Helping Your Child Build a Life-Long Love of Learning

With report cards for our elementary school children hot in our hands – or rather posted on Skyward – and cold weather in the near future, now seems an ideal time to consider an educational program beyond school day, be it tutoring or enrichment. Either can play an integral role in supporting school work and nurturing a life-long love of learning.

“Harnessing an elementary school child’s natural curiosity, their need to have useful tools for understanding and being understood empowers them to become successful students today and motivated life-long learners in an ever-changing world,” said Erich Bassler, director of Little Ivy Academy here in Ridgewood.

For elementary school children who may either be struggling or moving at a quicker pace than their classmates, tutoring comes in a host of different shapes and sizes these days, from individualized programs to small-group settings. Essential components of all good kindergarten-fifth grade tutoring programs – be it writing, reading, math or others – include time on task, hands-on learning and parental involvement. As parents, we need to engage in the process by discussing our child’s strengths and weaknesses with the tutor and keeping an ongoing dialogue. Just as important, a tutoring program should include formal and informal skills evaluations, continued observation, and personalized lessons that best meet your child’s specific needs from session to session.

Like tutoring, enrichment programs for elementary schoolers come in a host of different flavors. Effective enrichment programs leverage a child’s innate curiosity by focusing on hands-on learning as well as time on task to drive skill development. What’s more, such enrichment sessions often offer new avenues for new learning while complementing your child’s daily classroom work.

For example, Little Ivy Academy offers “Mysteries: We’re On The Case!” as part of its innovative “Express Yourself!” programming. “Mysteries” provides students the unique opportunity to discover each of the key elements of a compelling mystery as they build their skills and their confidence. In a small-group setting, the students read and engage mystery stories, working to solve the mysteries, writing mysteries of their own and using their writing as “games” where the class follows the clues to solve the case. [For more info on “Mysteries” as well as other tutoring and enrichment labs, visit Little Ivy Academy’s website at www.littleivyacademy.com.]

No matter whether your elementary school child is struggling or moving faster than their classmates, a well-designed tutoring or enrichment program reduces your anxiety about your child’s learning progress while expanding their opportunities for success.