Signs a Child Needs Private Tuition
Signs a Child Needs Private Tuition
There are many concerns parents face with every school year opening. Even during the middle of the year, parents still have different responsibilities to meet with regards to their children’s school activities. One of the most prominent concern is checking on their children’s academic progress. After the first report card comes to them, concerns about whether they should engage in a home tutor are pretty common. But how do you know when your child is in need of private tuition?
It’s easy to tell that your child needs a home tutor after seeing the low grades in their report cards, but that shouldn’t be reason alone. Remember that there are other factors that affect a student’s learning. It can be their peers’ influence, their after-school activities, or even their teachers.
In this article, we’re going to talk about the right reasons and signs to tell if your child needs private tuition.
1. Grades are beginning to drop
This is the most obvious sign you should look out for. If you notice a gradual or drastic deterioration in your child’s grades, there is a problem.
The problem isn’t necessarily in the child in general. There are many factors that affect a decline in grades. A “C” every now and then is fine and acceptable but when report cards consistently show them, then it becomes a serious concern.
The best thing to do when this happens is to talk to the student’s teacher. The teacher will most likely keep records of quizzes, homework, projects, and exams of the student. Some teachers are prohibited to show these records to you without the student’s consent but there are others also willing to do so.
By seeing and talking with the teacher, you can discuss with them which areas the student is having difficulties in and what measures you can do to help them improve.
Remember that reasons for low grades vary from different underlying factors. If the change is grades is relative with a change of behavior, maybe you can look at the student’s environment in school as well.
If there is nothing the school can actively do, getting a private tutor may be a good idea. It will help if you speak with the private tutor also as soon as possible to help the student catch up before the next report card comes out.
2. Bad time management and slacking off
Try to remember how many times have you seen your child do his/her homework versus the number of times you have seen him/her on his/her phone. If the number of hours spent on leisure and after-school activities are more and it affects his/her time for homework, then your child may also have a problem in time managing.
Students often engage in extra-curricular activities. If your child is involved with more extra-curricular activities, their time for academics will be divided. It’s always a good idea to talk to them thoroughly about time management. Some students like to think big, overestimating themselves and thinking they can do all the activities and still have time for academics.
This might be the case for some but not for others. It will not only take a toll for them physically, but also with their studies. Time management is extremely difficult, especially for students who are just developing.
If your child has trouble keeping up with their studies and their extra-curricular activities, then it’s best to hire a home tutor for them. Home tutoring sessions last at roughly one and a half hour. Tutors organize their lesson to maximize learning during that time. They are also generally good at time management and will help the students learn and work accurately and efficiently.
Who knows? Maybe your child will also learn this skill from their home tutor.
3. Failing Subjects and Loss of Motivation
A student doesn’t learn the same as others. Some students may be good with languages but horrible in Math. Some excel in Science but can’t figure out notes and kinesthetic requirements. It’s pretty common for students to be good at something but needs improvement in others.
Sometimes, students will develop a dislike for the subjects they find difficult. This isn’t good for the student as they will loss interest in the subject over time and will probably not be involved in discussions. Because of this, they will have lower scores and grades on that subject.
Some students also lack the motivation to learn just because they are not comfortable with their classmates. Some may shy away from asking questions when they don’t understand something in the lesson discussed. Again, this is not beneficial for them.
If your child is constantly failing at certain subjects and exhibit disinterest in them, it’s best to ask them what they find deficient in the subject. A student may not open up immediately but when they do, parents can provide help for them.
By engaging in a home tutor that specializes in a field/subject that the student is struggling in, they will have a more personalized and concentrated approach of teaching the subject and its difficult topics. As such, home tutors can clarify and answer the questions they might be too afraid to ask in class.
A good home tutor has an extensive and amazing set of resources that they can use in teaching students of different learning backgrounds. By doing so, the student will understand difficult concepts quickly and will hopefully renew their interest in the subject.
4. Lacks confidence
This relates to all the other reasons and is more of a result of them combined. A child who is constantly struggling with his/her grades, bad at time management, and lacks motivation and interest in the subject will most likely lack confidence also.
Their self-esteem will plummet when they become aware and understand that they are lagging behind their classmates. Sometimes even, your child may actually have understood the lesson in school, they are just afraid of using their learning in fear of getting something wrong.
It’s natural for students to be terrified with learning something new but that’s the good thing about learning – it never stops. Home tutors will be great in helping students understand this.
Students shouldn’t be discouraged if they can’t keep up. By engaging in a home tutor and with the parents’ support, you will help your child regain their confidence in their abilities and strengths.
5. Parents feel challenged
There is also the factor that even parents are challenged as well. With education constantly evolving and developing, new concepts may rise that parents will not be familiar with. This will become a challenge for both the child and the parent now.
Since parents are not familiar with these new concepts, hiring a good home tutor may help elevate this problem. Most home tutors keep up with the latest curriculum and syllabus as well as teaching styles and techniques.
Some parents may reason this as a temporary measure but the results are the same – it benefits the student.
6. Complaints with the teachers
The problem may not be in the child but also their teachers. There are many teachers in a school and not all of them are good teachers. Some teachers are good at teaching a certain set of students, while not effective with another.
Some teachers may also not show positive attitude towards students. This can bother a student’s learning and make it a hindrance for them to create or regain any level of interest in the subject. Some schools will not take certain measures for one child alone. In this case, hiring a home tutor may benefit your child.
7. May show signs of learning disability
It may be a tough call to make for parents but you should also consider if the child is showing any signs of a learning disability. When a child is struggling with school and teachers have a hard time getting their attention during discussions, consider the possibility. Common learning disabilities are dyslexia, ADD, and ADHD.
There are many forms of treatment for learning disorders but the first and probably hardest is considering the possibility that they may have it. If a child constantly shows signs of a learning disability, it’s best to make an appointment with a specialist and a proper diagnosis.
The sooner the disability is diagnosed and prescribed the proper treatment, the better for your child. With this, you should also look into engaging a home tutor that specializes in students with learning disabilities, as 1-to-1 tuition is best for children with learning disabilities.
Conclusion
A student will struggle in school from time to time. It’s common and there are several measures parents can take to help their children during a slump. With that, hiring a home tutor may be a good idea to help the student get past their struggles and develop.
If you’re interested in hiring a home tutor for your child, visit us at FamilyTutor, the best home tuition in Singapore. We offer over 200 subjects for students ranging from primary level to even university level. We have home tutors in 28 districts in Singapore and over 8,000 families have been satisfied with our service.
We match our home tutors based on your child’s needs so you can rest assured that the lessons are personalized. Our home tutors also follow the MOE syllabus and come in three categories. In FamilyTutor, we only want the best for your sons and daughters!
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Carelle
Carelle is a teacher who has been through the ups and downs of the teacher and learner life. She wishes for every learner to gain educational satisfaction that will help embody the people they want to be in the future.
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About FamilyTutor!
FamilyTutor is an established home tuition agency in Singapore! We match suitable home tutors for our clients not just to improve the students' academic grades, but also to build a strong rapport and meaningful relationship with the students and even the their whole family. FamilyTutor put every student in good hands!
If you need an excellent home tutor, feel free to call/WhatsApp us at +65 8777-2168! Our matching service is free!
