Spark Your Child’s Enthusiasm For Learning With Tutoring
Learning is hard because thinking is hard, according to cognitive psychologist Daniel T. Willingham. It requires students to retrieve information from their immediate environment and long-term memory. Not only that, they need to combine that info in new ways with their limited, short-term memory and come up with solutions based on those new combinations. Thus, even the brightest of students need the right things in place in order for them to succeed in school.
On the other hand, tutoring is designed to unlock your child’s potential when it comes to learning – be it through taking them from intermediate level to advanced or making them interested once again. Whatever it may be, tutoring’s whole purpose is to ensure their academic success by any means necessary!
So why is tutoring important to reignite that spark in your child’s enthusiasm for learning?
Look at it from a positive angle.
Firstly, perhaps you are viewing this all in the wrong light. Many parents may pose negative questions on why their child is so disruptive, distracted, or disinterested. For example: Why won’t they learn? Why don’t they want to learn? What is wrong with their attitude?
If you use too many negative questions, you will struggle to get down to the root of the cause. So instead, we aim to flip this on its head by posing positive questions. For example: What interests this student? How can we encourage learning? How can we meet their needs?
By finding out ‘why’ will only lead to you being left in the dark while seeking the ‘how’ gives you the keys to unlocking your child’s potential. It is all a matter of perspective. Being more productive and efficient here, and focusing on the positive, invites positive responses.
Work with your child, and they will provide the details.
They can build a good relationship.
The relationship between student and tutor is highly important to them succeeding. If this relationship is poor, then their learning will take a hit. If this relationship is strong, then their learning will improve. Building this relationship can be exactly what they need to stay motivated.
Many aspects are involved in this tutor-student dynamic, which are listed here. The four elements of a successful relationship are (1) building trust, (2) maintaining high and explicit expectations, (3) successfully dealing with resistance and self-handicapping behaviours, and (4) preserving boundaries. When these are addressed, only then will the relationship start to blossom.
Most of the time, when students fail, it is down to a negative relationship with teachers. They may see them as authoritative and strict. However, by meeting them at their level, they will start to open up and realise the importance of their academic career. Guide them and watch them grow.
We can tailor the lessons to their interests.
Is your child into football? Or is gaming more their style? Well, with private tutoring, we can engage them via their interests to bring out their love for learning! Lessons can be tailored to them specifically, unlike classroom learning, where this cannot be the case in the slightest.
The greatest benefit of personalised learning, compared to classroom learning, is that we can set each session at a more suitable pace. Classroom teaching can be too fast or too slow depending on the student, so we will change where necessary to accommodate these preferences. Some students grasp topics much faster, while others will need more assistance.
If there is a particular area of a subject that they struggle with, we will be able to focus on that in more depth until they are 100% confident. This is to make them a well-rounded student, perfect for future employment.
Rewards can be earned through effort and determination.
Lastly, there should be incentives for doing well in tutoring and at school. It may be as simple as complimentary remarks, encouraging the student to keep trying and learning from their mistakes. Or little rewards can be presented if they put in as much effort as possible. Whatever it may be, trying to engage them through good behaviour will only see them improve.
Create a reward chart for younger students, showing their progress towards gaining a prize. This will motivate them to try as hard as possible, knowing they are inching ever closer to the particular toy, book, toy or football kit they would love to own.
Older students may benefit more from complimentary remarks and promises of a bigger, more long-term reward at the end of the academic year. However, if rewards are offered to stop negative behaviour, they will see this as a bribe and continue to misbehave.
If you think your child needs help learning, then be sure to get in touch with us at Aim High Tuition! We understand the need for your child to do well in their studies, so let us work our magic and help them improve their grades for future success. Please do not hesitate to book a free online trial lesson either by contacting us today!