This is a paid collaboration with Explore Learning . Please see our Disclosure Policy for more information.
We were recently invited to try out some online tutoring sessions for Biggest and Littlest via Explore Learning. Explore Learning has 20 years of experience delivering exceptional results. They provide award-winning Maths and English tuition in centres around the country, and online. We had been considering getting some tuition for Biggest in particular, as he has such a great passion for Maths, but struggles with some aspects of English, such as reading between the lines. This was the perfect opportunity for us to try it out with no fee or obligation. You can also try it out for free by booking a free trial, either online or in one of their centres. Simply click through the link above and read on to find out what we thought.
Explore Learning Maths and English Tuition for 9-Year-old (Biggest)
Biggest was really excited to work with the tutor. He is extremely passionate about Maths and had missed Maths lessons over the summer holidays, I think. We found it extremely easy to set up and the screen was very user-friendly. This is important for Biggest as if things are not intuitive, he can quickly become frustrated. The tutor was on screen to talk him through everything but it was straightforward for him to select the activities, input the answers, and communicate with the tutor. Both children had one-hour sessions with two English activities and two Maths activities to complete.
As Biggest chose activities and mastered sets of questions, he received rewards and praise as he went along. This took the form of points he received automatically for mastering skills. He also received points given by the tutor personally for things like persevering with complex tasks. Biggest LOVES getting rewards so this was particularly motivational for him. A little bell sounds to show he has received rewards and this delighted him!
Biggest got through the Maths very quickly but, as we might have expected, was a little more reluctant with the English activities. The tutor was very good at encouraging him to remain engaged while staying positive. He was asked to read out loud, which he does well, but as the text was not as interesting to him as the Maths, he started to wander off tasks and add in things that were not in the text. The tutor praised his imagination but brought him back to the task. They handled the situation perfectly for Edward, which impressed me.
Overall, Biggest really enjoyed the task and I could already see how it might benefit him, even from one session.
Explore Learning Maths and English Tuition for 7-Year-old (Littlest)
Littlest loves learning and so she was extremely excited to have her session with a tutor. In fact, she was so excited that as soon as she saw Biggest have his session, she repeatedly asked me when it could be her turn!
She was a little shy at first and did not want to speak directly to the tutor. However, they soon set her at ease and by the end of the session, she was chatting away. She did not feel comfortable reading out the passages for the English task, but the online app and the tutor took turns reading passages for her.
Our Verdict
Both children really enjoyed their sessions. It was a joy to watch them interact with their tutor and become so engaged. Even after one season, I could see the ways it benefitted them, particularly Biggest. He can sometimes really struggle with taking time over things and patience. If he cannot get an answer right the first time, and quickly, he can become frustrated. By the end of the session, with gentle encouragement from the tutor, he was already pausing more and taking time to ensure he knew exactly what was being asked before jumping in with the answer.
Explore Learning tuition is definitely something we will be exploring in the future. It is a great alternative to some, more expensive forms of tutoring, as membership starts at just £99 a month.
Currently, anyone can book a free trial at explorelearning.co.uk and this is a great chance to meet the
team and experience the tuition in action. You can also join Explore Learning before 1st October 2022 and save £50 (T&Cs apply).
Please note, this is a paid collaboration with Explore Learning. Please see our Disclosure Policy for more information.
Wonderful recourses you have shared, I would love to teach these skills to my kids.