Better Together - The Benefits of Group Tutoring.

There are many known benefits to one-on-one private tutoring — active participation by the student, personalized lesson plans, and focused attention on the sole student. These are great qualities, but there are some things that one-on-one tutoring just can’t facilitate.

After a long year of isolation during the pandemic, many parents are worried about their child’s academic progress. It’s no surprise that so many parents are looking for a summer tutor to help get their child caught up after a year of so much uncertainty and transition between in-person learning and online-learning. Group tutoring is a great option because it shows students that they aren’t alone in their education journey.

Camaraderie isn’t the only benefit of group tutoring, there are many desirable aspects of learning within a small group:

●      Engaging: Different learning styles and perspectives keep the group tutoring sessions exciting. Group tutoring sessions are the ‘sweet spot’ in between one-on-one tutoring and standard classroom instruction. Group tutors can give more attention to students in a small group than they would in a large classroom, but there are still enough students to keep the students engaged.

●      Inspiring: Individual tutoring may be great for test preparation, but group tutoring connects students with their peers. Having a friend in the session with them may encourage your child to stick with the program. Additionally, students may be inspired by other students as they watch each other work through problems and support each other. Group tutoring is also a great way for students to make new friends.

●      Affordable: Generally, tutors charge 25% less for students in group tutoring sessions compared to a private session. Some tutors offer a set rate to be divided by a group, so the more students in a group, the less each parent has to pay

Collective Knowledge and Shared Resource

You may be a genius, but everyone knows something that you don’t know. The great thing about group tutoring is that students get to see how other students think and solve problems. Each student brings to the group their unique background, set of skills, and learning styles. While the tutor is the main source of knowledge, students also have the added support of their peers. Sometimes just watching another student work through a problem is groundbreaking. There is also the added motivation and responsibility that accompanies collaborative work. In group tutoring sessions, students come together to form a collective knowledge base and share their resources together.

What to Expect in Group Tutoring Sessions

Each group tutoring session will vary depending on the needs of the students and the teaching style of the tutor. Some groups meet virtually while some meet in person. Here are some examples of activities typically found in group tutoring sessions.

●      Student-led discussion: They say you don’t truly understand something unless you can teach it to others. While this is debatable, it’s no question that explaining a concept to others helps us understand the concept better ourselves. Students in a group tutoring session can take turns leading discussions on different topics. This allows students to demonstrate their knowledge and embrace leadership skills while the other students learn more about a select topic.

●      Think-Pair-Share: This type of activity gives students time to work independently, compare ideas with a partner, and then share their findings with the group. Students are still challenged to think independently, but also get to come together and see the different ways of solving a problem.

●      Peer review: In individual tutoring sessions there is no capacity for peer reviewed work. Students in a group tutoring session get to practice their revision skills and learn how to give constructive feedback. Additionally, reading each other’s work may lead to discoveries and different ways of understanding a concept.

The benefits of group tutoring are clear, but the biggest incentive for enrolling your child in a group tutor session might be the much needed reconnection after a year of social distancing. Every student faced unforeseeable challenges over the past year, but no one should feel like they went through it alone. Students who fell behind have nothing to be ashamed of, and getting them in a group with students in similar situations reinforces that.

Only you and your child know what type of tutoring is going to be the best fit. If group tutoring sounds like the perfect way to get your child back on track, check out The Progressive Centre’s 2021 summer programs. The centre provides a variety of different programs that cater to each child’s unique learning needs.