Now the May half term and Queen’s Platinum Jubilee are out of the way, kids all over the UK are returning to school for the last part of the academic year. GCSE’s and A Levels are well underway, end of year exams will soon be taking place and teachers are preparing to host their final parents’ evenings. Our current Year 6 pupils will be getting ready for their transition days into secondary school and younger children will be preparing to meet their new teachers.
Without doubt, it is an exciting time of year; the countdown to the long summer break is well underway and with it comes an understandable air of excitement and giddiness. That six-week break means different things to different people; long days spent in the garden, day trips to local attractions, visiting distant friends and family or, for the lucky ones, a trip to far flung destinations.
One theme that is pretty common is the idea of rest and relaxation. We all know the school year can be draining, especially the further you move along through your education journey. Taking time out to recharge, enjoy yourself, make memories and embrace social connections is vitally important. However, there is a danger when it comes to resting too much.
Six weeks is a long time for any student, regardless of age or ability, to take off from education. What might have felt like ingrained information during July can quickly become something they’ve entirely forgotten by the time the first week of September rolls around. The old adage, “use it or lose it”, really does apply when it comes to academic knowledge, especially for younger pupils.
This is precisely why many teachers find themselves spending the first few weeks of the new academic year “reteaching” old topics, in the hopes of getting students back up to speed again. A significant amount of effort also has to be put into getting students back into the habit of concentrating for the length of a lesson, and switching their minds back on, so to speak.
Regularly accessing the support of an online tutor during the summer holidays can ensure your child is frequently being challenged and mentally stimulated. Lessons don’t need to take over your days, even just a one-hour lesson once a week would go a long way to keeping them focused, and therefore better prepared for the new school year.
All of us benefit from having some structure to our time. The occasional day of winging it and doing next to nothing is fine, but six weeks of getting up at noon, eating breakfast at 1pm and spending all day on the computer isn’t going to do any good.
Yes, it’s tempting to embrace lie ins whilst you can, but taking it too far will mean returning to the structure of the school day will be significantly harder to adapt to when the time comes. Six weeks is a long time, but it also flies by, and that 7am alarm will be ringing before you know it. Helping your child prepare for this will serve you in good stead for that first week back.
Arranging for regular online tutoring sessions throughout the summer holidays for your child is a great way to provide an element of focus to your summer weeks. The benefit of online lessons is they can be set up at any time, depending on what you agree with the tutor. A session right after breakfast may be the right option for your child, who is at their best concentration-wise in the morning. Alternatively, you may find an evening session works better if you’ve got busy days planned with trips and family time.
Arguably, the modern-day classroom is not the most conducive environment when it comes to learning. There are numerous distractions, and with larger classes, differences in student ability can become more pronounced. With limited time to go over old ground, or really dig deeper into tailored explanations, some children can be left behind.
There is no doubt that work can be caught up; however, children who feel they are struggling often report lower self-esteem and confidence in their own abilities. In turn, this has an impact on how well they believe they can do and as a result, are less inclined to try when work feels harder for them than their peers.
Enlisting the expert support of a maths and science tutor during the summer holidays can help your child to bridge this gap in their own learning, thus better preparing them for the new start in September. A personal tutor will be able to look at the specific areas your child is struggling in, whether that be maths, further maths or science, and tailor lessons and homework to suit their needs.
This one-to-one support, which can be accessed at times that are convenient for you as a family, or take into account your child’s own learning style and preferences, will do wonders for boosting their confidence. Realising they are able to get their heads around topics and concepts that have eluded them in class will make them feel proud of their achievements.
They will also know they are going back to class at the same level as their peers, if not slightly ahead because of their additional tutoring online. As a result, much of the back to school anxiety many students experience will be alleviated – they are confident in their abilities and have nothing to fear about what the new academic year has to offer.
Many students welcome the idea of getting ahead when it comes to their academic studies – ensuring they already have a strong foundation of knowledge to continue building upon when it comes to their next year of study.
This is especially true, and an exceptionally good idea for students who are transitioning from GCSE studies to A Levels. The jump in terms of academic rigour, expectations, speed of study and volume of work can be startling at first. Reviewing existing knowledge and starting to understand, with the help of an online tutor, how to apply that knowledge at a higher level will stand students in good stead to excel throughout their next year in education.
Whether your child loves or hates science at school, an online chemistry tutor, an online physics tutor or an online biology tutor can benefit them and can help them to be confident in all aspects of science. They can access lessons regardless of their timetable, their ability to travel, and regardless of the tutor’s location as well. You are not forced to work with the most geographically local tutor, who only has availability at 4pm on a Thursday; for example, and who may not be the most suitable tutor for you. Instead, you can have your pick of tutors and qualified teachers, or even examiners throughout the UK to ensure you find the right tutor for your child’s needs.
Use our handy search tool to find the perfect tutor for your child’s needs now. Alternatively, get in touch with a member of our expert team by email (info@tutorspot.co.uk) or by calling 01509 265623.
