A Victorian school report tells you two things clearly: where your child sits against the expected curriculum level for their year, and how their effort looks to the people teaching them. It cannot tell you why a result happened, how your child compares with the class, or what to do next. Reports in Victorian government schools assess against the Victorian Curriculum achievement standards, usually shown as a scale around the expected level, and the July report is a mid-year snapshot, not a verdict. Read the achievement scale first, the effort ratings second and the comments last.

Sitting with families for more than fifteen years, we have watched a lot of July reports land on kitchen tables. The same questions come up every time, so here are the honest answers.

What do the dots on the achievement scale actually mean?

Most Victorian reports show achievement as a point on a scale against the expected level for the year, often described in months or years above or below. “At expected level” means your child is where the Victorian Curriculum says a student of that year level should be. It is a teacher judgement built from a semester of tests, tasks and observation, which makes it more reliable than any single test your child sat this year.

Two readings matter more than the dot itself. Direction: is this semester’s dot ahead of or behind last semester’s, because a child sitting slightly below expected but moving up is in a better place than one drifting slowly down from above. And spread: one subject below expected while everything else holds is a subject problem, not a student problem.

Why is the effort rating sometimes better news than the marks?

Because effort is the thing that predicts what happens next. A child rated highly for effort while sitting below expected level is usually a child missing specific skills, and missing skills can be taught. The Education Endowment Foundation finds one-to-one tuition delivers around five additional months of progress on average, and in our experience the high-effort, below-level student is exactly who converts that support fastest.

The reverse pattern deserves attention too. Strong achievement with slipping effort ratings often appears a year before the marks follow it down. If two or more subjects show effort drifting, treat it as the report’s real headline even though it sits in the small print.

What can’t teachers write in a school report?

Report comments are written inside tight constraints: school comment policies, approved phrasing, limited space and an audience of every family in the class. A teacher cannot write that your child is being carried by a friend in group work, cannot rank them against classmates, cannot diagnose anything and often cannot say plainly “I am worried about maths” in the way they would across a table.

That is why the phrase patterns matter. “Is encouraged to ask for help” usually means they are stuck and silent about it. “Continues to work on consistency” usually means homework arrives sometimes. The report is written in a careful dialect, and the translation happens at parent teacher interviews, so book one whenever a comment feels deliberately vague. Ask the teacher what they would want addressed by December. You will get a straighter answer in person than any template allows.

My child’s report was worse than expected. What do we actually do?

First, nothing for twenty four hours; a calm response keeps your child talking to you about school, and shame shuts that door fast. Then work the pattern, not the grade. One subject down: look for a skills gap, a topic that moved too fast, or a classroom issue. Everything down at once: look at habits, sleep, devices, friendship load or motivation before you look at ability, because across-the-board slides are rarely about intelligence.

Australia’s education evidence body, AERO, consistently points to explicit teaching and regular practice as what moves learning, and that is precisely what a good response to a bad report looks like at home: specific gaps named, short regular practice arranged, and an adult checking in weekly. Vague resolutions to “try harder” do not survive Week 3 of term.

How APTUTORING helps after report time

We tutor one-on-one online, and July is the month families bring us reports. We read the report with you, separate the skills gaps from the habit problems, and build the semester plan around what the teacher’s careful dialect was really saying. If a report at your place raised more questions than it answered, reach us through aptutoring.com.au and we will give you an honest read on it.

Frequently asked questions

What does “at expected level” mean on a Victorian report? It means the teacher judges your child to be meeting the Victorian Curriculum achievement standard for their year level in that subject, based on a full semester of work rather than one test.

Is below expected level a reason to panic? On its own, no. Direction matters more than position. A child slightly below level and improving is progressing well; a child drifting downward across two reports needs specific support, not panic.

Why are report comments so generic? Teachers write within school comment policies, approved phrasing and limited space. The specific conversation happens at parent teacher interviews, which is where to take any comment that feels vague.

Should we get a tutor because of one bad report? One bad report is a conversation; a pattern across two reports, or a single subject sliding while effort stays high, is where one-on-one support earns its keep. The evidence base for individual tuition is around five months of additional progress on average.

References

– VCAA. Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. – Education Endowment Foundation. One to one tuition, Teaching and Learning Toolkit. – Australian Education Research Organisation. edresearch.edu.au.

Choose VCE maths by matching the subject to your child’s actual skills, work habits and course goals, not to prestige or scaling myths. Mathematical Methods suits students with strong algebra who may need it for university prerequisites. Specialist Mathematics is for genuinely confident mathematicians who enjoy the subject. General Mathematics is a rigorous, practical option that serves most students better than struggling through Methods. Check the VCAA study designs and your target university courses before deciding, and be honest about the year of work each choice asks for.

After more than fifteen years tutoring Victorian students through this exact decision, we can tell you the conversation at the kitchen table matters more than the subject brochure. Here is how we walk families through it.

What is the difference between Methods, Specialist and General Maths?

Mathematical Methods centres on functions, algebra, calculus and probability, and it underpins most STEM pathways. Specialist Mathematics extends Methods with more abstract and demanding material, and is designed to be taken alongside it. General Mathematics covers data analysis, financial mathematics, matrices and networks: practical mathematics done properly. All three are defined by the VCAA study designs, and none of them is a soft option taught well.

The honest headline: Methods and Specialist are cumulative and algebra-heavy, so gaps from Year 9 and 10 get exposed quickly. General rewards consistency and careful application. They are different kinds of difficulty, not different amounts of worth.

Should my child pick the harder maths because it scales up?

No. Scaling exists to compare subjects fairly, not to reward bravery. A student who earns a strong raw score in General Mathematics will generally end up better placed than the same student grinding out a low score in Methods, and they will have had a far better year doing it. Scaling adjusts scores; it does not rescue a subject choice that never fitted.

We have sat with many Year 11 students in October who chose Methods “because it scales” and spent two terms underwater. The pattern is predictable: confidence drops first, then homework avoidance, then the mark. When the same student moves to a subject that matches their preparation, the recovery in both results and mood is usually fast. Choose the subject your child can do well, then do it well.

Does my child need Methods for their university course?

Sometimes, and this is the one place where the decision is not negotiable. Many engineering, science and some commerce courses list Mathematical Methods as a prerequisite or assumed knowledge. If your child has a genuine target course, look up its current entry requirements before subject selection night, because a missing prerequisite closes doors that scaling never will. If they have no idea yet, that is normal at fifteen: Methods keeps more doors open, provided the algebra foundation is genuinely there to support it.

A practical middle path we often recommend: commit to Methods for Units 1 and 2, put real support around it early, and make a clear minded decision at the end of Year 11 with two terms of evidence in hand.

What questions should we ask the maths teacher?

Ask the person who marks your child’s work, and ask specifically. These four questions surface more truth than any brochure:

1. Is my child’s algebra strong enough for Methods without remediation, or with it? 2. Based on this year’s tests, what score range would you predict in each option? 3. What does their effort look like when the work gets hard? 4. If they were your child, which would you choose?

Teachers answer that last question honestly more often than parents expect. Their judgement, combined with your knowledge of your child’s resilience and goals, beats prestige logic every time.

What if the choice is already made and it is going badly?

Two honest options exist: put structured support in place quickly, or change subjects while the timetable still allows it. Evidence favours acting early either way. The Education Endowment Foundation finds one-to-one tuition adds around five months of progress on average, and in a cumulative subject like Methods, support in Term 1 buys far more than the same support in Term 4. Moving to General is not giving up; it is choosing a course your child can master. What costs students is drifting for two terms while everyone hopes it improves on its own.

How APTUTORING helps with the decision

We tutor Victorian students one-on-one online, and the first thing we do with a new VCE maths student is an honest skills conversation: where the algebra actually sits, what the goal course requires and what the next assessment demands. Parents get our straight assessment, including when we think the current subject is the wrong one. If you would like that conversation before subject selection locks in, reach us through aptutoring.com.au.

Frequently asked questions

Is General Maths respected by universities? Yes. General Mathematics meets the maths requirement for a wide range of courses. Only check carefully where a course lists Mathematical Methods as a prerequisite, because General does not substitute for it.

Can my child do Specialist without loving maths? We would not recommend it. Specialist assumes fluency and genuine interest; it is paired with Methods and moves quickly. Students who merely tolerate maths tend to find it a punishing year.

Is it too late to change maths subjects in Year 11? Usually not early in the year, and many schools allow movement between Units 1 and 2. By Year 12 changes become difficult. Ask the VCE coordinator about your school’s cut off dates before deciding anything by default.

Does tutoring actually help in VCE maths? The evidence for one-to-one tuition is strong, around five additional months of progress on average according to the Education Endowment Foundation, and cumulative subjects like maths respond best when support starts early rather than at exam panic.

References

– VCAA. Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. – Education Endowment Foundation. One to one tuition, Teaching and Learning Toolkit. – Australian Education Research Organisation. edresearch.edu.au.

Most children benefit from a tutor when one or more of these six signs appear: slipping results in a specific subject, homework battles that end in tears or avoidance, fading confidence, a report card that surprises you, a big transition year ahead, or a bright child who seems bored rather than stretched. The research on what good tutoring delivers is strong. The UK’s Education Endowment Foundation finds one-to-one tuition adds around five months of learning progress on average, and Australia’s Grattan Institute has called for high-quality tuition to be embedded in every school because of how reliably it lifts struggling students. The harder question for parents is recognising the right moment. These are the signs we see most often.

What are the signs a child is falling behind?

The clearest sign is a persistent slide in one subject while others hold steady. One difficult test is noise. A term of slipping marks in maths or English is a pattern, and patterns compound: school moves on whether or not the foundations settled.

The quieter signs matter just as much:

1. Homework has become a battle. Avoidance, tears or the nightly negotiation usually signal a child protecting themselves from something that feels too hard, not a child being lazy. 2. Confidence is fading. “I’m just bad at maths” is a belief, not a fact, and beliefs like it harden quickly if nothing changes. 3. The report card surprised you. When the first sign of trouble is a formal report, it means struggles have been invisible at home for a while. 4. A transition year is coming. The jumps into secondary school and into the senior years raise the load sharply. Support before the jump beats rescue after it. 5. Your bright child seems bored. Tutoring is not only for catching up. Extension keeps a capable student engaged and moving.

What does the research say tutoring achieves?

The Education Endowment Foundation’s evidence review, drawing on 123 studies, credits one-to-one tuition with around five additional months of progress on average, rising to about six months for literacy. Its practical finding is just as useful for parents: short, regular sessions tied closely to schoolwork produce the best results, which is why a steady weekly rhythm beats an occasional marathon.

Australian evidence agrees. The Grattan Institute’s work on small-group tuition recommends structured, targeted sessions several times a week for students who have fallen behind, and estimates the lifetime benefits of high-quality tuition run into the billions nationally. The message for a single family is simpler: the right help, delivered regularly, moves children measurably.

When is the right time to start?

Earlier than most families do. The natural instinct is to wait for the next report card, but a term of waiting is a term of compounding. If two or more of the signs above have been true for more than a few weeks, an assessment conversation costs nothing and answers the question properly.

Starting early in a term also gives a tutor time to build the relationship and the routine before assessments arrive, which is when confidence pays its dividends.

How APTUTORING helps

We match students with tutors who focus on the whole child: rebuilding confidence alongside skills, and keeping parents in the loop as progress comes. Our goal has not changed since the beginning, helping primary and secondary students reach their full potential.

And a note for families who have followed us for a while: there are big things coming at APTUTORING, including a new website, new systems and new offers, rolling out over the months ahead. The tutoring, and the care behind it, continues throughout. Visit aptutoring.com.au or call (03) 9707 2761 to talk about your child.

APTUTORING. Your Child’s Success.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my child needs a tutor or just more time? Time fixes a bad week; it rarely fixes a pattern. If results in one subject have slipped across a term, or homework battles and fading confidence have lasted more than a few weeks, an assessment will show whether there is a genuine gap and how large it is.

Does tutoring actually work? The strongest evidence review available, from the Education Endowment Foundation, finds one-to-one tuition adds around five months of progress on average. Quality matters: regular sessions linked to schoolwork outperform occasional intensive ones.

Is tutoring only for students who are struggling? No. Extension tutoring keeps capable students engaged and stretched, and support before a transition year builds the foundations the next stage will demand.

How quickly should we expect results? Confidence usually shifts within weeks; measurable academic movement typically follows across a term of regular sessions. Beware anyone promising instant transformation.

References

– Education Endowment Foundation. One to one tuition, Teaching and Learning Toolkit. – Grattan Institute (2023). Tackling under-achievement: why Australia should embed high-quality small-group tuition in schools.

Can you believe that we’re well into term 1! We hope this new school year is filled with a plethora of learning opportunities and academic progress! Our tutors are out in full swing attending sessions to assist their students with kick-starting their learning adventures for 2017.

We’ve also been busy visiting new students and their families to provide our in-house assessment sessions that enable our tutors to begin planning the best way forward in academically supporting your child. Parents often have questions about our assessment sessions so we’ve put together a list of the most popular FAQs for you:

What are APTUTORING assessments?

• In our assessments we use booklets designed by APTUTORING (year level and subject area specific). They focus on key learning areas within subjects and are completed within the session to the best of the students ability.
• Don’t worry, our assessment sessions are not meaningless tests and they won’t leave your child feeling disheartened about their academic potential!
• In addition to your child completing the assessment booklet, our assessor will also talk with you about how they learn, what his/her strengths are and what they would most like to gain from tuition.
• Assessment sessions are also about gathering all the necessary information. This can include relevant school reports or other educational assessments completed previously. We take all this information and use it to help us formulate an individualized tuition plan for your child which your tutor will be able to implement weekly.
• You should note that APTUTORING assessments are not diagnostic tests for learning disorders such as dyslexia or dyspraxia. They are also not psychological or neurological assessments for various disorders (eg. audio processing disorder).
• APTUTORING assessors will also run through the administration nitty-gritties, answer any questions you may have and collect important enrollment documents required to begin tuition.

Who conducts assessments for APTUTORING?

• Our assessors have all the skills of a teacher, organisational checks (such as a Working With Children Check) and friendly personality of our tutors plus the extra APTUTORING Assessor training to enable them to gather all the relevant information needed to put together a supportive tuition plan.

So, why do an assessment before beginning tuition sessions?

• Well, firstly, we want to be prepared. Time is valuable and we see the value in knowing exactly what each student needs before they get started with tuition. By the time your tutor arrives for their first session they know what your child is wanting to achieve, what gaps in knowledge they may have in the subject area and how best to support them to achieving their academic goals.
• Our assessors want to understand how your child approaches their school work and whether they require additional supports due to a learning difficulty so an assessment prior to beginning tuition helps us plan with these things in mind too.
• Assessors get a valuable opportunity to speak candidly with parents and students early on about any concerns they might have.

What happens to the information gathered during an assessment?

• All information relating to your child is kept confidential and is only used to formulate an individualised tuition plan for your child.
• Your assessor will gather all relevant information which is presented to your child’s tutor for lesson planning and curriculum support.

Can I obtain a copy of my child’s assessment?

• We understand that parents are keen to hear feedback about their child. Unfortunately, our assessors are not able to provide specific feedback about your child’s booklet during the assessment session.
• Once tuition commences, your child’s tutor will be able to provide an overview of the assessment booklet and discuss the individualised tuition plan with you and your child.
• APTUTORING assessments are internal documents but should you require a written report please contact our office to discuss your needs and request a written report (fee applicable).

How does the assessment inform ongoing tuition practice?

• We use our assessments as an academic reference to help keep your child on track so they can achieve their learning goals.
• Assessments help us provide the academic support your child needs as we know how they learn best and what they need from tuition.
• Tutors often refer back to our assessments to help your child to track their progress in key learning areas.

We hope these FAQs have helped you understand a little bit more about our assessments!

If you would like to book an assessment with one of our qualified assessors, please contact us.

After a full academic year of schooling and tutoring, how can your child avoid the “brain drain” during summer school holidays? Read on to find out more…

Okay, I’m going to jump the gun a little here and fast forward a couple of weeks to suggest that you’ve all recovered from the end-of-term-4 tiredness, school break ups and Christmas/New Year festivities. At this time of the year it can be difficult (unless you’re a VCE student) to even think about study plans over the summer school holidays but let’s talk about why ‘switching off’ completely may be detrimental to your child getting the most out of their learning when school resumes.

What is Summer Learning Loss?

Research suggests that Summer Learning Loss, or the loss and/or decrease in academic knowledge and skills over long school holiday periods can equate to students academically falling behind by up to 4-8 weeks by the time school resumes. The research also indicates that this varies greatly by student and in topic areas with mathematical skills being most affected.

This has a cumulative effect on students learning new material after school holidays and is problematic for teachers who spend many weeks having to re-teach material to students. For tutors, it is obvious that the gaps in their students’ knowledge only widens after long school holidays when they have not engaged in reviewing topics or previous learning.

So how do you encourage your child to avoid the summer holiday brain drain?

Let’s be clear for a moment. We are not suggesting that students engage in a rigorous study timetable, in fact that would be counter-productive. What we are encouraging students to do is engage in age/developmentally appropriate learning that supports their academic skills and avoids them ‘switching off’ and lapsing into brain drain that offers no benefits over the holidays or when school resumes.

Take a look at this short list of general activities to benefit primary and secondary learners:

Primary learners:

• For very young children, reading at least one book a day as a family.
• Visit your local library and encourage your child to browse for texts that appeal to them or a current topic of interest.
• Read texts that are challenging and discuss them with your child to enhance comprehension and vocabulary skills.

Remember to use analytical question prompts to help develop your child’s skills; Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?

• Think outside the box and incorporate maths and reading into everyday unstructured activities, field trips and holiday activities.

This can be as simple as helping your child read a map when you’re at the zoo to navigating their way through the grocery store looking for particular items on the shopping list:

• Reduce screen time and encourage outdoor fun; nature is a wonderful teacher.
• Structure some maths time with your child in a relaxed atmosphere.

Review times tables, count objects of interest, read the time (analogue and digital) and help your child make a list of what they do at certain times of the day, get the blocks out and talk about geometrical shapes while building with your child, cook with your child or do some water play to incorporate measurement skills.

• What is your child passionate about? Incorporate learning with their passion through books, trips to museums, libraries, zoos, planetarium etc. Keep a journal with your child filled with interesting facts that they can record, draw accompanying pictures and write accounts of their adventures.

Secondary learners:

• Younger secondary students can work on spatial and geometric maths skills such as architecture and engineering through building structures with a variety of materials… get creative!

Have a discussion about the effectiveness of the materials chosen using analytical questions as prompts; Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?

• Get organised for English by reading the set texts before you start the new school year. Think ahead about characters, themes, context and setting.
• Older secondary students can review core maths concepts in preparation for returning to school. You can find a plethora of practice questions online to keep your skills in check.
• Help your secondary student to develop independent learning skills. Encourage them to take initiative of their own learning and make a list of topics they need to work on in each area of study.
• Reading, reading, reading!!! Yes, I can’t stress this one enough. Read often, read widely, think critically about what you’ve read. Whether this is an article in The Australian or a novel of your choosing, think critically about points of view, characters, themes etc. Challenge yourself and don’t just pick your usual familiar genre of text or one that you will easily cruise through.

Remember, it’s easy to avoid summer learning loss while you’re having fun on your summer holidays by including some of the above tips into your break!

Lastly, as the school year has concluded I would like to thank you for tuning into our blog and providing us with your feedback throughout the year! On behalf of everyone at APTUTORING, I would also like to sincerely wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a safe New Year! We thank you for your continued support in 2016 and we look forward to working with your child again in 2017 to assist them in reaching their academic goals!

Cooper H, Nye B, Charlton K, Lindsay J, and Greathouse S. 1996. The effects of summer vacation on achievement test scores: A narrative and metaanalytic review. Review of Educational Research 66: 227–268.

APTUTORING’s Tips for Surviving Exam Periods

Whether you are living with a Year 12 student, facing the toughest period of their secondary school careers with the finality and pressure of VCE exams or you are supporting your secondary school aged child to manage study time effectively during their end of semester exams, the question remains the same. How do we help our tutoring students get through exam periods?

Encourage self-care

At a time where nothing seems more important than the looming test or exam, encouraging students to step out of study mode is crucial for their mental health, learning and exam success. Focus is wonderful and essential to succeed during this period of high stress but without the opportunity to take a break from the pressure young people can be vulnerable to burn out.

So, to avoid extreme physical and mental exhaustion, encourage your child to find a regular activity that helps them take a break or ‘switch off’, preferably away from a screen or device. Get outside, go for a walk, play a sport, garden, do some yoga/meditation, read for pure enjoyment (not study related), visit a friend or family member. Self-care is about connecting and looking after ourselves on a deeper level so encourage your child to engage in activities that allows them to regularly take a break from the craziness and intensity of exam period.

Communicate

Talking is an obvious one here and it’s easy to believe that we are communicating effectively with our child when we are going about our lives but I’m talking more about the quality of communication here. Keep the lines of communication open (yes, this can be challenging to do with a stressed-out teenager) but find a way that works for you and your child.

Does your child love to connect with you over a cup of tea or a walk around the block? Keeping the lines of communication open during stressful times allows you to get a better idea of what they need in terms of support during the exam period. Ideally, working this out in the lead up to exams is ideal but not always a reality for many families. Here are some topics/questions to use as a starting point:

• What do you need right now to help you get through this exam?
• Help them put the exam within a bigger picture context.
• Have realistic conversations about their study goals/plans.
• Who could help me with this problem right now (e.g. parent, teacher, tutor)? What steps do I need to take to get the help I need?

Get on the ‘Brain Break’ bandwagon

If you haven’t heard of a ‘brain break’ before then you can read all about it here: https://www.edutopia.org/article/research-tested-benefits-breaks/

The benefits of regular ‘brain breaks’ are well researched and evidenced as a tool to assist with re-setting the brains approach to a task, problem or situation. Help your child get on board with ‘brain breaks’ by explaining how they can make it part of their ‘toolbox’ for stress management.

The internet has a plethora of great ‘brain break’ examples and activities that vary in time from quick 2 minutes to longer 20 minute breaks.

Until next time…

Happy Learning!

Looking to expand your professional development repertoire? Did you know APTUTORING provides accredited professional development for teachers in accordance with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT)?

The VIT states that “as a registered teacher or early childhood teacher you will need to engage in at least 20 hours of professional development (PD) activities, each year to renew your registration… (and) your PD must be referenced to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) and address at least one standard in each of the three domains of the APST: Professional Knowledge, Professional Practice and Professional Engagement.

www.vit.vic.edu.au

This year APTUTORING has offered professional development for teachers in the areas of conducting educational assessments, delivering scholarship preparation, induction for new staff and teaching for special needs.

Did you know that as part of the government’s Special Needs Plan it is now a mandatory requirement (for VIT renewal) for all teachers to complete professional development to enable them to build their skills for working with learners with disabilities.

We now offer professional development ‘Teaching for Special Needs’ that complies with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers 1.5, 1.6 & 4.1. It is based on educational research & draws on the experience of our Educational Assessors to focus on how to meet students individual needs in both classroom & tuition settings. It covers:

• Types of special needs disabilities & disorders
• Specific strategies to assist students with varying special needs
• Includes collegiate activity on individualising pedagogy and differentiating worksheets for students with special needs.

Why choose APTUTORING as the provider of your next Professional Development session?

Our sessions are provided free (or very minimal charge on some sessions)!!

• We offer professional development to all teachers (not just those who work as tutors for APTUTORING)
• Our professional development is based on educational research & is directly relevant to both classroom & tuition settings.
• Our professional development presenters are knowledgeable, experienced & engaging.
• We hold sessions in comfortable facilities local to our office in Berwick & we provide refreshments.

So what’s coming up for Professional Development at APTUTORING?

• Teaching for Special Needs – Autism
• Teaching for Special Needs – Auditory Processing Disorder
• Teaching for Special Needs – Mental Health Issues

So, what are you waiting for? Send us an email on admin@aptutoring.com.au or call our office 1300 665 924 to register your interest in attending an upcoming professional development session with APTUTORING! Too easy!

The Benefits of Tutoring Catch-up Sessions

So, you’ve had to miss an awesome session or two with your tutor due to a commitment or your child being unwell. It happens. Life happens. So now what? Let’s talk Make Up sessions.

APTUTORING values your child’s relationship with their tutor, keeping your child on track to achieve their learning goals and the time spent for your child’s tutor to plan effective lessons to best assist your child during the school terms. Although we understand that life happens our 17 years of experience tells us a few important things about tuition:

1. It needs to be regular and consistent.
2. It is harder for students to stay connected with tuition and content if sessions are missed.
3. Progress is slower and gaps arise in the students knowledge when sessions are missed and not followed up.

So, what is a Make Up session?

Make Up sessions are your child’s opportunity to catch up on the content and learning they have missed out on through cancelling of a session/s due to illness, commitments or life getting in the way of tuition.

How do make up sessions work?

When sessions are cancelled and you are eligible for a make up session (see t’s & c’s here) we notify your child’s tutor who puts aside their cancelled lesson plan for a later make up session date.
You are then invoiced for your session as usual, but it sits in our system as a make up session for you to use at a convenient time for both you and your tutor.

When you’re ready to use your make up session it’s easy, you contact APTUTORING with your availability and we take care of the details of scheduling with your tutor so that he/she arrives at your door to do the important work of helping your child catch up and stay on track with achieving their learning goals.

We’ve put together some frequently asked questions that parents often ask us about Make Up sessions?

1. Is it compulsory to do make up sessions?

Yes, at APTUTORING we do ask that you adhere to our T’s & C’s and attend make up sessions. To be able to get the best out of your sessions, your child needs consistency. Missing sessions habitually and not having a chance to catch up on content does adversely affect your child’s understanding of curriculum content and ability to progress with their tuition learning plan.

2. Can I use my make up session before an exam or assessment?

Absolutely! It’s your make up session so if you feel that you would like to use it for extra preparation before an exam or assessment then let us know. Obviously if you are behind in a key area then your tutor may suggest using your make up session to catch up on core learning first so please chat with your tutor.
We ask that in using your make up session/s for exam or assessment preparation that you provide us with as much notice as possible so we can sort out logistics with your tutors availability.

3. Am I charged for Make Up sessions?

No you are not charged again when you use your make up session. When cancelling a session during the school term you are invoiced for that session as usual and this then sits as a credit for you to use as a make up session. Easy!

4. How long do I have to use my make up session/s?

Make up sessions sit as credits in our system until the end of the following term following your cancellation. So, for example if you cancel a session in term 3 you have until the end of term 4 to use it. Obviously we can use our discretion here so if there are extenuating circumstances as to why you can’t use a make up session then contact us EARLY ON and let us know so we can best help you.

5. Can I use my make up session on a weekend, public holiday or school holiday

For sure! Scheduling a make up session is dependent on yours and your tutors availability. Do keep in mind that our teachers have lives and families too but they are very flexible and we endeavour to find a suitable day/time that suits everyone.

6. Who’s responsible for keeping track of my make up sessions?

That would be you. As you can appreciate, keeping track of a gazillion students, parents and teachers availabilities and schedules is a big job! If you’re unsure if you have a make up session owing then contact us and we will be happy to check for you. Or you can easily log into your child’s student portal (refer to your invoices for the details) to check if you have any Make Up sessions to use.

Have further questions regarding make up sessions? Need to book a make up session for your child? Then contact us and let us help you.

Until next time,
Happy learning!!

How to Encourage Your Child to Get the Most out of Reading

For some children, a love of reading emerges naturally and with little encouragement from parents.  For other children, reading is a challenge from the beginning (for so many different reasons) or just making time to read regularly becomes a battle that a lot of parents dread on a daily basis. There is a large body of research supporting the positive impact of regular reading  on vocabulary, reading comprehension, general knowledge and verbal fluency (read this interesting research paper for more info). As professional tutors, we know that reading proficiency is an important key to unlocking success at school and in later life so…

How do you encourage your child to get the most out of reading?

Give children a say in what they’re reading! Renowned Australian author, Jackie French, says:

“When giving kids books, adults think, ‘This is a kid’s book therefore it’s appropriate’, but just as not all adults enjoy every book, kids need the chance to develop their own preferences.” (A. Hennessy ‘Why kids should ditch consoles for books‘, Perth Now).

Support your child in developing their literary preferences and gently guide them in journeying through the many genres available. This way they will really enjoy what they’re reading and it will be easier for them to read regularly.

Not sure where to start? Head to your local library and encourage your child to browse the shelves to get a sense of what appeals to them.

Get talking with your child about what they’ve read

I’m not just talking about a simple plot summary here… but, more meaningful discussion around the characters, themes and interpretations in the text. By encouraging your child to delve a little deeper in their thinking you are helping them develop key critical thinking skills which really assists their analytical skills now and in future learning.  Try asking these questions regarding a chapter, theme or character:

• What?
• Why?
• Who?
• When?
• Where?
• How?

Encourage your child to reflect and journal about what they’ve read

Use the above questions and ask your child to write down a few sentences (younger students) or paragraphs (older students) focusing on analytical thinking. Some children feel more confident in writing down their thoughts about a text rather than having a conversation so get them writing!

Quantity vs quality

What’s more important here? The number of books read OR the quality of book and time taken to think critically about a text? Over the years we’ve seen many students read text after text almost robotically in haste without pause to think critically about the text. Choosing quality texts for your child’s literacy level (there are some starter lists here and here) and focusing on discussing and responding to the text in written form will greatly benefit your child’s literacy skills and help them to think critically about the world around them.

Until next time, happy reading!

How do you ease your child back into the new tutoring term?

Oh holidays… Sometimes it can feel like they take forever to arrive, and then they’re gone in the blink of an eye! We hope you had a wonderful school holiday!

So, in the face of a new term how can you ease your child back into tuition? Here are four easy suggestions:

1. Get Organised

• Your child might need a little extra help getting organised in the first week back. Prompt them to think about what they need for their session and where possible have it ready the day before.
• Lacking motivation? Encourage your child to write down:
  a) One thing they need to ask their tutor about.
  …OR….
  b) Something they need to work on in their tuition this week.

2. Rest

Remember that your child will most likely be extra tired in the first week back and may need an earlier night the day before tuition. If possible, get your child outside (with lots of extra winter layers!) and out for a run around before their tutor arrives.

3. Food

Back to school hunger will likely strike in the middle of a tuition session so have some healthy snacks (nuts, avocado, fruit, cheese, biscuits) and water on hand to keep your child’s concentration up during a session.

4. Realistic Expectations

Know that it usually takes a week or so to get back into the routine of tuition (even more so with younger children). With the return to school and the onslaught of extra curricular activities students get tired quickly at the end of the school day. So, encourage your child to talk to their tutor and use part of their first session back as a space to regroup, check in with their organisational skills and get on top of school homework and assignments.

With these handy tips up your sleeve your child will be back into the swing of tuition in no time! And remember, if you have any concerns about your child then have a quick chat with your tutor, or contact us  so we can help.

Happy next term, and happy learning!