Why Tutoring is Important for Children

Students learn best when their individual academic needs are met, and no other form of learning yields better results than one-on-one instruction. While teachers work tirelessly to provide the best possible education for students, the nature of the modern school system often makes individualized instruction impossible.

Class sizes are simply too big, with limited time to teach an increasingly information-heavy curriculum. Pressure to prepare students for standardized tests also places demands on a teacher’s time. Large classrooms make it easy to overlook struggling students or miss the signs that a skilled student is under-performing due to a lack of challenging material.

These issues — unavoidable in most schools — are why tutoring is important. Tutors can play enormous roles in a student’s academic life. They help students of all ages master the curriculum. They teach valuable study skills and provide the personalized instruction many students need to thrive.

Does Tutoring Work?

Absolutely. There’s plenty of evidence that regular tutoring improves academic performance by helping students master key concepts and build self-confidence. Results are often slow but steady, with grades improving as the student masters study skills. You won’t see changes overnight, but long-term private tutoring has a proven track record for improving academic performance.

Why Is Tutoring Important?

Improving grades and the student’s understanding of course materials are, of course, important goals for any tutor. How tutors accomplish this, however, may surprise you. Many people think of tutors as “homework helpers,” but that’s not really what tutoring is.

Personalized Learning

Tutoring uses personalized learning plans to guide students to a deeper understanding of the course material and their own learning styles. No two students learn in exactly the same way. Some thrive in busy classrooms, while others find classrooms distracting and stressful. Some students need help mastering basic coursework, while others crave more challenging material. Tutors identify these issues and deliver the targeted instruction the student needs.

Tutors Provide a Safe Environment for Learning

Some students are hesitant to participate in class, fearing they’ll embarrass themselves by giving the wrong answer or look bad in front of their peers. Tutoring provides a safe, nonjudgmental environment for learning, where students can make mistakes without fear of censure or peer responses.

Tutors Address Special Education Needs

Students with special education needs require personalized instruction that’s difficult to provide in a large classroom. Students on the autistic spectrum and those with ADHD often do better in one-on-one tutoring sessions, where tutors can take the time to break lesson goals down into smaller sections. Online tutoring services provide tutors with experience working with learning disabilities and other special needs.

Tutors Reduce Learning Loss

Summer vacation, the winter holidays, and other breaks in the school year have a noticeable effect on student retention, especially in younger children. During summer break, for instance, students lose up to three full months of reading and math skills. Regular tutoring sessions throughout academic breaks help prevent skill loss and can give students a head start on mastering their next school year’s requirements.

Tutors Offer Flexibility

Outside of school, students have family commitments, extracurricular activities, chores, and social events that quickly fill their schedules. Online tutoring services offer flexible session times, so students have access to tutors no matter how hectic life becomes.

Tutoring Improves Family Relationships

Concerns about academic performance, report cards, and homework completion cause families stress and can trigger arguments. Tutoring has been found to reduce this stress, facilitating improved family relationships.

Tutoring Boosts Student Confidence

Students often doubt their academic abilities, creating a vicious cycle where every failure increases stress and doubt. As students master key concepts with their tutor’s help, their self-confidence grows, encouraging them to participate more in class. Small successes accumulate until the student is a confident learner.

Tutors Teach Lifelong Learning Skills

Tutors don’t just help students with their current classes — they teach the skills needed to succeed in any academic environment. Students who work with tutors develop stronger time management and study skills. They gain an understanding of their personal learning style and how to capitalize on their strengths. The real goal of tutoring isn’t to improve a student’s grade in one subject area; it’s to transform students into independent and lifelong learners.

The right tutor will positively affect your student’s academic performance, self-confidence, and self-esteem. At BSE Foundation, we believe tutoring should be available to all students, no matter where they’re located. If you believe that tutoring is important in a child’s life – support our cause and sponsor a child today by donating.

Tips to Prepare for the First Days of School

Whether your child is just beginning kindergarten or starting a new grade as a returning student, there’s lots to be done to prepare for the year ahead, including checking in about their fears, anxieties, and concerns.

As summer winds down, it’s natural for kids to experience nervousness — after all, your child is entering a structured group setting after months away. Some children will accept the change with joy, while others may need a bit more hand-holding to acclimate.

We encourage parents to reach out to their child’s teacher before the first day of school with questions or concerns. Since parents know their child best, this communication sets everyone up for a successful year ahead.

Back-to-school will always be accompanied by a certain amount of nervous excitement or anxiety, but as a parent you can minimize fear of the unknown by being positive about school.

The below tips that can help your family make a smooth transition into the school year ahead and give your child new perspective on the joys of the classroom.

1. Visit the school or classroom before the first day.

This is especially important if your child is returning to in-person learning after periods of remote learning.

If your child’s teachers do not invite families to visit ahead of time, you can still take a trip to the school to see the building and the playground.

2. Read books about starting school.

Stories with characters your child can relate to — especially those with characters attending their first day of kindergarten— are useful for relieving first-day jitters and providing a boost of confidence where needed.

You’re sure to find a read-aloud that allows you moments to pause and ask your child what they’re feeling or thinking about in terms of the year ahead.

3. Talk to your child about their feelings about school, friends, teachers, and new activities.

Social-emotional learning, or SEL, is a popular topic among educators today — and is being integrated into the curriculum in many school districts. SEL refers to the ways in which children build healthy relationships with themselves and with others.

This framework of self-awareness can begin at home. When discussing back-to-school, you might gauge your child’s thoughts about the classroom. Ask them what they are looking forward to and what they are interested in learning, along with any concerns they might have. (Some children might have worries about being bullied, for example. Scholastic has resources for discussing bullying with your child.)

Reading together is a great way to start the conversation. Sofia Sanchez’s You Are Enough is a best-selling book with a universal message: We all belong. It’s the perfect read for empowering your child to embrace who they are as they start their first week back at school.

4. Set intentions with your child for the school year ahead.

Just like adults make intentions for the new year, students can do the same for the new school year. Some teachers recommend choosing a “focus word” with your child every month that represents their intention.

Since children are still learning the concept of time, set a word for each month to reflect their back-to-school experience, September words might include friendship, perseverance, or kindness.

Parents can then use this word to start conversations at home about your child’s classroom experience and progress.

This allows parents an entry into conversations with their child. Ask questions like, ‘What’s one way you lived your word today, friendship?’ Your child might reply, ‘I saw someone standing alone so I went over and asked her if she wanted to swing with me.

5. Practice, practice, practice your reading during the summer.

Set up a book nook at home over the summer to develop a reading routine by fall. This way, you and your child (or just your child, if they’re already reading independently) will have a place to read when they get home from school.

You definitely want to keep it clear of any distractions. Make sure the space includes a shelf or basket with books that your child may want to read next. Consider books in the same series or from a variety of genres: Poetry, graphic novels, historical fiction, mysteries, and biographies are all important for your exposing your child to new words and worlds.

In addition to providing access to an array of literary options, be sure to keep a paper and a pencil nearby so your child can draw or write about their book if they wish.

6. Include a note with your child’s snack or lunch.

Some teachers suggest this special touch to let your child know you’re thinking about them.

Sometimes parents draw quick sketches of their child’s favorite book characters or a joke from their favorite funny book to guarantee a smile.

You may want to make this a daily practice to help with the transition from summer to semester. Use a sharpie so that the ice-pack doesn’t smudge your words.

7. Go school shopping.

Designating items as “back to school,” like an outfit or backpack, makes preparing for the school year a ritual and can stoke excitement.

You and your child can pick out new books during this time as well — and the titles don’t necessarily have to be about school. Refreshing their library at the start of each school year can be an annual tradition with the intention of starting anew and resetting your child’s mindset.

Your child might inscribe the inside cover with what they’re most excited about in the new grade.  At the end of the year, they can add some of their favorite grade-level memories. Now you have a keepsake.

8. Encourage your child to pursue a passion project this year.

Gauge your child’s interests at the end of summer to see how their curiosity has evolved and what’s new. Ask them what topic they really want to learn about in the school year ahead.

This opens up another opportunity to create excitement around learning. Ask your child what they already know and what they wonder about. Your child can research the topic to become an expert.

Most teachers will build in time for their students to showcase new learning.  These are great ways you can be prepared as well.

Hope this article helps.

Children at Risk

 

Consequences for School Readiness and Beyond

Parents, policymakers, business leaders, and the general public increasingly recognize the importance of the first few years in the life of a child for promoting healthy physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development. Yet many children face deficiencies in the years leading up to school entry in terms of emotional support, intellectual stimulation, or access to resources — due to low income or other factors — that can impede their ability to develop to their fullest potential.

As part of a recent study to examine the role of early childhood interventions, RAND researchers identified what is known from the research literature about the number of children at risk of school failure and the consequences for their performance in school and subsequent life outcomes. We summarize those findings here.

A companion research brief highlights the study’s findings with respect to the role that high-quality early intervention programs can play in compensating for early disadvantages. By providing additional supports for the parents, children, or the family as a whole, investments in early intervention programs can alter a child’s developmental trajectory during the school age years and beyond. The changes associated with effective programs can generate lifelong benefits for the participating child and further economic benefits for society as a whole that can more than repay the upfront investment.

Disparities in Early Childhood

Although most children experience a supportive home and neighborhood environment with access to sufficient financial and nonfinancial resources to support healthy development, many other children do not. A few indicators illustrate some of the resource disparities in early childhood:

• Poverty has been shown to be particularly detrimental in early childhood in terms of children’s subsequent educational and other life course outcomes. In 2003, 4.7 million children under age 6 lived in families with income below the poverty line (defined as $18,660 for a family of four or $14,824 for a family of three, each with two children). While the poverty rate is 20 percent overall for children under 6, the rate is 53 percent among children that age living in a female-headed household, 39 percent for African-American children, and 32 percent for Latino children.
• Research has demonstrated that neighborhoods of concentrated poverty (typically defined as those with a poverty rate exceeding 20 percent) provide more limited opportunities for young children in terms of social interaction, positive role models, and other resources, such as quality child care, health facilities, parks, and playgrounds, that are important for healthy child development. Data from the 2000 Census reveal that 22 percent of children under 5 live in neighborhoods of concentrated poverty.
• Healthy child development is supported by regular access to health care, such as well-child visits. These visits can provide opportunities for health care providers to conduct developmental screenings and to encourage parental behaviors that promote strong social, emotional, cognitive, and physical child development. Nevertheless, among children less than 2 years old in 2002, 12 percent had not had a well-child checkup in the last year. That fraction rises to 16 percent among children ages 2 to 3 and 18 percent among those ages 4 to 5.
• Early home literacy-building activities that are associated with better school performance in kindergarten and beyond include reading to a child regularly (3 or more times a week); teaching children letters, words, and numbers; and telling stories or teaching songs and music. Among children ages 3 to 5 in 2001, 16 percent are not read to regularly at home. Among children whose mothers have less than a high school education, that fraction rises to 31 percent, compared with just 7 percent for children whose mothers have a college degree.

Consequences for School Readiness and Beyond

These early indicators of disadvantage, which affect as many as one of every five children, have implications for how prepared children are when they first enter school at kindergarten. While there is no single definition of school readiness, experts agree that readiness is a multifaceted concept that goes beyond academic and cognitive skills to include physical, social, and emotional development, as well as approaches to learning.

A series of assessments for a recent nationally representative kindergarten cohort indicate that disadvantaged children enter school lagging behind their more advantaged peers in terms of the knowledge and social competencies that are widely recognized as enabling children to perform at even the most basic level. Substantial gaps are evident for disadvantaged children in measures of reading and mathematics proficiency, in prosocial behaviors and behavior problems, and in readiness to learn. For example, although 18 percent of children overall are not familiar with basic conventions of print or writing (e.g., knowing that English is read from left to right and top to bottom, or where a story ends), that fraction is 32 percent for children whose mothers have less than a high school education but only 8 percent for children whose mothers have a college degree or higher. Other risk factors include being in a single-parent family, a family that has received welfare, or a family that does not speak English at home. Thirty-one percent of this kindergarten cohort had one of these four risk factors; another 16 percent faced two or more of them.

These measures indicate that children from more enriched environments enter school better prepared. Data that follow children over time reveal that these early differences expand as children progress through school. In other words, disadvantaged children do not progress at the same rate as their more advantaged peers, so achievement gaps tend to widen over time.

As a result, many children from disadvantaged backgrounds fail to meet grade-level expectations on core subjects. For example, national educational assessments at grades 8 and 12 show that about 50 percent of children from at-risk backgrounds (e.g., low parental education or low family income) score below the “basic” level of reading and math achievement, indicating that they have less than partial mastery of the knowledge and skills “fundamental for proficient work” at that grade level. Other manifestations of problems in school achievement for disadvantaged children include higher rates of special education placement, grade repetition, and dropping out of school.

Ultimately, limited skills and low educational attainment increase the likelihood of undesirable outcomes in adulthood. Low educational attainment is associated with reduced rates of employment and with lower earnings for those who are employed. Use of social welfare programs is also higher among those with low educational attainment, as are crime and incarceration rates.

These adverse outcomes during childhood and adulthood have consequences that extend beyond the lost potential (near- and long-term) for the affected children. Government outlays are higher as a result of higher special education costs, greater participation in social welfare programs, and higher rates of crime and delinquency. Government revenues are lower as a result of lost employment and earnings potential. These economic costs can be sizable, especially when they are considered in the context of the full life course. Estimates indicate, for example, that a high school dropout costs society $243,000 to $388,000 in present-value dollars over his or her lifetime, and societal costs for a typical career criminal are $1.3 to $1.5 million in present-value dollars.

A Role for Early Intervention

High-quality early interventions are designed to combat the factors that threaten child development. If learning begets learning, then interventions at younger ages have great potential to generate cumulative benefits by altering a child’s future developmental trajectory. Even if only a portion of the detrimental consequences facing at-risk children in the school-age years and in adulthood can be averted, the benefits from effective early intervention programs can be substantial.

Saving the Life of an 11 Month Old Baby Successful through Partnerships

 

Man Mohini Kaul Pediatric Congenital cardiac care Endowment Fund established by Dr. Reeta Thukral in 2017 in New Delhi, India, focuses on saving lives of infants borne with life threatening congenital cardiac disease.

11 month old baby borne with congenital heart disease – Tetralogy of Fellot, causes decrease oxygenation of vital organs, cyanosis and stunted growth. This infant underwent life saving cardiac surgery three weeks ago. The funding for surgery was provided my Man Mohini Kaul pediatric congenial cardiac care endowment fund. Since the inception of fund, several children have undergone life saving cardiac surgery and enjoying a
normal life.

This June, during her visit to India, she got to visit with the mother, patient, cardiologist and cardiac surgeon before the surgery. The mother was much grateful for our financial support, knowing her baby wouldn’t have a chance otherwise, and she was also very nervous about the outcome of surgery.

We are happy to report that surgery went well and child is discharged home and recovering well. Saving one life at a time!

These are the results we share with out healthcare programs provided in partnership with BSE Foundation.

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The Benefits of Charities for Children’s Education and Healthcare

Many of us have the best intentions when it comes to giving back, but let’s face it – who has money to spare? We’re all busy adults with children of our own.

However, if you’re looking for a truly best nonprofit to donate to (and aren’t we all?), then consider making your donation to the BSE Foundation that supports education and healthcare for at-risk children. 

It’s best to donate to these types of charities because you’re truly making a difference in the lives of others, especially those who can’t help themselves. Here are some reasons why you should donate to best education nonprofits and best healthcare nonprofit organizations:

• Education nonprofits not only teach specific skills or knowledge, but also act to give kids hope.
• Volunteering or donating your time might be the best option for you, especially if you have the skills needed. Education nonprofits are always looking for caring and qualified people!
• Healthcare nonprofits not only focus on physical health care, but they also help kids develop sound emotional health that leads to healthy relationships in the future.
• Some best healthcare nonprofits offer best counseling programs, best parent workshops, best life skills classes, and other best pre-career courses which can equip young adults with proper job training for the best jobs in the world after high school.
• Not only do these best education nonprofits help children become productive members of society by teaching them best job skills, best social skills, best emotional management techniques, best physical health routines, best nutrition habits and best practices for effective stress relief – they also provide best crisis services during emergencies.
• These education nonprofits offer mentorship programs, internships and apprenticeships for students.

      And remember: no matter how much you think you can afford to donate, every education nonprofit and healthcare non profit benefits from a donation – even if it’s as little as ten bucks!

      Please don’t hesitate to contribute to non profits like Barr Stephanie Emmanuel Foundation because your best contribution really does make a difference for at-risk children of all ages.

Thank you.

Creating a Nightly Homework Ritual that Works for Everyone

It’s hard to fault the child who resists doing homework. After all, she has already put in a long day at school, probably been involved in after-school activities, and, as the late afternoon spills into evening, now faces a pile of assignments. Parents feel it, too — it’s no one’s favorite time of day.

But despite its bad rap, homework plays an important role in ensuring that students can execute tasks independently. When it’s thoughtfully assigned, homework provides deeper engagement with material introduced in class. And even when it’s “just” worksheets, homework can build the automatic habits and the basic skills required to tackle more interesting endeavors. Finally, homework is a nightly test of grit. Adult life brings its share of tasks that are both compulsory and not enjoyable. Developing the discipline to fulfill our responsibilities, regardless of whether they thrill us, begins in middle childhood.

So how to help the avoidant child embrace the challenge, rather than resist it?

The first step, especially with kids 13 and under, is to have them do their homework at a communal space, like a dining room or kitchen table. If other children are in the home, they can all do their homework at the same table, and the parent can sit nearby to support the work effort. This alleviates some of the loneliness a reluctant child might associate with assignments. The alternative — doing homework at a bedroom desk — can result in the child guiltily avoiding the work for as long as possible. Like all forms of procrastination, this has the effect of making the entire process take much longer than it needs to.

When parents turn the homework ritual into a series of conversations about what needs to be done, how, and for how long, children feel less “alone” with their nightly work, they relish the company and support of their parent, and they work better and more efficiently.

Many parents are under the impression that they shouldn’t have anything to do with their children’s homework. This comes from schools emphasizing that homework is a child’s responsibility, not the parents’. While it is absolutely true that parents should not do their children’s homework, there is a role for parents — one that’s perhaps best described as “homework project manager.” Parents can be monitoring, organizing, motivating, and praising the homework effort as it gets done. And yes, that means sitting with your child to help them stay focused and on task. Your presence sends the message that homework is important business, not to be taken lightly.

Once you’re sitting down with your child, ask him to unload his school bag and talk you through his various assignments. Maybe he has a school planner with all his homework listed, or a printout from school, or perhaps his work is listed on the classroom website. Many children attend an afters-school program where, in theory, they are doing homework. They’ll often claim that they’ve done all their homework, even though they’ve only done some. Together, make a quick and easy “Done/To Do” list. Writing down what she has finished will give her a sense of satisfaction. Identifying what she still needs to do will help her to focus on the remaining assignments. Over time, this practice will help your child build an understanding that large tasks are completed incrementally.

Next, ask your child to put the assignments in the order he’d like to do them. Encourage him to explain his thinking. Doing this helps a child feel in control of the evening’s tasks and prompts him to reflect on his work style. Discuss the first task of the night together. Ask your child to think about the supplies he is likely to need, and ensure they’re at the ready. This “pre-work” work helps a child think through a task, understand it, and prepare to execute it with gusto.

Last but not least, introduce a timer to the evening’s proceedings. Challenge your child to estimate how long the first assignment will take. Then ask, “Do you want me to set the timer for the full amount of time you think you’ll need, or a smaller amount?” Then, set the timer with the understanding that the child must work without interruption until the timer goes off. Even questions are verboten while the timer runs. The goal here is to enable the child to solve problems independently, through concentration. This not only builds concentration powers, it builds creativity, critical thinking, resilience, and resourcefulness. In my experience, the theatricality of being timed helps relax children who would otherwise feel daunted by a mountain of homework.

As each piece of work gets done, parents can add meaningful positive reinforcement. Exclaiming, “Another assignment done! And done well!” helps your child feel like what they are doing matters.

By turning the homework ritual into a series of conversations about what needs to be done, how, and for how long, children feel less “alone” with their nightly work, they relish the company and support of their parent, and they complete the work much more efficiently and at a higher standard than they might otherwise.

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