Telltale Signs Your Child Needs a Tuition Teacher

A good number of primary school students are seeking help from tuition teachers for their studies. These days, it would be uncommon for top students not to have a helping hand in order to keep up with the increasing difficulty of the primary school syllabus. For instance, the PSLE standard for Primary Maths is getting tougher each year, with even teachers scratching their heads over some of the problems. You may be wondering if it is time to get in touch with a tuition teacher for your child. Well, here are some observations that may mean that your child requires tuition.

Your Child is Having Difficulties with Homework

Teachers often assign homework to help students practise what they have learned in class. If a student has been keeping up with their classes without problems, they should also be able to complete their homework most of the time without requiring help. However, if your child frequently asks for homework help or does not know how to do most of the questions, this is usually a sign that they are having difficulties keeping up to speed with the topics that are being taught in class. Since primary school class sizes typically range from 30 to 40 students, teachers usually cannot afford to slow down for a select few.

Your Child is Scoring Poorly in Tests

Tuition classes ideally start in conjunction with the beginning of the school year, as students will have more hours of practice and the tuition teacher can clear up any doubts before moving on to the next topic. Unfortunately, some students only realise too late that they have difficulties with their schoolwork, such as when they receive a poor grade on a test. Even if it may be disheartening, getting a low score is not the end of the world. Your child may have missed out on the added benefit of attending tuition classes for the first part of the year, but it is never too late to seek help for their studies. A good tuition teacher will be able to work with your child to iron out any pitfalls and misconceptions. Addressing outstanding problem is a huge step towards achieving a better score.

Your Child Runs Out of Time during Exams

While exam papers can be gruelling, they are crafted to be completed within the stipulated time frame, if assuming students are familiar enough with the question types and answering techniques. If your child is frequently running out of time to finish their exam paper, this may be an indicator that they lack familiarity with some of the concepts or techniques. One can practise with any amount of assessment books and papers, but sometimes, it takes a good tuition teacher to suggest easy techniques that students can use to answer their test questions more efficiently. The more your child practices with the new methods they are taught, the more familiar they will be with common question types likely to come out in the exams, and the faster they will be able to answer each question. Once your child has mastered the art of working through test papers, they will be surprised how easy it is to finish everything within the time limit – with extra time for checking!

Your Child is a Precocious Learner

Since parents often associate tuition classes with catching up on the school syllabus, this may come as a surprise. However, if your child is ahead of their peers and has been breezing through their schoolwork, it may be a good idea to sign them up for some enrichment classes to promote further mental stimulation. Unlike tuition for revision, enrichment programmes are aimed at stretching your child’s mental capacity and inspiring them to realise their full potential. Students will also be provided with opportunities in school to use this extra knowledge, such as in the Gifted Education Programme, Maths and Science Olympiads, spelling bees, and other special competitions. Moreover, allowing your child to keep on learning beyond the classroom teaches them that there is always room for improvement and encourages them to continually better themselves.