The Benefits of Small Group Tuition
Many parents and carers in Adelaide want to provide their children with additional learning support, or find a place where they can be challenged and extended beyond their regular schooling. This can be in core subject areas, such as reading, English and maths, as well as other more specialised subjects, such as science or Research Project.
For these families, there are two options available to them — one-to-one tuition or tuition in small groups.
REM+ Tuition has made the decision to offer tuition in small groups of between two and six pupils, having found that this approach has several advantages over individual or one-to-one tuition.
Most notably, small group tuition is highly effective in helping children to catch up in subjects or topics where they may have fallen behind, and gives them opportunities to consolidate key skills. It also enables them to extend their knowledge and understanding in a positive learning environment where they can collaborate with others, gain greater independence, and have opportunities to practise and consolidate new skills.
Small group tuition creates a collaborative environment
Pupils in all age groups enjoy and benefit from working together. It can be a way of developing both confidence and competencies, and creates a positive learning environment whether students are working on key skills or in more advanced areas of learning.
Tuition in small groups of between two and six pupils also means that students can receive personalised direction from their tutor, while still being able to engage and interact with classmates. This enables them to benefit from the close attention they receive from their tutor and share ideas with their peers at the same time. Some parents report that students who receive individual tuition for an extended period of time miss these aspects of the learning process.
However, when pupils work together in groups, they benefit from the different teaching and learning styles that small group tuition offers, have more opportunities for speaking and listening, and can also, on occasion, engage in pairs work. Based on experience, REM+ Tuition suggests that this mix of learning methods enhances the overall quality of the learning experience.
Does individual tuition discourage independence?
If students are receiving one-to-one tuition for a long period of time, it can sometimes be the case that they lose independence and the ability to take responsibility for their learning,
Some students will become too reliant on their tutor, for instance, and can become easily discouraged or unmotivated if they aren’t receiving constant feedback or approval. The knock-on effect of this, particularly for older students, is that it can lead to underperformance in school work and, critically, in exams. One-to-one tuition for extended periods of time can also mean that some students’ ability to work through problems on their own is diminished, and they then lose confidence in their abilities.
Conversely, some students (particularly younger ones) can find it a little overwhelming to sit alone alongside a tutor without a break or input from others for up to an hour. As a consequence, they can become withdrawn, overly anxious, or simply find it too much and don’t want to continue with tuition.
While it can be the case that individual or one-to-one tuition can be helpful for limited periods of time in order to reach particular goals, e.g., to catch up on a topic in maths, etc., the view is that tuition in small groups provides a more solid foundation for sustained learning and helps students to develop long term and ongoing confidence.
Small group tuition provides the best of both worlds
Over the many years in which REM+ Tuition has been supporting students, they have found that small group tuition provides the best of both worlds — personalised, individual teaching from a tutor, along with periods when students can work individually — all in the same tuition session. By comparison, one-to-one tuition does not give students the same opportunities for practising new skills and consolidating existing ones on their own, as a tutor in an individual session will tend to intervene more.
The chance to test out new knowledge, practise skills, or simply have opportunities to experiment and get things wrong is a central part of the learning experience for students of all ages. Small group tuition offers all of this and more, yet at the same time, students know that their tutor is on hand to answer questions and provide direct guidance and assistance when required.
How to find out more
To learn more about our small group tuition, the subjects on offer and the times of their classes, please call Sonia at REM+ Tuition on 8331 2144 or visit www.remtuition.com.au.
For more information and all enquiries please visit the REM+ Tuition website
What: REM+ Tuition: Small Group Tuition for Students of All Ages
When: Monday to Friday during the academic year
Where: REM+ Tuition | 1/190 Glynburn Road, Tranmere | map link
Who: Children aged from 4½ to students who are completing Year 12 SACE
At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.
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