Online Tutoring

How old do school-age children need to be before they are able to benefit from online tutoring? Can a six or eight year-old benefit from online tutoring? One of the great benefits of online tutoring on a one-to-one basis is that tutors personalize their tuition to the skills and learning stage of their learners. But there has to be some cut-off point.

Online tutoring is unlikely to work for a four year-old, unless he or she is a child prodigy, and as a rule of thumb tutoring of young children is often better done face-to-face. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t opportunities for online tuition for young learners, even those under six. After all, one of the benefits of online learning is that it can reach learners in remote areas, for whom little or no other educational input is available.

It is quite possible to deliver assistance with reading and simple math help, for example, and young children are often wonderfully receptive. But, if you want to offer your online tutoring services to young children, there are some obvious considerations to take into account.

• Computer skills. It’s a joke today that even very young kids outstrip their parents when it comes to technological skill. Those who’ve been brought up with computer games and the like are quite capable of using computers. However, an online programme needs to be very carefully judged, since if it is too demanding it may be frustrating and demoralising for a young learner
• Keyboard and mouse skills. Adults new to computers sometimes struggle with a mouse. Children whose co-ordination is not developed may find this a struggle. Any interactive materials need to accommodate this. On the plus side, computer use can help boost co-ordination skills.
• Attention. Keeping young children’s attention can be a challenge – even if there is an adult with them. In fact, that can work to split a child’s attention two ways. Your content and delivery will have to be exceptionally engaging and carefully designed.
• Reading skills. Any online tutoring of young children will have to be sensitive to this. Graphics and audio, as well as your supervisory inputs, can help you get round problems. For example, you can use screen-sharing for the learner to play games while you observe, advise and encourage using audio. Teaching very young children online is probably not ideal for beginners in online tutoring but for experienced tutors it is a niche worth considering. Many parents want to give their children the best start in life, educationally speaking, and there is certainly a demand for online tutoring aimed at developing basic skills, in arithmetic and reading. Busy working parents are increasingly aware of what their kids might be missing out on and online learning is a great alternative to sitting kids in front of the TV. For children who need a bit of practice

Teaching very young children online is probably not ideal for beginners in online tutoring but for experienced tutors it is a niche worth considering. Many parents want to give their children the best start in life, educationally speaking, and there is certainly a demand for online tutoring aimed at developing basic skills, in arithmetic and reading. Busy working parents are increasingly aware of what their kids might be missing out on and online learning is a great alternative to sitting kids in front of the TV. For children who need a bit of practice