By Dr Gerard Adolphe BSc (Trent), MSc (Sydney), MEd (Sydney), PhD (Curtin), Academic Director at International Tutoring Services
Private tutoring has been with us since the dawn of times.
Children of primitive humans were tutored! They had to be taught how to light a fire, how to shape stones to make tools and how to kill wild animals for food.
Royalty and the great families of Europe had tutors.
Private tutoring was not a luxury, but a necessity before schooling, as we know it today, emerged.
In many Asian countries today, private tutoring is part of their culture. Most students of parents who can afford a tutor will have a tutor.
Tutors cater to the many different needs of students. Tutors help:
- to bring students up to the standard of the rest of the class when they have fallen behind, or
- to better understand their course material to perform well in exams and assessments.
Students who move schools or come from different cultural background have a lot to gain from a private tutor. They have often missed out on some of the foundational material of a school subject which they need to build on in the later years of their schooling.
Without a comprehensive understanding of this foundational material, students approach exams and assessment tasks with a great deal of unnecessary angst.
Memory seems to be a common problem among school students so here are some tips to help improve your memory:
- Food
- It is critical to eat a balanced diet.
- There are some foods in particular that promote proper memory function. These include thiamin, folic acid and B12 vitamin.
- Water
- It is important to help the digestive system and prevent dehydration.
- It helps to cleanse the body of toxins to allow your body to function properly.
- Sleep
- Regular sleep is important for good memory.
- It allows the body to process, revise and store memories for later.
- Insomnia and fatigue can reduce the capacity of the body to retain information.
- Medication
- Some medications can cause loss of memory, including anti anxiety drugs, muscular relaxants and sleeping pills.
- Alcohol & Smoking
- It is well known that both alcohol and smoking have adverse effects on short and long term memory functions
- Caffeine
- Coffee and tea can help combat sleepiness and maintain attention in individuals but the excitement can reduce a person's ability to remember information.
- Motivation
- With so many distractions it is important to set aside a period of time each day in a room, removed from all distractions.
When exams are approaching, some exam techniques will be given in future articles.
If you would like to discuss having a private tutor for your child, please contact Dr Gerard Adolphe at International Tutoring Services on Ph: 9674 3389 or Web: www.tutoring.net.au/
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About Childrens' Education: Schools
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