I have recently had the pleasure of starting tutoring with a student who is home schooled. Mr B was not well-catered for in the mainstream school setting, leading to stress and disengagement. I’m sure this scenario sounds familiar to many parents.
My initial goal was to build rapport with Mr B. This has certainly been helped by operating from a warm, welcoming learning space set up in my home, with my two beautiful golden retrievers there for distraction, laughter, and comfort.
My second goal was to work in collaboration with Mr B’s lovely mum, who was seeking guidance and an easy-to-follow structure to support her son in the home setting. To date, I have been able to provide a daily program of literacy-based activities using easily accessible, affordable resources.
Mr B’s mum reports that he is responding well to this structure and that she feels the structure has been beneficial for her in supporting her son’s needs. In turn, my observations and work samples indicate that improvements have been made in Mr B’s early literacy skills even in a few short weeks.
There is room for growth, but we are on the right track. It is really rewarding to work outside the mainstream education system and to be able to cater for individual needs.
