skills and therefore, it is vital they maintain good progress and remain focused and enthused in their learning. With some children seeming to fall by the wayside in school, one-to-one support can offer the close attention and nurturing a child needs. Children are extremely impressionable at this age and having a positive and influential learning role model can instil a passion for and engagement with education that will remain for the rest of their lives.
Verbal skills
Developing verbal skills is critical in a child’s intellectual development. In the chaos of schools, shy and quiet children can often be missed, sometimes to the detriment of their language skills. In a one-to-one setting, children’s verbal skills can be honed and developed, within the confines of a secure and comfortable environment.
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