I remember when my third child, diagnosed with dyslexia, was denied supplemental reading support as a first grader. His teacher told us that he was “within his grade and age range for reading skills.” He could not read at all, he couldn’t do homework assignments, he couldn’t decipher directions on those homework assignments, so it was baffling to us to be told that he didn’t need supplemental support.
This was the first time we invested in a tutor. And it was the best investment we could have made at that time to help empower our third child with the tools he needed to learn to read and write.
The tutor couldn’t read for our child. But, by giving our third child the tools he needed to learn to decode and comprehend materials, he was able to learn to read. And, reading is an essential skill in every single academic subject. If a child can’t read, they can’t solve mathematical problems, perform science experiments, or process historical information. So working one-on-one with a tutor was essential to helping him build skills to learn math, history, and science as well.
If we did not enlist in the guidance of a tutor, he would have remained unable to read and would have quickly fallen behind academically. In every subject.
But that’s the power of connecting with an effective, right fit tutor for any academic subject. They don’t do the work for a child. Yet, they can be lifelines for children who feel lost in the classroom, who can’t grasp concepts, who might learn differently, who might be disorganized, or who might need to simply build confidence in their own skills.
An effective tutor doesn’t do a child’s work. It doesn’t matter what subject they are tutoring. Whether a child needs a tutor for math, science, history, foreign language, English, or test prep, an effective tutor provides a child the tools they need to do the work on their own. They don’t write a child’s papers or essays. They don’t prepare the child’s study history and science guides. They don’t do a child’s math homework for them. They don’t organize a child’s homework. They teach the child the right way to do these things. They provide a child with the tools to make them independent learners.
An effective tutor breaks down information slowly and methodically. By teaching a child how to learn, how to organize, how to write, how to learn mathematical and scientific concepts, how to process historical concepts, and how to study, they help a child overcome academic roadblocks, giving them the skills and confidence the child needs. This helps a struggling child to thoroughly understand concepts and so that they can build on that knowledge.
An effective tutor is a right fit tutor. This means that the tutor has to know the curriculum and has to jive and connect with the child. That is the secret sauce – the GAMECHANGER difference. Every tutor whom GAMECHANGER Tutoring Connection refers to our families is extremely well-versed in subject matter. But not every tutor connects with every student. GAMECHANGER Tutoring Connection wants your students to feel comfortable, to feel connected, so that they can build skills and confidence when working with a tutor.
Making these connections, a child feels more comfortable asking questions. A child typically is more patient and likely to attend.
Ultimately, the primary objectives of tutoring are to help a child build skills, confidence, and independence. Tutoring isn’t necessarily an indefinite, unending process. It exists to empower With the right fit tutor, a child overcomes obstacles and starts learning independently.
Our third son worked with his reading tutor for about eight months. As he started developing basic decoding and comprehension skills, the tutor suggested that he was ready to fly on his own. He was finally reading at an age and grade appropriate level. On his own. Because he connected with a right fit tutor who supported and empowered him.
To connect with an effective, right fit tutor, contact GAMECHANGER Tutoring Connection now.
