Encouraging-reluctant-readers-by-taking-reading-outdoors.

How can you encourage your child to read?  According to research conducted by King’s College London, most children learn better outdoors.  They feel more curious, motivated, and happy to concentrate when they’re outside.  

Share stories under a tree, in a tent, on a picnic blanket or snuggled up in a pile of cushions and blankets.  With a bit of preparation you can go out whatever the weather. The worse the weather, the more exciting it can be!

Find stories and non-fiction books your child will love by browsing together at the library, and by picking out books that you think they will enjoy.  Extend your child’s reading with activities linked to books, and join in with activities yourself – enjoyment and enthusiasm are infectious.

Here are some examples of how to get your child interested in reading through story themes.   

Potions

Picture books:

Meg and Mog by Helen Nicoll and Jan Pienkowski

Potion Commotion by Peter Bently and Sernur Isik

Paperbacks:

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy

Activity

The child makes a magic potion by mixing natural ingredients (stones, soil, weeds, leaves) with water.  Add a sprinkle of bicarbonate of soda and a dash of vinegar for a magical fizz. Encourage the child to jot down the ingredients on a sparkly notepad as they go.

Once the potion is made, the child writes a recipe, giving it a name e.g. ‘Invisibility Potion’, ‘Wishing Juice’.    The child reads their recipe to you. If you have written a recipe too, you can swap and read each other’s.

Monsters

Picture books:

Monsters Love Underpants by Claire Freedman

Not Now Bernard by David McKee

Paperbacks:

Fing by David Walliams and Tony Ross

Tom Gates: What Monster? By Liz Pichon

Activity

Make a monster by pressing clay onto a tree and adding natural materials for features.  The child writes a fact card for their monster detailing the monster’s name, age, special powers, what it looks like, what it eats, where it lives, and what it likes to do.  Ask the child to read their fact card (and yours too, if you have joined in).

Picnics

Picture books:

Florentine and Pig Have a Very Lovely Picnic by Eva Katzler

The Teddy Bears Picnic by Gill Guile

Paperbacks:

The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Activity

Support the child to read and follow instructions from a children’s cookbook to make picnic treats (Florentine and Pig contains recipes).  Write a picnic shopping list together and, as you shop, encourage the child to read and follow their list.  

Before the picnic, the child writes invitations to toys or friends.  After the picnic give the child an attractively presented thank you letter from a guest (the letter should be at the child’s reading level).   

Gentle Giants

Picture books:

George’s Amazing Adventures: Jellybeans for Giants by Adam & Charlotte Guillain

The Smartest Giant in Town by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

Paperbacks:

The BFG by Roald Dahl

The Gentle Giant by Michael Morpurgo

Activity

Outside, hide a letter from the story giant.  The letter should provide details about the giant and its life and also ask the child questions about themselves.

The child finds the letter by following props or footprints relevant to the story.  For instance, The Smartest Giant in Town props could be a trail of discarded clothes.

Once the child has read the letter, they write a reply to the giant.

Treasure!

Picture books:

Mr Men: Adventure with Pirates by Roger Hargreaves

The Pirates of Scurvy Sands by Jonny Duddle

Paperbacks:

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Scarlet Silver: Swashbuckle School by Sarah McConnell and Lucy Courtenay

Activity

Write and hide clues that lead the child to hidden treasure (perhaps chocolate coins).  Make the clues descriptive, incorporating some directional language: ‘Turn right by the garden table and walk towards the flower bed’.  For extra engagement, write some clues in secret writing.    

Once the child has completed the treasure hunt, they could create one for you to follow!

What else can you do to encourage a reluctant reader?

At Tutor My Kids we believe that with the right support reluctant readers can be inspired to read for pleasure.  

  • Set an example.  If your child sees that you love reading, they soon will too.
  • Read to them.  They are likely to appreciate exciting stories that are above their current reading level.
  • Motivate children through their interests.  Encourage them to choose books independently, and at the same time introduce them to books you think they will enjoy.

Remember, writing is everywhere – indoors and outdoors.  It’s on signposts, labels, instructions, cereal boxes, flyers and so on.  Wherever they are, encourage your child to engage with the written word and they will soon be a fluent, interested reader.

Are-you-a-teacher-who-is-happy-at-work?

Research regularly shows that the three main indicators for being happy in your work are freedom to plan your own work, feeling like you’re making a difference and feeling valued.

Do you feel valued?

As a one-to-one tutor in Ely, Cambridge and surrounding areas for Tutor My Kids, our teachers are regularly thanked for helping their child to learn. Perhaps parents of classroom teachers intend to or think to at the end of the school year, but we’re blessed with fantastic parents who appreciate what we do every single visit.

Do you feel that you’re making a difference?

Teaching 30 pupils, makes it really hard to feel like you’re making a difference. You are of course, but it’s not so easily measurable. That or you spend your time measuring and proving that your class has progressed rather than focusing on the planning and teaching.  Private tuition is very straightforward in that way – you can see the difference that you’re making very clearly. Our tutors in Cambrisgeshire regularly see and love those light-bulb moments when their student gets it.

Are you teaching what you feel are the right things for your pupils?

Teachers are under a lot of scrutiny at the moment, from school managers, governors, parents and the government. I’ve had several conversations with teachers in Cambridge and Ely areas who feel that they are no longer able to plan lessons that they think are the right ones for their students. With one-to-one tuition, it is completely possible and necessary to follow exactly what is right for the student. There is time to go back to fill in gaps that would be impossible to achieve in a classroom situation.

Interested in finding out more about private tuition?

For more information on becoming a private tutor in Ely, Cambridge, Huntingdon, Newmarket and surrouning areas with Tutor My Kids, click the link here or email Rachel Law or give her a call on 01223 858421 for a friendly informal chat to see if it might work for you. You might also want to see how much our other tutors enjoy tutoring for Tutor My Kids by reading their stories.

5-reasons-for tutors-to-use-a-tutoring-agency

Private tutor Cambridge

Tutor My Kids is different from many agencies, so we’re probably a bit biased, but this is our thoughts why tutors and teachers can benefit from using the right agency to find students.

At Tutor My Kids, the vast majority of our private tutors are fully qualified teachers. Working in Cambridge, Huntingdon, Newmarket and Ely, our tutors teach at the students’ homes. So we think it’s really important to visit our clients personally.

Student and Parent Visits

We always meet with the student and their parents/carers in their homes in Cambridgeshire. Doing this achieves 2 key things. Firstly, it enables us to check that there’s a good place for tutoring to occur – a kitchen or dining room table, to allow space to work and set the right tone for tuition. We always suggest a ground-floor, family friendly area. It’s one of our safeguarding criteria. Secondly, by meeting the child in the parent’s home, we have a really good idea of the home ethos and culture which means we have a great idea of which of our tutors will fit in well with that. That means that when you meet the student and their parents, you can be pretty sure you’ll get along.

Assessment

In many cases, we’re able to do some assessment with our students, so the tutor already has a starting point for the tuition. Invariably, this information is supplemented by information from the child’s class or subject teacher, with the parent’s permission. We also think that it’s important to play to the tutor’s strengths.

We match your skills and preferences to our clients

We’re a small agency, with local knowledge, which means that we know all our tutors personally. We know which of our primary school teachers prefer to teach maths rather than literacy, which ones are happy with both. We know which of our maths tutors prefer to tutor the stronger and which prefer the weaker students. We know how far our tutors are happy to travel and accommodate this. We have the view that if the teacher is tutoring what they want, where they want, when they want, it all runs smoothly. Add onto this a great personality match between student and tutor and we’ve got a winning formula.

We stay in touch with the tutor and client all the way through the process.

Rachel’s favourite bit of her job is talking to our clients and tutors to see how well the tuition is going.  Everyone likes to feel valued and we love to hear how well the tutoring is going. Having an agency to talk to means that any potential problems can be headed off too. The vast majority of the time, our clients and our tutors in Cambridge, Ely, Newmarket and Huntingdon, say how well we match our clients and tutors. In fact, only the other day, Rachel made a first call to a new client to see how the first session of tutoring had gone and the feedback was, ‘You couldn’t have found us a better tutor, Rachel.’ It’s not unusual to hear our tutors say, ‘All our clients are fabulous.’

Won’t I lose part of my fees?

At Tutor My Kids we pay our teachers a good hourly rate and our tutors keep all of it. We think it’s important for the tutor to be able to focus on their students, so we invoice the client and pay the tutor, to avoid the awkwardness of the tutor having to ask to be paid.

5 great reasons to join Tutor My Kid as a private tutor in Ely, Cambridge, Newmarket and Huntingdon areas.

So, good rates of pay, keen, well matched students, with Rachel having visited their home first of all, some assessment often done and the support of an organisation to bounce ideas off as the tuition progresses. What’s not to like? For an informal chat, please call Rachel on 01223 858421 or email Rachel to get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you.

How-much-difference-can-an-hour-of one-to-one-tuition-make?

Private tutor Cambridge

As a company that provides private tutors in Ely, Cambridge, Huntingdon and Newmarket, we are often asked “how much of a difference can you actually make in an hour?”

It’s easy for us to sit here and tell you how brilliant we think we are, and how much of a difference we can make to your child’s confidence and their grades but, as a parent myself, I much prefer to hear from other families about their experiences:

“The results have been spectacular – going from a predicted E to a predicted B and actually enjoying learning!”

Jenny and her son Sam, Ely

“Being able to cover topics on the National Curriculum with a private tutor and have the topics explained to her at her level of understanding has set her up superbly to cope with the topic when introduced in the classroom”.

Verity and her daughter Isabel, Cambridge

So how are we able to achieve this in just one hour a week?

Did you know that families who home educate are often advised that home schooled children require 1 hour of tuition a day, or the equivalent of 10 minutes for every hour they are in school, due to the one to one attention they receive.This advice varies slightly between local authorities but one hour seems a common guide. This figure is also in keeping with the tuition provided by local authorities to sick children who are unable to attend school, where they tend to provide around 5 to 8 hours tuition a week.

The number of families’ homeschooling, or elective home educating (EHE), is growing in this country and it’s estimated that over 50,000 children are currently
home educated in the UK with this figure rising by as much as 80% per year.

The online education resource EdPlace estimates that British parents spend as much as £6bn a year on private lessons for their children and a recent Ipsos Mori poll for the Sutton Trust found that 24% of all young people in the UK have received private tuition at some point; in London, the figure rises to 40%.

Quality tuition

We’re biased, of course. Tutor My Kids was founded in Cambridgeshire by a teacher and all of our tutors (with the odd exception) are teachers. This means that we do feel very strongly that not all private tutors are equal. Many private tutors who are not teachers are very good, but there are plenty of tutors out there who know their subject matter very well but lack the experience in putting it across to learners, especially those who are less confident. Teachers do this, day in, day out and it makes them excellent tutors.

So how much of a difference can we actually make in an hour? Quite a bit.

If you are interested in finding out more about private tutors in Cambridgeshire  and how it could work for your family, then please email us
or call Rachel Law on 01223 858421 for an informal chat. For information about becoming a tutor, click the link.

All our tutors are fully qualified teachers and have been DBS checked.

Why-we-get-such-great-results-at-Tutor-My-Kids.

Private tutors Cambirdgeshire

 

 

 

 

 

What is it that we do that is so very different?

Well I think, as ever, it’s rarely one thing, but a combination of several things which together form something quite incredible.

We’re small and local

Founded in 2011 by Rachel Law, a teacher and mum, we’re based in Ely, Cambridgeshire.

We know all our tutors personally, so we know their background and experience. We know what they’re good at and what they’re really great at! We talk with them regularly and we’re one big team.

Our tutors are amazing

We have amazing tutors. We are pretty picky – with a few exceptions, all our tutors are qualified teachers. Teachers have the curriculum experience and years of experience to understand how to get that information across to students with a huge variety of different learning styles. It’s what teachers do day in, day out; it’s our stock in trade.

Our teachers have the academic underpinning and understanding to know which learning blocks build information and how to rebuild the missing ones.

If you’re a teacher who’d like to find out about Becoming a Tutor My Kids tutor, click the link, email Rachel or call Rachel Law on 01223 646421 for a friendly and informal chat.

Our clients are amazing

We have great clients who simply want to give their children more confidence in their learning. We’re blessed with appreciative clients who are generous enough to recommend us to their friends, colleagues and family.

For more information about Tutor My Kids or private tuition in Cambridgeshire, please click the links.

For us, it’s personal

Rachel visits all our clients in their home to ensure that we understand what is needed academically, but also to get a feel for how the student learns and which tutors would be the best fit for your family and child. Rachel also interviews all our teachers personally, face-to-face. We feel that the personality fit between tutor and student is equally important. As a primary school teacher, Rachel is also able to assess many of our students to understand where their strengths lie and discover areas where we can help to improve understanding and confidence.

We’re joined-up

With our clients permission, we liaise with the student’s class or subject teacher to supplement the information from the initial assessment. Our clients are invariably hugely supportive of their child’s teachers, but just feel that the teacher can’t devote the one-to-one time to their child that they’d like. Many parents worry that the teacher may be ‘put out’ if they get a tutor. This couldn’t be further from the truth; all teachers want the best for all their pupils and almost without exception are just delighted that the pupil is getting some extra help to support them.

We stay in touch

Our tutors feedback to our parents after each session to explain how it’s gone – what’s been good, what needs more work etc. In addition, Rachel stays in touch with our parents and tutors too throughout the tutoring, to ensure that it’s all going to plan and helping out with any issues or concerns.

We love seeing great results

We’re all hard-wired to love seeing great results from the tuition  – it’s one of Rachel’s greatest joys –  The best bit of my job! We just love helping people to thrive and giving kids confidence.

We’re positive

All our teachers are positive, upbeat people who bring a ray of light with them. They’re a joy to have around and without doubt this rubs off on to our pupils and their families.

What makes us brilliant?

So, I think it’s being small enough to know our tutors and clients well, having amazing, positive teachers who bring a rush of energy and positivity with them. It’s joining up with schools so we have the fullness picture we can of the student’s needs, keeping our clients up to date with progress and loving seeing kids learn, thrive and gain confidence. And feeding back to our parents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The-Best-Bit-of-my-job

Tutor My Kids
Tutor My Kids

I love my job! I love helping kids who have lost confidence find their confidence again and get a renewed interest in their learning.

And the very best bit of that is talking to Tutor My Kids’ amazing tutors in Ely, Huntingdon, Newmarket and Cambridge and the students’ parents, hearing first hand how the tuition is going. I especially love that first call.

It’s natural that parents and students are going to feel anxious before the first session of private tuition, especially if they haven’t had a tutor before. Students and their parents wonder if they’ll get along with the tutor, if the tutor will be able to help them, if the tutor ‘will talk their language’ and be on the same wavelength as them. So the first call is always a great joy to know that all these anxieties have been swept away. Whilst our testimonials show how well we match our tutors to our students, many of our clients are delighted, but slightly surprised how well we achieve this.

I think it’s down to a number of key factors. We always visit our students and their parents/carers in their own home well so that we can gain a good understanding of their needs, but also their personality. I think a tutor who can connect with the individual student is as important as the tutor having the correct subject knowledge. We always interview our tutors face-to-face to ensure a great understanding of their skills and personality too. In many cases, I will do an initial academic assessment when I visit to get a feel for any specific areas which need to be addressed. This (with the parent/carers’ permission) is supplemented with information from the class or subject teacher at school. With my view, the school’s information and finally the tutor’s expertise, we have a real 360 degree view of the students needs. But is it just down to this great academic and personality matching?

With a few exceptions, all our tutors in Ely, Huntingdon, Newmarket and Cambridge (the areas we cover) are qualified teachers. Their many years of experience of their subjects is paramount, but how to get their learning across to a wide variety of different students who learn in a myriad of different ways, equally, if not, more valuable.

For more information about Tutor My Kids or private tuition in Cambridgeshire, please click the links.

If you’re a teacher who’d like to find out about Becoming a Tutor My Kids tutor, click the link, email Rachel or call Rachel Law on 01223 646421 for a friendly and informal chat.

For our other news and blogs, take a look here

Thanks for reading. Speak soon,

Rachel.

 

 

 

 

How do I become a private tutor?


Many teachers are leaving the profession or
changing the way they work – perhaps opting for part-time or supply teaching and/or
private tutoring. 

We’re increasingly being approached by great teachers who are
simply ‘greyed out’ by the politics and paperwork but don’t want to stop doing what they love – working with children.Teachers are looking at
other ways to use their skills.


Teacher are looking at new ways of working, often combining things together, such as part-time or supply teaching and private tuition. The supply situation seems to vary enormously across the
country, but in Cambridgeshire, there’s no shortage. Ditto with private tuition
– demand for private tutors in Cambridge, Ely, Huntingdon and surrounding areas
is high.

The following is a quick guide to setting up as a private
tutor:


Where do you want to tutor?

You will need to decide if you want to be a private tutor who sees clients at your home or the clients’ homes. There are pros and cons for both. Being a private tutor at home can be distracting if you have your own family or may work out fabulously because you’ve got all your resources there. You may prefer to travel to your clients so you can be fully focussed on your student and not worry about keeping your house tidy!

How much should I charge for private tuition?

This, again, is a personal choice. Take a look at what other tutors are charging and what you feel is a fair reflection of your time and experience.

How do I find clients?

If you want to find clients yourself, start telling people
that you’re going to work as a private tutor. Word of mouth will be your best
advertising. If you’re on Facebook, mention it there – even set yourself up a Facebook
page dedicated to your tutoring and don’t forget cards in the local shops. You
can also register yourself on the various tutor boards.

If you feel uncomfortable about selling yourself or you want
to get off the ground more quickly, you could consider an agency. Agencies vary
enormously in terms of their approach so speak to a few and see who you feel
you ‘click’ with.

Working with an agency means that you won’t have to sell yourself.
Go for an agency (such as Tutor My Kids in Cambridge) who visit their clients
personally first to ensure you know that you’re going somewhere safe and vetted
to work as a personal tutor. Most of our private tutors in Ely, Cambridge,
Huntingdon and surrounding areas are women. We think it’s really important that
we’ve visited the client’s home first. We only accept clients who we’re happy
with and also we do a great job of matching the needs of our students to your
skills and experience.

Some agencies simply match you with a client based on your
skills and the client’s requirements. E.g. if you teach GCSE maths and the client’s
child is sitting GCSE maths they’ll match you up.  Others offer a more personalised service. At Tutor
My Kids in Cambridge we view these things differently. It may be a GCSE maths
student (especially if taking the foundation paper) may benefit from a primary
trained maths tutor who can help fill in gaps that are preventing the student
from progressing fully. 

How do I get more clients?

At the end of the day, whether you find clients yourself or
through an agency, I’d suggest that you go with your instincts. If you feel
that you connect with the family/agency then great. If you’re really not sure
at all, then better not to start the assignment.  With the right client or agency, you’ll get
more bookings through word of mouth without fail.

How many clients are too many?

This is a personal thing, but if you feel you’re able to fit
in the prep and planning before the session to the best of your ability, then
you’re about right. If you’re struggling to find the time, then definitely don’t
take any more clients on. Doing things well will bring you more clients and
recommendations but be careful not to overstretch yourself.

Feeling Appreciated.

Schools can be tough at the moment, with sometimes little
praise. Being a private tutor for many teachers is a hugely liberating thing;
it reconnects them with seeing directly the link of their efforts to the child
and it’s also really lovely for teachers to be really valued by their clients and/or
agency. 


If you’re interested in becoming a private tutor in Cambridge, Ely, Huntingdon or Newmarket, please get in touch with Rachel Law on 01223 858421 or take a look at the Tutor My Kids Website www.Tutormykids.co.uk

How do I become a private tutor?

Many teachers are leaving the profession or changing the way they work – perhaps opting for part-time or supply teaching and/or private tutoring. 
 
We’re increasingly being approached by great teachers who are simply ‘greyed out’ by the politics and paperwork but don’t want to stop doing what they love – working with children.Teachers are looking at other ways to use their skills. Take a look at When was the last time a parent thanked you for teaching their child?
 
Teacher are looking at new ways of working, often combining things together, such as part-time or supply teaching and private tuition. The supply situation seems to vary enormously across the country, but in Cambridgeshire, there’s no shortage. Ditto with private tuition – demand for private tutors in Cambridge, Ely, Huntingdon and surrounding areas is high.
 

Here’s a quick guide to setting up as a private tutor:

Where do you want to tutor?

You will need to decide if you want to be a private tutor who sees clients at your home or the clients’ homes. There are pros and cons for both. Being a private tutor at home can be distracting if you have your own family or may work out fabulously because you’ve got all your resources there. You may prefer to travel to your clients so you can be fully focused on your student and not worry about keeping your house tidy! 

How much should I charge for private tuition?

This, again, is a personal choice. Take a look at what other tutors are charging and what you feel is a fair reflection of your time and experience.

How do I find clients?

If you want to find clients yourself, start telling people that you’re going to work as a private tutor. Word of mouth will be your best advertising. If you’re on Facebook, mention it there – even set yourself up a Facebook page dedicated to your tutoring and don’t forget cards in the local shops. You can also register yourself on the various tutor boards.
 
If you feel uncomfortable about selling yourself or you want to get off the ground more quickly, you could consider an agency. Agencies vary enormously in terms of their approach so speak to a few and see who you feel you ‘click’ with.
 
Working with an agency means that you won’t have to sell yourself. Go for an agency (such as Tutor My Kids in Cambridge) who visit their clients personally first to ensure you know that you’re going somewhere safe and vetted to work as a personal tutor. Most of our private tutors in Ely, Cambridge, Huntingdon and surrounding areas are women. We think it’s really important that we’ve visited the client’s home first. We only accept clients who we’re happy with and also we do a great job of matching the needs of our students to your skills and experience.
 
Some agencies simply match you with a client based on your skills and the client’s requirements. E.g. if you teach GCSE maths and the client’s child is sitting GCSE maths they’ll match you up.  Others offer a more personalised service. At Tutor My Kids in Cambridge we view these things differently. It may be a GCSE maths student (especially if taking the foundation paper) may benefit from a primary trained maths tutor who can help fill in gaps that are preventing the student from progressing fully. 

How do I get more clients?

At the end of the day, whether you find clients yourself or through an agency, I’d suggest that you go with your instincts. If you feel that you connect with the family/agency then great. If you’re really not sure at all, then better not to start the assignment.  With the right client or agency, you’ll get more bookings through word of mouth without fail.

How many clients are too many?

This is a personal thing, but if you feel you’re able to fit in the prep and planning before the session to the best of your ability, then you’re about right. If you’re struggling to find the time, then definitely don’t take any more clients on. Doing things well will bring you more clients and recommendations but be careful not to overstretch yourself. 

Feeling Appreciated.

Schools can be tough at the moment, with sometimes little praise. Being a private tutor for many teachers is a hugely liberating thing; it reconnects you with seeing directly the link of your efforts to the child and it’s also really lovely for you to be really valued by their clients and/or agency. 
 
If you’re interested in becoming a private tutor in Cambridge, Ely, Huntingdon or Newmarket, please get in touch with Rachel Law on 01223 858421 or take a look at the Tutor My Kids Website www.Tutormykids.co.uk

Kids forget stuff! How to help them be ahead in September.

Of course they do! They forget their PE kit, their dinner money and until firmly attached, their head.

All children (and adults) need to be doing things regularly to remember them. (How easily can you remember the PIN number on rarely used bank cards?)
 
It’s not just things that get forgotten; it’s ideas too.
 
During the summer holidays teachers expect that children will forget the things that they’ve learnt over the last few months and will plan accordingly in the first few weeks to refresh the forgotten work. 
 
However, it’s useful to give your kids the opportunity to practise things over the summer – times tables, letters to people met on holiday, reviews of places visited. Make it fun! 
 
It can also be of value to have a few hours of private tuition over the holidays, just to keep some concepts fresh in your children’s minds, especially if these are areas that you’re uncomfortable with covering yourself. Phonics and maths methodologies tend to be the ones that are most mentioned to us at Tutor My Kids and to our private tutors in Cambridge, Ely, Huntingdon and Newmarket.
 
Our private tutors in Cambridge, Ely, Huntingdon and Newmarket are all experienced, qualified teachers who can help to support children with areas that they find tricky and need extra help with. As a general rule, we’d suggest no more than an hour a week, so that they’re confident for September, whilst ensuring that they have time to chill, see friends, go places and experience new things.   
 
Kids do need a break over the holidays, so don’t over do it. If you’re doing your own thing, a few minutes each day can make a world of difference to your kids and give them a great head start for September.