This is a collaborative post.
I’ve mentioned before that I am passionate about my children’s education. I don’t force them to do anything they don’t want but Jack utilises websites and apps to aid him in his learning and Olivia does Phonics classes too. I try to ensure that Jack does after school clubs that will aid him in his learning too – whether that is sports such as chess and football or a science club.
Jack seems to be doing well with his learning so far – his teachers seem happy with him and he is either at the expected level or exceeding that so I have no worries at the moment. His maths skills are second to none and he is really passionate about English, History and Science. There are a few subjects where he isn’t as interested but generally, he is doing extremely well. However I have considered what we would do as a family if his learning started to slip.
I will never be pushy – I hate pushy parents – and it is totally not in my nature; but I will always encourage him to do his best. If that means utilising different options such as educational websites, hiring a tutor or something else, then so be it. Education is important so it is important to light the flames young when it comes to a love of it and keep them burning for as long as possible.
Tavistock Tutors extra tuition is something I would consider. They are London’s best private teaching and tutoring agency and offer tuition on a variety of subjects at various different levels. Jack is only eight so isn’t really in need right now but it certainly won’t be long until his Year 6 SATS and then moving on into secondary school where he will have multiple different lessons in a day and plenty of homework.
He has a passion for learning right now and I am keen to keep that flame burning for as long as possible but I know all too well as he gets older, that love may start to wane as he finds other interests and hobbies to capture his attention. It is vital to have options in mind for the future should he ever need an extra little bit of help like we all do from time to time.
I could certainly have done with a tutor for certain subjects when I was younger. English, Media Studies and History stuck in my brain constantly but others such as Biology and Geography, the information seemed to fall out of my head as soon as it went in. A tutor or some college homework help would have made all the difference and left me loving the subjects rather than being so glad when I could finally get rid of them.
Do you help your kids with their education? Do they do any extra curricular activities to keep their brains whirring?