10 Tips on Tutoring Your Children Yourself at Home

Talking and reading to children right from their infancy can lay a strong foundation for effective speaking, writing, and reading skills. As a parent, it is your responsibility to inculcate the value of learning and regular studying in kids. One of the ways to help your kid learn is by home tutoring him which may become an opportunity not only for fun and interesting learning but also a chance to bond with him. Individual teaching which involves one-on-one conversation can turn out to be a productive addition to a  child’s life and he might even look forward to it.

Should Your Tutor Your Child at Home?

Teaching a child at home is more of a personal preference. If you have decided to teach your child at home, there are certain points of consideration that you must keep in mind. These factors include your ability and availability, your kid’s personality and your rapport with him, your budget and inclination. Ask yourself if you possess the personal expertise and experience to teach any subjects. For example, you may be well read and hold a lot of knowledge, but if you lack the skill to teach and impart that learning, it may be difficult for your child.

Furthermore, you need to be committed to dedicating regular time for academic coaching and establishing the discipline for its successful implementation. You may opt for daily tutoring sessions or a couple of lengthy teaching sessions per week. If you tend to get impatient quickly with your kid while discussing things or during homework time, tutoring him yourself may not be a great idea as it can harm your relationship with your kid in the long run.

A child’s personality is another crucial aspect. Some children benefit well from the extra and undivided attention they receive while being home tutored. It may infuse them with the necessary confidence and learning which can facilitate their academic success.

How to Tutor Your Child at Home

It is vital that home tutoring your own child should be a positive experience in all. Most parents may ask if they can home tutor their child. The answer is yes, you can. Some useful tips that you may like to bear in mind are:

1. Discover Your Kid’s Learning Style

Your child may have a particular learning style which can be guided by intelligence like linguistic, intrapersonal, interpersonal, logical-mathematical and so on. At times a child may favour many learning styles instead of merely one. Finding out how your kid likes to process information can help you use your tutoring sessions to maximum effect. For example, an active learner may prefer learning by solving practical problems than investing his time in reading instructions and theory.

2. Ensure the Right Learning Environment

Provide a conducive and suitable setting which is free of distractions so that your child benefits from home tutoring. Designate a place for studying and consider aspects like comfortable furniture, proper lighting, room temperature, and so on.

3. Create a Study Idea

You can meet your kid’s teachers and consult them about the syllabus. You can also browse online and check out educational sites to collect necessary information about what your kid ought to be learning at every stage. Then formulate a study plan based on the collected data. You can design the study schedule for a term or the whole year.

4. Invest in Good Supplies

Stock up on popular and reliable books that you think will help your child learn and develop. Build up a learning bank of tried and tested reading materials written by experienced and renowned educators. You can either purchase the entire set or refer a library. You can also take help from online bookshops, interactive websites, or free e-books.

5. Focus on Making Him Understand Concepts

Pay attention to the construction of concepts which can help simplify complex mathematical principles and scientific laws for your kid. Your child will hugely benefit from early concept development through various learning tools like visual or verbal. You can provide opportunities wherein your child gets to explore the physical world actively which can facilitate his intellectual development. Arrange for a trip to a museum or a theatre or take the class outside on a pleasant day.

6. Give Feedback

Give your child regular feedback to help him stay on track. Appreciate your child because positive reinforcement helps a child a lot. Praising your child will keep him motivated to perform his best and give great results consistently. You can also give exact and detailed praise instantly when you feel he has mastered something difficult instead of saying something generic at the end of a study session.

7. Be Patient

Tutoring your child at home can be quite a challenging task. It requires discipline and lots of patience at your end. The moment you feel you are losing your patience while teaching your child, take a break from teaching rather than allowing your kid to see your annoyance. He may misconstrue it and hold himself responsible which can demotivate him.

8. Share the Burden

In case you are a working woman, it will be hard for you to make time to teach your child. You can rope in the help of your partner or an older sibling to share the responsibility. Each family member can take up a specific subject. You can turn tutoring sessions into fun and healthy competition to determine who makes the maximum progress.

9. Consider Your Child’s Interests

Try and associate learning with interesting activities and fun methods to maintain your kid’s interest and concentration. For example, if your child is fond of marbles or cars, you can use them to teach counting, simple addition, and subtraction. Pay attention to your likes and dislikes to discover his interests so that you may use them as to teach him something new.

10. Stay Positive

Do not discourage your child while teaching him. Instead be a motivator and encourager. Give positive affirmations when tutoring your child. Refrain from making the sessions a dreaded affair by taking on too stern a disposition.

As parents, you may like to look past the necessity to deal with academic needs or the urgency to prepare for exams while tutoring your child. The goal of home tutoring should be to prepare the child not just academically but also for life’s trials. Try and tune in to your kid’s needs to generate the greatest response.

Also Read: What is Homeschooling and No-schooling?