Special Education Articles and Tips

Special Needs Tutoring

By: Lauren Wager M.S.Ed

Is your child struggling to keep up in school? With large class sizes and increased importance placed on standardized tests, it is no wonder that many children are falling behind academically. Special Needs Tutoring helps children by allowing them to have the one-to-one attention of a professional to target their exact needs.

Does your child have a low academic self-esteem? A child’s self-esteem can lower from everyday struggles like getting the answer wrong in front of peers, having trouble reading aloud in class, or issues completing homework assignments. Special Needs Tutoring can help a child with low academic self-esteem by allowing them to work through their issues with one-to-one attention. In this article, you will gain understanding of what Special Needs Tutoring is, why Special Needs Tutoring is important, and how Special Needs Tutoring can have a positive impact your child’s academic mindset.

Special Needs Tutoring is exactly that; it is one-to-one assistance from a professional to meet the specific needs of an individual. Special Needs Tutoring provides your child with specialized curriculum and activities. The Special Needs Tutoring professional will assess the level of understanding, and then they will develop a program to meet your child’s exact needs. This means that they will develop a curriculum of lessons, supplemental activities, and assessments to monitor your child’s progress. Special Needs Tutoring professionals can even give you advice on how to help the child with certain homework assignments or prepare for tests.

Every child learns differently, so it is a constant challenge for teachers to reach every child in their classroom with their teaching style. According to a survey conducted by the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development, which is an online database that examines data collected throughout the United States, the survey determined that the average class size in the United States is 22 students per class. With an average of 22 students per class, it is very difficult for teachers to teach to every child’s learning style and rate. Your child will benefit from Special Needs Tutoring because they will have a professional who will assess their level of understanding of specific skills that have been identified as areas that they are struggling with within the classroom. Another important aspect of large class sizes to consider is the amount of distractions that can be present. The amount of distractions in a large classroom are unlimited! The visual and auditory distractions of other students talking, noises or people walking in the hallway, or any other normal sounds of a school can be extremely distracting to any child, especially a child who may already be struggling with academics. With Special Needs Tutoring, the environment can be less distracting than a classroom because it is just the child and their tutor. Special Needs Tutoring provides your child with an environment that is free from an overwhelming amount of visual and auditory distractions.

Special Needs Tutoring is beneficial for all students. From students who are struggling and performing lower than grade-level, or students who may need assistance with homework, to students who may benefit from being challenged academically. With Special Needs Tutoring, you child will be matched with a tutor who can connect with them and teach to their specific learning style and rate. A child’s teacher can have an immense impact on their academic success. If a child does not feel comfortable and accepted by their teacher, it can affect them in a negative way. On the contrary, if they have a teacher that they really enjoy and feel comfortable with, it can greatly impact their academic progress in a positive way. It is so important to find an educator who is a good fit for your child but this is not always possible in the school system, whether your child goes to public or private school. Special Needs Tutoring allows students to have a tutor that they feel comfortable with.

Working on academic skills that your child is struggling with in the classroom with Special Needs Tutoring, can build your child’s self-esteem with academics. When a child lacks academic self-esteem, they often give up on academic tasks faster than their peers due to the fact that they are not accustomed to feeling success associated with academics. Children also often present with behavioral issues when they are experiencing low self-esteem with academics, often because they want to distract from the fact that they do not know the answer or do not want to take the risk of failing in front of their peers. With the help of Special Needs Tutoring, children are able to work in a one-to-one setting where they can feel comfortable asking questions, getting the clarification of instructions that they may need, as well as take the risks they may not feel comfortable taking in front of their peers. Special Needs Tutoring fosters a place of comfort and safety for a student who may be struggling with academics to build their self-esteem.

Special Needs Tutoring allows for curriculum to be designed specifically for your child and also allows for close progress monitoring. Close progress monitoring is so important to a child’s educational plan because it helps the tutor know what skills are mastered and what the child should work towards next. In a classroom with a large number of students, it can be difficult for the teacher to pinpoint every child’s exact level of understanding of a skill that has been taught, which can cause children to fall behind or become uninterested in academics. With Special Needs Tutoring, the tutor is constantly and consistently monitoring progress during the sessions and among all sessions. This means that the tutor will be able to provide detailed feedback on specific skills and activities. The tutor will also be able to know exactly what your child should be working on as well as what skills they already possess to build upon.

Special Needs Tutoring provides multiple benefits to children of all skill levels. Special Needs Tutoring provides your child with one-to-one attention of a professional, as well as curriculum designed specifically for your child, and limited distractions. All of these benefits are delivered in an environment that encourages your child to take chances, grow and build their self-confidence and positive mindset on academics.

Sources: https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=EDU_CLASS

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