Your child deserves the best chocolate, candy, and of course the best English tutor.   Tutoring on its own has become a larger part of the academic community as almost every school and organization has a tutoring center. The service has also been made unrestricted by teachers and students who often offer it as volunteer service or a means to earn extra dollars.

Although this service is in abundance which means it should be easy to find almost any tutor that you want, it is imperative that you find the one that suits your child’s needs while excellently delivering the job, and doing this task may be quite arduous. But there is an assurance that by the time you are through with this article you will be able to discover the perfect English tutor that your child needs following just three steps.

The good thing is that these steps are useful regardless of whether you are considering getting a tutor for the first time or your child has worked with one before, it is also helpful regardless of the level of education whether they are in elementary, middle, or high school.

In the quest of finding the perfect English tutor for your child you have to;

Realize your Objectives

The moment you discover that your child is having difficulties learning English and you have concluded that what your child needs is a good English tutor for kids; you will have to do some little research on the child by answering some introspective questions. These questions will serve as the foundation to help you discover the child’s needs and understand the child better.

Although some of the answers to these questions are what the tutor should find an answer to on their own. Your assignment is your assignment and the tutor’s assignment is his assignment. But the results from your research will guide you in identifying your child’s needs.

Question 1: Learning Style

The first question is to identify your child’s learning style.

Your child’s learning style is the method that helps them learn and assimilate quickly. Some children learn by reading, touching, listening, or through pictorial effects such as pictures, videos, or moving objects.

Question 2: Learning Preference and Motivation

With that being established, you have to find out if your child learns better with a male teacher or a female teacher, and find out what motivates or drives your child to learn.

Some of these questions can be asked of the child and the child’s teacher to be accurate. Another way to find answers to these questions is through the school counselor, the counselor should have the files that track your child’s scores in tests and notes on possible personality problems.

Question 3: Budgeting

Under this category, you may also need to ask yourself how much of your time and money you can devote to tutoring.

Explore your Options

Searching for potential tutors for your child can be done through the following steps:

1. Reach out to your child’s school to confirm if they have a list of registered tutors.
2. Ask friends and families for recommendations
3. Visit a reliable online learning center to hire one

Assess your Options

After you might get a list of about 2 or 3 or more potential tutors, the next thing to do is to evaluate them to find out which one is best for your child.

Here are lists of questions you should look into:

• Set up a physical or online consultation with the tutor. This helps you have a physical assessment of the person who is going to be tutoring your child as well as giving you room to assess them.
• Inspect their certifications thoroughly and carefully, you need to find out if their skills match your child’s needs and your goals.
• Have an idea of the type of teaching background they have, this includes the number of years, the kind of style they have used over the years, and the schools and children they have worked with. If it is possible tell them to get a recommendation letter if they applied for the opening online, you can as well ask them if they have worked with children who are identical to your child in terms of age and ability.
• Find out how the tutor will assess your child
• Find out how they will discover your child’s strengths and weaknesses
• Find out what method will be adopted to tutor your child and how it will be implemented
• Confirm if the tutor would love to work hand-in-hand with the child’s classroom teacher and counselor
• Ask them how long it will take for them to have their lessons prepared according to the subject matter and the needs of the child.
• Find out how the tutor motivates his students to learn and study and make sure it suits your child’s way of getting motivated.
• Find out where they prefer the tutoring to take place as some tutors prefer a library or their tutoring center and if you want the tutor to come to the house for the exercise then you should let them know of that arrangement but make sure there is an arrangement for another person to be in the house while the exercise is going on.
• Ask how long it will take for the child to progress and develop their skills
• Find out how much they will charge for the next job
• Finally, find out about their expectations from you and if there is any area they want you to come in as a form of assistance to the child.

Also, it is imperative to work on a contract form between you and the tutor. Here, you can find out more about their payment policies. Some tutors accept only cash and require that you pay them in advance, while others don’t. You should also find out if they want to be paid per session, or on a weekly/monthly basis. Whichever works for you and the tutor should be documented to avoid future misunderstandings.

In addition, make sure you are aware of their cancellation policies. Some tutors like to be given a week’s notice once their services are no longer needed while some are rather flexible.

Conclusion

Finally, after you have successfully secured a private tutor for your child, you have to seal it up by partnering in the result. And how you can do this by tracking your child’s progress by asking for feedback and monitoring their grades. You can also observe your child’s relationship with the tutor by choosing to be part of the session sometimes.

Parent survey data shows that more than 50% of American families* have less than 50 books in their homes, including children’s books. Moreover, over 8,000 elementary schools don’t have a school library—and the majority of teachers say that cost is the major obstacle to building a well-stocked library.

If you are lucky enough to have a child who is passionate about reading, ensuring they have an array of safe books to enjoy is only the first step. How can you encourage your child to make reading a daily priority, so that their brains and imagination can grow?

Turning Reading into a Family Affair

Best-selling author, Stephen King, often recalls how everyone in his family used to take turns reading, thus upping the fun factor and turning reading into a crucial bonding activity. Choose a book that everyone can get something different out of. Classics like Tolkien’s The Hobbit or E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web are universally enjoyed by readers of all ages. Moreover, by joining in on the activity, parents can ensure that their child is spending time on age-appropriate books.

Using Safe Search to Find New Material

Many children enjoy having the freedom to select their own reading. While parents should always have a look at their children’s chosen material to ensure it is appropriate, children can use Safe Search Kids to delve more deeply into the subjects that fascinate them. They will also find a host of handy tips on how to deal with online challenges like cyberbullying. They will learn how to negotiate their way through a myriad of apps while protecting their privacy and being aware of the permanence of digital footprints.

Having Books in Various Spaces

An important way to boost your child’s interest in books is to make safe, entertaining reading material available in various spaces in your home. Your child’s bedroom is a great place to start, but it is also a good idea to have at least a small shelf (or wall shelves) in common areas like the living room, entertainment room, and patio. Some kids even enjoy reading in the bathroom, so make sure there is always a good short story, poem, or article to pick up.

Help Children to Be Better Readers

Often, a lack of interest in reading can mean that children are struggling.  You may see that they have no trouble applying themselves to specific subjects in school.  In fact, they may even be enthusiastic about them. But when it comes to reading, they show little interest. This could many things.  From a simple thing like needing glasses, to evaluating them for learning challenges, such as ADHD – you’ll want to get to the bottom of why they don’t enjoy reading.

Creating a Magical Reading Space

Children who enjoy reading by themselves or having a little “me time” may enjoy having a private “cave” or tent where they can immerse themselves in classic stories. Cheap and cheerful ideas include creating a blanket tent in your living room and decorating it with fairy lights, soft cushions to sit on, and soft, warm throws. If you have a tent, you can set it up in your backyard during the day and entice children with a garden picnic.

In Summary

Children who already love reading have a big head start, since reading is a key skill for academic success. To foster this hobby, there are numerous strategies that parents can take.

Make reading a family activity, teach them how to use Safe Search, provide them with books throughout the home, help to create personal reading spaces for independent readers, and assess their individual needs.  In these way you can empower kids to thrive and turn reading into their lifelong hobby.

*Source – National Children’s Reading Habits Study.

How Teachers Can Use Their Allocated Budgets to Promote a Love for Reading

Mental health issues can negatively affect how your child feels, acts and thinks. That’s why mental well-being is just as important as physical well-being. And as a parent, you play the most crucial role in your child’s mental health.  Many parents understand the importance of keeping their children physically active and having healthy eating habits.

However, the rates of mental health problems in kids are rising. According to WebMD, at least 20% of children are diagnosed with a mental illness each year.  Some parents automatically turn to devices to calm their children down and distract them.

Screen time isn’t the best solution as it can worsen mental health — such as poor emotion regulation and difficulty finishing tasks.  It also can additional complications for children with specific traits that require special attention, such as SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder).

Here are the best ways to nurture your child’s mental health without depending on screen time.

1. Provide a Healthy Environment

The simplest and best way to support your child’s mental health is by giving them a safe and loving home environment. A positive home creates a happy child.

Ensure you’re aware of your child’s media usage. One way to create a safe home is by being aware of who they interact with online. That is where you must try to monitor their activities and reduce screen time by keeping them busy with other activities.

For instance, you could play board games or introduce them to philanthropy. Giving is an excellent way to boost your child’s mental health when they learn they’re improving the quality of life for others.

You could also be a role model by taking care of your mental health, such as by talking about your feelings. Or by getting into activities such as meditation, physical exercise and yoga.

2. Give Your Child Unconditional Love

Show unconditional love for your child on a regular basis. You can accompany your child and let them know that you love them no matter what type of issues they may be facing.

This is the ultimate way of supporting your child’s mental health because it shows them that we all make mistakes. And they must understand that they can learn from their mistakes. So instead of communicating failure — even if you feel disappointed in their choice — they need to know that you bear lots of love for them.

3. Be Open to Communication

When your child is dealing with a difficult situation, you must be on board with talking about their emotions. Open communication allows your child to explore their feelings freely. As communication is more consistent, you’ll be more likely to notice issues and have discussions with them.

Consider starting a conversation by asking open-ended questions. Get them to share about their school day or a special event. Having your child share these things provides you with more opportunities to find them a solution.

4. Give Your Child a Routine and Set Boundaries

Uncertainty in daily schedules can lead to more stress and anxiety in your child’s life. Therefore, it’s crucial to establish a routine to provide them with more peace of mind. This could mean unplugging from computers and phone, as well as scheduling their meals or having a weekly family night together.

Additionally, setting clear boundaries is also an excellent way to minimize feelings of frustration. Once your child knows what you expect of them, the both of you can live in a stress-free environment and make life easier for yourselves.

5. Offer Your Child a Mental Health Day

Just like a sick day, you can give your child a “Mental Health Day” once a year. With mental health being as crucial as physical health, a “Mental Health Day” can be a way for your child to get a break. Encourage them to stay off social media channels and spend time doing other things offline.

Every once in a while, it’s important for your child to recuperate and let them spend the day they would want. Breaks are more than okay to give your child what they need — as it is like an investment in helping them feel better.

So when your child feels like they need a break from their routine, you can tell them it’s okay to stay home. And you don’t have to feel guilty for it since your child’s mental health is a priority — even if it’s not the traditional view of how society perceives health.

6. Praise Their Character

Praising and encouraging are viable ways to build your child’s self-esteem and confidence. More importantly, it supports their mental well-being. With low confidence comes academic stress, anxiety and even depression.

These can all affect your child’s quality of life, so praising them for who they are is just as important.

Children respond better to positive reinforcement. It’s the best way to reinforce what parents want to see in their child — such as showing kindness and empathy towards others.

Once your child knows what they’re doing right, they’ll ultimately feel better about themselves in several ways.

Build a Solid Foundation For Your Child’s Mental Health

When it comes to mental health, the best solution for your child is to be a part of their life consistently. Talking with them and spending time together can benefit their mental health significantly. Ensure you give them guidance, offer support and be loving.

Taking action and being a good role model can reduce your child’s risk of negative impacts on their well-being. However, if the way they’re acting is worrisome, consider talking to your child’s health care provider. They can help you find solutions that are the best possible fit.

About the Author
Ava Roman (she/her) is the Managing Editor of Revivalist, a women’s lifestyle magazine that empowers women to live their most authentic life. When Ava is not writing you’ll find her in a yoga class, advocating for her children or whipping up something delicious in the kitchen!

Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday in different countries including the United States, Canada, Saint Lucia, and Liberia. It is observed as celebrating the harvest and the blessings of the last year to give thanks for it. In the United States, it’s held on the fourth Thursday in November, and in Canada, the day is on the second Monday in October.

Some popular activities during the Thanksgiving holiday include meals of turkey, pumpkin pie, cranberries, and feasts with family and friends. But do you know the origins of this annual tradition?

Thanksgiving dates back to 1621 in Plymouth Colony Harvest Festival. Whether you are an American or non-American you may be interested to know the history of Thanksgiving Day and how it became an important celebration?

In the United States, Thanksgiving is a four day long weekend with time with family on Thursday, followed by a big shopping day on Friday.  Today it’s called Black Friday.

Now, let’s explore the true history of Thanksgiving Day for history-loving people like you who like to know our traditions begin.

Pilgrims Thanksgiving At Plymouth

The story begins in 1620 Fall (August/September), when the vessel Mayflower left Plymouth, England with 102 Pilgrims. A group of 102 passengers who were religious separatists quit Plymouth in search of safe land to practice their beliefs.

Due to the cold weather and lots of difficulties, almost half of the Pilgrims died and 66 of them lasted. They anchored the ship in Cape Code, which was far north of their desired place i.e. mouth of the Hudson River.

One month later, Mayflower reached the Massachusetts Bay. And the Pilgrims intended to establish Plymouth village here. The weather was too cold in the winter thus they suffered from a scarcity of food, water, and shelter and contagious diseases are also outbreak there.

As they were unprepared for the winter thus the brutally cold weather wiped out almost half of the crew and passengers. In the Spring (March), the remaining migrants shifted ashore. They were also concerned that Native American Indians Might attack them anytime.

One sudden day, Samoset, a member of the Abenaki local tribe visited the settlers and greeted them in English. A few days later, he came with Squanto, a member of the Pawtuxet tribe who was a Native American.

Squanto taught the Pilgrims different life-saving hacks and cultivation methods such as malnutrition, illness and revival tips, catching fish, hunting animals, growing corn, avoiding poisonous plants, extracting sap from maple trees, preparing medicine from plants, and so on.

Peace Treaties with the Native Americans

Pilgrims also took the opportunity to create a peace treaty with the Native Americans through Squanto. And Squanto also helped the Plymouth inhabitants to build an alliance with a local tribe Wampanoag for 50 years that was a successful treaty between Native Americans and European colonists to protect them from other tribes.

In November 1621, the Pilgrims proved themselves to harvest corn successfully in the first year. Pilgrim Governor William Bradford arranged a festive feast after getting a bountiful harvest to give thanks the God and their alliance tribes. They invited their Native Americans Allies including Squanto and Wampanoag.

Wampanoag chief Massasoit with 90 braves joined the feast and it lasted for three days. They feasted on fruits, turkey, delicious meals, and many more. This harvest feast before winter wasn’t called Thanksgiving at that time but this was the first Thanksgiving Day in history actually.

Two years later, the Pilgrims suffered from drought. Then Governor Bradford ordered them to pray and fast to God. It’s said, after their praying and fasting, rain comes and they become happy. So, they declared the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day.

Edward Winslow the chronicler of Pilgrim wrote about it:

“Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a more special manner rejoice together, after we had gathered the fruit of our labors; they four in one day killed as much fowl, as with a little help beside, served the company almost a week, at which time amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest King Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain, and others.  And although it be not always so plentiful, as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want, that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.”

–Edward Winslow, December 11, 1621

Ancient Origins of Thanksgiving

Although it’s widely accepted that Thanksgiving originated from the Pilgrim Feast at Plymouth. But this was also found in ancient traditions among Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians. They feasted and paid tribute to God after getting their harvest.

Thanksgiving is also seen among the ancient Jewish, as they arranged the harvest festival Sukkot. As Native Americans had rich traditions thus, they set their footprint in Thanksgiving history before Europeans.

Thanksgiving Controversies

Some historians jury still confused about whether the Plymouth Feast was the first Thanksgiving or not. There is proof to historians that the tradition of giving thanks was recorded among the European Colonies in North America before the Plymouth Thanksgiving.

In 1565, Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilé arranged a dinner feast and invited the Timucua tribe in Florida. After the safe reaching of the crew, they arranged a thanksgiving to God. In 1619, 38 British settlers reached their desired destination on the banks of Virginia’s James River, Berkeley Hundred. Then, they declared the day as a day of thanksgiving to the God.

Today, Wampanoag Indians point to a different telling Thanksgiving.  In subsequent years, there would be many conflicts that would result in thousands of deaths.  The idea of Native American’s and pilgrims eating together was not in the tradition of big celebration of giving thanks for a large harvest.  Food preparation for Native American’s already had daily rituals of giving thanks to the Creator for their food and survival.  While the English and the Wampanoag Indians did eat together at times, the celebration of the first harvest in 1961 looked very different to the ancestral natives of the land.

How Thanksgiving Became a Holiday

Pilgrim Thanksgiving celebration become very popular among New England settlements quickly. In the 19^th century, Sarah Joseph Hale, an American writer campaigned for a national Thanksgiving Day in the United States. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln also encouraged Americans to celebrate Thanksgiving Day.

The following President George Washington issued an announcement on November 26, 1789, for a public thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November. From then Americans, particularly North Americans celebrated the public holiday as Thanksgiving Day.

Canadian Parliament declared the second Monday in October as a general Day of Thanksgiving to God for the blessings of Canada and bountiful harvest.

Conclusion

Thanksgiving Day is now an important day for Americans and Canadians. And more countries have adopted this tradition to be thankful for for their blessings. Today’s Thanksgiving festive celebration adds more fun and events but the origin was the Plymouth Harvest Feast in 1621.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Explore how other special days and holidays came to be:

• The History of Mother’s Day
• The History of Valentine’s Day