If you are worried that your child is “missing out” by not taking primary school tuition, have you ever considered that by not enrolling your child in a tuition centre, you are actually giving him/her an advantage?
Take a look at the five essential skills that primary school students without tuition possess, and how you can inculcate these attributes in your child.
1. Self-directed learning skills are not taught in primary school tuition
At tuition centres, children are taught what to learn – and the “why” is usually the same: to score well in exams.
What about fostering a love of learning for learning’s sake?
To quote Albert Einstein, “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”
Unfortunately, the restrictive right-or-wrong environment in an enrichment class, replete with piles of facts to memorise, could repress the growth of curiosity.
Pleasure-driven and self-directed learning take place when children are given the freedom to let their ideas and imagination wander and take form.
This is the start of self-directed learning when children without primary school tuition take initiative to pursue and complete their learning goals.
2. Time management and planning skills are essential in every area of school and life
While it may seem like children whose schedules are packed to the brim with tuition and enrichment classes will naturally have better time management skills, this is not necessarily true.
The reality is that the kids themselves often do not participate in the planning of their own time. Instead, their calendars are pre-planned and dictated by tuition and enrichment classes.
This begs the question, what happens when they “leave the nest” and are left to their own devices, outside of their parents’ involvement?
Children without primary school tuition learn early on that they must take responsibility for their own time if they want to excel in school.
Parents can teach children how to be organised and use their time efficiently by planning their own daily schedule, prioritising tasks, getting things done immediately instead of procrastinating, avoiding distractions, and getting enough sleep.
Without primary school tuition, children who learn how to take matters into their own hands are prepared for lifelong success.
3. A “Can Do” attitude will take your child far
Children without primary school tuition know that they do not have tutors to fall back on if they face a challenging problem in class.
Without the “safety net,” they may be motivated to try harder and longer to figure out the problem themselves.
This will work to the child’s advantage because a self-motivated “can do” attitude is a highly regarded quality in every line of work.
If your child does not know something, encourage his or her natural reaction to be, “I don’t know – but I will try my best to figure it out.”
Read Also: 4 Ways to Motivate a Child Who is Facing Exam Stresses
4. Without primary school tuition, your child can develop more hobbies and interests that shape his or her individuality.
Just because a child does not take enrichment classes does not mean that he or she is missing out. In fact, an overscheduled tuition and enrichment class schedule may wear children out and take away their chance to develop their hobbies.
Having pockets of unplanned time is beneficial for children, allowing free play, reflection, and the chance for them to learn how to entertain themselves.
Experts even say that it is good for children to be occasionally bored.
Give your child the opportunity to be creative in a low-pressure environment, without primary school tuition.
This is a great breeding ground for interests and hobbies to form, which help your child hone new multifaceted skills while shaping his or her individuality.
5. Perseverance and the ability to take failure in stride determine success.
Grades matter, but a child’s future success goes beyond grades to his or her ability to take initiative and solve real-life challenges – many of which do not come with a manual or a definite right or wrong answer.
This is why grit is more important than IQ.
Primary school tuition does not teach children how to persevere, take failure in stride, and be independent lifelong learners.
Too much tuition could detract from children’s ability to solve problems independently and to think outside the box.
Instead, encourage your child to persevere, take on problems with an open mind, manage stress, and move past failures to reach their goals.