English is an important subject under the Victorian Curriculum since it will help students develop their competency in the language. By learning English, they will expand their knowledge and linguistic repertoires through engagement with digital prints and texts, including multimodal and interactive media. Most importantly, they will develop their communicative skills and cultural understanding.

When to make the call to get a tutor

If your child is struggling with their understanding, motivation, engagement or results in English, it is best to hire a certified and accredited English tutor. It is best to make this call as early as possible, to avoid lasting consequences as your child gets closer to completely giving in.

When you’re considering a tutor, you need to understand that there’s a difference between home-based tuition and a traditional classroom setting. In a classroom, a teacher will present different materials and teaching styles that may appeal to various learning styles of students.

Usually, teachers will help your child the best they can, but they don’t have the time to give their full attention to an individual student, it wouldn’t be fair to others. This becomes a dilemma, since students who cannot follow the pace are left behind, and they usually get frustrated. Teachers are also forced to rush through the curriculum in order to complete all requirements by the end of the year.

This is where home-based tutoring shines because it is more flexible and can work with the schedule of your child. The tutor will also take concepts that your child has already learned in the classroom and review them until they feel comfortable. 

How to recognise a good tutor

In reality, not all tutors are alike because everyone has their own personality, and your child may work better with some tutors than with others. So, before you hire an English tutor, you need to know these important factors in your first meeting:

• Their educational and teaching background

A good tutor must be a trained professional and with a background in Education as well as experience in tutoring.  A reputable tutor will be an education undergraduate student or have completed a degree in education. It is also advisable that you ask for references since this will give you an idea that they can teach your child.

• Learn about their teaching style

Tutors will have different teaching styles, and they have their own favourite method. However, some methods may not work with your child’s learning style. So, you need to determine if their teaching style applies to your child’s learning needs.

The importance of compatibility and cooperation by both the tutor and student

The tutor and their students must be compatible with each other, and they must cooperate to achieve a favourable result. This means that the tutor will work with your child and determine which areas need improvement. Your child must also be open with the tutor by giving him or her an idea of what they want to learn, and specific concepts and rules in the English language that they do not understand.

This will give the tutor some info on how they will personalise their lesson plan based on the learning needs of your child.

Overall, finding the right English tutor in Melbourne for your child will require some research, but there are English tuition services in Australia who can provide you with the right tutor for your child.