How online tutoring can help Ottawa kids thrive during lockdown

It’s been a crazy year for Ottawa schools, and though the arrival of the coronavirus vaccine signals the beginning of the end of the pandemic, there are still many months of uncertainty ahead.

Like cities across Ontario, Ottawa went into lockdown at the end of December, and although schools reopened it is not yet clear if they will again close for in-person classes. Remote learning is once again the order of the day.

The good news is that we’ve learned a lot since the first school shut downs in March and April, and parents and educators alike have a better idea of how learning goals can be met effectively while kids are studying from home — and in the end, it all comes down to support.

In order to keep up with their studies, Ottawa kids need extra hands-on help to master difficult concepts and new skills, and for parents whose own work makes it nearly impossible to provide this support themselves, online tutoring services can provide powerful backup. Services like services like Alchemy Tuition provide a great way for your kids to keep their grades up during trying times.

Why Tutors Provide Essential Support for Remote Learning

Consistently, one of the biggest obstacles to remote learning has been the lack of targeted one-on-one help. Even before the pandemic began, large class sizes made providing hands-on help difficult, and with many teachers now under-resourced and struggling to adapt to a very different educational format, it is harder than ever for kids to get the individual help they need.

Hiring an Ottawa tutor gives your kids a chance to go over the curriculum and focus on the areas where they’re struggling to keep up. This is especially critical for primary children learning basic literacy and numeracy skills, and for secondary students tackling advanced classes.

What to Look for in an Online Tutor

In order for tutoring to be effective, however, it needs to be targeted toward the needs of each individual student. If your child’s main struggle is math anxiety, then you should find an Ottawa math tutor who can help them overcome their learning obstacles.

But tutoring isn’t just about instruction, and a good tutor helps students build confidence as well as knowledge. If you think professional tutoring in Ottawa might be right for your family, here are three things you should look for in an online Ottawa tutor this semester.

  • Knowledge of the Curriculum: Whether they are helping with English, Math, French, or Science, tutors should have a strong understanding of the curriculum your kids are learning in class.
  • Personalized Support: Every learner is different, and a tutor should tailor their lessons to the specific challenges each individual child is facing, whether that be long division or modal verbs.
  • An Emphasis on Problem-Solving: The best tutors help students sharpen their problem-solving skills so they will be better-equipped to work through difficult concepts on their own, paving the way for life-long learning.

With the coronavirus pandemic still sweeping Canada, preparing for the coming semester means being ready for schools to be intermittently closed for in person learning for the next few months. If you want to make sure that your children don’t fall behind during the 2020-2021 school year, you’ll need to create a workable education plan.

By bringing on extra help in the form of a tutor Ottawa parents can ensure their kids have the support they need to thrive academically.