Tutoring can encourage success, but it can encourage dependence also
So, your child is not doing too well in Maths. Or they’ve failed the last few English assignments. Or they complain that they aren’t as smart as their sibling, and you’re worried about their academic confidence.
You see ads for tutoring schools that guarantee academic success and happiness. The pictures of smiling students look so promising. Do you sign your child up to tutoring?
Tutoring is a huge industry in Australia. The growth rate of the international tuition industry is staggering, but completely understandable. Most parents want to give their child the best start in life to ensure they have every chance of success. And given the tutoring companies’ claims, it’s understandable some parents see it as an essential pitstop on their child’s academic journey to Success Town.
I don’t think that tutoring is an essential element of schooling. Nor do I think it is a terrible idea. But I think there are some important things to think about before you start enrolling your child in a tutoring school.
Do they ask questions in class? If your child is not asking for assistance, they’ll easily get left behind. Coach them how to ask questions assertively to get the help they need in class when perplexed.
Does the school offer similar assistance? Most schools are happy to help your child catch up. First, check if the school has a homework club or if the teacher is willing to spend some time with your child out of class. They might even have a recommendation of a tutoring program which has shown improvement in other students.
Be clear on the purpose of tutoring. The tuition should be designed to teach skills that the child lacks or is behind on. For example, sometimes they are still grasping the first idea when they are asked to move on to the second or third idea in class. Tutoring can help them gain ground and be ready for future learning.
Consider your child’s motivation. Good tutoring will be additional work for your child, including homework in-between tutoring sessions. Your child is going to have to be motivated or you are probably wasting your time and money.
The nature of tutoring. It’s critical that tutoring is teaching them skills and not simply doing the work for them. While it might involve looking at their homework, the tutor shouldn’t be doing it for them.
Tutoring should involve basic teaching to help children master skills. Trainers who have an education background and teaching talents will have obvious advantages over young adult university students, who might not know how to coach and teach.
Tutoring should have an end date. A good tutoring company should have a tailored program — but it should not be endless. It would be a worrying sign if the tutoring school expected that they would accompany your child throughout their schooling. This won’t prepare children for the years beyond school when they are not getting weekly assistance.
Don’t use tutoring for scholarship places. The evidence isn’t great for the benefits of tutoring to ace exams or get a particular placement. Research in teens showed that their exams results weren’t significantly better than the non-tutored students.
In addition, they might do better in the test, but then be in a class that is above their ability. That’s not going to do good things for their confidence, as they’re likely to experience the typical academic struggles of being out of their league.
There’s a lot of money in the business of alleviating parent fears. Tutoring can be beneficial — but make sure that you are cautious. It needs to be genuinely building skill in your child and not simply increasing their over-reliance on other people’s ongoing assistance.
Takeaway for parents
Are they ready for tutoring?
· Don’t automatically employ tutoring when your child isn’t doing well in a subject or recent essay or exam.
· Check with their teacher first to see what’s happening. You might find that there are other areas of opportunity, such as your child’s motivation or effort.
· Talk to your child about the commitment to tutoring and whether they see it as worthwhile.
· Keep assessing the benefits of tutoring on their confidence and skill.
· You might want them to contribute to tutoring costs by doing extra chores, to confirm they are motivated enough to make it beneficial.
