Tutoring is often seen as a tool for high schoolers or middle schoolers struggling in school or looking to prepare for standardized tests like the ACT and the SAT. However, tutoring for elementary school students is necessary too, especially if they are falling behind in class or exceeding expectations. Here are five reasons why.
1: Core concepts are learned in elementary school.
I am the person in my family who is often asked to help out a family friend with schoolwork or teach them math or science concepts. Every person I tutor is different, but I have noticed a recurring pattern: kids who struggle in middle school and high school often haven’t fully mastered basic concepts yet. By “mastered,” I mean that they haven’t fully internalized why and how the concept works; they have just memorized the material and regurgitated it when needed.
That sets them up poorly when they start diving into harder subjects that stem from the core concepts, but they ultimately don’t understand the connection. Tutoring in elementary sets up a strong foundation for success in middle school and high school.
2: Kids are learning harder material earlier.
These days, kids are tackling harder subjects earlier than generations ago. When they get to high school, some kids are even being pushed to take college level AP courses. If your elementary schooler is falling behind in class, it is not because they are dumb; instead, the accelerated pace may not suit the learning styles of late bloomers.
Compared to conventional classroom teaching, free tutoring with Minneapolis Student Tutoring is personalized to fit your child’s needs and learning styles. The range of tutors to choose from will allow your child to catch up and keep up with their peers.
3: Tutoring builds confidence.
Kids struggling in school may feel like they are dumb or the coursework is too hard for them.
I have personal experience with this, as I know someone in middle school who has given up on school except for the subjects they like, such as technology and art. She refuses to put effort into other subjects because she feels like she can’t do it. Now, it is very hard for them to get back on track, and I believe this wouldn’t have happened if she had received more attention in elementary school.
A skill that many people should strive to develop
When kids excel early, their confidence propels them to excellence in the future. Personalized tutoring can help them gain confidence from a young age.
4: Tutoring challenges gifted children.
On the other hand, your child may be under-stimulated in class, which is equally not good. An under-stimulating environment may not let your child explore their academic potential to its fullest. Be on the lookout if your child feels bored during class or approaches problem-solving different from other children. However, the biggest misconception is that gifted children always excel in school. Gifted children are simply children who learn and process information differently than most kids.
Once again, since tutoring is personalized, gifted children’s needs can be met, and that allows them to reach their full potential.
5: Tutoring builds social skills from a young age.
Learning from a tutor requires social skills. The face-to-face interaction (albeit online these days) teaches kids how to interact with people and build relationships. Kids learn to communicate their needs with the tutor and to work together. This leads to better relationships with their peers in and out of the classroom.
In addition, the pandemic has made many parents restrict social interaction, and tutoring may be a helpful way to let out built-up social energy.
Social interaction helps the understanding of other people’s emotions
Now what?
Due to the five reasons above, I would highly recommend tutoring for an elementary schooler whether they are falling behind in class or excelling and in need to be challenged.
If you are deciding to use our free online tutoring service, be sure to head to our sign up page. We have a variety of tutors to choose from, teaching a range of subjects like writing, reading, science, math, history, and standardized testing.
About the author:
Khoi Le is a sophomore at Wayzata High School and a math and science tutor for Minneapolis Student Tutoring. He takes college-level math courses at the University of Minnesota and has participated at the national level of Science Bowl. In his free time, he likes to collect a new stuffed animal at each new place he travels to.