Signs your child may need a tutor

Nowadays children are busier than ever- they have increased studies, busy family and social schedules all whilst trying to ace their exams and get into their choice of university. Sometimes life can get so hectic that it’s easy for kids to fall behind or need some extra study time. Individual one-to-one tutoring can be extremely beneficial and can help build academic success in the future. As parents, it’s important to recognise if your kids do need the help of a tutor, so we’ve put together few key things to keep an eye out for.

Slipping grades
If you feel as though your child’s grades are slipping or their teacher has noticed a lack of focus, it’s probably an indicator that a private tutor may be helpful. If this is the case, consulting with teachers is vital as they’ll be able to highlight what your child needs to work on. Gathering this information will also be helpful for a tutor and ensure they concentrate on the areas your child’s struggling with the most.
Unable to manage time
If your child is constantly putting off completing homework or working on projects, it may be because they’re struggling to keep up with their workload. Constant procrastination can also indicate other larger issues such as lack of time management skills and bad study habits. Hiring a tutor can be a proactive way to provide your child the assistance they need. At Tutor Doctor our tutors specialise in improving study habits and work with your child to develop essential skills such as time management and organisation.

Lacking confidence
If you notice your child is really lacking confidence when it comes to their performance at school or they’re getting stuck on certain skills time and time again, hiring a tutor may be beneficial. Not having confidence to participate in the classroom not only makes kids feel rubbish, but often demotivates them further. A tutor will work with your child to help them become self-assured and build up the knowledge and confidence in the areas they’re lacking.

Being confused
Sometimes kids underperform because they’re not understanding the work. If you see that your child is repeatedly puzzled by their assignments or certain concepts, it may be because they’re not keeping up with their grade expectations. Make sure you talk to them about whether they’re finding the work a little tricky or if they don’t understand at all. This will help you see if their homework is just testing their knowledge, or if some extra tutoring time is needed to help get their grades back to where they should be.

How can Tutor Doctor help?
Here at Tutor Doctor we offer an affordable, one-to-one home tutoring service that is tailored to suit your child’s abilities, learning style and personality. More importantly we aim to help students grow into independent learners and teach them key X-skills such as organisation and time management that will be sure to stay with them throughout their adult life.

3 ways to motivate your kids to do well at school

Navigating through school is hard for any child, meaning staying motivated can sometimes be tricky. Not only are kids attending 4 or 5 different lessons per day, they have a multitude of homework to complete, exam worries all whilst trying to maintain friendships and grow up. Combined it can be extremely overwhelming, which can leave kids feeling demotivated, especially when they don’t have the right tools to be able to cope. Here’s some ways you can start to encourage your children to get back into the swing of school and achieve the academic success they deserve.

Set small step-by-step goals
Being successful can feel unattainable for many kids, especially as it can be tricky not knowing how to tackle all the different assignments, projects and exams. Big workloads can also cause children to feel extremely demotivated when it comes to school. To combat this, we recommend breaking assignments or revision into smaller realistic tasks, which should help with motivation levels. Start by sitting down together and creating a small list of goals that your child can tick off as they reach each one. For example, instead of writing for hours on an assignment, encourage them to break down the task into smaller blocks. This could be as simple as researching the idea, writing a rough draft and editing the final draft. Doing this not only makes the assignment easier to tackle but it provides your child with a starting point.

Focus on a customised learning plan
Forcing your child to study in a set way when they learn better using other techniques may be frustrating and hinder their progress at school. Instead tune into the way they learn best. Do this by consulting with teachers or perhaps consider a private tutor, so you can create a customised learning plan that highlights your child’s skills together. For example, if your child is an auditory learner, you could record them reading key facts for an upcoming test aloud so they can listen back to them. We guarantee if they’re studying using their strengths, it will help them have a positive attitude towards school and enable them to feel more confident in their studies. To find out key characteristics of auditory, visual and kinesthetic learners, check out our helpful post here.

No pressure
Even though you might not think it, your kids will already have a lot of pressure placed onto them from teachers, peers and even themselves to be successful at school. Avoid putting even more pressure on your child, especially by expecting them to achieve straight A’s or be top of the class - it’s only going to demotivate them further. Instead, find other ways to encourage them and listen to what your kids actually want to achieve. Discuss realistically how they can do this and empower them to be successful.

The Benefits of Private Tuition

UNDIVIDED ATTENTION
Busy classrooms tend to be dominated by the most confident, needy and attention-grabbing students. Quiet pupils and individuals who plod along with little fuss can often get overlooked by the teacher, until exam results reflect a lack of understanding – at which point, it can often be too late. Shy students may also be unwilling to ask for or except help in a classroom setting, and if they do, their time will be likely be limited to a few minutes. Home tutoring gives your child the luxury of exclusive attention to work through problems, ask questions and talk over approaches in a relaxed and focused environment, without the distraction of other students.

CONFIDENCE BUILDING
Bad behaviour and poor achievement can often be linked to a lack of confidence and self belief. With feedback time limited in schools, it can be de-motivating if a child regularly receives poor test scores, low grades and written work or maths pages that are riddled with red pen and corrections. A personal tutor can help individuals recognise their strengths and celebrate their achievements, no matter how small. By setting achievable targets and taking small steps, a student can slowly build confidence and enjoy a journey of success and progression, rather than get continually knocked back.

PERSONAL LEARNING STYLES
Every individual has their preferred way of working, whether that means talking through a task and discussing their ideas out loud, or writing down their thought process independently. Good classroom lessons are designed to cover a range of learning styles but this isn’t easy for teachers to do consistently. A private tutor tailors the learning program around the individual needs of each student to unlock their full potential. They can also help improve your child’s ability to work in a range of different learning styles, or help them to recognise the ways they learn best. As well as boosting their understanding, this can also help them to enjoy and get more out of the school day.

RENEWED ENTHUSIASM
It’s a sad fact that many school curriculums are restricted to fairly narrow schemes of work. If an individual doesn’t engage in the topics they’re covering at school, they can soon lose interest in a subject and start to disengage. A private tutor can help inject new enthusiasm into a subject by making it seem relevant to your child. A ‘boring’ topic like ‘weather’ in Geography could be linked to something exciting like outdoor expeditions, skiing or sailing, for example. Reading comprehension in literacy could be developed by reading books and articles about football or space; and maths problems can take on a whole new meaning if they’re given relevance to real-world business. Whatever your child’s passion is, a private tutor has the flexibility to appeal to it.

FLEXIBILITY
Students may require extra support during particular times of year, especially if they have exams looming. Private tuition can be on-going or can be focussed in short and intense bursts, depending on what suits the student best. Many tutors can offer sessions at different times of day. If your child is too tired for after-school tutoring, then Saturday mornings could be an alternative option, or you may find that a series of focussed sessions during the school holidays is more effective.

Teaching kids to be smart about using social media

For the majority of kids and teenagers, social media is a central part of their everyday lives. Even though there are plenty of good things about social media, there are also many dangers that you want your kids to avoid. With 90% of teens using social platforms daily, it’s important for parents to teach children how to use social media the smart way.

Why is social media good?
Social media can be used in lots of positive ways. Not only can the platforms help kids stay connected with their friends and family, it can also encourage creativity through sharing ideas, music and photographs. It also means they have opportunities to meet and interact with peers that may share similar interests or perhaps they want to get involved in a social media campaign for a charity.

The dangers of social media
On the flipside, social media can be a hub for cyber bullying, personal information being exposed, kids unknowingly talking to strangers or being exposed to age inappropriate content. Here’s just a few statistics that really bring to light some of these dangers.

• 71% of teens post their school, town and where they live online
• 95% of teen social media users who have witnessed cruel behavior on social media sites
• 17% of teens say they've been contacted online by someone that made them feel scared or uncomfortable

For more details on these statistics look here.
Other dangers include teens becoming obsessed with social media in a negative way.  Social platforms often include ‘edited’ selfies and posts showcasing the best parts of a person’s life, which sets unrealistic expectations. In some cases, teens can get caught up in this ‘online reality’ and will compare themselves and their own lives to a peer or celebrity. This can result in them feeling as though they don’t measure up and in extreme cases can cause depression, anxiety or eating disorders.

How parents can teach kids to be smart
It’s important for you to discuss social media with your teens, teaching them how to stay safe, smart and reminding them about life offline. Here’s some points we advise covering.

Don’t accept friend requests from strangers- This one may be obvious, but make the number one rule to never be friends with anyone they don’t know. Simple.

Privacy Settings- If there are privacy settings on a social platform, encourage your kids to use them. They are there for a reason!

Don’t believe everything online- It’s so easy for teens to forget about the real world when using social media, so it’s vital you remind them that everything they see online isn’t necessarily real or the whole story. Pictures can be edited, people aren’t always truthful and the majority of social media users only post the ‘best’ parts of their lives.

Limit social media time- Encourage your kids to spend a limited time on social media per day. We understand they want to socialise with friends, but it’s important they take part in activities away from the screen. Get them to read a book, go out and meet with their friends face-to-face or help you with cooking dinner. We guarantee it will do them the world of good!

Be Friendly- Mean behaviour is unacceptable in the virtual world, just as it is in the real world. Make it clear to your kids that they should treat others online as they would like to be treated. Being respectful and friendly doesn’t cost a thing! It’s also crucial to remind them to always communicate with you if they feel as though they’re being bullied or are receiving unkind messages. This way action can be taken before it gets out of hand.

Think before they send- Explain to your kids that most of what they post online can be seen by complete strangers. Ask them to be smart and think carefully before they hit enter. Specifically, it’s always a good idea for them to avoid posting locations of events or parties, phone numbers or any personal information.

Keep an eye! It’s a good idea for parents to keep an eye on their kids Facebook profiles or Instagram pages but from a distance. If you start being too nosey, they may feel as though you are invading their privacy, which can cause trust issues or mean they block you out completely which no parent wants.

Tips for Preparing for the Summer Break

As the school term draws to a close, you and your child may be looking forward to the long break ahead. However, transitioning from the school term to the summer holidays certainly has its challenges. Not only is the long break usually less structured, but often routines are disrupted with schedules changing weekly or even daily, depending on the summer plans you’ve made for your child. We’ve put together some practical tips to help make the shift to summer smooth and stress free!

Make Plans
Try to schedule in as many activities as possible, as early on as you can. Remember, this doesn’t necessarily mean spending money, however being organised is going to mean everyone is on the same page during a long period of free time. Activities can range from enjoying a day at the beach with the whole family, hosting a BBQ in your garden, heading to the library or visiting a local zoo or museum. Even just having one plan for the day can give you and your kids something to structure the rest of the day around, which is helpful when trying to maintain a routine. A week or so before the break, review the summer plans you’ve made so far and brainstorm some budget friendly ways to fill in the gaps!

Maintain a schedule
Even though it will be tricky to duplicate the structure school provides, it’s helpful to maintain a daily schedule, such as mealtimes and bedtimes, as much as possible. It’s easy to let your kids stay up late or let teens do their own thing, however, a routine in the long run will provide a sense of structure and security, ensuring your child enjoys and makes the most out of the holidays, rather than being tired and unproductive. Swap out usual daily tasks such as homework time, for reading time or the walk to school for a walk to the park.

Don’t Overplan
Even though it’s great to be prepared with activities, it’s equally important to be spontaneous and not to over plan your time. It’s easy for you and your child to get fully booked, meaning by the end of the summer you’ll all be exhausted instead of relaxed and ready to face a new school term. Try keeping a list of things to do at home and family and friends to visit for when you have some free time or you fancy doing something different.

Make time for summer learning
It’s important to map out some time for summertime learning. If this is a few times a week or everyday, it’s crucial to ensure your child doesn’t suffer from the summer slide. Ask teachers if there’s any work, reading or activities they can be getting on with and make sure this is factored into their routines. Alternatively, there are loads of learning apps and podcasts you can download on tablets or smartphones, which is a great way for kids to learn whilst parents are driving or if they’re having a bored moment.
The summer holidays will also be full of opportunities for your child to learn about history, geography, nature, maths and science. Keep an eye out for teaching moments and encourage your kids to listen, read and take photos so they’re able to journal the summer and all the new things they’ve learnt. This may not seem like an educational activity, but it’s guaranteed to help with reading and writing skills!

Summer Projects for Teens

The summer holidays are almost here, meaning an abundance of free time for your teenagers! Even though the school bell will have stopped ringing, it’s important that your teens continue to learn and expand their skill set, rather than sit in front of a screen 24/7. Here at Tutor Doctor, we know how beneficial it can be to tackle a few summer projects, as they not only stimulate learning and development but can also be enjoyable and enriching summer experiences. Here are just a few project ideas you can suggest to your teens now, so they can start planning for the weeks ahead!

Summer jobs
Why not encourage your teenage son or daughter to look for a part-time summer job in your local area? This will help them learn to take responsibility, get them out the house and build up confidence levels. Even better they’ll have a whole new sense of independence as they’ll be earning their own money!

Re-decorate
Learning how to paint a room or a piece of furniture is a skill worth having. Have a look around your house and see if there’s a space that needs fresh lick of paint or an old chair that can be up-cycled. Work together with your teen or as a family, teaching them how to paint correctly and prep the space. If there’s an item of furniture that needs an uplift, ask them to check out YouTube for some ‘DIY How To’ videos or browse Pinterest for inspiration and design ideas aplenty. It’s also a low budget project that offers great rewards for your home and your teens!

Clear out
We suspect your teen has a bedroom full of stuff and a wardrobe that’s overflowing. Suggest they make it their mission across the 6-week holiday to clear out and re-organise everything from clothes, old school books and toys. It’s important as parents to get involved at the beginning and offer encouragement, but also to give them space to figure it out on their own. A great tip is to focus on a ‘Keep, Donate, Bin’ mantra whilst sorting through items, as it helps with quick decision making. At the end of the de-cluttering project, if enough stuff has been set aside, you could suggest doing a car boot sale together one weekend, allowing them to keep the earnings for themselves.

Make plans for the future
If your teenager wants to undertake a more serious project this summer, time invested in preparing and researching for their future is going to be beneficial and motivating. If your son or daughter is looking at applying to college or university soon, attending a few open days and ordering some course brochures to browse is a great way for them to see where and what excites them. Alternatively, encourage teens to research careers online that may interest them, find inspiring events and talks they can attend, or look for internships in a particular field. There’s no such thing as bad research, so dedicating some of their summer break to future hopes and dreams, is going to help them start the new academic term with plenty of goals and be much more focused!

Helping your child deal with anxiety

Anxiety is becoming an increasing problem amongst younger kids and teenagers. In fact, a recent YouGov survey found that over a quarter of British students report having mental health problems, with 74% of those experiencing anxiety related issues. Anxiety can take many forms, but generally causes discomfort, feelings of unhappiness, inadequacy and can lead to poor academic performance. If you believe that your child is suffering with anxiety, it’s important that you take some of the following steps to help your child feel supported. That away you can help get them back to their happy selves.

How do you spot anxiety in your child?
Anxiety will take its toll on your child mentally, but it often manifests itself physically. This can include stomach aches, headaches, a general feeling of sickness, panic attacks, insomnia or just feeling highly-strung and overly emotional.

Talk it through
One of the first steps to take if you notice your child is suffering with anxiety on any level is to take some time to talk with them. Ask them exactly what they’re worrying about and always take the time to listen, no matter how irrational their fears may seem. Often just talking it through with someone else will make them feel at ease. Helping your child identify out loud exactly what triggers their anxiety will also mean they start examining their feelings, which can be an important first step in trying to get better.

Discuss worst-case scenarios
Ignoring anxiety isn’t going to help your child, but discussing worst-case scenarios can be strangely helpful. Once they have identified their worst-case scenarios, ask them to imagine that they’re in that situation, and ask them what they would do -- really what’s the worst thing that can possibly happen? Bringing this scenario to life will rationalise your child’s anxiety a little and help them come to terms with what would really happen if their anxieties came to life.

Breathe!
If your child is experiencing anxiety, ask them to take big deep breaths in through their nose and out through their mouth, counting 1, in -- and 2, out, repeatedly. Concentrating on their breathing will slow their heart rate, reduce blood pressure and help take their mind off anxious thoughts. Encourage your child to practice this breathing technique anytime they start feeling anxious.

Let them worry
Telling your child not to worry is definitely not going to help. However, allowing kids to worry in condensed periods of time can be useful. Try creating a daily ritual called “Worry time’, which lasts around 15 minutes and is time purely dedicated for your child to write down or discuss all their worries. Once ‘Worry time’ is up, your child must say goodbye to all of their anxieties and worries for that day.

Exercise
Exercise, especially during an anxious period, is a fantastic way for your child to calm down and take their mind off worrying for a little while. Go for a walk with your child, get them to do some jumping jacks or just a kick a ball around with them in the back garden. Exercise releases happy hormones which are going to lift your child’s mood and relax their mind and body.
For more information on stress, anxiety and depression in children, this NHS page has lots of helpful resources and useful material

Everything parents need to know about changes to the GCSE grading system in England

GCSE exams are just around the corner, which means grades and grading scales are going to be an important point of reference your child. With all the recent changes to the grading system and exam format in England, it can certainly be a confusing time for parents and students! To ensure you're up to date with all these alterations, we've written a blog post covering one of the biggest changes; the new GCSE grading system.

What is changing exactly?
The main change parents and students are going to see is a completely new way of grading. The existing A*-G GCSE grades are going to be gradually phased out and a numerical grading system of 9-1 will be taking its place.

What does the 9-1 grading system mean exactly?
In the new 9-1 grading system, 9 will be the highest achievable grade and 1 will be the lowest. For students who fail to achieve the minimum points needed to reach a grade 1, there will still be a grade U.
When directly comparing the 9-1 system against the current A*-G grades, it can get a little trickier. The new scale has been specifically designed so there’s no direct read across from the old to new grades. However, you can expect certain numbers to represent a range of grades taken from the old spectrum.

Students can expect:

• Grades 9, 8 and 7 to represent a range of A*-A
• Grades 6, 5 and 4 will range from B to C
• 3, 2 and 1 will represent a range of D to G.

Grade 5 is going to be considered a ‘good pass’, which is roughly equivalent to a low B or high C. This means that an average pass, is going to become a little harder to achieve compared to the older Grade C. New style performance tables are also going to be shifting away from the A*-C and will be predominantly focusing on students achieving 9-5 grades.

When are these changes happening?
You can expect to start seeing the new grade scale being introduced in England this summer, as this is when we see the new style English Language, English Literature and Mathematics exams take place. These subjects were the first to undergo the GCSE reform and were taught from September 2015, with the intention of using the new 9-1 grading system.
Another 20 subjects will have the 9-1 grading in place for 2018, with the rest following in 2019. It’s important to be aware that during this period of transition, your child may receive a mix of number and letter grades.

Why has this new grading system been introduced?
There are a few reasons behind this major change, the first being that the new 9-1 system signals that GCSE’s have been reformed and aren’t the same as they used to be. Ofqual have also highlighted that the new grading scale will be much better at differentiating students of different abilities. More specifically it should be able to reveal differences between students at the higher end of the spectrum, as grades 9,8 and 7 will replace the older A and A* grades.
New GCSE content is set to be much more challenging, with fewer grade 9’s awarded compared to the current A*s.

Where can I find out more information?
For more information on the new grading system, AQA have a great web page and short video here: http://www.aqa.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/policy/gcse-and-a-level-changes/9-1
If it is new grade descriptors you’re after, then this page on gov.uk will be extremely helpful: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/grade-descriptors-for-gcses-graded-9-to-1
Finally, if you just want general details on the changes to GCSE and A-Levels, then head to the official Ofqual page: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofqual.

The benefits of starting revision early

Exam season is slowly sneaking up on us. This means that, before long, students are going to be busy with revision schedules, lesson notes and study posters. Even though exams aren’t for a few months yet, it’s all too easy for students to put off any type of ‘revision’ until the last minute, cramming everything into the precious weeks beforehand. Here at Tutor Doctor we’ve seen up close just how beneficial starting revision early can be. Not only are kids better prepared and less stressed, but their final exam grades are likely to be much better than they expect!

So what are the benefits of starting revision early?

Less Stress!
There really is no better feeling for students than being prepared for upcoming exams, especially when students know they’ve put the work in. Getting on with revision sooner rather than later means much less stress and anxiety, plus it allows students to study at their own pace rather than exhausting themselves with all-nighters a week before the big day.

Explore different revision techniques
Having time on their side means that students can explore different revision techniques rather than just sticking to one. This can involve a whole host of different ways to study. For example, students can practice writing out their notes, then try typing them up -- repetition is often an excellent and effective way to absorb information. If this isn’t working then colourful visual posters containing key pieces of information is a fun way to learn. They can even put these posters up on their bedroom wall so they become a part of everyday life and therefore get absorbed more deeply.

There’s no rush (no cramming necessary)
Studying for exams early means that students get to take their time with revision and avoid last minute cramming or rushing through topics. It also means that the same amount of time can be allocated to each subject, instead of leaning toward favourite topics and avoiding the trickiest. Another huge benefit is that getting on with exam preparation now allows students enough time to identify areas in which they aren’t feeling as confident, which means they can go over areas they’re finding particularly tricky and get help if they need it.

Time to practice exam techniques
As they say, practice makes perfect. The earlier students start revising, the more time they’ll have to complete practice papers from previous years and get used to the format. All too often students have fantastic knowledge but their exam technique is lacking, which ends up affecting their final grade. There’s a whole load of practice papers available online to download and use, or teachers can provide tests from previous years. Just make sure they’re completed under timed conditions!

How to encourage your kids to tidy up after themselves

Getting your kids to tidy up after themselves is certainly a never-ending battle. In fact, teenagers and older kids are often much worse than younger children, so encouraging tidiness early on will help set up good habits. Here at Tutor Doctor we know encouraging great habits like this is much easier said than done. That’s why we’ve come up with a few simple and straightforward methods for you to encourage your children to be tidy and stay that way!

Set a good example
Children are often much more sensitive to what we do rather than what we say. That’s why setting a good example when it comes to tidying up after yourself is vital, especially if you want them to adopt the same habits. Taking pride in looking after your home and keeping your belongings in order will increase the odds that your kids will have a positive attitude towards doing the same. Showing them how it’s done and letting them know you expect the same too, will help tidiness become the norm!

Clearly define expectations
Letting your kids clearly know specifics in regards to tidiness expectations makes it much easier for them to understand and follow. Break it down into easy rules- here’s an example of a few:

• Make your bed every morning
• Put dirty washing in the laundry pile
• Hang up clean clothes
• Put all toys away after playtime
• Put dirty dishes in the sink/dishwasher
• Throw rubbish/empty packets in the bin

If you find they’re really struggling to follow these guidelines, why not turn them into a fun poster that you can stick on the fridge or on their bedroom wall? Not only will this act as a friendly reminder, you can even put a progress tracker on there too. Giving incentives by offering a reward if they tidy up for a whole month is bound to get them motivated!

Make sure everything has a place
Making sure that everything in your house has a place will help hugely when it comes to your kids staying tidy. If they know exactly what lives where, then when they use something they’ll be more inclined to return the item to its ‘home.’ When items just live in piles or don’t have a specific place then it’s easy for clutter to build and can confuse your child as they don’t know where to put away things once they’ve used them.

Teach them how to care for their belongings
Teaching your kids to care for their own things is going to help them be more respectful towards them. This means notions of putting things away after using them will become second nature- meaning no more mess!

Reduce the number of toys
We guarantee your child has accumulated way too many toys over the years, meaning more items to leave out and more to tidy away! Try having a clear out and going through of all of their toys, games and books. Let your kids only keep the items they truly love and give the rest away to charity. We bet they’ll still have more than enough to play with and activities to do- there just won’t be as much clutter.

Stick to a routine
Establishing and sticking to a routine is a great way to encourage tidying. Start by making sure your child tidies away all their toys, books and anything else they’ve been doing before they eat dinner or go to bed. Other easy practices include putting dirty clothes in the laundry when they get changed into their pjs, clearing up empty packets and wrappers after eating something and putting books and papers back onto the bookshelf or desk when they’ve finished their homework. All of these easy routines will be sure to set up great tidying habits for life.

The benefits of young people taking part in sport

For many parents, encouraging their kids to get involved in sports is a struggle. However, recent studies have shown that participating in sports can have a positive impact on a child’s social and physiological well-being, meaning there’s never been a better time to make your kids health and fitness a top priority. Here at Tutor Doctor, we know how beneficial sports can be. Athleticism not only ensures your child is active but teaches valuable life-skills. Whether it’s gymnastics, football or swimming, we’ve shared 7 benefits of getting your kids into the action.

Community
Joining a sports team or club gives kids a sense of belonging and provides an excellent opportunity for them to make new friends. Being part of this external community away from their everyday school life can also mean that your child has a fresh start and can be completely themselves with a wide support system. This can be a very exciting feeling, especially as school can be tough for many kids.

Losing Gracefully
Taking part in sports regularly will mean at some point your kids will probably lose a race, a competition or miss a goal. No one likes a sore loser and they will quickly have to learn to dust themselves off and try again. Doing this will help them learn how to lose gracefully and embrace a competitive spirit.

Being Patient
Practicing sports skills and techniques requires a huge amount of patience and determination- after all it’s impossible to become a pro overnight! Practicing on a regular basis is going to be central if your child wants to improve in their chosen sport which can take months- years even. Patience is the key!

Dedication
Being part of a sports club or a team requires high levels of commitment and dedication. Showing up, being positive and willing to work hard at each practice can really boost your child’s belief in dedication, something that can be of benefit for the rest of their life. It’s even been found that participation in sport is linked to higher academic achievements at school.

Being a team player
Being involved in sports clubs is a fantastic way for your child to learn to be a real team player. Not only will they need to understand that communication is key but also realise that a team can’t succeed without working together.

Building self esteem
Sports and other physical activities have been found to positively contribute to the development of self-esteem in kids. A high-five from a teammate, a “well done” from a coach or even a really fun practice will help your child build character.

Selflessness
Sport, particularly team sports are an amazing platform that can help teach your kids to be less selfish. Often your child will have to think about what’s best for their team and not just what’s going to benefit themselves. Practicing selflessness regularly will also carve their personality as they head into adulthood.

5 ways you can help de-motivated kids succeed

All parents want their kids to thrive at school. But if your child is going through a phase where they’re feeling de-motivated then it can be difficult for them to perform to the best of their ability. Here at Tutor Doctor we know that kids struggling with de-motivation often avoid asking for help and don’t know how to get out of their ‘funk.’ That’s why we’ve put together 5 ways that you can help your child become motivated and inspired with learning again! Don’t forget- it takes time and patience to see results, so don’t expect miracles overnight.

1. Be a good listener
Kids with low motivation get frustrated easily, so it’s important you let them know that you’re there to listen to any problems they’re having. Whether acknowledging an issue with homework or just chatting about what’s going on at school, knowing they’re heard will help them get back on track. It’s also a great way for you to offer a more positive perspective.

2. Create a fun homework space
Homework isn’t something that many kids look forward to, especially if they’re already feeling de-motivated. Small changes such as jazzing up a homework space at home can make all the difference. Find a spot where they can be comfy but alert and let them make it their own. Fill it with fun posters, inspiring books, colourful folders and post-its. Even the most de-motivated child might start looking forward to sitting in their vibrant space and completing assignments. After all, learning doesn’t have to be boring -- it can be fun!

3. Celebrate little successes
When your child is feeling de-motivated, it is super important that you recognise and celebrate even the little successes. Whether that’s getting one good grade or completing a big project on time, verbally telling them you’re proud goes a long way. Positive recognition can even motivate your kids to want to achieve more, meaning they will work harder at school to get back on track.

4. Identify Goals
Sitting down with your child and getting them to identify some academic goals or career ideas is an easy way to help with motivation levels. Encourage them to spend some time researching their goals, or creating spider diagrams to find ways they can reach their aspirations. This should help them feel much more inspired and excited to try their best to succeed at school.

5. Encourage learning in new ways
A great approach to combat de-motivation within children is to try and spark new interests. Do this by encouraging learning in new ways such as heading to your local library together, finding interactive and interesting educational websites for your kids to explore or even spend the occasional weekend visiting local historical sites, art museums and zoos.

Guide to choosing GCSE subjects

For many students in year 9 (ages 13-14), this is the time of year they will need to start thinking about which GCSE subjects they want to study at Key Stage 4. Often there’s a wide range to choose from and deciding can be overwhelming for students, especially when they’re only just starting to think about their future. At Tutor Doctor we know how important it is for your child to choose classes they will enjoy but also have a good balance of subjects- after all they have to study them for two years! We’ve put together an essential guide to choosing GCSE subjects, which will not only help your kids make an informed decision but will also provide parents with all the important information so you can discuss their choices with them.

Are GCSE options really important?
The simple answer is yes! The optional subjects chosen in Year 9 will have an effect on decisions your child makes later on in life. It can also influence and shape their likes, dislikes, interests and potential careers they want to pursue when they get older. That’s why it’s so important for them to choose a broad and balanced set of GCSE’s, as well as pick subjects that they will enjoy and be able to achieve the best possible grades.

What choices do students get?
Your child’s school will provide them with lots of information about their pending GCSE choices for Key Stage 4, but it can be confusing so here’s the basics.

Core Subjects
Firstly, there are a few restrictions on pupils’ choices, so they don’t have free reign when choosing all of their GCSE’s. All schools have something known as compulsory subjects that have to be studied at GCSE level. One of the main reasons for these core subjects is to ensure all students cover a range of basic subject areas so they are fully prepared for further learning and future work prospects. These usually include:

• English
• Maths
• Science
• Some schools have other compulsory subjects, often relating to what area the school specialises in.

Optional Subjects
Moving onto optional subjects, these do vary from school to school and some have much more choice. Being able to make these decisions allows students to start making their own educational decisions and explore areas of interest for further education. One thing to bear in mind is that regardless of how many subjects your child has to choose from, they must be offered at least one course in four subject areas, otherwise known as ‘entitlement areas.’ These are:

1. Arts (including art and design, music, dance, drama and media arts)
2. Design and Technology
3. Humanities (history and geography)
4. Modern Foreign Languages

Vocational Courses
If your child doesn’t want to choose a traditional GCSE, many schools now offer vocational qualifications, which is a more practical kind of learning. Remember substituting a vocational course may be the right decision for some young people, but always make sure the course matches your child’s career aims and academic ability. For more information on vocational courses, look here.
Things to consider
What GCSE’s are needed for higher education?
Students that are already thinking about specific courses at college or sixth form should be aware that highly competitive A-Levels subjects, BTEC’s and Diploma programmes will be VERY interested in what GCSE’s subjects were studied. If this is the case, make sure your child checks beforehand whether any particular GCSE’s are required and ensure this is taken into consideration before they make their final choice.

Research!
Making sure you both sit down together and look at the course material carefully is super important and is sure to help your child make a more informed decision. This means looking closely at what topics are covered in the syllabus and the type of examinations involved. Different subjects also involve different learning styles, so this is something else to consider. For example- history is much more theoretical whereas textiles is more hands on! Getting your child to pick something that meshes their preferred learning style is certainly a smart move!

What is your child interested in?
Finally, it’s extremely important that your child really enjoys the GCSE subjects they study at Key Stage 4 and don’t choose something for the sake of it. Doing appropriate research (as mentioned above) is a great way to spark up interests and they’ll probably start to discover what excites them- after all learning should be fun! It’s also very easy for kids to get caught up in making decisions based on what their friends are doing or depending on what teacher is teaching a certain option. Making sure they avoid these pressures and embrace their interests is vital if they want to succeed.

Tutor Doctor’s Top Tip: If your child is struggling to decide between a few subjects, a pro and con list will be more than helpful!
If you or your child has any doubts, seek advice from teachers at school or a careers advisor.

Helping your child learn a second language

Being bilingual has so many benefits, which is why it’s such a valuable skill for any child to learn. However, learning another language can be tricky, so kids need as much encouragement as possible to master it. At Tutor Doctor we know that a parent’s attitude towards learning is crucial to a child’s success. That’s why we’ve put together some ways that you can support learning a language at home and help your child become fluent in no time.

Help your child make time to practice
A new language certainly can’t be learnt overnight and needs to be practiced. Helping your child set aside time every week for them to continue learning a foreign language is crucial for their success. Ensure they schedule in two or three 1-hour sessions a week at home, where they can either study solo or you can work with them. This dedicated study time will make sure they are constantly applying themselves and exercising using a second language. If your child doesn’t have this time, it may be easy for them to feel disheartened, as they will probably find they aren’t making any progress or are struggling to remember the vocabulary learnt.

Say a phrase every day!
Ask your child to say something to you in the second language they are studying every single day. Even if it is just a simple sentence, speaking it out loud will be sure to help them grasp new phrases and vocabulary much easier. As well as getting them to speak it out loud, also encourage them to explain exactly what they said to you.

Ask teachers for learning resources
Asking your child’s teacher for learning resources that can be used for language practice at home is a great way to always have suitable material to hand. This can include videos, books or flashcards. After all, memorisation is key, so anything that will help your kids remember the most common words and phrases easily is bound to help.

Utilise technology: Apps and Online
Alongside physical resources, utilising what technology has to offer is an innovative way to encourage learning a second language. As kids might have a short attention span, fun and interactive language games and apps are a helpful learning tool that can be used during study sessions or when the kids are bored at the weekend. Downloading and installing any software or apps onto your electronic devices will mean that your child can practice developing their language skills at any time!

Watch a TV show/movie in another language
Finding a cartoon or movie that interests your child and getting them to watch it in the language they’re studying is a fantastic way for them to learn without realising it. You can also change the settings to add subtitles, so make sure you pop these on beforehand. Exposing them to another language in this way is sure to help them come on leaps and bounds as well as develop their listening and comprehension skills.

Look for opportunities outside the classroom
Keeping an eye on language opportunities for your child outside the classroom is a fun way for them to learn in a new environment. For younger children look out for after-school clubs or international events in your local community. Not only will there be opportunities for them to practice and learn but the event might even inspire them to develop their capabilities even further. For older kids, openings to study abroad are often available and will provide your child with vital life experience as well as hugely develop their language and cultural skills.

How to help children learn to love school

As the winter break comes to a close, a new term awaits, and that can fill many children with dread. However, school doesn’t have to be synonymous with fear and in fact can be enjoyable and exciting. At Tutor Doctor we know how important it is for kids to enjoy school and have a positive attitude towards learning. Here are a few ways you can help your children learn to love school and get on the right track for 2017.

Be a Role Model

As a parent, you are probably the most influence in your child’s life. Displaying a positive attitude towards school is extremely important as it will set an example that your child can adopt.

Get Your Child Involved

Often kids think school is just about homework and hours spent in the classroom. However it’s also about fun after-school activities such as sports and clubs. Encourage your kids to pursue their interests outside of regular school hours as this will give them something to look forward to once the school day is over. There are probably many possible activities, so there’s bound to be something for everyone!

Avoid Over-scheduling
On the flip side, it’s also important that your kids aren’t overscheduled. Make sure they have a healthy balance of after-school activities, time to complete homework, time to socialise and a few hours to relax too. If they do have a different activity every day it might burn them out, which could lead to negative associations with school. If this is the case, ask your child which two activities/clubs they enjoy the most and cut the others from their schedule.

Have a Homework Routine

Homework is still a huge part of school for any child. Making sure your child has designated homework time as part of their everyday routine is crucial. It will ensure they have time to study and stay on top of their schoolwork, meaning they will always be ready for their lessons. There really is nothing worse for children than to know they’re unprepared or haven’t completed the work that’s due -- in fact, it will make them dread going to school even more. Having a fun, vibrant homework space for them at home will also make this assigned time much easier and -- dare we say -- enjoyable.

Encourage Meaningful Relationships
Remind your child that with friends, quality is much more important than quantity. Avoiding the word ‘popular’ is also a good idea- instead encourage your child to have a few meaningful friendships. Knowing they have a great circle of friends at school to talk to, play with and share problems with will make it much more fun!

Show an Interest

Always try and show an active interest in your child’s school life and remain positive when discussing it with them. Ask about assignments, what subjects they are enjoying, who is their favourite teacher -- anything school related, really. Doing this will encourage them to say out loud about all the things they love about school, which should help them realise that it’s not as bad as they think and that many aspects are exciting! If you can, why not try and go the extra mile by volunteering or being aware of what’s going on in the school community? Doing this shows your kids that you value the effort they put in at school and that you care about how they are progressing.