Monday, March 23, 2020

How Much to Charge for Private Tutorials

How Much to Charge for Private Tutorials How To Change Your Rates According to Place ChaptersAnalyse Where You Live in Order to Set the Right RatesOffer Certain Rates to Check the MarketCompare the Rates of Tutors in Different PlacesTalk to Local Students to Decide On Your RatesWork Out Rates According to the Subjects You Teach“I never teach my pupils, I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.” - Albert EinsteinPrivate tutorials are an interesting option for both young and not-so-young learners. Whether you’re in school, university, working, or interested in changing jobs, looking to re-learn English, study chemistry or physics, or learn to play a music instrument, anyone can get private tutorials.However, before you start getting homework help or academic support, you need to have a look at exactly how much private tuition is going to cost you.The average cost of private tuition can vary a lot depending on a number of different factors. Of course, some will cost more than others according to competition and where the tutorials are takin g place. A tutor needs to set their rates so that they’re not seen as too expensive or too cheap.So how do you know if you’re charging too much for your lessons or whether you’re getting ripped off with the rates you’re charging?In this article, we’re going to look at how to set the right price for your private tutorials.And other criteria that the students deem important.Make sure you do your research and consider the rates in different neighbourhoods, too! (Source: StartupStockPhotos)There are so many pertinent questions you could ask about private tutors. Additionally, each student has their own criteria when choosing a private tutor. However, you also need to be aware of current trends and keep an eye out for which subjects are currently very popular and which subjects students are struggling with at school.Pedagogy is important too! A private tutor who is willing to hold classes out of doors might rank highly with students...Work Out Rates According to the Subjects Yo u TeachWhen it comes to private tutoring, no two tutorials are alike. You can get one on one tutoring in almost anything nowadays and, like with all other goods and services, supply and demand will affect the cost. The rarer a subject, the harder it is to find a tutor and the more a tutor can charge, given there's demand for the subject. For example, academic tutoring is available for the following subjects:accountingbiologyeconomicsforeign languages such as French, German, Italian, Spanish, etc. (covering grammar, spelling conversation, etc.)mathematics (including trigonometry, geometry, calculus, algebra, statistics, etc.)psychologystudy skillstest prep, essay writing, help with an assignment, etc.Etc.If there are plenty of one to one tutors in a given subject, they'll either have to have better qualifications or experience than the competition or offer better rates. This means that a lot of tutors offer free tutoring for the first hour so that they can show potential students wha t they're capable of and show them that their instruction is worth the price.Have a look on Superprof for the subjects you teach and check out the competition.Don't forget that home tutoring isn't the only option. For example, an English tutor could offer their academic coaching to students all over the world thanks to the internet. While the students being tutored aren't in the same room, with a computer, webcam, microphone, and a decent internet connection, anyone in the world can access the best tutors.So what does this mean for your rates?Well, if you don't have to travel, you don't have to pay to travel. An online tutor can charge less than a tutor who has to travel to their student's house.As you’ve probably understood, being a private tutor is a great job and it’s very rewarding for both the tutor and the student. However, it can be difficult to decide on your rates. If you take the time to do your research and see where you fit in the market, you should be able to find t he perfect price whether you're a chemistry tutor, reading tutor, French tutor, or an online tutor!Now discover other locations you might hold private lessons in...

Friday, March 6, 2020

Is 0 A Real Number

Is 0 A Real Number Zero is a real number. Though it is not a counting number but zero is an integer, a rational number, and a real number too. The concept of real number starts with integers, which include zero. Zero is an integer and since every integer for example 1, 2 is a real number, so zero cannot be taken as an imaginary number. Zero is unique among the real numbers because it does not have an inverse. Zero is in fact the starting point of the whole system. We also know that every real number has an opposite; similarly zero is its own opposite. Example1: Which of the statement is not true? a. 12 + 0 = 12 b. 5 0 = 5 c. 0 + 1 = 0 d. (a + b) + 0 = a + b e. 0 9 = - 9 Solution: 0 + 1 = 0 is not true because 0 + 1 = 1. As we all know that a number does not change when adding or subtracting zero from that number. All the other statements are true. Example2: Which of the statement is not true? a. 2 * 0 = 0 b. 0 * 12 = 0 c. - 5 * 0 = 0 d. x * 0 = x e. (x + y + z + r) * 0 = 0 Solution: x * 0 = x is not true because x * 0 = 0 . Zero times any number is equal to zero. The remaining statements are true.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Cornell University A Student Interview

Cornell University A Student Interview The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Joe graduated from Cornell University in 2014 with a Bachelors degree in Mathematics and Economics. He is now a tutor in Seattle specializing in Algebra tutoring, Calculus tutoring, Physics tutoring, and many other subjects. Check out his review of Cornell University: VT: Describe the campus setting and transportation options.How urban or safe is the campus?Are there buses or do you need a car/bike? Joe: Most people use the bus system because it is very convenient. I do not suggest a bike because Ithaca has many hills. Also, it snows a lot during the winter, which makes keeping a bike or car a hassle. VT: How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Joe: The vast majority of professors are very helpful. Many keep their doors open, and they allow students to drop by at any time. Students seek most of their academic advice from their professors. Also, many of the more difficult classes are small, giving the students more opportunities to interact with their professors or their teaching assistants. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Joe: Cornells dining program is great. It is much better than most other universities in terms of quality and variety of food. The downside is that it is quite costly to eat at the dining halls. There are plenty of opportunities for socializing with other students, such as community events, clubs, performances, etc. As for the dorms, they are generally pretty decent. Most students live in dorms for their first and second year, and then they move into apartments in Collegetown for their junior and senior years. VT: Which majors/programs are best represented and supported?What did you study and why? Did the university do a good job supporting your particular area of study? Joe:Every major is well represented. To list a few, Cornell has a world famous hotel school, amazing engineering programs, and a possibly one-of-a-kind school of Industrial Labor Relations. The founder, Ezra Cornell, is famous for his motto, I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study. Whatever field you wish to study, even if it is an interdisciplinary field that does not fall under one major, Cornell gives you the opportunity to learn what you want and earn a degree in it. VT: How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Joe: It was very easy to meet people as a freshman. People would walk up to you and introduce themselves. Greek life plays a very prominent role. I believe approximately 30% of the students are in a fraternity or a sorority. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Joe: There are regular job fairs. Many students are able to land internships and jobs at large companies like Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Lockheed Martin, Goldman Sachs, etc. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Joe: Students generally study in the library or common rooms. They are easily accessible, spacious, and convenient. During exam week, they may become overcrowded, but not on an average day. VT: Describe the surrounding town. What kinds of outside establishments / things to do are there that make it fun, boring, or somewhere in between?To what extent do students go to the downtown area of the city versus staying near campus? Joe:Ithaca is a quaint little town with lots of local businesses. Most students stay near the campus. However, some students take weekend trips to New York City or Syracuse. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Joe: Cornell has around 21,000 students. Class sizes range from five to 500. For first year classes, one can generally expect class sizes of around 200. For upper-division classes that are more specialized, class sizes are usually around 30. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Joe:My most memorable class was a wine tasting class. Every Wednesday, I would have the opportunity to learn about viticulture and wine tasting, sampling wines from all over the world. Check out Joes tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Learn To Love Biology Lessons

Learn To Love Biology Lessons Learn To Love Biology:  Things Your Biology Tutor Will Teach You And Some Things They Won't! ChaptersHow Biology Shapes Your Daily LifeThe Biggest And Most Recent Breakthroughs In BiologyThe Evolution Of Biology As A SubjectThe Essential Vocabulary Of BiologyExamples Of Art In BiologyBiology, a natural science and a subject of study, is truly amazing as it is the science of life and therefore explores ideas and concepts that every single human being can relate to.Many people, young or old, are continually fascinated by our race, including how we all came to live on the planet we call Earth. Biology is concerned with the evolution of humans but also sheds light on how us beings interact with other organisms.Being a living organism that has the proven ability to think, analyse and retain knowledge means that we have a natural, intuitive curiosity about life and what is happening underneath our skin as well as all around us.Not only are we keen to understand the human body and how it functions, but to some extent we also feel the need to know how to take care of our bodies and to spot signs that something might not be right. In addition, we are born with the urge to nurture so we also want to identify ways that we can look after our environment.Biology is present every second of our day yet what makes it all the more interesting is that, depending on the view you take, you can learn about concepts that seems miles apart from others, such is the breadth of the science.For instance, you might one minute be exploring how your body is fighting off an infection and then in your next lesson you could turn your focus to how nutrients from food grown in the ground can strengthen your immune system. Just like 'the circle of life', everything seems to go in a full circle with Biology, with so many aspects relating to one another.Even though they probably already know it in the back of their minds, pupils studying the subject are often blown away by how varied the topics of Biology are and how much diversity they see from one lesson to the next.While Biology is very much about learning about yourself (i.e. how to keep up your health, how your body functions, how it fights off illness, etc...), it is equally about the universe and your place within it.By learning about living organisms and their relationship and reliance on other organisms at school or with a biology tutor, we can discover how to take better care of ourselves and the environment all around us.Hire a biology A Level tutor now.Last but not least, you may not realise just how reliant we are on Biology in our homes. Although renewable energy is on the rise, we are still collectively using up fossil fuels to provide us with heat, such as oil and coal.These fuels are the remnants of living organisms that graced our planets hundreds of millions of years ago, which are subsequently turned into energy sources like oil, natural gas and coal.Now aware of the dangers of carbon dioxide, however, which is released as waste from these fossil fuels, humans are now investigating new Eco-friendl y sources like solar power.The Biggest And Most Recent Breakthroughs In BiologyWhile much of what we know about us and the world we live in has come from years of discovery and research, the last 25 years have seen us through a range of groundbreaking discoveries.One such breakthrough, which you will no doubt learn about during the course of your studies, is the cloning of Dolly the sheep. In 1996, scientists successfully cloned a female sheep for the very first time using adult cells from the mammary glands in a process called nuclear transfer.The sheep, subsequently named Dolly, grew normally and fully and went down in History as a scientific marvel. Since then, scientists have been able to clone further animal species, even attempting to reproduce extinct animals using the scientific technology to try to save endangered or newly extinct species.Dolly was the name of the first ever cloned sheep. Photo credit: dun_deagh via VisualHunt.com / CC BY-SACould the time ever come when we are discussing the cloning of human beings? Listen carefully in your Biology lessons and you could find out!Much like the above discovery, many more scientific research projects have come under the microscope, shall we say, in regards to their ethics. One extremely controversial topic is the gene-editing research in early human development which has the ability to modify the genetics of a human embryo.Gene-editing could bring an end to inherited diseases, which is of course a very valuable procedure, but many fear that the science could get out of control and might end up with people making choices about their unborn child. For example the concern is that people will be given the freedom to determine their baby's gender, which many feel is taking nature out of the world’s hands.However, while some may be against the interference of scientists with the human body, many great things have come from this ongoing research and many are still yet to come.Two more significant breakthrough s  in Biology are the research into stem cells, which can be transplanted to treat blood and bone marrow diseases, disorders or cancers, and the biomedical research which has led to robotic limbs being controlled by the brain using neural signals. MahimaBiology Teacher 5.00 (10) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AndyBiology Teacher 5.00 (2) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlishaBiology Teacher 5.00 (10) £9/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SaifBiology Teacher 5.00 (9) £22/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FrankBiology Teacher 5.00 (8) £90/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HeavenliBiology Teacher £9/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SiobhanBiology Teacher £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MackenzieBiology Teacher 5.00 (2) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsThe Evolution Of Biology As A SubjectJust like the evolution of the science, Biology as a subject has evolved over the years to reflect the many new discoveries found and research methods used by biologists.For instance, as mentioned above, every GCSE Biology syllabus teaches students about Dolly the sheep, who marks a scientific breakthrough that wouldn't have been thought possible prior to 1996.While the 90's may seem very distant to you, having not even been born in that decade, 20 years is not a very long time when you relate it to other things from the time (like Take That and The Spice Girls, for instance!).  That said, lots can happen in 20 years, and we don't mean Take That splitting up and getting back together again!Some of the ways the content has advanced with the times is with the addition of new modules covering things like growing crops, which we now know much more about thanks to developments in the research of cultivation, breeding and harvesting of crops. Not only has our knowledge widened, but our outlook has too and the subject is taught with a whole-world economic focus.In addition, as biotechnology move s forward, teachers now consider the use of larger-scale bio-fermenters and how enzymes are now used commercially.The Essential Vocabulary Of BiologyAs we have discovered, Biology is a very broad subject covering a huge number of topics. As such, there is also a vast amount of terminology to get your head around.As with most subjects, Biology has its own vocabulary of subject-specific terminology to remember, and it is not all that straightforward. The good news is that, by grasping the key terminology of GCSE Biology, then you will find the lessons and the complex vocabulary that comes with them far easier.Words and that you must get your head around are Aerobic respiration, Artificial selection, Ecosystem, Genetic engineering, and so on. You can find a glossary of keywords and definitions on revision sites dedicated to GCSE Biology.Examples Of Art In BiologyBioArt, is a relatively new art practice whereby scientists are creating pieces (mainly in the lab but also in studios and ga lleries) made from live tissues, bacteria and other living organisms. Pioneers of this branch of art are determined to transform the science into works of art by using their bodies and other living things and by adopting the help of engineers and scientists.One of the wackiest forms of biotechnology is the shocking and provocative transformations of Orlan, a controversial artist who uses her face and body as her canvas.Is this art? A new breed of artists use their bodies as their canvas. Photo credit: Andy G via VisualHunt / CC BY-SAOrlan uses cosmetic surgery procedures to change her appearance to resemble famous images of women in art, using the procedure as part of the performance. Her aim to focus on the power of technology to transform our physical appearance, Orlan’s work also pushes boundaries in terms of human health with her numerous experiments with going under the knife. That sure is dedication to one’s craft!

What is it Like to Attend Indiana University of Pennsylvania

What is it Like to Attend Indiana University of Pennsylvania The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teachtheyre sharing their college experiences as well. Luke is a Philadelphia tutor and 2005 graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He holds a bachelors degree in history and tutors several subjects, including English tutoring, history tutoring, and writing tutoring. Check out what Luke had to say about his time at Indiana University of Pennsylvania: Describe the campus setting and transportation options. Luke: The campus setting at Indiana University of Pennsylvania is quite picturesque. Indiana, Pennsylvania is a small, rather quaint town surrounded by rolling hills and forest. Although the town is located in a rural area, the campus is centrally located and accessible from almost anywhere in the area by bus, bicycle, or even on foot. How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants at Indiana University of Pennsylvania? Luke: The professors and academic advisers at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, on the whole, are very available and dedicated to the needs of their students. This is achieved largely through the relatively small class sizes at the university, which average 25-30 students or less per class. How would you describe the dorm liferooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Luke: Dorm life was also very pleasant at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The rooms and dining options were very adequate and accessible to the average needs of a student, and there was ample opportunity for socialization due to the small, close-knit atmosphere of the campus. Which majors/programs are best represented and supported? Luke: Indiana University of Pennsylvania is well known across the state of Pennsylvania as a top-notch teaching-oriented institution. It has a strong liberal arts background, and is also well known for its nursing and criminology programs. I majored in history and minored in political science as these were, and still are, my main areas of expertise. The university did a superb job of supporting me in my studies, and our history department had a wide assortment of top-tier professors with doctorates from Harvard University, Yale University, Georgetown University, and Cambridge University, to name just a few. How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Luke: Im a rather gregarious person, so it wasnt very difficult for me to meet people and make friends as a freshman. But even for those who are less naturally extroverted, Indiana University of Pennsylvanias relatively small, tightly-knit campus and diverse student body easily facilitates socialization and cultural exchange. Greek life does play a large role in campus social life, but it didnt for me. How helpful is the Career Center and other student support services at Indiana University of Pennsylvania? Luke: To be truthful, I didnt utilize the Career Center at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, as I instead planned on attending graduate school. However, I can attest to the reliability of the faculty and student support services in helping me make the transition to graduate study. How are the various study areas such as libraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Luke: Indiana University of Pennsylvanias Stapleton Library is perhaps not of the highest caliber, but it was rarely overcrowded and reasonably spacious. The latter can certainly be said for the much larger and more modern dormitories and student union center. Describe the surrounding town. Luke: If you enjoy a quiet, quaint, small-town environment, then Indiana, Pennsylvania is the place to be. If, however, you are more accustomed to a fast-paced urban environment, you may find Indiana quite boring, or even stifling. Despite this, there is a lively nightlife in the small downtown area on evenings and weekends, and quite a few good restaurants to partake in. In my experience, students typically spend more time off-campus. How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes at Indiana University of Pennsylvania? Luke: Indiana University of Pennsylvania has a good-sized student bodyabout 15,000-20,000 students in a town of only about 12,000 people. As I mentioned before, I was extremely pleased with the generally small class sizes, and I definitely felt this translated to a richer, more personal experience with curricula and professors alike. Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one you regret the most. Luke: Ill never forget Classical Political Thought taught by Dr. John Sitton. Despite being a 6:00-9:00 p.m. course, the class was extremely dynamic and enthralling, and the time flew by. Students were encouraged to speak their minds with questions or comments whenever applicable. I knew Dr. Sitton really cared about his students when he shared with us his attendance policy on the first day of class. He told us he worked his way through college and graduate school and, therefore, would never fault a student for missing class, as he gave us the benefit of the doubt that if we had to miss his class, it must be due to something of greater importance, such as perhaps a job or some personal emergency, and penalizing someone for something that may have been out of his or her control (i.e. life interceding) was not something he felt to be morally justified. Check out Lukes tutoring profile The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Human Resources for Halloween Business English

Human Resources for Halloween Business English This silly video has a ton of really good business English language and it is appropriate for Halloween!  It uses several English idioms, phrasal verbs, and words that are important in HR and business in general.Below are some important phrases from the video. Did you understand them all?Could you please send him?Mummy, thanks for coming, please have a seat.Your numbers are down.It isn’t just a slump.You’ve been underperforming for years now.All of us in the front office have been rooting for you to turn things around.Werewolf isn’t on fire but, he has support from every major demographic out there.This is purely a performance based issue.We are going to have to let you go.We’ve put together a very generous severance package.If you are hearing these phrases in English in real life, you might be a bit concerned because this is how HR talks when they are about to fire you!Look at some of the phrasal verbs that are used:rooting forto support someoneturn something aroundin this c ase it means to improveon firein this sense it means popularlet someone goto be told that you do not have a jobput togethercreatedNow look at some of the vocabulary related to business:numbers are downyour sales numbers are lower than they should be.slumpa bad financial/economic cycleunderperformingwhen your job performance isn’t good.major demographic-large number of different groups of people arranged by race, gender, age, ect.severance packagethe money that you get from a company when you have been fired or laid off.

How to Choose a College Major

How to Choose a College Major Theres nothing wrong with teens going to college without a set-in-stone career game plan, but one thing is certain: students who put thought into possible majors are more likely to minimize wasted time and make a smart decision. Parents, as your teens move through high school toward college, Huntington offers a few tips to get them to think about their future career path and pick the best major for them: Talk about interests. Many teens freeze up looking at a list of college majors. Instead, try talking about things your teen enjoys doing. For athletically inclined students, playing sports might come to mind first, but maybe those students would enjoy career endeavors in which they get to work in teams. Some teens are great with children, or love taking care of people or animals. Encourage your teen to think broadly about interests and how those might translate into other aptitudes. Assess academic strengths. Pull out the report card and use it as a springboard for potential career paths. Some teens might resist this exercise, but its important to point out the many pathways for each academic strength. Take math as an example. Math is obviously key for careers like computer science and engineering, but math is also used in fields like actuarial science, architecture, geospatial surveying, ecology, robotics, meteorology and economics. For teens who excel in math, there are many excellent career options that might not be immediately obvious. List other strengths, too. Its smart to assess other areas of strength that fall outside the confines of the report card. Some teens are great with people and comfortable speaking and presenting their ideas. Others are adventurous and curious. Some love analyzing multifaceted issues, while some are skilled at listening to friends and their fellow students. Know what doesnt appeal. Just as it is useful to have a handle on ones favorite subjects and strengths, teens should also think about what subjects they dislike and why. Similarly, teens must consider their work preferences, such as whether they like working alone or in groups, being a group leader on projects or behind the scenes, solving complex or more straightforward problems, and working with numbers or people. Research jobs, career paths, education requirements, and more. Taking the above steps will definitely help teens start brainstorming and narrowing down their options. Once theyve come up with a couple (or several) possibilities, the next to-do is research. Armed with a list of their interests and academic and other strengths, teens can start exploring possible jobs that fit their interests/strengths profile, education requirements for those jobs, earning potential, and how the job market looks for those fields. O*NET and the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook are good resources. Get some firsthand perspective. Once your teen starts zeroing in on a few possible majors, its a good idea to talk to people who can offer useful insight. Those might be current college students in the major your teen is considering, recent graduates who are now working, or professionals further along in their careers. Later on, your teen might consider job shadowing, mentorships and internships. Making these kinds of connections now is definitely worthwhile. As teens grapple with what to major in at college, parents should encourage them to take the decision seriously. That means putting in sincere effort and taking the time for introspection. College is a major investment, after all. Teens should use those four years to set themselves up for success as they begin their professional journeys.

Lessons in Grammar - Tutor Hunt Blog

Lessons in Grammar Lessons in grammar `hindering` pupil`s writing development Lessons in grammar `hindering` pupil`s writing developmentSchoolsThe University of Exeter has published a report stating that both primary and secondary schools are placing more emphasis on `grammatical acrobatics` as opposed to well composed sentences. The university has been investigating how schools teach grammar for a number of years, and has come up with some unsettling results. Most schools teach grammar in a tried and tested manner, explaining how an adjective is a describing word, and a verb is a doing word: a didactic method familiar to everyone. What the University of Exeter`s study has revealed is that this way of teaching can actually confuse pupils, and is not conducive to a fluent and natural writing style. Helen Lines is one of the authors of the study, and expressed her concerns with this formulaic way of teaching: `Quite often those definitions rely on a surface part of the structure, rather than addressing the grammatical idea behind the terminology.` One example of this would be something called the `comma sandwich`, which is a simple rule that says a clause should be flanked by commas on either side. What this rule fails to take into consideration is the actual function relative clauses serve in sentences, while also permitting mechanical sentences to be constructed, without any consideration of creating an intelligible, flowing style. Teaching grammatical rules in an abstract manner, away from meaningful sentences, can hinder a child`s understanding; and the report was critical of traditional teaching methods: `The necessity to use technical terms with pupils, such as `subordinate clause` or `subjunctive` remains a question open to research, but it is doubtful that attention to such terms is beneficial.` Debra Myhill, who lead the study, said that `the key stage 2 teacher assessment creates a sense that good writing is about demonstrating grammatical acrobatics and getting things in.` The study concluded with the advice that pupils should certainly be taught grammatical rules, but this should be in conjunction with the context and style of the writing. `Based on our research findings, we believe that an effective pedagogy for writing should include explicit grammar teaching which draws attention to the linguistic choices and possibilities available to children and which has at its heart the creative shaping of text.` The report went on to list four key principles which could be efficacious in teaching grammatical rules - one of these was showing how grammatical terms are actually used in contexts the children can relate to. This could be done by using the past tense to talk about a holiday a child has been on - while contrasting another sentence describing a holiday they plan to go on in the future. Another technique could be showing how a single-clause sentence can begin a paragraph by boldly expressing its main idea. Further points of the report suggested to refraining from teaching grammatical artefacts in a dry, academic way. Teachers should strive at all times to use them in sentences the children will be interested in. The modal verbs - can; could; may; might; must; shall; should; will; would; ought to - are notorious examples of linguistic features that are taught in a sterile manner, almost as if the children were learning them in isolation, as they might learn irregular verbs in another language. I am adamant the best way for a child to become proficient in writing English (or indeed any language) is engender within them a love for reading it. Surely the best way for a child to learn the finer nuances of grammar is for them to be immersed in a story - to be carried away with enthusiasm page by page, so that the process of reading almost becomes transparent - invisible behind the tale. It would be a sad thing indeed if the rise of the smartphone put people off reading. Children take to them so naturally, and websites usually favour concision when it comes to actual text. For many they will always be more enticing than books - they are certainly easier on the eyes in the dark; but they may etiolate the imagination, and lead to many missing out on the joys of literature. 2 years ago0Add a Comment