Help with self tutoring to boost school results

HappySad

I believe that I can tutor my son myself in an informal/formal way, instead of paying someone extra money for a tutor.

No comments on to tutor or to not tutor I just want tips on tutoring.
Short term goal to to boost his learning and long term goal is for entrance into grammar school.

Son is 5years old.

Any tips, books, websites, series of tutoring exercise books, teaching programs, etc are much welcome. If you can let me know your back grouind when you post so that if you are a teacher,tutor, parent etc then I can see where your advice comes from based on your experience.

Thanks
:o:o

Oldernotwiser

At that age, the best thing you can do is supply him with masses and masses of books on whatever interests him, talk to him intelligently and take him on interesting (not dull) visits.

Ex teacher, but not primary.)

Baybee1984

Aw its great that you're wanting to help your child along with his education at home. At that age [my DS is 4:5years old] there are lots of 'workbooks' out there, find them according to age or stage. Ive spotted them in WHSmiths, Wilkos, and even in some Pound shops [for us MSEers!].

My DS's school are really good at making us aware of what the goals and aims of each term are, so its nice to be able to help your child along with those goals at home too.

Also agree with above poster too

eira

Totally agree with previous poster.Create an enthusiasm for learning and a sound general knowledge base through talking with him/visits to different places/and especially -try and enthuse him into being a competent avid reader. The latter will help immeasurably throughout his school career.

Know your child - be aware of his interests,needs and enthusiasms as well as aspects of school life he likes/dislikes. You have plenty of time to test the water regarding schools-the 'grammar school' route isn't always the best one.
Both my daughters went to high achievement orientated local comprehensives-the schools tended to ignore the less able kids and push the very bright ones sometimes to near breaking point. (Both my daughters are very bright-one got pushed to the edge, the other developed a disabling illness and also had dyslexia which the school refused to recognise despite an Ed Psych report-she was therefore Special Needs and was written off the system. Both are now at university)

Web based sites that are fun are -anything on the BBC-lately I've been on the Learning English section.Although the latter is way too old for your child at the moment, it is very good for comprehension and vocabulary-and fun.The BBC has sections all the way up to Adult Literacy.

Coxhoe Primary School has fabulous links to a lot of fun things to do

National Geographic/Discovery has good stuff including videos

Dorling Kindersley books are lovely reference books for all ages-if you get their e-mails they often have special offers

Build him an allsorts library. Pocket money pennies will buy armfuls of books from charity shops/school fairs and the local library deleted stock shelf.

Have taught in further/higher ed/primary/secondary and now do advisory work specialising in Special Needs

Loopy_Lobes

I would say all of the above, especially getting him interested in reading, plus take him out and about to museums, art gallerys, towns with lots of interesting buildings etc which will all fire up his interest and really get him enthused. My daughter is doing Henry VIII at school and was moaning that it was boring until they went on a visit to Hampton Court Palace and now she's really into it.

HappySad

Thanks you everyone for your feedback and a bit about your background. Myself I have taught IT to work colleges in various companies and I am a parent of two young children.

My school has provided a list of their terms objectives and I will work with that as advised to have trips etc to make it as interesting as possible.

We as a family talk alot together about all sort and we try to stretch his knowledge about whatever he is interested in.

I found the like to that Primary School http://www.coxhoe.durham.sch.uk/newcurriclinks.htm

gairlochgal

Probably a bit young at the moment but when he gets there, the brain training type games for the nintendo ds are really good.

And I thoroughly recommend picking out decent audio books for bedtime stories. My kids have used them since they were very small and both are excellent in literacy - I'm sure there's a connection, esp with my younger who has a very strong vocabulary and imagination.

Savvy_Sue

Everything we do with young children is tutoring them, surely? Mine have always had a wide vocabulary, because I've always talked to them (and at them when they were too young to talk back) without restricting myself to baby language. Or was I talking to myself?

So I'm not saying "Don't tutor them", but I am saying please don't set your heart on grammar school until it is clear that your child(ren) is/are academically able and will be happy in that environment. IMO, this is far too young to be worrying about it, because your local secondary schools WILL change hugely in the next 5-6 years, and you just don't know what will be best.

My best friend's children COULD have gone to the local grammar school, but because the eldest was dyslexic and the grammar school didn't seem interested in ANY special needs, they didn't. More recently, two former independent selective schools in this area are now in the state sector as Academies.

One good piece of advice we had from a dear friend was not to wish our children's childhood away, to wish they'd grow up faster, but to enjoy each stage (as best we could) while it was happening.

Smashing

The only tip I would give you is to chill out. You seem incredibly focused on his education - no necessarily a bad thing, but you do need to be careful that you don't get ahead of yourself. Not all kids are the academic type - you may have a future sportsman on your hands. Who knows.