Study Skills Tutoring
I can support your child to be able to deal with demands of secondary school - the organisation, studying, time management, note-taking and more. It is common for students to find these skills/demands difficult when they make that transition to secondary. This support can begin in late primary and early secondary school (year 6 up) as the more support your child gets with these skills earlier in their school career, it can make a real difference to how they do in secondary school. It will help them reach their full potential.
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Some students have such skills naturally, many need to learn them with some support from school and there are plenty who are really struggling (due to less experience, skills or even neurodivergence like ADHD) and need extra support beyond what schools can offer. Your child will have different strengths and needs in this area.
I will support your child meeting them where they are, helping them with both mentoring in the study and organisation skills they need and using coaching style questions to work with them to decide on their goals and find the solutions and strategies that work for them and will help them long term (as appropriate to their ages and your wishes).​​​
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For answers to common questions, please read on below:
What skills fall under study and organisation skills​?
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​Anything that helps your child succeed and meet the demands of secondary school, outside of specific subject areas. Areas that can be focused on include: note-taking; studying for assessments; handing in homework on time; organizing their bag, work space, agenda etc; breaking up a larger projects, time management, and many more. If your child is struggling not with a specific subject but more with the skills needed in order to complete their homework, be ready for assessments and have all the things they need - then this tutoring can really help them to reach their full potential.
How will you support my child?
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Each student is different and we will need to work out what works best for them, and what they can sustain from a range of options (known to work). For example, there are different ways of keeping track of your schedules and to do’s, though all have similar underlying principles, and there will be one that your child is drawn to and works well for them (examples would include physical agendas or bullet journals, online calendars, reminder apps etc). Another example is note-taking, the general principles are again the same but how one organises one's notes can vary e.g. using mind-maps, symbols, structured outline, typed or handwritten. What your child’s school uses will also be taken into consideration (e.g. if they provide an agenda; or have a format for notes).
Will they need to do homework?
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Yes, as the only way your child can make these skills part of their routine is to use them regularly and apply them in their schooling. The skills they learn will help them throughout their schooling. What your child is working on and what the practice will be, will be discussed in each session and communicated with you as agreed. It may not always look like regular homework (as it may be doing something at the same time each day like filling in their agenda, or using their flashcards etc). You may also need to support them while they are embedding these skills.
Where are sessions given?
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​Sessions are usually held at my practice at Bouwmeesterstraat 49.
What does a typical session look like?
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​​There really isn't a typical session as it very much depends on what skills are your and your child’s goals as discussed in the intake. The session could include practicing or checking in on skills learned so far (e.g. checking on their agenda - that it is fully filled in with all activities outside of school, school hours, homework due dates and to do's for each day); learning and practicing a new skill (e.g. note-taking from a text-book, slides or video); and/or some thinking, discussion and decisions around e.g. how to organise, selecting strategies from some options or goal setting through a coaching method.
What are the tutoring steps (process) with you? ​
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Please click this link for more information about how tutoring works.
Why should my child be tutored by you?
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​I was a Year 7 class teacher for 7 years of my teaching career. I have personal experience of the IB as a student and have of course gone through my own academic career successfully. I also managed an academic diploma alongside my teaching. I have experience of working with neurodivergent children (especially ADHD) in my time as a learning support coordinator and maths tutor. I am known for my organization and planning skills - hard won through years of experience as this was not my natural inclination nor a strength. ​I also use my coaching skills, recently acquired and refined through formal training with the Animas School of Coaching, to help children gain confidence and trust in their ability to find solutions and set goals for themselves. I have a strength in connecting with children and young people and I place a lot of emphasis on building the relationship with your child, gaining their trust and thereby a willingness to try things. I find this is more effective than being punitive or overly strict. I set high expectations and also understand that we are human and make mistakes. It’s what you do following them that counts.
You can also read in Home and About Ilona for what I bring to tutoring.