Is your child struggling to keep up in class? Are they constantly falling behind no matter how hard they work? Or maybe your child is too far ahead of the class and is becoming increasingly bored and disinterested.
Jade Chan, Centre Director at Sylvan Learning Centre, Richmond, believes there's a place for academic tutoring to support and motivate your child, regardless of their circumstance.
"Every student has their own learning style," she says, "and, while some students thrive in a traditional school environment, some need a little extra help."
There's nothing punitive or shameful about hiring a tutor to develop learning opportunities to get a child on the right educational footing. Jade tells the story of a young student who excelled at writing in her native China, but, as a new immigrant to Canada, she struggled with the nuances of the English language and fell behind in her essay work at school.
"In addition to developing a program that addressed her ESL needs, I worked with her to increase her confidence," explains Jade. "We worked on her reading comprehension and I encouraged her to type me little emails every day telling me about her life and her experiences. This helped develop her confidence in writing and supported her language learning."
Other students suffer from shorter attention spans in the classroom and can become easily distracted.
"We make a game out of learning. Kids are naturally competitive and the game factor makes learning more fun."
Parent communication is also an important component of any tutoring program. Sylvan Learning Centre's assessment includes talking to parents at every stage.
"Once we've assessed the appropriate grade level based on our many years of North American research, we design an educational strategy and program for the child," says Jade. "Each month, we check in with parents to makes sure they're happy with the student's progress. It's difficult for parents having to watch their child struggle in school for whatever reason. Our programs help parents find a way to support and encourage their child's learning journey."
To find out how your child could benefit from an individualized learning program, contact Sylvan Learning Centre, Richmond at 604.273.3266 or email richmond@sylvan.bc.ca, or catch them on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
