If your child is visibly having difficulties with homework and other work from one or two subjects, if he or she is falling behind in class and the falling grades confirm it, perhaps it’s time to consider getting a tutor. It’s easy to read all the signs of a child having difficulties at school, and it’s proven that a tutor can be a great help with a struggling student. However, some parents may be undecided whether to select private face-to-face tuition or online tuition in Singapore.
Is one really better than the other?
The Benefits of Online Tutoring and Private Tutoring
Thanks to technology, and the internet, online tutoring is now possible, something you didn’t see up until the 1990s. It connects the tutor and student even if they are both far away from each other just by using a desktop, laptop, or tablet. Using video call tech, both can go through the lessons using screen sharing, online whiteboards, emails, and other apps and tools.
In-person or private tutoring is the more traditional form wherein both tutor and student do the lessons face-to-face in the same room. Resources used by both can range from traditional books and handouts to more modern apps and tools.
With online tutoring –
1. No travel time
In the 20th Century, students were the ones to travel to and from tutoring. By the 2000s, tutors were travelling to the student’s homes. Online tutoring saves money and time since neither need to travel, and more time is productively used for more tutoring activities. Once the virtual connection is made, they can immediately start. No more getting settled and arranging things before starting.
2. Tutor at any time of the day or week
Does your child find it better to study after 9 pm? Or perhaps your family home is a bit out of the way for tutors to travel to? It won’t be hard hiring a tutor for any situation since all lessons are done virtually. All you need is the internet. Tutoring can even be done while the family is on a holiday and work needs to be submitted once back in school.
3. No need to be picky
Since online tutoring doesn’t require tutors to be physically present, you can choose from a wide range of tutors or an agency with more experience in online tutoring in Singapore can recommend a tutor for your child from its pool of thousands of qualified and experienced tutors.
With in-person tutoring –
1. Being engaging and interactive
The best tutors always build personal relationships with their students and encourage the child to be interactive. The personal connection with the tutor will keep your child motivated to learn, resulting in improved performance and grades. Being interactive also keeps the child focused. However, a really good tutor can also do all these through the screen, even in the absence of physical contact.
2. Social development
In-person tutoring is a great opportunity for your child to develop social skills with an adult authority outside the family and school. But while improving manners, making eye contact, and respecting personal space are better done physically, they are also possible with online tutoring.
What are the Disadvantages of Online and Private Tutoring?
With online tutoring –
- Dependence on technology.
- Need to be proficient with technology.
- The student may get easily distracted.
With in-person tutoring –
- Requires travel.
- Possibly higher costs.
As you can see, if you weigh both, the advantages of both far outweigh any disadvantages of both as well. With online tutoring, the need to be proficient with technology is understood to come with the territory since no tutor will take on tutoring without proficiency in tech apps and tools for learning.
As for the student, the younger generation seems to have a knack for anything on screen. For distractions, parents or a guardian can always be present during tutoring sessions to make sure there are no distractions for the child.
As for the possibly higher costs of in-person tutoring, this is understandable considering the travel distance and time for the tutor.
All in all, it comes down to the final decision of the parents or the special preference of the student. Children fond of technology will have no problem learning from an online tutor. Finding an online tutor is no problem when you hire the services of the number one and best online tuition in Singapore: FamilyTutor.
Also read: From Math to Music: UpskillsTutor Offers Expert Tutors for Every Subject