A child faces regular standardised tests throughout his schooling years which can be very stressful especially when one is made aware at a young age, that exemplary academic performance particularly in Math is one of the key considerations for entry to tertiary institutions and possibly for future employment. One solution to this issue is to hire a qualified math tutor for your child, who can help him throughout any stages of his education that he may find challenging.
Know Your Needs
In this age of technology where recruitment of tutor may be as easy as a click of the button, finding a qualified tutor who is specifically suited to your child’s needs remains a difficult task. Whether your child requires regular sessions for a specific grade level, or simply to help in the preparation for a particular test such as the Gifted Programme or Direct School Admission Assessment, there are different qualified tutors available depending on your child’s needs. Although rare, there are also tutors who provide one-to-one support to specifically target any topics which your child personally finds difficult. Such an arrangement is ideal as it offers your child the advantage of seeking help only on need-be basis and working at a pace which suits him, spending more time on topics with which he currently struggles in. Your child is also free to ask as many questions as he needs to, without facing the pressures or distractions of a classroom full of other students.
1-to-1 Tuition
When one has the option of having a 1-to-1 tutor for the child, it is natural to ensure personalised service with a 100% focus on your child during the tutorial. Of course, it will also mean a more expensive charge rate. Hence it is worthwhile for one to spend more time to interview and select the most suitable tutor to best match your child’s learning style – an important consideration given that children do vary in their learning abilities especially those who require professional help and interventions to unlock their learning potential.
It is recommended that you contact your child’s school teacher to better understand your child’s needs and ask if they have any connections to tutors whom they find suitable to address your child’s needs. Of course for children with special learning needs, there are the professional setups to approach for assessments, therapies and intervention programmes.
Online Tutors
If your child is a relatively discipline and independent learner, then there is the option of an online tutor which provides the bonus of your child learning from home in an environment which he is comfortable. Online tutoring removes the issue of scheduling conflicts between your child and the tutor and you do not need to worry about arranging transport to and from the sessions for your child. A good online tutor platform should provide the complete online resources and educational tools to aid your child’s learning process. It should also offer a sound progress monitoring facility to assist parents to better appreciate their child’s learning overtime. Additionally, a well-designed online tutor service can also assign interactive homework help sessions. This enables your child to work on math problems using an interactive medium which will engage and intrigue them, thus motivating them to learn.
Group-based Tuition
Group tutoring sessions provide your child with an excellent opportunity to expand both their academic skills and their ability to solve problems whilst working within a group. The ability to work well within a group can prove to be beneficial for your child throughout his later adult life because employers seek candidates who can work effectively with others in team projects. Group tutoring sessions are usually conducted at tuition centres and since these are establishments, you should expect more structure and professionalism. When deciding on a tuition centre to enrol your child in, make time to meet up with the centre manager (not receptionist) to find out about the following:
- The physical set up being conducive and located in a safe neighbourhood.
- The curriculum structure that should not just complement the school’s syllabus but supplement what public school may lack in. Please note that some centres do not have common curriculum plan/material but rely on the individual tutor to generate the material. In such cases, you will need to check on how they ensure consistency of quality of material and delivery. Also be mindful that materials need to be regularly updated to ensure currency and relevance.
- The unique value proposition of the centre in terms of its curriculum planning and delivery that distinct from others to ensure performance of a child.
- The tutors’ credential. Here, spend time to find out not just the academic background of the tutor since knowing a subject matter does not equate to having the competency to teach. A tutor’s credential should include past experience specific to the subject of your interest, the types of professional training the tutor attained from the centre or elsewhere, testimonials (if any), etc.
- Types and frequency of communication with the parents to update on the child’s progress.
Ultimately, tuition lessons can be an incredibly enriching process for you and your child, enabling them to be taught at a pace which suits them, in a style which suits them, by a tutor who has the specific skills required to suit their educational needs. Tuition lessons can help your child grow confident in subject that they may shy away from or enhance their academic skills, as well as equipping them with the ability to apply these skills to real-world working situations. These skill sets will be invaluable throughout their adult life, significantly increasing your child’s chances of establishing a successful long term career.