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So let me describe myself first: I am a 20-year old Singaporean who is waiting to enter university. It has been a while since I even attempted to try out new stuff, but anyway, I decided to start giving tuition yesterday, to a 10-year-old primary 5 girl (grade 5), who is the sister of my cousin's girlfriend. It would be the first of many firsts for me - I will be starting dance lessons, driving lessons and guitar lessons withing the next few weeks.
So my first session didn't go all too smoothly. I tried to help her in all subjects - mathematics, science, english and chinese, but I had difficulty explaining really simple concepts because they were "too easy" - like trying to explain how to convert improper fractions to mixed numbers, and trying to teach her grammar and sentence structure. I was stumped for a while when going through her science test paper because primary school science is incredibly, as I put it "vague" and "general", compared to the more specific, quantitative and concept based high level chemistry, biology or physics that I was used to. Should I be communicating in chinese when teaching her chinese? Or should I use english to explain differences in chinese words - which can be very subtle for those who know chinese. Should I even be using english to help her chinese?
All in all, after 2 hours with her I left feeling really shaken and retarded. It didn't help that she is a relatively weak student compared to her peers as well. She is relatively mild for her age - I've seen kids that are far more jumpy and hyperactive than her - but she tends to be distracted at times as well. Well, what can I expect? She is a freaking 10-year-old. I can start to joke around with her to get her attention - I'm good with kiddy jokes - but I'm afraid it will distract her even more from the task at hand.
Can anyone help? Are there kind TLers who have experience teaching such young kids who can give me good advice? I really want to help her do well for her PSLE at the end of primary 6, but I am quite lost and I don't know where to start. 
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I thought you were paying her university tuition O.O
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You'd be surprised at how few people can actually teach material that they already know. Teaching to a certain grade level or intelligence level of student is far harder than people give teachers credit for. Plenty of college professors, for example, are known for being "too smart" and just stating facts in complex terms that go way over their students' heads, leaving the students confused and forced to learn all the material on their own.
You can try connecting with your students on a more personal level, such as relating topics to their own interests. Also, don't be afraid to use colloquial language before introducing "official" terminology (like in math or science) so that the students can get a better understanding of what's going on before you hit them with the exact words and definitions. And finally, it comes with experience. You'll get more comfortable over time. I've tutored mathematics and other subjects for over 8 years, and my field of expertise is math education in particular, and you learn better strategies for teaching over time  Also, recognize that every student is different.
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Similar situation here, I'm supposed to be giving primary school kids tuition in all kinds of subjects. Then I realised I can't make any sense out of PSLE-level science questions anymore because I haven't touched anything remotely related to the subject in 3 years.
At least you know the stuff that you are teaching.
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In my experience, when doing lessons like this with kids, you teach by examples, not by explanations. In the 3-4 years of music lessons that I've been giving, I have not seen a single kid who isn't already proficient in music that would actually care about theory or chord construction etc the slightest bit. What you do is teach them a simple song, then once they can actually play it you expand upon it by showing them how changing a major chord to a minor changes the entire mood of the fragment, then offer them to experiment with it and see what they can come up with, etc.
I'm pretty sure a similar approach would work with something like maths - try giving them some examples that they can actually visualize, practical exercises (what do I have left over if I cut the apple into 3 pieces and give one to each of your parents kinda thing), then explain the numbers behind it.
Overall, teaching a young child is more like being their nanny and not so much like an actual teacher - you have to get their interest, make it at least somewhat fun and exciting for them, otherwise it's going to be very frustrating both for you and the student.
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Well I'm also 20, entering university this year.
I've given tuition to both Primary 5 and 6 students who are mostly extremely weak academically.
First thing is, don't be discouraged. Being a good teacher can only come with experience. Initially, like you, I found it hard to communicate ideas simplistically without confusing them even more.
The best way to teach kids of their level is to use simple analogies, especially for mathematics. Use fingers, fruits, etc; they associate best with tangible and easy-to-visualize stimulus.
As for english, I went back to reading their textbooks/assessment book itself. To us, grammar comes so naturally that we (or at least I) forgot the meaning of terms like past-participle etc. Going back to those books and putting yourself in the shoes of a child with a clean slate taught me how to, in turn, teach these kids in a simple and uncomplicated manner.
Don't give up.
PS: Make the jokes. My students enjoyed my lessons simply because I wasn't just "another teacher". They can actually learn better (via association) if they are able to relate what they're supposed to learn with something memorable (like a joke).
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I can't give you advice specifically for teaching the primary school syllabus, but I teach kids music (drums and guitar) aged 6-12 at YMCA a couple of times a week so this is what I have to offer:
One way to check if they have understood your explanation of anything you want them to understand is to ask them questions and test them about the theory/method in a slightly different manner. You can just make up some question for them on the fly after you've gone through a particular topic or question. Most kids will tell you they understand if you show them how to do that particular question but they'll be lost if you show them a different question even if it uses the same concept because they don't truly understand how to apply it. Some kids learn the 'pattern' to doing it after a few tries, others take longer and require all sorts of ways of explaining. If they cannot understand it in the context of the original question then simplify it using everyday examples - it'll help them see the link a lot easier.
Also, some kids take longer than others to warm up to people, so those jokes you're doing is good (but don't overdo it). You'll want them to be able to talk to you, not be afraid and yes sir to anything you say. Building a rapport with your kid will allow you to understand what their problems are better and faster. On the flip side, you should also know when to cut back on the jokes and get serious with them in case they start to become like monkeys in class - so being approachable is important but you have to find a balance between being a teacher that they'll be willing to learn from and being a teacher that they'll listen to.
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I'm also 20 and I have 5 students who are from 12 years-old to 16 years-old. I also gave classes to my 10 years-old little brother.
The keys at a very young age are:
- patience
- mnemotechnic tricks
- a certain bond (I usually just make a lot of jokes and make fun of them in a kind way, to relax and to assert my position as a teacher)
- a program (you can't do mathenglishchinesehistorygeographyphysicsbiologyspanish classes in an hour)
Get to know your student: weak points, what does she like to study, what does she hate, how long is her attention span. At this age, learning primarily comes from a positive attitudes towards the class and the teacher. If she likes it, she will succeed, if she hates it, she won't.
You should also review the basics because even if you consider that this is completely acquire, there are many very simple subtleties (in grammar for example) that you can't explain because you've assimilated the whole grammatic mechanism but at the same time you've forgotten about how the small details work.
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Do you guys mean tutoring or is there a different usage of the word tuition in Singapore I'm not understanding?
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Also, about the jokes thing. I'm only 18 and and just started college, but I've had to tutor my siblings because I am the oldest of five. So, they often come to me for some teaching.
I think one of the best ways to really connect with a 10 year old or what have you is to act a little immature/childish at times. Of course, don't act too childish, and don't act childish too often. Give them stories.
Academically, these kids may not be doing so well, but I think a lot of kids are actually pretty clever. No, they can't do math or whatever, but maybe they know how to play around with something, or be clever with wordplay. 
Good luck!
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On February 06 2012 01:05 mrGRAPE wrote:
Also, some kids take longer than others to warm up to people, so those jokes you're doing is good (but don't overdo it). You'll want them to be able to talk to you, not be afraid and yes sir to anything you say. Building a rapport with your kid will allow you to understand what their problems are better and faster. On the flip side, you should also know when to cut back on the jokes and get serious with them in case they start to become like monkeys in class - so being approachable is important but you have to find a balance between being a teacher that they'll be willing to learn from and being a teacher that they'll listen to.
This is really good advice. (I have tutored for over two years, came from a good school, blah blah w/e credentials.) A lot of children are too worried about behaving well, or do not really know how to communicate with you the first few times you talk to them. Don't worry about cramming as much as possible in the time spent tutoring, but instead focus on ensuring that they understand fully what you are explaining, so that you can build a strong foundation. Children have a very short attention span and are easily confused, thus it'll help if you think through how you want to explain the concepts first before saying anything.
Also, textbooks are your friend! The syllabus has changed so much, and we have a different way of understanding concepts than children do (especially in science). Textbooks are written by experienced professionals with children in mind. Don't feel embarrassed to refer to or read straight from a textbook when explaining difficult things!
Good luck and have fun. As in, have fun enjoying pre-U
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On February 06 2012 02:07 Gunther wrote:
Do you guys mean tutoring or is there a different usage of the word tuition in Singapore I'm not understanding?
Yeah, they must mean tutoring.
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The only two teachers at my high school that have a phd are the two worst teachers. Go figure
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Many doctorate teachers or professors are researchers, their teaching abilities are hilariously bad or stale.
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Book-smart people aren't always the best teachers.
The best teachers are the ones that can put themselves down to the same level as the one they are teaching.
Such as fractions: 4/3 = One and a Third, Four Thirds etc...
A 10 year old will see a number 4, a line under it, and 3 below that line. In reality, IT MEANS NOTHING TO THEM at that age. You have to explain stuff like why is that line there, what does the 4 mean etc... Use objects such as apples, oranges to simplify shit down
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On February 06 2012 05:34 Komentaja wrote:Show nested quote +On February 06 2012 02:07 Gunther wrote:
Do you guys mean tutoring or is there a different usage of the word tuition in Singapore I'm not understanding? Yeah, they must mean tutoring.
Both are correct. The word 'tuition' doesn't only apply to a sum of money charged for teaching, it can also be used in the same sense as 'tutoring'.
Edit: I have little experience teaching younger children, but i have done some au pair work abroad. It has certainly made me a much more patient person, which i can only assume must be a requisite for teaching. Perseverance i guess.
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EPT
