Let’s Talk About: DIY Parent Tutoring with Lindsey Casselman.
Did your child receive a less than stellar report card? It’s totally normal to feel stressed and worried about your child’s grades. As parents we want our children to be successful with their education but also to enjoy it. If your child’s report card isn’t reflecting how great they are, just remember that for two years now, the Covid-19 pandemic has turned the world upside down.
Due to two years of scrambled education and uncertainties your child’s education has likely suffered along with everything else. So, please try not to worry too much. In no time this slight setback will be handled, fixed up and your child will be right back on track.
Before you consider DIY Parent Tutoring, First ask yourself these questions:
Question 1: Do We Need a Tutor?
Tutors can be so expensive, and because of that fact it’s not always an available option for some. Whether hiring a private one-on-one tutor, or going through a learning centre, the costs can be almost as much as a car payment. This expense added to your monthly expenses can really break the bank. So, don’t worry, because Schoolio wants to bring some equality to the world of tutoring by making DIY parent tutoring a feasible option. Yes, that’s right! DIY mean you can Do-It-Yourself and tutor your own child!
Question 2: Am I Qualified to Tutor My Own Child?
Of course, you are! Firstly, there are absolutely no rules about qualifications needed to tutor. In fact, most private tutors and learning centres use university students as their tutors, which no teaching backgrounds.
Secondly, it’s really important to remember that you’ve been teaching your child since the day they were born. And you can teach them anything that you want them to know.
Thirdly, there are literally millions of parents that are successfully homeschooling children over the world. And, studies show that not only are these children getting a quality education, but it turns out the one-on-one time and the personal care of learning from a parent makes learning even easier for most children.
Question 3: Does DIY Parent Tutoring Work if I Suck at Math?
You don’t suck at math! No one does! Maybe you’ve just forgotten the things that you learned in school. That doesn’t mean that you’re terrible. If you graduated from Grade 8, then you know enough to teach your 8th grader, and certainly enough to teach any grade lower than that! Refreshing your memory and learning together with your child is a remarkable experience.
You have the opportunity to model to your child the skill of not getting frustrated, and instead persevering. Also you can model to them how to find the answers to their questions by finding solutions together as a team. You can ditch the school model of an all-knowing leader, lecturing information into an empty-vessel student.
Instead you can work as a team to learn and discover together. You’ll be so surprised at how quickly that grade eight math comes back to your memory after the refreshing experience of tutoring your child.
Question 4: How Do I Get Started?
Getting started is often the hardest part, but once you’re rolling with it, it will get easier and easier.
First, decide what type of tutoring you want to do: Most people will fall into one of two categories.
- I want to tutor my child in topics that interest them, to help re-ignite their love of learning while exercising their brains.
- I want to tutor my child in specific areas that they are struggling with in school to help them improve their understanding and bring up their grades.
Most home tutors are in category 2. So, if you’re in category one, you should check out the Schoolio Marketplace, where we have affordable mini units on all sorts of topics. There’s bound to be something there that will spark an interest in your learner. Check out the Schoolio Marketplace: https://schoolio.io/mini-units/
If you’re in category 2, the first thing you need to do is determine which subjects your child is struggling with the most. You probably already have a good idea, either from their report card or helping them with their homework. If you are still unsure, a really great place to start is to contact your child’s teacher and ask them!
Be sure to get specific:
If they’re struggling in Math, what area of Math are they struggling with? Math is most frequently broken into 4-5 strands, such as Numeracy, Algebra, Geometry, (often called Spatial Sense), Data Management and Probability, Money and Finance and even Coding. All of these areas of Math are often included in a lot of school math programs. (Note: Coding is often covered in Algebra.)
The same goes for Science. Is your child struggling in all areas of Science? Or just some? There will likely be Life Sciences, Chemistry, Each and Space Sciences and so on. When you’re talking to your child’s teacher, also find out what grade level they would recommend you start tutoring at. Some kids are working within their grade level, they just need a little extra practice to fully master the concepts.
While other kids can really benefit, especially after the turmoil of covid years, from going back a grade or two and building strong foundations in the concepts. Doing that before building to their current grade level. Remember, your child’s teacher should be able to guide and advise you with this.
Second, get a good program to help you be the best DIY Parent Tutor.
Most homeschoolers know that they key to a successful homeschool experience is finding the right tools and materials. Finding a good fit for your learner will go a long way. A home education program will be extremely beneficial in that is will easily help you tutor your child. Schoolio is one of the only education (homeschool) companies that offers a unitized system for purchasing curriculum.
This means if your child is great at Algebra, but struggling with Geometry, you can choose to purchase only Geometry. Then you won’t have to pay the cost of a full year program. Instead you can purchase the units of study that you need to help your child with the areas that they are struggling with the most.
