You might not think it, but tutoring can be about much more than just getting the grades.
Online tutoring has been a relatively recent phenomenon, and it's one that has drastically grown in popularity. In their role as 'third person' in the education journey (neither a teacher, nor a parent), tutors can build confidence, teach independence, and even help students handle challenges way beyond school for years to come.
One-to-one tutoring is an investment in your child's holistic development. The right tutor can change more than just your child's grades, so choose wisely.
The 'third person'
A tutor is like a teacher, but not quite. Neither are they, of course, a parent. Tutors inhabit this strange third space in education, both outside of the system and within it.
This intermediary position can be incredibly powerful for students. Teachers, while highly knowledgeable, are often seen as authority figures, and parents, though supportive, may lack the specific expertise a student needs in certain subjects. Tutors bridge this gap, providing a personalized, approachable, and often less intimidating source of support.
Tutors can also act like aspirational mentors to students who may wish to pursue their tutor's subject of study at a top university, or break into a workforce that the tutor may already be part of. In their “third-person” role, tutors become a source of emotional support, guidance on university or career paths, and help with decision-making processes beyond grades.
Developing soft skills
In today's economy, more employers than ever are citing soft skills as more important than hard skills.
Soft skills include things like critical thinking, problem solving, communication, creativity, teamwork -- the list goes on. Because one-to-one tutoring is slower paced and more personalised, the student is guided through these skills in less pressurised environments, and studies show that this kind of academic attention is fantastic at developing both emotional intelligence and academic confidence.
By nurturing these abilities, tutors equip students with the tools they need to thrive in an ever-evolving workforce. Building soft skills and confidence will stick with your child for years to come, beyond their books.
The science of the benefits of tutoring
Science proves the magic of one-on-one tutoring.
The benefits of one-to-one academic attention are well known. They're personalised down to the student's strengths and weaknesses, but there's a few other scientific reasons why tutoring could help improve your learning.
Because lessons move at the student's unique pace, there’s time for brain breaks—an underrated tool for learning. Research shows that the brain actually needs short breaks to commit things to memory, and researchers concluded that brain breaks play “just as important a role as practice in learning a new skill.”
Students also benefit from tutoring's active learning, given that a one-on-one setting allows for deeper engagement with the material, leading to better retention. This kind of engagement — answering questions, teaching back, or solving problems— is far more difficult to achieve in traditional classroom settings where attention is divided. Research shows that when students actively participate in learning, they process information more thoroughly, leading to stronger long-term memory.
Tutors are more than just tutors
They're mentors. At Avalon Education, we take tutoring seriously. It's an investment that we deeply value, as it really does do more than just boost grades.
We all know how important education is, especially across the time at secondary school. By working with a tutor, students don’t just learn—they grow, gaining the confidence and tools needed to thrive academically and in life.
Ready to invest in your child's future? Let’s start the journey together at Avalon Education.
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