primary school – 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.

Help your Child to Master Fractions

AnneMarie Brosnan — Tue, 27 Jul 2021 19:02:25 +0000

Fractions, Decimals and Percentages are concepts that primary school children regularly struggle with. This is predominately because children do not fully understand the basics associated with these mathematical concepts. As a result, children find it difficult to keep up when more complicated concepts are introduced at school, often leading to low academic attainment and a deterioration of confidence.

From August 16th – August 20th, 2021, we are running a Maths course for children entering 6th Class in September 2021. This course will take place in our tuition centre in Castletroy, Limerick.

The focus of this course is on fractions. If children do not have a good understanding of fractions, they will struggle to develop an understanding of decimals, percentages and related problem solving questions.

Over the course of 5 classes, we will teach your child the fundamental knowledge and skills required to develop a mastery of fractions. Potential topics include:

Equivalent fractions
Adding and subtracting fractions
Multiplication of fractions
Mixed number operations
Problem solving with fractions

Each of these topics will be taught using a variety of multi-sensory, activity based approaches which make the experience both meaningful and enjoyable!

The fee for this course is €129 and classes will run daily from 10am-11am.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, places are limited so early booking is essential.

To join the waitlist, please click on this link.

To keep update on our course offerings, with exclusive access to discounts and special offers, make sure you’re following us on Facebook and Instagram.

5 Practical Ways To Help Your Child With Their Maths Homework

AnneMarie Brosnan — Sat, 17 Oct 2020 20:50:54 +0000

Completing Maths homework can be a little traumatising for both parents and kids! This is often because learning styles differ between parents and their children and over-familiarity means that neither are afraid of letting their frustrations show every now and again! If you or your child have been struggling with Maths homework lately, you’ve come to the right place. Check out the practical tips below and see if they make a difference.

Maths Homework Tips

Remember that every child learns differently. Some are visual learners while others are auditory or kinaesthetic learners (learners who work best by working with their hands/completing hands-on activities). If your child does not understand something that you are trying to explain, be patient and try to find a different way to approach the problem – see points below.
Youtube is a great educational tool. Remember that the way kids are taught these days might be different to the way you were taught at school. If in doubt, check Youtube out! You are sure to find some great video tutorials that will go through specific sums and Maths concepts using a coherent, child friendly, step-by-step approach.
If a child is struggling with a particular concept in their Maths homework, try to introduce some concrete materials to help them visualise the problem a little better. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy – pasta shells can work for problems involving any of the operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) while chocolate bars or sweets can be great to help explain fractions!
Drawing pictures is also a great way to help kids visualise a certain problem. Again, the pictures don’t have to bee too fancy. Rough sketches are fine.
Learning new Maths skills can actually be really fun with all of the wonderful online resources available these days. Topmarks is a great site for interactive online Maths games. Use these games to help consolidate learning. Your child will have lots of fun too!

Have you any tried-and-tested tips for helping kids with their Maths homework? Let us know in the comments section below! If you are still struggling with Maths homework and would like to see how our Primary School Grinds can help, get in touch today.