What is the right tuition for my child?
This is a very good question but the answer depends on lots of different things. Let’s first talk about what types of tuition there are:
- Face-to-face, one-on-one tuition
- Computer based / self-paced tuition
- Face-to-face, shared tuition
- A combination of two or more of the above
The only one from the list above that we don’t do solely is 2. Computer based / self-paced tuition. Whilst we are happy for students to use computer based tools or workbooks as part of their learning process, we don’t think they can replace the teaching process completely. Why? Because one of the key things we see from students who struggle is that they often have limited attention span (partly because the work is simply too hard) and therefore do not have the discipline to do computer based tuition without someone in the background to keep them focussed. Additionally, there will always be questions and without someone to ask, they will continue to have gaps. If, however, your student needs extension, then a subscription to a really good online program (Maths Online, Mathletics, Reading Eggspress, etc.) and a gentle prod from Mum and Dad to be disciplined may be all that is necessary.
Students who are disciplined and happy to work on their own will benefit from the homework club / shared tuition service. Students who are struggling and/or can’t focus very well, will benefit from one-on-one tuition.
OK – So I understand that. How do I know what to get the tutor/s to work on?
At The Lime Zone we rely on formal assessment completed by the school. Schools do that really well and it is our experience that most parents who seek tuition, have a pretty good understanding of what areas the tutor needs to focus on. When a parent doesn’t know, we get them to either talk to the classroom teacher/s or get the classroom teacher/s to communicate directly with us. Showing us comments from the teacher, report cards, completed homework that shows errors, ICAS competition results, NAPLAN results, etc. all helps us build a picture of a student’s strengths and weaknesses. Often, tuition comes down to three main areas:
- Help the student with homework,
- Help the student in areas of weakness (which are identified as explained above), or
- Work with students in both areas: homework and areas of weakness.
Once a tutor begins working with a student, it really doesn’t take us long to figure out areas of need.
What can you do to help my child that I can’t do myself?
The single biggest reason parents outsource tuition is so that their child is not being helped by a family member. It is pretty normal for children to argue with their parents. Even my own children do that to me. This simply comes down to the psychology of relationships. An external tutor has a less familiar relationship with a student and so is more likely to keep their focus, discipline and respect.
How much tuition will I need for my child?
That’s a hard question and best answered by giving you some scenarios. Most of our one-on-one customers come for one hour a week but we do have some students who do two hours and some three hours. Most of our homework club customers come for one session but some come to several sessions. Some students even do a bit of both. It all gets down to your expectations, how much help individual students need and your budget.
For an average or above average student who ‘wants’ to come to tuition, we find one hour or one homework club session a week is fine. For a student who is definitely struggling, more than one hour is necessary but once again, it can be made up from a combination of services.
What is your aim for each student at The Lime Zone?
Our aim is to see student’s improve. If they are getting a C, we want to see them getting a B or better. If they are getting a B, we want to see them jump to an A. We also want to see their confidence increase. Half the battle is building their confidence.
Can you prepare a learning plan?
If you feel you need a more structured and disciplined approach to the learning, we can work out a formal learning plan which the tutor/s can follow. There is a cost to this so discuss it with Michelle.
