What Makes Online Tutoring So Effective
Tutoring can open up a whole new world for you and your child. This is especially true if there are academic and self-confidence struggles at home.
Tutoring might be right for your child if they:
Are struggling in school
Are behind a grade level or more in a specific subject
Get frustrated easily
Are behind due to lack of school consistency
Need or crave more personalized attention
Need enrichment and extra challenges to stay engaged
Before we even get to online tutoring - let's first discuss the perks of having a tutor on your side in general!
Tutoring has the following benefits:
Individualized plans
The right tutor will align sessions with your child’s needs, interests, challenges, and curriculum. They will have a laid-out plan that fills gaps and words toward specific goals.
Assessment driven
Your tutor should start with quality assessments to identify gaps in foundational skills. These assessments will identify where learning is breaking down for your child. The tutor will monitor and adjust the learning plan according as time goes on.
1:1 targeted instruction
This is the magic, right here. I loved classroom teaching. Classroom teachers are experts in their field. They craft yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily plans to move a class towards learning goals. Part of that job is to differentiate instruction and target individual needs. But 25-50 minutes of targeted 1:1 instruction once, twice, or even three times a week? A classroom teacher cannot and will not achieve that sort of attention for any student.
When tutoring, we start RIGHT where your child is and move forward toward goals from there. We are not using a cookie-cutter program designed for a classroom of 20+ students. This sort of attention paves the way for MUCH faster progress.
Improved attitude towards learning
The right tutor is going to make your child FEEL GOOD about learning and design lessons that build on success. This increase in confidence during sessions will translate to greater success in class.
Learn without the social pressure of school
If your child is struggling, they may feel hesitant during classroom activities, and may “shut down” during discussions. The social pressure may have them over-thinking, overwhelmed, and under-performing. A good tutor will understand these needs and form a strong relationship. You child can then practice skills without the pressure. Once they build confidence, they will carry this into the classroom environment.
Improved social skills
Tutoring sessions are a great time to practice sustaining conversation and communicating frustration. This can be hard in the classroom. It's also a great time to practice receiving and responding to feedback.
Get help at home from a trained educator
Sometimes it's hard for a guardian to assist and more progress can be made with someone else acting as the coach! I’m mentioning this while wearing my mom hat, FYI ;)
Direct immediate feedback.
In a classroom, a teacher monitors an entire classroom of kids. There may not be an opportunity to give every child feedback during every lesson. In fact, there won’t be. And not the in-depth, needle-moving feedback that occurs throughout tutoring sessions.
Okay - so now you are thinking tutoring is the right path for you and your child. Why should you choose virtual or online tutoring?
Virtual Tutoring…
Eliminates travel time
Both parties expel excess energy and planning when driving to and from a session. Whether the tutor is driving to you, or you are driving to a tutor's home or center. We can allot more instructional time by eliminating this travel.
No geographical restraints
I can tutor your child no matter how far apart we live. This means you can look for a tutor that is the right fit for your needs. What’s more, if either party is traveling and would like to continue tutoring, we have the luxury of doing so!
Easy access to resources
One of the best things about virtual tutoring is that we have a world of resources and tools at our fingertips. As the tutor, I can pivot methods or materials at a moment's notice. This allows flexibility during our sessions. We use technology such as digital whiteboards, document cameras, online games, and programs (such as RAZ Kids). Google Documents/Slides allow us both to work in a document and collaborate .
Fun and engaging
Kids will always find technology very engaging. If you’ve had a bad experience with virtual instruction, I understand where you are coming from. But the ZOOM version of a standard, in-person learning curriculum differs dramatically from learning designed for a virtual experience. I’ve done both.
Germ free!
Sick siblings? Stomach bug in the house? Not a problem. We can keep learning. Obviously - if the tutor or student are sick, we pause our schedule.
Efficient resource sharing
Using iCloud systems such as GoogleDocs, you can easily access resources during and in between sessions. Keeping everything organized is a breeze.
Comfortable learning environment
A student needs to feel comfortable and safe to learn best. Virtual tutoring sessions mean a child can learn from a place in their home. They don’t need to adjust to a new environment, and they don’t have to worry about a new person coming into their territory. While these sound small, for students with any degree of anxiety, this is a huge factor.
Digital learning and technology practice
Inherent to virtual tutoring is access to and practice with a wide array of technology! Students will use technology throughout their school career and beyond. Tutoring online provides beneficial practice with these skills while also maintaining interaction.
For more information on how I can help your child with their specific needs and goals, book a FREE Initial Consultation here.
To learn more about setting up an optimal environment for your child’s learning at home, download my free guide here and visit this blog post.
