A Tutor Beyond Reading and Math
Of course poor reading skills and low math scores are reasons a lot of parents seek a tutor for their children, but there are many other ways to benefit from the extra help. Reading and math may be the basis of all other subjects, but study skills, self-confidence, one to one learning, and advanced needs are also all solid reasons to seek help outside the traditional classroom.
A student who quietly completes his work satisfactorily may be academically solid,
but the ability to authentically apply that knowledge is an educational must for further studies. Post secondary colleges and universities are not about sitting at a desk and regurgitating information, they are about application of knowledge synthesis, taking what you know about a subject and about a situation and merging them together. Students with poor social skills or those lacking self-confidence, could certainly use the boost of a personal tutor to stir learning beyond the classroom setting.
Mainstreamed special needs students, which are those whose least restrictive environment is a regular classroom but whose learning styles may need the approach of a smaller setting are among the cliental who can most benefit from such services. Simply reiterating a typical day’s work in a one on one setting will give a huge advantage to such a learner, and though a school system is legally bound to provide special needs resources, a private tutor can often make a connection that the time constraints of school personnel will not allow.
Parents of struggling students are sometimes surprised that academic abilities are not the root cause of poor grades and/or performance. Organizational skills of youngsters, and even a rising number of adults, are lacking substantially. Private one to one help in areas such as note taking, technology application, time management, study skills, and even handwriting can rapidly turn around a student’s performance. Solid organizational skills give a boost of self-confidence as well, and education and confidence marry well to concoct certain success.
Of course there is nothing wrong with a little extra practice in any subject, and the help obtained from a skilled, qualified, concerned professional tutor can give an edge to these and many other types of students and learners. In some instances, the connection or lack of one between a teacher and a student may provide ample reason to seek temporary outside help. Regardless of the need, private tutoring is not a service that is attached to shame. Many types of learners, many different personalities, in short, everyone, can find a niche to benefit from tutoring resources. Education is power, so soak it up from all resources.
