parenting – Premier Tuition Centre

Navigating Homework Stress

Premier Tuition — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 06:49:13 +0000

Eliminate Homework Stress for You and Your Child

We’ve all been there.

You’re sitting down to help your child with their homework. The dinner is cooking, the washing machine is running, the TV is on in the next room, and your other children are interrupting from time to time, asking questions or wanting you to do something for them.

It’s overstimulating and overwhelming. For everyone.

The child completing their homework lacks focus. They’re a little bit giddy. They’re doing ok but making some mistakes. Too many of mistakes, you think.

Somewhere, in the back of your mind, a teeny tiny voice (so tiny you may not be aware it’s actually there) is saying things like: “this is bad,” “they should know this,” “they’re falling behind at school.”

Consciously, you’re trying to help your child with their homework but subconsciously, you’re worried for your child. You think they’re falling behind in school and that IT’S YOUR FAULT.

You snap. You didn’t see it coming but you yell. Mayhem ensues, however brief, and now you’re riddled with guilt.

You know you acted rashly. You know you should have been more patient. You remember the times your parents weren’t patient with you and you swore that you’d never be the same with your children. But something just snapped.

What was it?

Understanding Homework Triggers

As parents, we often become triggered by the difficulties our children face when they’re completing their homework. Not necessarily because they’re not doing it well but because:

a) We’re overwhelmed by the environment we’re in and the multiple other distractions that are going on around us.

b) No matter how hard we try to explain something, it’s not sinking in.

c) We’re subconsciously worried that our child is falling behind in school and that this is somehow our fault.

Moving Forward

In order to overcome these homework triggers, it’s important to do the following:

a) Create an environment that’s conducive to completing homework. Wait until the dinner is cooked and the chores are done. Do what you must to make sure your other children are looked after and occupied. Aim to create an environment that’s calm, quiet and distraction-free.

b) If the way you explain something is not sitting with your child, try to incorporate visual aids and hands-on materials which can help to make abstract concepts more concrete. See if there are any YouTube videos or online activities that will help your child to see the concept from a different perspective.

c) Manage your own expectations in advance. Take a few seconds to remind yourself that every child is unique. Every child learns differently and in different stages. If your child genuinely cannot do something, that’s ok! They’re not meant to know everything. Identifying potential issues at an early stage is actually a very good thing as it will allow you to take the steps necessary to either get them support or support them yourself.

Next Steps

If you’re concerned in any way about your child’s progress in school, make an appointment to talk to their teacher. Even if your child is falling behind in a certain subject or area, there’s absolutely no reason why these issues cannot be overcome, allowing them to lead a happy and successful life at school.

At Premier Tuition Centre, we understand that each child has unique learning needs. That’s why we offer personalised tuition to primary school pupils in Irish, English, and Maths, including Specialist Dyslexia Tuition with an Orton-Gillingham trained tutor.

Our experienced tutors are dedicated to providing individualised support to help your child overcome challenges and thrive academically.

Learn more about our classes by clicking on the links below.

How To Support Your Child With Maths

Premier Tuition — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 11:03:51 +0000

Overcome Maths Anxiety

I’ve made no secret about the fact that I struggled with Maths since primary school and this is one of the main reasons why I started Premier Tuition Centre.

I first began to experience Maths anxiety when I was in Senior Infants!

Although I was a smart child and was never considered to be a candidate for additional support at school (in fact, I used to help out in these classes when I was in 6^th Class) I silently struggled with Maths for the duration of my time in school, primary and secondary, and developed really bad anxiety towards the subject.

If this sounds like your child, and you want to give them some support before their difficulties worsen, try these 5 tips:

💡 Tip 1

Help your child with their homework every night. It’s not always easy in a busy household but set some quiet time aside so that you can sit with your child each evening. Consistency is key and you might be surprised to find out that the thing they’re struggling with is really easy to solve. For example, when I was in Senior Infants, I panicked when asked to add money. Even though I could add numbers very easily, for some reason it took me a while to understand that adding money was done in the exact same way.

💡 Tip 2

Use lots of concrete materials and hands on activities to help your child develop their problem-solving skills. Every child learns differently. Some children are visual learners while others are tactile/kinesthetic and these children often begin to struggle with Maths when they’re expected to solve problems abstractly (in their heads) before they’re developmentally ready.

💡 Tip 3

Use digital resources to help your child understand new concepts or topics. Parents/caregivers and their children don’t often make for the best teacher-student relationship! Children can get frustrated with their parents and vice versa. Youtube has some great Maths tutorials that might help your child understand a new concept better than if you’re teaching it directly. There are also loads of interactive Maths games available online that make learning and practicing Maths really fun.

💡 Tip 4

Try to incorporate informal Maths activities into your daily routine. This can be easily done through cooking or baking activities but it’s also possible to practice counting, adding and subtracting skills throughout the day. When possible, ask questions like “how much more do I need” or “how much less than…” to help develop their Maths language. Ask your child to help you with the time and get them used to buying items in a shop with money and collecting the change.

💡 Tip 4

Don’t panic if your child doesn’t understand something immediately. Learning takes time and consistency. Putting too much pressure on your child could make the situation worse. If you try these activities and nothing is working, speak to your child’s school and see what they can do to help.

Thinking About Maths Tutoring?

We offer Maths tutoring to primary school pupils from Senior Infants – 6th Class.

Our tutors are fully qualified and experienced but also incredibly kind, patient and supportive.

We use inclusive methodologies to support all learners.

To find out more, click on the link below.

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Dyslexia: How to Support your Child

AnneMarie Brosnan — Sun, 09 Jan 2022 16:49:54 +0000

3 Easy Ways to Support Your Child with Dyslexia

Did you know that dyslexia affects 10% of the population?

Indicators of dyslexia can vary from age to age but some of most common signs present as:

✅ difficulties with learning the connection between letters and sounds

✅ difficulty repeating multisyllabic words

✅ confusion with small words

✅ poor concentration

If your child has dyslexia, here are some ways that you can support them:

1. Read to your child. Children with dyslexia often develop a dislike of reading because they find it so challenging. Make the experience enjoyable by reading to them. This means that they get to experience the benefits of reading but none of the stress or anxiety that often goes with it.

2. Children with dyslexia often have low self-esteem because they recognise that they learn differently to their peers. Talk to your child about this in a positive way. Help them to develop their talents and focus on the things that they do well. Actively promote positive thinking by regularly using phrases such as “you can do it” or “you are good/smart enough”, “you are intelligent”.

3. Get familiar with assistive technology which can help your child achieve their full potential. Text-to-Speech software can be used to support academic learning while apps like Audible have hundreds of fiction and non-fiction books available to download at the click of a button.

Get an experienced tutor who has worked with children with dyslexia before. Children with dyslexia should be taught in a direct, explicit and multi-sensory way that is often quite different to traditional approaches.

"Children with dyslexia should be taught using direct, explicit and multi-sensory approaches" - AnneMarie

Specialist Dyslexia Tutors

If you’d like to learn more about our specialist dyslexia tutors, get in touch with us today.

Tuition is available to primary school pupils from Senior Infants to 6th Class live online through Zoom or at our tuition centre in Castletroy, Limerick.