by Tahlia Mandie, Direction Exploring      Tahlia answers some common questions on tutoring and scholarship tests , such as: 'How can a tutor help my child?' and 'Should my child sit a scholarship test?'

The Australian Tutoring Association defines tuition as an educational experience designed to foster learning at a rate proportionate with the ability of the child. Tutoring varies from tutor – to – tutor, organisation – to – organisation and individual – to – individual.

Sitting Scholarship exams similarly raise some common questions. I have tried to answer some common questions:

Is my child falling behind? Does my child need tutoring?

Tutoring may be advantageous for children who have particular difficulties, such as an intellectual disability or learning difficulty, or for those that are intellectually advanced. Similarly, tutoring may be beneficial for students who feel they are falling behind in class, lack understanding about the subject or topics taught, or learn better in a one-to-one teaching style.

To assess if your child needs tutoring, it would be recommended that you first consult your child’s teacher. Similarly, if there is repeatedly negative comments or low marks on their report cards then maybe this is a topic you can raise with your child and ask him or her directly, do you think a tutor would help?

How can a tutor help my child?

A tutor can offer one-on-one assistance to your child in the subject that they find challenging and difficult. A tutor can offer help in assignment questions, preparation for exams, review of topic questions, and assistance with homework. Tutors can also empower your child to feel more confident in their work and schoolwork.

How do I raise the tutoring subject?

This is a tricky question and will depend on your child and child’s situation. It is always recommended that you raise this subject with your child and discuss with them your concerns, seeking feedback and comment from them. Tutoring is something that you cannot force upon your child, as they have to have the motivation and want to learn and increase their knowledge. It is always important to reinforce that having a tutor does not mean that they are any less of a person, but rather puts them on a better foot to succeed and do well.

Should my child sit a school scholarship exam?

Scholarships can be a wonderful rewarding opportunity for both parents and child. However, the question of whether your child is capable of this is a common question.  Unlike ordinary school exams, scholarship exams aim to predict the future achievement of the child. They usually are a couple of hours in length, are sat on a designated day, and require a fee to be paid before the child sits the exam. The format of each school exam is different. For example, the format of the Scotch College (Victoria) exam is: 

• Creative Writing
• Opinion Writing
• Mathematics
• Reading Comprehension
• Verbal Reasoning

 Preparation is recommended and there are a variety of organisations and tutors that assist students in preparing for the exam. Simply Google or look in your local yellow pages.

What if my child does not get the scholarship?

It is not the end of the world! It is important to encourage and reaffirm to your child that they did their best. Just because they did not get the scholarship does not mean that they will not succeed and do well in life. Scholarships are tough and are designed to pull out the “best from the best”.  Remember, if they want, they can always sit the exam the following year.

Image: freedigitalphotos.net

About the author:

Tahlia Mandie is a psychotherapist, family counsellor and mum who runs her own private practice, Direction Exploring and now runs her own blog, The Parenting Files - because families matter. Discussing all things parenting and family matters to the serious stuff to the not so serious stuff, the parenting files is spoken with a little witt, quirk and humour. Tahlia also writes regular columns and articles for magazines, newspapers and other online forums.

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