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Is Tutoring Right For Your Child?
Early Warning Indicators
For many parents, the decision to have their child tutored is precipitated by a
teacher conference or a report card. Poor grades or problems in the classroom
are certainly indicators that a child is struggling academically, but there are
often more subtle signs that parents can detect. And, in education, as in
healthcare, intervention at the first sign of trouble can prevent a deeper
crisis. For many children, problems with academic performance may have less to
do with learning disabilities than with gaps in the process of building
academic skills.
Particularly in the areas of reading and math, skill acquisition and retention
is based on a sequential skill building process. Gaps in this process, for
whatever reason they may occur, can impede mastery of those skills.
Unfortunately, once these "skill gaps" manifest themselves in the classroom,
parents cannot always be sure they will be alerted. According to Chad Schwartz,
vice president of Tutoring Club, classroom teachers may be hesitant to call
attention to performance problems. "Schools are understandably concerned about
being held liable for calling attention to a skill deficit if they don't have
the resources to solve it -- and recommending tutoring is in essence an
admission that they can't adequately meet a child's needs."
While schools may respond by recommending a specialized curriculum, the problem
may have less to do with "what" a child is taught, and his or her basic
abilities, and more to do with "how" a child is taught. Through individualized
instruction, customized lesson plans that attack specific areas of weakness
with skill building exercises, and constant measurement of progress, tutoring
programs can help children become more effective learners - and more confident
students.
Based on the experience of Tutoring Club centers throughout the U.S., there are
a number of indicators that tutoring may be beneficial to a child. According to
Mr. Schwartz, the following are the most common signs that parents should be
aware of:
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Lack of motivation. When a child seems unwilling to try, it is a clear sign
that the assigned tasks are either too difficult, or that the requisite skills
to accomplish them are lacking.
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Homework frustrations. "If parents have to constantly help a child complete his
or her homework, or if that child experiences continual frustration, there's a
problem," notes Schwartz. While it is natural for parents to want to minimize
their child's frustration, getting into the habit of helping a child complete
his or her homework rather than identifying the cause of the frustration and
strengthening the learning skills will not help a child become a successful
learner.
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Inappropriate classroom behavior. Children who "act up" in class or are
constantly seeking help from other students may be having deeper problems than
being "troublesome" or "lazy". These behaviors may be masking gaps in academic
skill building.
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Weak math skills. Contrary to the belief of some parents, there is no "math
gene." Success in math is based largely upon mastery of basic skills - and the
critical period for establishing this foundation is between 1st and 8th grade.
If a child falls behind during this period, his or her ability to grasp high
school algebra is very problematic. One critical pre-algebra skill that can
cause major problems is fractions.
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Inability to read at grade level. "The foundation for reading skills is laid
down from kindergarten to 3rd grade," notes Schwartz. "If that foundation is
shaky, it can affect virtually every other learning skill that children need to
acquire."
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SAT preparedness. High school students need to look at the SAT as not just a
test, but as a benchmark of their fundamental learning skills. For this reason,
parents should view SAT readiness as a critical indicator of their child's
academic foundation. Preparing for the SAT test is not just important in terms
of the resulting scores, but as a means of identifying and strengthening
problem learning areas. "The problem with most SAT classes is that they take a
stop-gap approach by teaching 'test taking' skills, rather than focusing on the
skills being tested," says Schwartz.
While tutoring is an effective means of addressing all of the above, it has an
additional underlying value: it sets an expectation for success. "When parents
invest in tutoring, they are sending some very important messages to their
child," notes Schwartz. "First and foremost, they are telling their child that
learning is a priority, and that they are committed to their child's success.
They are also demonstrating that learning is a process, not just an outcome.
When children learn to master that process, which is what an effective tutoring
program should accomplish, they gain a sense of competence and confidence that
is ultimately more important than the grade level at which they are reading by
the time their tutoring program is complete."
Chad Schwartz
Tutoring Club
(702) 588-5288
cschwartz@tutoringclub.com
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