How To Prepare For the First Tutoring Session
Benjamin Franklin once said that investing in knowledge will pay the best interest! As a premier tutoring center in the Los Angeles area, we wholeheartedly believe in the power of learning and the success of your student. However, we are also aware that the tutoring service you choose will need to yield results. Needless to say, whether you enroll your student at a tutoring center or hire a private tutor, being well-prepared is always a recipe for success. Are you wondering what steps you can take to make that first session as seamless as possible? At Synergy Academics, we’ve compiled some of the key benefits of tutoring services and how to get the most from a supplementary learning experience for your child.
How Tutoring Impacts Academic Performance
Let’s start with the fact that despite any student’s grade level or understanding, tutoring is important to their overall academic success. Current studies state that students are referred to tutoring services by faculty 80% of the time, and students who receive tutoring have a success rate 7 percent higher than students who forego the option.
Tutoring can undoubtedly be very helpful and have a positive effect on a students’ overall academic performance. The goal of any extra educational services is to offer additional and detailed coaching on everything that is taught in school, which only improves a student’s understanding of a particular subject. Tutoring will also give a student individualized attention, which they may not necessarily receive in a crowded classroom.
Whether your student would like to improve their current grades or get ahead, here are some key benefits to enlisting your child in tutoring services:
Individual Learning Experience
A student will get an individual and unique learning experience, which she or he cannot get in the setting of a classroom. Tutors specialize in particular activities and lessons–all for the benefit of addressing a student’s struggling subject area and learning style.
Improves Academic Performance
Tutors will prepare students for important exams and tests by working on specific problem areas via targeted exercises for practice and Socratic method. Due to this approach, a student’s grades will not only improve under the guidance of a private tutor, but also the student’s overall understanding and grasp of specific concepts.
Self-Directed And Self-Paced Learning
With specialized tutoring services, students can learn to take care of her and his school work in a timely manner. Furthermore, a good tutor can always motivate the student to learn and manage a learning exercise on their own by means of guided questions.
Improved Attitude Towards School And Learning
A good tutor will always make sure that the learning process never seems dull or boring to a student. When a tutor makes concepts and learning relatable to a student’s particular interests, the student’s perception about school and learning will switch from frustration to interest.
Improved Confidence And Self-Esteem
The confidence and self-esteem of a student will improve through proper tutoring. With the right guidance when it comes to their skills and resources, a student will feel confident about his or her knowledge in a particular subject, which will improve his/her self-confidence and self-esteem greatly.
Also read: HELPING YOUR CHILD COPE WITH STRESS
Positive Study Environment
On top of all the of the long-term benefits, proper tutoring will also provide an instant solutions by means of providing an environment free of any distractions. This will ensure that a student’s distraction level remains low and his or her focus stays on the subject at hand.
Improved Study Habits
When a tutor helps a student understand a subject better, he or she will have more time to devote to all the rest of their areas of study, which will make studying more varied and enjoyable and improve overall learning habits.
Increased Responsibility And Independence
With the right guidance at first, a student will develop the ability to complete his or her schoolwork without constant help. A savvy tutor will not only give a student the tools to succeed in a particular class or module, they will also help hone a student’s ability to be a proactive learner. Thus, your student will understand the importance of the learning process and simultaneously take responsibility for his/her studies.
Teaches Students How To Ask The Right Questions
Imagine a student who is not confident enough to understand the subject and too hesitant to ask questions in a classroom. A trained tutor can help the student to understand the subject and gain enough confidence to ask the right question without being too self-conscious.
Overcoming Learning Obstacles
A tutor will work closely with a student to identify where he or she is behind and work on these obstacles and goals accordingly. The issue could be simple or complex–it could be a problem with reading comprehension, phonemic awareness, academic writing, or even mathematics. Whether your student struggles with just a single concept or a foundation of understanding, tutoring will help address these issues for long-term results and success.
Improved Behavioral And Social Skills
When a student has adequate knowledge of a particular subject or subjects, he or she will gain confidence, which will improve overall communication skills and contribute to personality development. With increased confidence, a student will emerge from tutoring services with better social and behavior skills inside and outside the classroom.
Challenges The Student To Be Better
The right tutoring center or service will help under-stimulated and bored students reach their true potential. When students realize how capable they are and how interesting and fulfilling their studies can be, they will naturally try and push their limits and do better.
Prepares High School Students For College
When a student is preparing for the transition from high school to college, he or she will need to know how to manage, develop, and create study plans. With the guidance of a tutor, your high school student will not only ace their entrance and standardized tests–he or she will also develop advanced skills for superior time management and self-guided studying.
After looking at all the benefits tutoring can provide your student and signing them up, it’s time to start thinking about the first session. However, before we start, It’s important for students and parents to understand that tutoring is not something to be ashamed of–tutoring does not mean your student isn’t smart enough. Tutoring simply refers to spending additional time after school to make the learning process easier, more efficient, and more enjoyable.
According to the American Educational Research Journal, a high-quality tutoring service can help achieve good results across all subjects.
For Parents: Preparing For The First Tutoring Session
Set Clear expectations: When you clearly express what you expect from the tutor and your student, they will understand the importance and objective of all tutoring sessions, which will lead to a clear action plan. You can set the goals and discuss the level of learning with the tutor–it can be more advanced than the student’s existing level, or if the student requires a more personalized approach, then the tutor can tailor the teaching style accordingly.
Explain The Need For A Tutor: As mentioned earlier, many consider tutoring as something reserved for students who aren’t “bright.” Parents should encourage the idea of tutoring to their student(s), so that he or she can be more receptive to the idea, which will create a positive outlook from the get-go.
Prepare A Learning Space: Make the entire tutoring experience exciting and interesting. Parents should encourage the student to be more open with the idea of having a tutor. They should also make sure that they provide a space that is quiet with zero distractions. Also, be sure to ask the tutor what your student ought to bring before the tutor shows up–this could be particular supplies, past exams, the syllabus, or any other related material.
The Student’s Responsibilities
Be Clear About Difficult Subject Areas And Lessons: As a student, let your tutor know what you struggle with the most: a fast-paced learning process, an understanding of a particular subject, a language barrier, or even just communication. This type of honesty will only help the tutor have a clearer idea about how to help you perform better in school/
Let The Tutor Get To Know Them: Similarly, students ought to communicate with their tutor just in the hopes of allowing the tutor to get to know them better. If a student has an idea or dream, they should share what they imagine doing with their lives after high school and/or college. They should also be able to share their opinions on certain subjects or their current difficulties openly. Breaking the ice is very important.
Organize School Materials: Students ought to be as prepared as he or she can be. A student should first understand why the tutoring session is happening in the first place and how he or she will benefit from extra help. Basic things like textbooks, books, and copies should be kept and organized before the tutor even shows up, so the session can run smoothly and remain as productive as possible.
Wrapping it up!
Remember, tutoring will involve teamwork among all parties involved: the tutor, the student, and the parent(s). With well-planned objectives, advance preparation, and effective communication the first tutoring session will certainly start on a high note and lead to even higher academic success.
Do you have additional questions about how to prepare for an initial tutoring session? If you’d like to know more about our comprehensive K-12 tutoring services, call Synergy Academics today at (818) 888-8665!
