Tutoring does not always have to feel like school

One thing I have discovered tutoring primary school students over the years is that a session does not always need to feel like a traditional lesson to be productive. I’ve noticed that young children can lose interest pretty quickly if they feel like they are simply sitting down and being given more schoolwork. I have realised that making learning feel enjoyable can sometimes be just as important as the content itself. For example during one session I was helping a primary school student practice spelling so rather than going through a list was repeatedly we turned it into a small game where they had to use each word into a silly sentence. Some of the sentences they came up with were completely ridiculous but it made the game more enjoyable. Because of this, I noticed the student became much more involved and was actually remembering the spelling words because it was connected to something funny and memorable. Even though this session felt completely different to completing a worksheet the student was still learning the exact same material but there was a lot less resistance towards doing it and they became more confidence and spelling the words we had talked about. It also made me realise how easily we associate education with sitting still and listening to instructions, but it is so dependent on the student and their way of learning whether it be visual, auditory or tactile. Particularly around the younger kids, creating a positive experience around education can help make learning something they enjoy rather than something they have to get through.