You are at the stage now where you are thinking about eleven plus tutoring for your son or daughter; however, the choice is vast. Do you go with a 1:1 tutor? Do you choose a group? In this post we will look at the various options:
Sounds great doesn't it? 1:1. Full attention for your child. Indeed, this would seem hugely beneficial and can often bring great benefits. However, on the other side it is also an hour or more of relentless pressure where if the child doesn't understand something they will have nowhere to 'hide'.
In our experience of at Every Lesson Counts, pressure and stress in learning can lead to significant reductions in overall success, with students who are emminently capable of passing the Wirral 11+ becoming afraid to risk making an error and so either go slower when working or miss out questions altogether.
With 1:1 also comes the question of what happens during holidays. All tutors are entitled to breaks. What happens over summer? What happens if the tutor is unwell?
Group tutoring
This is highly subjective when it comes to 11+ tutoring. Firstly, what constitutes a group? 2 children? 6 children? 20 (!) children?
At Every Lesson Counts we approach sessions with a maximum of 6 children in a group. Each child gets their own desk and equipment to engage with the lesson. We believe that groups work as it gives children a change to compare themselves to other students. When preparing for the 11+ exam we like to help the students boost their literacy and numeracy skills and gentle competition to achieve this has seen huge strides of progress being made by many.
Group tutoring also provides the essential hiding place when things are not going hugely well for a student. A tough day at school...feeling unwell...simply struggling for a little bit with a maths concept...whatever it is, in a group the question can be redirected to another student and allow the initial student time to think and reflect. Often, this additional thinking time gives them the opportunity to formulate the answer and move forward strongly.
Whatever you decide with regards to Wirral 11+ tutoring, ensure that you complete a trial period first. We offer the first two lessons free to allow you to make the clearest judgement possible.