Margaret Carmichael, a former Principal Teacher at Paisley Grammar, introduced Kip McGrath Education Centres to Scotland in 1999..
All parents would like their children to be the best they can be. When our children are toddlers, there are ‘milestones’ in child development at every age. These ‘milestones’ can reassure parents that all is well or trigger warning signs that there may be a problem, in which case they may seek out specialist assessment for reassurance.
Every child is unique and will grow at their own pace. Many children who do not reach ‘milestones’ in certain areas will eventually catch up and go on to flourish. However these ‘milestones’ in early child development are a useful tool for parents to follow as it identifies easily their children’s progress and gives parents the tools to react to their children’s needs.
Milestones in School?
When a child reaches school age there aren’t clearly defined ‘milestones’ and we have to rely on parents’ evenings and our intuition as parents to discover how our children are performing.
So how do you you know when your child isn’t performing as well as they could? Obviously Parents Evenings will give you an idea but this only happens twice in an academic year. In Scotland, we used to have national assessments in English and maths every year and this was a good indication of how quickly our children were reaching each level. However, since the introduction of Curriculum for Excellence in 2010, assessments will now only be taken at the end of Primary 4 and Primary 7.
How do parents gauge therefore what level their children are performing in reading, spelling English, writing and maths? You may be told that your child is coping well ‘at his/her level’ in class, but what level is that? Is your child doing well in English or maths in the lower group in class but others in the class are months ahead? Are you content with that or would like to see your child move up a group or even two?
Primary School Children
- Use your intuition as a parent.
- Does your child struggle with homework and make a fuss about it?
- Is your child anxious before a test?
- Does your child complain that they are not as clever as other children in class?
- Is your child shy and lack confidence
- Is your child bored and not being stretched to reach their full potential?
- Do you think that your child should be performing better?
Secondary School Children
- Talk to your child. At this age, they should be able to tell you about how they are coping at school.
- Are they struggling with a particular subject?
- Do they feel that they are falling behind and need lessons to catch up?
- Do they know how to study for exams and know the techniques involved passing exams? This has to be started earlier rather than later. There is no point in hiring a tutor a month before an exam.
Entrance Exams
- If you are trying to gain entry to a school and your child will sit an entrance exam, it is important to engage a tutor well in advance to prepare.
What to do Next
Once you have decided you want to consider employing a tutor, how do you decide what option is best? You can ask other parents and the school for recommendations. You can search in the phone book and on the internet under tutoring. You have the option of hiring a private tutor who may come to your house (or your child goes to theirs) or your child can attend a tutoring Centre like Kip McGrath Education Centres. So how do you know which option is best for your child? Find our downloadable checklist here.
| Margaret Carmichael
Margaret Carmichael, a former Principal Teacher at Paisley Grammar, introduced Kip McGrath Education Centres to Scotland in 1999. Connect with Margaret Carmichael, Kip McGrath on LinkedIn. There are now 28 centres in Scotland. Every centre is owned and run by fully qualified teachers who share my love of teaching and rejoice in the dramatic results of our students by using the Kip McGrath method of teaching combined with the Scottish Curriculum.
www.kipmcgrath.co.uk The main website will also provide you with full details of the Kip McGrath maths and English Tutoring Programmes, including parent testimonials.
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