Tutoring

jimmymack · Post by **jimmymack** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 3:13 pm

I accept that some tutoring, may be 10-15 hours, may be a good idea for most children. However, the Guardian article states that some children are getting 150 hours or more tutition. If we assume that the child is asked by the tutor to do 1 or 2 hours homework for each hour of tutition, then the child is spending 300-450 hours on 11+ preparation.

Again, the article claims that some children are 'spending two hours a day or more preparing'. Assuming that the child does this for a year and takes two days a week off then the child is spending 520 hours on 11+ preparation.

I think that is a ridiculous amount of time.

To begin with I cannot understand where they get suitable 11+ material to fill 300-450 hours work. Are they going over the same mock papers time and time again?

But leaving that aside, the law of diminishing/negative returns must have set in a long time ago. The child must be exhausted, bored witless and totally turned off education by the whole process - not to mention the obsessive-compulsive parents.

After that intensity of effort the child will in all probability be functionally illiterate, will have failed to read any books, will have failed to have taken any interest in what is going on in the world and is well set up to fail at any grammar they happen to scrape into.

So a question for the tutors. Assume that we have a pretty bright child, with supportive parents, who has no stumbling blocks and who is willing to do an hours homework for every hour of tutition. How many hours tuition would that child need so that you, they and the parents can feel reasonably confident that they will do as well as can be expected? My guess is 10-15 hours tuition with another 10-15 hours at home.

Next question. Once the child goes beyond the optimal time what is the marginal utility of each hour of tuition, if anything?

dikili · Post by **dikili** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 3:52 pm

We didn't have a tutor and I am starting to worry now that we should have. My child is strong on NVR and Maths but I am slightly worried about VR. We did practice but I am wondering if a tutor could have taught them better than me. Time will tell I suppose am v nervous about Monday. I will feel very guilty if its not positive news and may wish kick my self that I didn't get one at least those that did will not have that extra guilt to deal with if they don't pass.

Chigley · Post by **Chigley** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 4:18 pm

Hi, thank you for the warm welcome! I'll try and answer the questions you asked..

I operate during term time only with optional classes in the holidays. In cases of children who are working at their expected level at school, I would recommend about 3 terms tuition (1 lesson a week), starting at the beginning of Year 5. This is to ensure I have covered everything necessary in maths and done enough practice. In my opinion, if they are doing that amount, they shouldn't need to start ramping it up too much in the weeks before the test.

Sometimes, though, a bright child will need less than three terms. I would be unhappy with less than one. For the record, I have had calls a week before the test asking for help for a child struggling with maths!

When we do VR practice papers, we do look at the questions and try and show the child the most efficient ways of working out (using the mult.choice answer sheet to help eliminate answers etc) NVR is simply about going through incorrect answers and doing as many as possible!

Maths we do go through papers, obviously, then home in on particular areas that children find hard, fractions (ARRRGGGHH), decimals % etc

If I had one tip I would say make sure they know their times tables. And I mean KNOW them. Absolutely no hesitations at all. Ever.

neurotic kent mum · Post by **neurotic kent mum** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 4:36 pm

The trouble with this is that you can do it all - the three terms tutoring, the great results in tutors tests, the great results at home. You can make sure they relax and rest. You can make sure that it does not take over - yet they are throughly prepared. But you need to remember that you cannot make sure that they do it on the day. You cannot prepare against illness. You cannot prepare against an off day. You cannot prepare for the format being changed. You cannot prepare for what they actually do on the day. You are helpless on the day. I think tutoring is necessary and indeed regardless of result often brings confidence to their learning. But you need to always remember there are no guarantees in this exam. It is not a question of doing their best - It is what they do on the day which may not be their best. Terrifying stuff.

Sorry - fraught mother awaiting results!

Post by **mitasol** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 4:46 pm

Sorry - fraught mother awaiting results!

Hang in there NKM. Good Luck to all waiting.

Chigley · Post by **Chigley** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 9:10 pm

Absolutely agree NKM!

I say exactly that to the parents of all my pupils when they ask about 'success rates'; having tuition is not a guarantee. There are so many factors involved that I cannot and will not answer that question, in order not to give a false sense of security!

Good luck to all

Villagedad · Post by **Villagedad** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:58 pm

It would be good to hear from parents at each end of the preparation scale and their experiences, ie:

1) those that did hardly any, ie just a few past papers leading upto the exam

2) those that started 2 years before the exam with weekly tutoring etc..

Good luck to everyone for Monday!
Villagedad

MasterChief · Post by **MasterChief** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 12:55 am

DS did 2 or 3 practice papers per week over the summer holidays,repeating some to build his confidence back up when he faltered.
Lord knows if it's done any good

Still only 3906 minutes to go ( at a guess...not that I'm counting)

rosered100 · Post by **rosered100** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 8:41 am

MasterChief wrote:DS did 2 or 3 practice papers per week over the summer holidays, ...

How did you find papers? I could only get 4 of each, so we saved them until 2 weeks before the test.
We only found out in March that we'd be moving to Kent & so had less than 6 months to suss it all out. Luckily we really only had to work on VR & I found I was pointing out every compound word that people spoke, but it was the codes that we really focussed on as they seemed to eat up all the time. In the last couple of weeks it was really exam technique that we talked about ie which questions to leave until last, which ones you needed the answer sheet to eliminate possibilities, and never leaving a blank when the time was running out - just take a guess & fill in.
Now we only need to find out if it worked or not.

rachel'smum · Post by **rachel'smum** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 10:57 am

My daughter did a full practice paper every Sunday morning from about March onwards and the Bond 10 minute tests a couple of evenings a week. From June onwards she had a tutor for an hour per week, just for the maths really to just boost her confidence and cover the topics that don't even get touched in the Year 5 curriculum. Then through the Summer Holidays she had 2 hours per week (in 2 seperate sessions) focusing on maths but a little bit of NVR towards the end of August, just to help with timings etc. No idea if this was the right combo, I guess will decide that at 4pm on Monday but I do know that my daughter was happy with this and never once complained, bless her. Please God let it have been enough!!!

Good luck everyone.