Tutoring: Is it Right for your Student?

Every child goes through a difficult academic time. It could be that they are having issues adjusting to a new school or a new grade, perhaps they are having personal or social problems or maybe they don’t get on well with their teacher. With so many factors playing a role in academic performance, you need to carefully weigh the situation to determine whether your student needs help.

Cause and effect

Always keep a close eye on your student’s grades and keep in regular contact with their teachers. If you or your teacher notices a change in academic performance act quickly. Nipping problems in the bud will make them so much easier to deal with.

Sit down with your student and their teacher to ascertain what the problem is. Everyone has a bad test or a poor assignment score from time to time and one poor grade does not a disaster make. If your student got a bad grade, ask them what went wrong and how they can remedy the situation in the future. Two bad grades on consecutive tests or papers means that there is possibly a miscommunication. Go through the paper with your student to ascertain exactly what went wrong and discuss how to fix it.

If the academic problems persist, it may be time to look at the bigger picture.

Causes of poor academic performance

Speak with your student to find out exactly how much time they devote to study and what else if going on in their lives. Poor academic performance can be the result of several factors:

• Too many sports/after school activities
• Health issues
• Social problems or bullying
• Personal or family problems
• Learning disabilities
• Poor diet
• Poor relationship with a teacher
• Gaps in academic knowledge or skill

Resolutions

Only once you have clearly established the cause of academic discord can you work on a solution. Include your student in any discussions about their future or about possible solutions to the problems they are having. Inclusive practices make it more likely that they will participate in the proposed solutions.

If your students don’t have extraneous reasons for poor academic performances, it may be time to get an in-home tutor. One-on-one tutoring is the very best way to get your student’s academic performance back on track. Tutors are able to establish gaps in your student’s knowledge or skill set and can pinpoint issues that need the most attention. Tutors can also present information in ways that suit your child’s learning style so that they are able to understand the work better.

Tutors can help your students to study for exams and to complete homework and assignments on time. Tutors are experts at study methods and they can help your students to study in an effective and efficient way.

Tutors work with your students on an individual level, so there is no anxiety about answering or asking questions. As they get back on track, their confidence grows and the anxiety they feel at school will be reduced.

What's your Student's Learning Style?

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Albert Einstein
Students process and absorb information in different ways. Some students like to see the big picture first and then learn the details and skills of each step while others can’t imagine what the big picture will be until they have learned each little step along the way.

Some students find diagrams and infographics helpful in learning information while others like to listen to the teacher’s lesson to get their facts and figures. Others like to build, measure, mix and experiment when they are learning. Knowing what your student’s learning style is will make it easier for you to present information in a format that they can relate to.

Visual learners
Visual learners like their information presented in an interesting visual format so videos, pictures, charts, illustrations, mind maps, and online presentations are a great way for them to learn. Presenting information this way makes it easier for them to see how things relate to each other. Visual learners should create their own mind maps and graphics when they are studying as this will help them to remember the information and see.

Auditory learners
These students are good listeners. They like teachers and tutors who explain, talk and read aloud. These students learn understand through a more traditional teaching method. When they are learning, auditory learners can benefit from reading aloud or listening to taped lectures and online podcasts.

Tactile learners
These students like to learn through action. They are great with experiments, measuring, observations, field trips, building models and other physically-oriented tasks. Activity is the way to get them to remember information or learn new skills.

Most teachers present information in a number of different formats to accommodate the learning style of all of their students. If your student is having trouble with a subject, ask their teacher or tutor to help you ascertain their learning style and then present the information in a way that they will absorb best. The internet is a great resource tool for finding the information you need to share in a format that suits your student. There is a video, infographic and experiment you can try for just about everything.

If you are curious about your student’s learning style, take a quick online test with sites such as ID Pride or VARK. Tutors and teachers are also great at understanding learning styles and they will be able to not only help your student to understand their learning style, but to convert information into a format that they understand best.

- See more at: http://www.tutordoctorhelpsallages.com