Do I need a Primary school tutor?

Do I need a Primary school tutor?

As parents we always want to best for our child. When you see them struggle in school, whether it is with Maths, English or a foreign language, it can be heartbreaking.  

A tutor can often be a positive solution, even for young children. Every child is different, and you will know if the time has come to bring in an outside teacher to help. 

Here, we look at the key areas to consider in order to make primary school tuition a successful experience as well as a wise investment. 

Is primary school too early to get a tutor? 

While a course of tuition won’t be necessary for many primary-aged children, sometimes a period of one to one help from a trained professional can get a student through a difficult patch.   

This can be important in keeping your child’s confidence intact and their self-belief strong.  Even the brightest kids can get de-motivated when they feel they don’t understand what is happening in class. The timely intervention from an expert can go a long way towards maintaining a student’s motivation to learn. So, whether it is the early years or the final year of primary school, a tutor can be a sensible option for parents to consider.  This is especially true when a child is having issues with Maths or Language, or, for younger children, numeracy or literacy.  

Times when a tutor could be a real help and make a significant difference to your child 

We see that our services often make the most difference when students are in the following situations: 

• A recent school move has left a child feeling behind or adrift with an unfamiliar curriculum or method of teaching 

• When a child is learning in a new language that is still unfamiliar to them 

• If motivation is lost or confidence is spiralling downwards 

• A child is struggling in one subject or across the board 

• The student has missed a period of school and is finding it difficult to catch up without support 

• Parents are travelling or stretched for time and need the help of a tutor to give their child homework support 

• A child is shortly going to sit and exam and feels they need support 

• The common entrance or the ISEE exam is on the horizon and you feel your child needs a helping hand to prepare 

A quick word on Maths anxiety 

While I would never suggest calling in a tutor at the first sign of difficulties, I would recommend taking action quickly if you child is starting to struggle in Maths. Maths anxiety can escalate quickly and become an entrenched mindset where children become less and less engaged in Maths. 

You can read more about Maths anxiety in an article on how it affects children here. 

I know I need a tutor for my child, what do I do next? 

Decide whether you want online or face to face lessons 

Now, more than ever, it is important to consider if your family would like lessons at home and face to face or online.  Lessons at home are often less stressful for younger children as they can engage directly with the tutor in a natural way and in a setting where they are most comfortable.  However, in today’s world, online teaching is more flexible and also removes the need to have an additional adult to visit your home. 

Make sure your child is safe 

As parents we hate to think that the worst could happen but ensuring that the tutor you choose has been vetted and background checked is essential. You can find more information here from the, NSPCC a child protection charity in the UK.  All tutors at TutorsPlus have a recent criminal record check in place, along with references from previous employers.

Ensuring the quality of tuition is high 

It can feel hard to evaluate the quality of tuition your child is getting.  The first question to ask is whether you child is happy and enjoying their lessons.  If the answer is yes that is already a good start.  Have you selected a tutor who is a professional teacher with a vast array of resources and years of professional practice to draw from? Professional teachers have years of training and experience behind them and the experience of being taught by a teacher will be different to being taught by a young student.  Ask the tutor for regular reviews and feedback, so you can feel confident that you are seeing progress. 

If you would like to talk to our expert client managers about your child’s needs, please call us on +41 22 731 81 48 or email info@tutorsplus.com.

For more information on the services we offer at TutorsPlus, visit our website www.tutorsplus.com

By Sara Lloyd 

Sara has been an education consultant for TutorsPlus for over 10 years and is an expert on international education in Switzerland.  She is also a parent of two lively children.