A Parent's Blog About Parent Interests by our Tutoring Company

Summer is coming to an end and fall is just around the corner. This means that school is almost back in session! Here are some helpful back to school tips to help your family prepare for the new school year.

1. Back to school tips to help you get organized

Use the new school year as an opportunity to organize your kids’ closets. Your kids can help with this task by going through their closet and finding the clothes that don’t fit them anymore. You could even turn this into a game and say for every five pieces of old clothing that you clean out of the closet you can replace it with a new outfit. All of the old clothes can be placed in a bag and donated to a local charity. Making room for new clothes by getting rid of old clothes should be a fun motivation for kids to jump on this first back to school tip!

2. Practice a school day at home

For kids starting kindergarten school is still an unknown to them. A fun way to help young children get ready for starting school is to play “school” at home. This can range from practicing to pack up backpacks to doing pretend school work at the kitchen table. Kids are excited to start something new, but they may need some help to know what to do once they arrive at their new classroom. Another important tip for kids is to practice following instructions without talking back. Teachers will expect kids to be able to follow classroom instruction without having twenty kids all talking back or asking questions at the same time. You can explain this to your kindergartener and say “when your teachers tells the class to sit at their tables and get out a pencil, you should follow the directions without talking.” Then you can practice this at home! This is also a nice way to get your kids to do their chores without talking back!

3. Get back into a normal schedule

Some kids stay on a pretty regular bedtime and rising schedule during the summer. Other families have later summer nights and enjoy sleeping in all during their vacation. If your family has gotten onto a summertime schedule then it’s a good idea to start adjusting your kids’ schedules at least one week before school starts. If you don’t get back on a regular schedule ahead of time then your kids will probably have a pretty rough first week back at school! You don’t want your kids falling asleep on their desks during silent reading time!

Going back to school can be a fun and exciting time, but it can also be a source of anxiety. Make sure you help your kids relax and prepare for the new year in a way that promotes positivity. Here are some more helpful back to school tips for reducing anxiety.

Getting a Vancouver tutor this summer is a good idea for students who want to be ready for next fall. Especially because of the teachers’ strike in the Vancouver school district students may have fallen behind. By working one on one with a tutor in Vancouver or other Lower Mainland cities students can make up any missed lessons and even get ahead for the next school year.

How to find a Vancouver tutor

It’s actually easier than you think to find a personal tutor in Vancouver. There are certified teachers who will come to your home to tutor students in one or multiple subjects. Visit our tutoring services page to find a tutor in your area who is a good match for your child. We have tutors in Vancouver Island, Okanagan, Comox Valley and Fraser Valley as well as other nearby cities.

Reasons to hire a Vancouver tutor this summer

When you meet with a local Vancouver tutor they will be familiar with the BC curriculum. If your child fell behind during the past school year the summer time is a great opportunity for your child to catch up. Tutors are trained to determine what academic areas a student needs help in. You can meet with a tutor and discuss what would be good for your child. You can also establish a schedule of how often your child will need tutoring sessions.

Express your hopes and concerns with your child’s tutor

You should feel free to discuss what areas you feel your child needs extra help with. You can also let your child’s tutor know what you hope the outcome of regular tutoring sessions will be. A professional tutor is highly trained in monitoring student progress and will be happy to share regular evaluations with you. It is actually very important that the parents are part of the tutoring process. Don’t be shy when it comes to communicating with your tutor and with your child about what they are learning.

Private tutors help students avoid the summer slide

A common concern parents may have for their children is the summer slide. This occurs when students are out of the classroom and get out of the habit of reading, writing, critical thinking and learning in general. Some studies have shown that students are actually further behind when they start school in the fall than they were at the end of the previous school year. Having a tutor will not only help prevent students from experiencing the summer slide, but it will help them get ahead in their studies.

Students who spend time with a tutor over the summer will receive a number of benefits. They will get caught up in difficult subjects, maintain a habit of learning, avoid the summer slide and most importantly they will be prepared to start the new school year. If your child needs a tutor we can help get you started today.

Graduation gifts can be a perfect opportunity to congratulate the graduate and help support them for the next step of their lives. Cash is a nice graduation gift especially when it is intended to go toward a college fund or future career. Sometimes, however cash gets used for pure entertainment rather than being put toward future learning. Here are some ideas for graduation gifts that will hopefully encourage and promote more learning post graduation.

Graduation gifts for readers:

1. Biographies of persons that the graduate has an interest in make thoughtful graduation gifts. As do inspirational books about entrepreneurs, well known scholars and life-long learners.

2. Books related to topics of future study. If a student is planning to study a foreign language or study abroad you could purchase them a book written in that foreign language. A language dictionary would also be very useful and appreciated.

Graduation gifts for high school graduates:

3. Gift certificate to a University bookstore or amazon.com. Tuition is not the only financial burden on students. They also often have to spend quite a large sum on required books and course materials. Your gift can help them cover these costs so they don’t have to stress about finances and they can focus on their education.

4. A laptop or gift card for an electronics store is a generous gift for students going off to University. You should specify that the gift card is specifically for an electronic device that can be used for learning purposes (not entertainment). An e-reader would be a nice gift especially since students are beginning to buy digital textbooks.

Gifts that promote learning new skills

5. Gift certificate for summer tutoring sessions are a great gift that can be used to prepare the graduate for the next step in life. Whether it is tutoring for upcoming courses or reviewing old topics that need additional study, tutoring is a valuable gift.

6. A gift certificate for music, dance or language lessons may give the graduate an opportunity to learn something new. For the serious students who haven’t had a chance to tap into their creative side taking more artistic classes could be a fun experience. Plus, using both sides of the brain is important!

All of these graduation gifts can be customized to the particular graduate depending on their interests and future goals. Helping a graduate continue their education is the greatest gift that can be given.

A popular Dr. Seuss book that is commonly given as a graduation gift is “Oh the Places You’ll Go”. It emphasizes that graduation is just the beginning of a life that will lead to many new places and experiences with opportunities for future learning, some inevitable failures and wonderful accomplishments. You can help the graduates in your life along their way to success by giving them a graduation gift that encourages continued learning.

If you are looking for a private tutor in Vancouver and the surrounding areas there are some things you should consider.  For one, a tutor is someone who will be working one-on-one with your child so you want to be sure that they are trustworthy.  You also want to make sure that the tutor is trained and qualified to effectively tutor your child.

1. Look for a certified private tutor in Vancouver

Finding a tutor who is a certified teacher ensures that your tutor is trained in effective instruction techniques.  Although a high school or university student may get high marks on math tests it doesn’t mean that they are skilled at being a math tutor for a student in grade five.  Being competent in a subject is very different than being able to teach the subject to someone else.  Certified teachers make lesson plans before each tutoring session and evaluate the student after each session.  In this way the teacher can make sure the student is making progress and adapt the tutoring sessions accordingly.

2. Choose a reputable tutoring agency in Vancouver

When searching for a private tutor in Vancouver you will find all sorts of ads on the Internet for tutors that may or may not be part of a tutoring agency.  Before selecting a tutor you should make sure that they should come from a reputable tutoring agency.  You’ll want to identify a tutoring agency that sets high standards for their tutors and requires a full background check for their tutors.  Some tutoring agencies like School is Easy Tutoring Company only accept certified teachers as tutors.  Sometimes for high school math and science ‘School is Easy’ hires University instructors who have a Masters degree. All of the tutors must have excellent references related to their teaching ability.

3. Make sure to get a private tutor with a flexible schedule

Once you’ve found a tutoring company you’ll want to inquire about the scheduling system.  A professional tutoring company will provide a private tutor for your student at a time that is best for you.  Some students learn better at certain times of the day and therefore it is the most beneficial to schedule private tutoring sessions during that time.  If a tutor is only available at obscure times you may want to find a larger tutoring agency that has more tutors available to fit into your schedule.

4. Set up a home visit for the tutor to get to know your child

Before beginning tutoring sessions you can ask to set up a home visit for the tutor to meet your child.  During this home visit the tutor can get to know your child and evaluate their needs so they will know how to prepare for the tutoring sessions.  It is important to find a tutor who is interested in getting to know your child.  This shows that they are willing to invest their time and energy into your child and that they care about your child’s success.

Remember to consider these points while searching for a quality private tutor in Vancouver.  Once you’ve found a tutor and a tutoring agency that you feel comfortable with it is good to pass along your recommendations to your friends and family members too!