School challenges students in many ways, and it is certainly not unusual for children and adolescents to struggle with school-related tasks such as homework, exam preparation, specific subjects, organization, and many more.
Tutoring can often help with these challenges, but how do you know if it would be a good fit for you/your child's academic needs?
Let's take a look at the 5 main signs that say you/your child might need tutoring:
Disclaimer: This article serves as a general guide only. Due to the demand of Teach the Need we ask that prospective students schedule sessions only if local tutoring resources have already been exhausted (i.e. unavailable tutors, financial hardship, etc).
1) Lack of organization
A child who has difficulty organizing will find it difficult to anticipate and will generally start a task at the last minute. They will turn in homework late or even forget to turn it in at all. They will struggle to plan when to study for an exam and will often rush through their revisions, rather than working through specific milestones. A lack of organization affects all academic aspects of a child and is a sure sign that a tutor could be helpful. Also, even if the marks are average or high, a tutor can intervene when it comes to helping a student improve his approach to school, and this, by helping him to plan, to use learning methods, by stimulating his motivation, and by reminding him, sometimes, to slow down.
2) Falling Grades
Falling grades are often one of the first visible signs that a student is having difficulty in school. A lower exam grade here and there isn't too much of a concern, but downward trends and consistently low grades in a specific subject are clear signals that help is needed. A tutor can intervene in a specific subject, such as mathematics, for example by reviewing the material with the student and making sure that he has understood the necessary concepts before moving forward. Also, a tutor can help identify exactly where the breakdown is occurring: maybe it's the subject itself, or maybe it's a lack of attention in the class. Once the cause has been identified, the tutor can adapt their approach to improving the student's grades.
3) Lack of Self-Confidence
Low self-confidence in school is often found in students who struggle with their studies for a long time. Constant failure often leads students to experience "learned helplessness", a state where they begin to believe that they are just bad at school, that nothing they do will change the outcome, and that there is no point in making the necessary effort to achieve their goals. Tutors are equipped to help students set and achieve short-term goals, helping to build their self-confidence over time.
4) Asking lots of questions...and feeling unable to help
In general, when students ask a lot of questions, it's a good thing! It means they are curious and engaged, and they want to go deeper in their understanding. But if a child often asks many questions during homework, parents may not always feel equipped or confident to answer, for several valid reasons. Tutoring is a great way to provide general homework help, for all levels. A tutor will use a flexible approach, working on the most pressing tasks of the day during homework.
5) Sudden change in routine
Any type of significant change in a child's life can have an impact on their school career. Maybe there's been a recent move, or mom or dad's work schedule has changed and they have less time to help with homework. Or, what is happening is what we are currently experiencing, a pandemic, forcing students to adapt to a variety of changes such as remote learning, changes in assessment/grading, or even the cancellation of extracurricular activities. Tutoring can be a way to reintroduce consistency into a student's life by scheduling sessions on the same day and at the same time on a weekly basis.
You may notice that one or more of these circumstances apply to your child. So what now?
If your child needs tutoring, why not try to help your child achieve their academic goals, or meet their academic needs?
Today's families are very busy and it can be difficult to juggle multiple schedules. But modern tutoring is flexible! This can happen online for families who cannot accommodate a tutor at home.
Regardless of where the sessions take place, tutoring can have a significant impact on your child's academic and personal well-being.
Interested in trying tutoring? Check out Teach the Need and contact us to schedule sessions.