Tutoring is the supplementary help that comes from outside of school. It is chosen for various reasons, such as when a child needs homework help or when parents are unable to monitor the academics.

It is also often chosen by parents of specially-abled children in case of both physical and mental disabilities.

Research suggests that tutoring can help strengthen the topics/subjects taught at school. It can effectively fill in the learning gaps caused by various disruptions.

Tutoring is known to improve comprehension, build self-confidence, and lay the foundation for strong learning skills. The recent pandemic also affirmed that students (all age groups) can highly benefit from tutoring, online tutoring in particular.

Importance of Tutoring

The reason for choosing to tutor varies widely and completely depends on individual requirements and setup.

For some pupils, it might be the need to perform well at school while for others it may be the only choice in the absence of proper guidance at school or home.

Here are 5 points that highlight the importance of tutoring for students, across all grades and age groups.

1. Fills Learning Gaps

Learning gaps are one of the most common disruptions that affect children’s performance at school.

Tutoring for individual subjects or all subjects can effectively fill in those gaps and help children improve their grades.

It offers the extra help that sometimes children need to understand a subject and helps them jump to the next topic.

2. Creates Space for Self-Paced and Self-Directed Learning

It has been proven time and again that every child learns differently.

They require personalized instructions and time to pick up lessons. Tutoring provides children with a chance to learn at their own pace and in their own style.

They need not hurry through lessons and the tutor can also offer a different perspective into a topic, in turn making it easy to understand.

3. Challenges Bright Minds

Tutoring helps brilliant children achieve their full attention. It appropriately challenges them and keeps their minds stimulated.

Tutoring can improve the productivity of brilliant minds who otherwise feel bored at school because the curriculum/lessons are too easy for them.

4. Improves Grades and Confidence

An obvious outcome of academic help is improved grades. When children learn better, they automatically perform better.

Tutoring helps children by covering almost all the learning challenges that they may be experiencing. It fills in the gaps, provides appropriate handholding, and results in both good grades and a positive self-image.

5. Paves the Way for Lifelong Learning

Tutoring compels children to spare time for academics after school. It automatically creates a space for learning and revisions and in turn, improves both work and study habits.

In the long run, tutoring instils a love for learning in children and helps them understand the benefits of a disciplined approach towards academics.

Benefits of Online Tutoring

Online Tutoring offers all the benefits of tutoring along with some extras that come with the usage of technology.

During the pandemic and even now, in the post-pandemic world, online tutoring has suddenly taken centre stage and is changing the academic narrative for students with any and every type of learning requirement.

The following are the key benefits of online learning.

1. Convenience

Convenience is probably the first that comes to mind when someone says online tutoring. This form of learning gives students the freedom to learn from anywhere.

Plus, it relieves parents from the duty of chauffeuring children to and from the tutor’s place.

In the post-pandemic world, online tutoring has added safety to the convenience factor. In 2020-2021, it gave millions of children across the globe, a chance to stay abreast with their academics from the safety of their homes.

Even now, it is the preferred mode of learning in the countries that are still fighting the virus and for vulnerable children who are limited by their health.

2. Personal Attention

When children receive personal attention, they learn better. This is because every child learns differently and when they get the instructions customized to their abilities, they learn faster and perform better.

At school, personal attention is understandably difficult to come by. But online tutoring offers exactly that in a fun and interactive environment.

Most online tutoring platforms offer customized lesson plans that are tweaked according to the student’s abilities and learning requirements.

And this kind of customization goes beyond the school curriculum to test prep and even extra skills such as Coding.

3. Flexibility

Online tutoring offers flexibility in learning. It lets students learn at a time convenient to them.

The classes can be rescheduled and even recorded for a later time. So, if a child is not in a mood or condition to study, he is free to log in later and learn without worrying about missing out on a lesson.

4. Technical Knowledge

Online learning teaches a lot of new things to children including the technicalities of using a computer and an internet connection to learn.

They learn how to use the learning tools along with basic computer applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, calculators, and more.

No computer class can teach as much as the constant use of computers can.

5. Dynamic Assessment

Online tutoring offers you the benefit of dynamic assessments. It is a very important factor in determining the efficiency of a lesson plan and making amends when needed.

Online tutoring helps through frequent assessments that help parents and tutors understand if a particular method is not working for a child. This kind of instant data helps them make quick amends and helps the child appropriately.

Conclusion

Tutoring may not be a must-have for all children. But it only has benefits for those who choose it. Online tutoring offers all the benefits of tutoring and some more and helps children improve their grades by leaps and bounds.

Dear parents, please consider online tutoring for your child today and solve all learning issues in one go.  Head to the eTutorWorld website to find the perfect academic solutions for your child.

More often than not, parents and teachers are on the lookout for learning problems so that they can be remedied at the earliest. But in their quest to do so they often miss out on identifying giftedness. A brilliant mind just like a struggling mind needs to be identified in the early years so that it is molded appropriately and guided in the right direction as early as possible.

According to NAGC – National Association of Gifted Children, ‘almost 6-10% of students are gifted and could benefit from additional support at school’. In numbers, this percentage amount to 3-5 million children in grades K-12. Now, that’s a staggering number of children who could do with special instructions.

Hiding in Plain Sight

Sometimes, learning problems are exactly what parents and teachers need to focus on to identify giftedness. Some children indeed fail to showcase their giftedness positively and tend to behave in a disruptive manner to get attention or express themselves.

It is also important to remember that disruptiveness is not the only sign of giftedness. Some gifted children may also be quiet and do everything in their power to stay hidden in the shadows. Therefore, it is the impetus of parents and teachers to keep a hawk-eye on their wards and identify giftedness early on in academic life.

Problems that May Be Giftedness in Disguise

Here are some signs that may be hiding giftedness in plain sight.

1. Getting bored of classroom activities.
2. Getting annoyed with instructions.
3. Avoiding classes or zoning out between discussions.
4. Not doing homework and avoiding classroom activities.
5. Throwing tantrums or sensitive behavior.
6. Failing to fit in the classroom or make friends.

All of these signs look like a troubled child, but these are also signs of a gifted mind which may be finding it difficult to adjust in a setup that may not serve their IQ and learning requirements. Children who show any, few, or all of these signs should be put through further investigation in the form of rigorous testing or professional evaluation. And once found to be gifted should be immediately directed to a gifted program that suits their temperament.

Advantages of Gifted Education

Gifted education comes with tremendous advantages and that is why it is important to identify giftedness as early as possible. Here are the most important advantages/benefits of gifted programs.

1. Tailored Instructions

Gifted programs offer tailored instructions that can engage higher IQ levels. These instructions precisely match the learning requirements of gifted minds and keep them interested in academics. With customized lessons, gifted students absorb more knowledge and learn faster.

2. Interesting Curriculum

Gifted programs also have a tailored curriculum that serves the higher learning requirements. They are mostly above-grade and effectively engage brilliant children who generally end up wanting more from the age-specific, traditional curriculum.

3. Productivity

A gifted program provides the right incentives and direction to gifted children. It keeps them interested and engaged in academics while improving their productivity at school. As the children grow older, they find themselves focused on their careers with a desire to constantly learn and excel.

4. Self Esteem

When children receive the right kind of attention they thrive and do better in academics. Their performance automatically boosts their self-esteem and results in confident individuals who are successful in both professional and personal lives.

5. Good Grades

This is a very obvious and important outcome of gifted programs. Children who find themselves in the desired setup, study well and get good grades.  

Some More Signs of Giftedness

Here are some more common signs of giftedness that will help you identify them very early in your ward. If you are a teacher, you might also receive formal training in identifying and guiding gifted children. Parents can however run with these signs and get in touch with experts for further resolution.

1. Unusual alertness from a very young age
2. Extraordinary memory
3. Fast/Rapid Learning Capabilities
4. Large Vocabulary with Understanding of Complex Sentences
5. High level of Curiosity and Sensitivity about the Surroundings

Tests for Identifying Gifted Children

Two of the most common tests used to identify gifted children are CogAT and SCAT. They are conducted across the US to assess and identify children for various gifted programs at the school and district levels. CogAT is conducted for children in K through 12 while SCAT is for students in grades 2-8. Both of them are not IQ tests. Some other formal assessments (IQ Tests) that are conducted to identify gifted students are Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children, Stanford-Binet Fourth Edition, and Stanford-Binet: Form L-M.

As most schools across the country continue to remain closed, parents of K-12 students are actively looking for effective educational solutions for their kids. Many online tutoring services have addressed the need of the hour by offering Virtual Learning Pods to students from the same grade and same school districts to ensure that children are not only acquiring knowledge but also have room for interaction with other kids, thereby providing some respite from the ongoing crisis.

What are Virtual Learning Pods?

Virtual Learning Pods are basically small groups of kids who join online tutoring sessions and learn together from the comfort and safety of their homes. Virtual Learning Pods are gaining traction by the day, and have become a popular educational option in the US. The number of children in each Virtual Learning Pod can range from 3 to 10 depending on the online tutoring service provider. For instance, eTutorWorld’s Virtual Learning Pods consist of 3-4 kids from the same grade and school district. 

Why are Virtual Learning Pods growing so quickly?

School closures across the nation have interrupted learning and made it difficult for kids to learn with the same effectiveness as they did while attending school regularly. While many schools have begun offering online or virtual classes, students find it harder to grasp concepts due to shorter attention spans, especially among younger children. Moreover, online instruction via videos means that students will not be able to ask questions and get their doubts cleared as they did in class.

Even online classrooms with live teaching throw plenty of challenges at both teachers as well as students. The time for each class is limited, which means that teachers often rush through topics and concepts in order to complete the curriculum in a predetermined period of time. As a result, some kids tend to learn effectively, while many others are left behind.

Another major complaint among parents is the lack of interaction in online learning and virtual classrooms. Virtual Learning Pods address these concerns effectively so that students not only have the attention of a tutor who can answer their queries and clear their doubts but also facilitate engagement during the sessions, thereby promoting interactive peer learning and effective tutoring solutions.

Benefits of Virtual Learning Pods

• Safety: In keeping with social distancing protocols to avoid the spread of COVID-19, students can attend online classes on Virtual Learning Pods from the safety of their homes.
• Interaction: Virtual Learning Pods allow students to not only communicate with their tutor but also with each other to discuss the contents of their course.
• Convenience: Learning through Virtual Learning Pods is as convenient as it gets. All you need is a laptop and an internet connection to get going.
• Independence: Parents need not be worried about their child’s academic progress. Virtual Learning Pods enable kids to develop independence when it comes to their studies, thus allowing parents the freedom to focus on their own work.
• Affordable: There are many online tutoring services that offer Virtual Learning Pods at affordable rates. These pods are relatively inexpensive when compared to live, one-to-one tutoring sessions.
• Guaranteed Progress: Online tutoring services that offer Virtual Learning Pods have tutors with immense experience and expertise to ensure that your child makes good academic progress with each online tutoring session.

Teaching the young ones remotely can be a demanding affair, but the current circumstances have left parents with little choice. Schools across the world have closed temporarily and online learning has become ‘the new normal’ as the planet continues to fight against the pandemic. Parents with preschool kids have it hard, especially if they have no previous experience of educating children. However, if you have decided to homeschool your preschooler, there are a few things you can do to facilitate smooth sailing through this endeavor.

1. Create the classroom effect

To get your kid accustomed to homeschooling, you can use the items and materials synonymous with classrooms, like a table, chairs, whiteboards, calendars, books, play area, etc. Set up a space that your child can use as their study and undertake their daily educational activities. A designated ‘classroom’ will make it easier for your kid to focus their energy on their education whenever they are there.

2. Develop a routine

It is crucial for your child to develop a routine when homeschooling. Routines instill discipline and structure, so make a schedule that comprises the different times for learning, playing, eating, and napping. Doing so not only makes it easy for them to acclimatize to the schedule, but also gives you some leeway to go about your own chores. Make sure they are ready for their day at a particular time, and that their day ends at a pre-determined hour. Dedicate around 30 minutes for each activity to start with, and make changes as you go.

For instance, if their day starts at 9:00 A.M., teach them the alphabet till 9:30, then shift to building blocks till 10:00, then math for the next half an hour, followed by play-time with clay, etc. Limit their learning sessions to twice or three times a day as anything in excess can get overwhelming for them. Once they get used to the idea of homeschooling, you can increase the number of sessions as per their requirements. 

3. Teach them through play

Education in our early childhoods is more deeply ingrained when taught through play. Kids who are just 3 to 4 years old don’t need formal learning. Teaching them concepts and topics through fun ways will cement their learning and make it easier for you to successfully homeschool your preschooler. For instance, building blocks can be used as an activity to teach them about shapes and their attributes, like triangles have three sides, rectangles have two long sides and two short ones, etc. Play-based learning is the most effective form of educating your preschooler. 

4. Use online platforms to learn and engage with other kids

Tools such as Zoom and Google Meet have been designed to aid and enhance virtual communications. You can use them to set up a daily story time or virtual hangouts with other kids so your child has room for engagement. Creating small groups within communities and enabling your kid to spend time with other children will make online learning both fun and effective. Online platforms can also be used to teach them the alphabet, numbers, sounds, and more. Promoting peer learning while homeschooling your preschooler will not only make them knowledgeable, but will also instill in them the confidence to interact with others.

5. Get support from online tutoring services

There are plenty of online tutoring services that cater to K-12 students. If you are finding it hard to manage homeschooling your preschooler, don’t hesitate to reach out to virtual tutors who can focus on their academic growth, while you tend to them during their play time. These services also help in designing curriculums for your preschooler, so you can avail their help and set up the syllabus for your child and teach them according to the plan.

Homeschooling has been gaining a lot of popularity is recent times, and if you’re considering online learning for your preschooler, these tips are sure to come in handy!

Getting The Best Story time Options For Children

Reading is one of the best tools to help children learn. From the time they are toddlers, children become fascinated with the power of words, and this expands greatly during their formative years.

While many parents think that their child will have little interaction with reading before first grade, there are increasing studies that show children can easily learn to read in Kindergarten. This is the right time to help them by introducing phonics for kids and the sounds of the alphabet. By the time a child is in second grade, they are filled with the curiosity enhanced by story time and books. At this age, they begin to understand that books can take their minds to another place and time filled with adventure and fun.

Reading as They Grow

One of the best tools a parent has to create a hunger for learning is to have a daily storytime for the child. Parents have a daily bedtime story to tell that helps in child reading later on. However, storytime does not have to be at a fixed time of the day and should be encouraged as an interactive time between parents and their children. Books should be chosen that are age and reading skill-appropriate too. For students in K-4th grade, books with pictures are often most helpful.

Other Places for Storytime

Once a child is in school, there are many places to participate in storytime sessions apart from home. Many local libraries sponsored storytime, which allows children to interact within a group setting. They usually will choose a story appropriate to the K-4th grade group with reading programs for kids specific to their age and abilities.

After school programs and church schools often have story time as part of their curriculum as well. These are particularly popular for students attending K-4 grade.

Great Media Storytime Options

For parents who want to expand their options for children and story time at home, media devices can be perfect reading for kids’ tools. Stories can be listened to or followed along on the computer, DVDs, CDs, or on a Kindle device. These usually have an adult reading aloud and the children can read along with the help of a computer or a handheld device. eTutorWorld can help young children who are a little behind in their reading skills and need guidance. 

Online reading for kids platforms have become quite popular for families to encourage their children to participate in reading time. Parents can find a wide variety of online reading material on kids’ websites that can help a child to read along. Most of them allow parental input to improve a child’s reading skills.

For parents of second graders, some of the more advanced stories of Dr. Seuss, Berenstain Bears, The Peanuts, Disney, Sesame Street, Beatrix Potter, and Winnie the Pooh offer parents a wide variety of great reading options to enliven their minds and enhance the hunger for kids reading books. Children love to identify with the stories they read, especially when they are young. Since many of these characters are ones they see on TV, videos, and DVDs, they become a source of inspiration for kids specifically 2^nd graders.

eTutorWorld offers a number of tailor-made courses for K-4 students that help them to read flawlessly and build their vocabulary.

Working from home is a privilege for moms who want to assist in supporting their family without securing employment outside. It has become a necessity due to the recent outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. In some cases, a mother may even earn more from a work from home job than others who work a 9 to 5 job. Though this is advantageous for the family, there are a few concerns that moms may encounter while working from home.  One of the most important factors is to figure out a way to keep young kids engaged when they remain at home too.

Here are some great ways to keep kids busy while mom takes care of her responsibilities by concentrating on her work.

1. Buy Fun Coloring Books

Go old school to keep the tiny tots engaged happily. Even though there are innovative technologies that have been created and designed for these moments, these do not have to be the first choice always. Almost all kids love drawing & coloring and work with their own hands.  Fun coloring books can be an excellent way to get them started so that they remain occupied for hours at a time.

2. Take Advantage of Online Tutoring Classes for K-12

Another way to keep children engaged while mom works at home is to provide them with online tools through educative resources like eTutorworld. The interactive online tutoring sessions for K-12 students are super fun and engaging.  Your child also learns self-discipline while taking lessons from an expert tutor. Students begin to excel by overcoming their academic weaknesses too. You can always schedule the sessions at a convenient time so that your children become productive while you are engaged with work.

3. Give them Interesting Books to Read

Capturing the attention of kids and keeping them engaged is not simple. Invest in a few interesting books and get your children to read.  They will get an opportunity to increase their reading skills, ability to retain information and improve their communication skills by expanding their vocabulary. This is definitely a great way to help them become independent.

4. Create a To-Do/Activity List- Plan Ahead

An essential key for keeping the kids engaged while you work from home is to create a to-do activity list in advance. You may be able to incorporate a few of your tasks with their activities, too. It may be a good idea to ask for help as your child grows older. It will make her happy to help her parents while you get to spend quality time with your kid. Eventually, they will be able to help you file your papers away or take notes on your behalf even as you explain how to multitask. This can serve as a stepping stone for shouldering responsibilities in the future.

eTutorWorld offers the opportunity of keeping your kids engaged at home without allowing their education to suffer. Schedule a free session to check it out and pay for additional sessions only after being convinced

When your kids heard of their school being closed due to the COVID-19 threat, they probably thought of it as a forced break similar to a vacation. But you need not worry about education being paused just because schools are closed.

However, you did not plan on becoming a teacher overnight. With continuing education at home now added to your plate, you may be looking at ideas for home-based activities.

With all the things you are already trying to do, helping your children learn doesn’t need to be stressful. Here’s our list of fun learning activities to help your children study during as they enjoy spending extended time at home.

1. If your older children are looking for something to do, let them help the younger ones learn something new. The more they work together on educational fun activities, the better it is for everyone. The older children are happy to be the teacher for some time while the younger ones learn something new.

2. Find a tutor online by visiting reputed websites such as eTutorWorld. If your child is stressed about preparing for an upcoming test or needs extra help in a certain subject area, don’t worry! An expert tutor would be glad to help. Thanks to technology, you do not have to step out of home or change your home routine to get assistance with test prep, fun learning activities, homework help, and more.

3. Finding fun activities to do at home with kids does not have to be a challenge. Exercise is part of education too! Try to find a kids’ dance or exercise video online to get them moving especially If your kids are getting a bit restless.

4. Keep in touch with your child’s teacher through email. She will provide you with several online resources for keeping a social distance without your children missing their lessons. Be sure to check the school’s social media pages as well for any other fun resources you may have missed.

5. Read aloud to your family whenever you manage to catch a break. Pick something that everyone in the family enjoys learning about. Try borrowing ebooks from a local library’s online catalog once you run out of books at home.

Yes! Your routine will turn topsy-turvy due to the pandemic. You can help your children continue their education at home even during this difficult time by keeping them engaged with fun creative activities.

Adjust to the new normal and help the young students at home keep up with their lessons. Contact eTutorWorld without delay and ask for a FREE TRIAL session.

Successful people are great time managers. Remember, everyone has the same 24 hours to work with each day. Great scientists like Albert Einstein or Isaac Newton, leaders and innovators like Benjamin Franklin, all of them had the same two dozen hours every day. Just like us. They simply got more things done! 

It’s important to start young to prioritize time and tasks. Children as young as three can learn to follow a loosely based schedule. The process need not be overly disciplinarian or imposing to start with. Setting an example as a parent will set the ball rolling more often than not!

7 Simple Ways To Help Your Child Manage Time

1. Estimation

Get children to know roughly how much time a few common tasks take. For instance, a walk from home to the grocery store takes about 5 minutes, or 30 minutes to bake their favorite cake, etc. This helps them to plan out homework, study, hobby, or play schedules better.

2. Only One Task Initially

Let the child start with planning only one daily task, say, homework and studies between 7 and 8 PM every day for about two weeks. Once this is done successfully, more tasks can be added one by one.

Taking on too much too soon might not work and the child could be disheartened by the whole exercise. It’s also advisable to let the child pick their own task from a choice of 5-6 tasks and times. That way, they will take ownership and be self-motivated.

3. Communicate

Share your experiences about the tasks that you completed successfully the challenges you faced and the sacrifices you made. Like, “Despite the fact that there was a game on TV, I chose to complete my report instead.”

Children will associate with this a lot better. When they hear from you, they will most likely emulate you. They are more likely to ‘do what you do’, rather than ‘do what you say’.

4. Plan and Review

Talk about everyone’s schedule before the day starts and review it before bedtime. If a child is unable to study a particular lesson as planned, talk to the child and reschedule the same. Ask if any assistance is needed. Provide it if you deem it necessary.

5. Encourage time-saving tasks

Pick an online tutor instead of traveling to a tutor’s house. Companies like eTutorWorld provide great one-on-one online tutors. Plan out your routes beforehand if you have to go to two or more places.

6. Visually appealing calendar:

A fun exercise is to make a colorful or visually appealing calendar schedule. They put it in a place where you can see it often. It’ll catch the child’s attention often. 

7. Long and short term

Teach your children the idea of long and short-term goals. Stuff that needs to be done ‘now’, or ‘in an hour’ or ‘within a week’ and so on. This helps them to prioritize and get things done.

Conclusion 

Once the concept of time management is practiced, it’s surprising how much time you’ll end up saving while getting everything done. The moment a young child realizes this, he or she will start practicing these time management tips and tricks by themselves.

Time is a precious resource that cannot be recovered or borrowed. Its wise usage is imperative to leading a fulfilling and successful life!

“Education is a social process; education is growth; education is not preparation for life, but is life itself.” ― John Dewey