Tutors.  Do we need them?

For our lovely special children I’m not so sure.

He has an extremely  tricky time at school.

Keeping focussed, keeping still, trying to process that complicated instruction, trying to just stay out of trouble.

Then it’s home time.

Yay!

But wait. Time to go to the tutor.

What do you think the reaction will be?

Certainly not wahoo, yippee or ‘thanks mum’. The reaction you’re likely to get is a tantrum, rudeness, a sulk, maybe some tears.

So why do we do it to our special children?

Pressure.

Pressure from other mums who persuade us that SATs matter. Spellings matter. Times tables matter.

Well I’ve got news for you. These things……….Do.Not.Matter

What matters is that your child feels fantastic about themselves. Feels valued. Feels successful. And that life is fun.

He is knackered after school so why put him through more academic torture?

But – I hear you shout – he is behind his peers academically and he will never achieve if he doesn’t know the basics. He needs to pass an entrance exam. Maybe if you need to tutor him to pass an entrance exam it may not be the right school for your child. But I do believe in giving our children every opportunity to be successful So if he needs to practice non-verbal reasoning skills then pop along to WH Smiths and buy a practice book. He’ll love the time you spend together working out is it A,B,C or D.

But with the other stuff like learning his tables, then you can also really, really help him.

Here are 7 Alternatives To Wasting Money On A Tutor

1.Play games

There are so many games that involve counting, reading, estimating, sharing. He won’t even know he’s learning. Shop bought or make your own. Check out Pinterest for zillions of ideas.

2. Go to the library

Borrow 10 books and bring the joy of reading for pleasure. Don’t go for chapter books unless he is a fluent reader. There are some incredible picture story books that will develop his language, fire his imagination and throw him into different worlds. Oh and teach him spellings.

3. Help in the kitchen

Fantastic opportunities for reading, weighing and measuring. Then eating.

4. Arts and crafts

Make stuff. Measure, estimate, cut and count. It’s fun. It’s messy.

5. Go outside

Read street signs, posters, timetables, road markings. Find words and maths opportunities everywhere you go.  Build a den in the woods using estimating, balancing, measuring. Endless possibilities.

6. Go shopping

Give him a budget and get him to be in charge of the money. Count out the coins and work  out how much left. Maths will start to make sense.

7. Make a party

Design invitations, make a table plan, write the menu, read the ingredients, make the fairy cakes spell out  his name. Tons of opportunities for reading, writing and maths. Any excuse for a party!

 

So there we are. Now you know how I feel about tutors. It’s really not necessary for our special children. Step back and really examine why your child has a tutor. I could have just saved you an awful lot of money. I’ve got an idea…Spend it on yourself instead 🙂

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A STEP-BY-STEP SYSTEM TO LIVE A HAPPY LIFE

WITH A CHILD WITH ADHD