Online tutoring works!
This article contains tips and guidance to get the most out of the experience for you and your child.
In these weird and wonderful times we have all learned to adapt – and we have done so admirably and quickly. Meetings, theatre, chats with friend and nights ‘out’ have all migrated online successfully. It is the same for online tutoring.
From our experience over the past few weeks, we have seen that online tutoring works for the majority of children, even for those who are quite young. Therefore, we want to share some of the lessons we’ve learnt to help you get the most out of online tutoring in general.
- Most children take to online tutoring like ducks to water – and they are more focused! Maybe it’s because they have to zone in and focus entirely on what’s in front of them or perhaps the format makes the one-on-one tutorial even more intimate and supportive; whatever the case, it seems to work well!
- Children love operating the technology and they do so with youthful dexterity and aplomb. Most are more tech-savvy than us adults, which can feel hugely empowering for them!
- When taking part in group classes, virtual etiquette and punctuality is imperative. Test the links in advance, so you are good to go as soon as the lesson begins. This means your child gets the most out of their session and distractions – for them and their peers – are reduced.
- It’s better if parents observe from a distance, once the connection has been set up. You wouldn’t sit right next to your child in a one-on-one session with a tutor, so don’t start now!
- Try and keep background noise to a minimum. Again, if your child was having a tuition session in your house, you would provide a quiet and calm environment. This is needed for successful online tutoring too.
- Online classes – taught in small groups – have elicited new friendships. I have received emails from parents telling me their children are now friends with each other and are purposefully booking future lessons together – what a gloriously unexpected upside to the constraints of social distancing and self-isolation! If this is happening with us on a small scale, then this must be happening all over the world.
- A group discussion on Zoom (or similar) seems to get even the shyest student talking and offering their opinion – perhaps it is less intimidating than an actual classroom? We have certainly seen this happening in our 11+ Online School: children happily exchanging ideas and building confidence in their own opinions and developing key skills for the 11+ exams.
- Rope in grandparents and other family members for some online interactive reading tuition. We have already noticed the positive impact of parents spending focused time with their children actively reading/storytelling/listening to stories together etc. It is having a HUGE impact on comprehension and vocabulary…in just a few short weeks!
We hope that these tips have helped to reassure you that online tutoring can work very successfully.
Please feel free to contact us if you have questions or queries. We are always happy to help!
Stay safe and well,
Louise at EPP
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