<![CDATA[Self tutor or Outsource??]]>Hi parents!!


There have been talks about the effectiveness on parents coaching their children, while on the other side of the coin with the syllabus changing (different from our generations), there are parents who will choose to send their children for tutition instead (also due to lack of time).

Do you teach/coach your child on their studies every now and then? Or do you prefer to outsource it?

Personally, for younger children (preschoolers), i feel that we could coach them for better results (to save money but will have to be very patient!!)

However, for primary school kids, as their syllabus is not the same as that during our times (say 20 years ago..). Do we still have the capability to coach them??? 😞

What do you say??? πŸ˜‰

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/topic/14243/self-tutor-or-outsourceRSS for NodeSun, 03 May 2026 11:46:33 GMTTue, 28 Sep 2010 04:58:32 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Self tutor or Outsource?? on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 07:06:20 GMT]]>

tamarind:
Happy Mama:

I prefer to outsource as though we have the knowledge to teach, we might not be teaching our kids with the right method, or the latest method, since what we studied/learnt was ages ago. My method is outsource but during exam period, add on with \"self-tutor\"... πŸ˜‰


Many enrichment classes do not use the correct methods. For example, a Chinese enrichment class that teaches hanyu pinyin before Chinese word recognition, is making a big mistake. So parents must still do their research and choose carefully.

Ya agree, that's why gotta do some research first, and choose carefully... πŸ™‚

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/330638https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/330638Tue, 11 Jan 2011 07:06:20 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Self tutor or Outsource?? on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 06:40:37 GMT]]>

tamarind:
3kiddos:

I prefer to self tutor for as long as I can. Save $ and teach the kids to be independent and less reliant on external help.


I teach my kids for the same reason too πŸ˜‰ I find that many students nowadays cannot learn things on their own, they always expect someone to teach them. I suspect this is due to too many enrichment classes when they were young.

Yes. I agree. I think is important for them to involve in some activities rather than just study. In fact they can pick up the skill indirectly. Like dd needs to help in decorate her classroom for CNY, she refuses to buy those ready made and rather choose to make it by herself..

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/330619https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/330619Tue, 11 Jan 2011 06:40:37 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Self tutor or Outsource?? on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 06:30:55 GMT]]>

Happy Mama:
I prefer to outsource as though we have the knowledge to teach, we might not be teaching our kids with the right method, or the latest method, since what we studied/learnt was ages ago. My method is outsource but during exam period, add on with \"self-tutor\"... πŸ˜‰

Many enrichment classes do not use the correct methods. For example, a Chinese enrichment class that teaches hanyu pinyin before Chinese word recognition, is making a big mistake. So parents must still do their research and choose carefully.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/330609https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/330609Tue, 11 Jan 2011 06:30:55 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Self tutor or Outsource?? on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 06:28:40 GMT]]>

3kiddos:
I prefer to self tutor for as long as I can. Save $ and teach the kids to be independent and less reliant on external help.

I teach my kids for the same reason too πŸ˜‰ I find that many students nowadays cannot learn things on their own, they always expect someone to teach them. I suspect this is due to too many enrichment classes when they were young.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/330607https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/330607Tue, 11 Jan 2011 06:28:40 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Self tutor or Outsource?? on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 01:47:32 GMT]]>I prefer to outsource as though we have the knowledge to teach, we might not be teaching our kids with the right method, or the latest method, since what we studied/learnt was ages ago. My method is outsource but during exam period, add on with \"self-tutor\"... πŸ˜‰

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/330250https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/330250Tue, 11 Jan 2011 01:47:32 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Self tutor or Outsource?? on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 01:32:46 GMT]]>I prefer to self tutor for as long as I can. Save $ and teach the kids to be independent and less reliant on external help. So far, P4 ds and P2 dd have no tuition. I assign practise assessments (when they dont have much HW) and guide/coach when they need help or make mistakes but mostly I leave it to them to work on their own.


It also gives us a lot more freedom to plan our days, their sports activities and other leisure time without having to juggle more class/tuition schedules. I don’t have a strict daily study schedule for my kids, but goals from term to term on areas that we want to work harder in and improve on. Just find a lot of kids are over-scheduled these days and really hv no time to play/rest/spend time with family. I’m OK if my kids dont score top grades as long as they are good kids with good attitudes to work. JMHO

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/330230https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/330230Tue, 11 Jan 2011 01:32:46 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Self tutor or Outsource?? on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 13:06:05 GMT]]>

jenniferlsf:
Hi,


Any good recommendation of home tutor for primary 2 child to teach English, Maths and Chinese. I live in Bukit Timah area?

Thank you for your help.
I need one inHougang

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/328167https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/328167Fri, 07 Jan 2011 13:06:05 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Self tutor or Outsource?? on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 23:32:23 GMT]]>Hi,


Any good recommendation of home tutor for primary 2 child to teach English, Maths and Chinese. I live in Bukit Timah area?

Thank you for your help.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/300230https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/300230Tue, 23 Nov 2010 23:32:23 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Self tutor or Outsource?? on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:46:01 GMT]]>

MLJ:
I feel that outsource is better esp once they get older. Like Sleepy says especially for English, I can teach basics but not creative writing. And if we outsource, we do not strained the relationship between the kids and us. I find that I tend to lose my patience when they do not get what I am teaching after a while so better outsource.

outsource will not strain relationship only if the kid reap the benefits of these tuition. imagine outsourcing and yet the kid still perform underexpectations. sometimes i find self coaching easier cos when i 'study' together with them, i understand the difficulty level and empathize more with difficulties the kid is going thru. i then blame myself for my incompetency in teaching instead of blaming the kid for not being able to grasp concepts despite external coaching. MAO.
what i like will be teachers/centres conducting workshops for the parents to aid them in how to teach the kids. not very possible since many centres depends on us patronising them.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/284831https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/284831Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:46:01 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Self tutor or Outsource?? on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 05:48:18 GMT]]>I feel that outsource is better esp once they get older. Like Sleepy says especially for English, I can teach basics but not creative writing. And if we outsource, we do not strained the relationship between the kids and us. I find that I tend to lose my patience when they do not get what I am teaching after a while so better outsource.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/284353https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/284353Thu, 28 Oct 2010 05:48:18 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Self tutor or Outsource?? on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 08:26:27 GMT]]>hi sleepy,


how are are your kids ?

u heard of "mindstretcher" ? any comments ?

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/283402https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/283402Wed, 27 Oct 2010 08:26:27 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Self tutor or Outsource?? on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 08:10:23 GMT]]>Perhaps you can outsource the subject you are weaker in and coach the others personally?

Not all tuition are bad. As long in moderation and can help the child to improve, why not?

I still wanna send my kids to English enrichment as I find it difficult to teach English. My English is not that fantastic. For Maths and Chinese, so far still manageable to coach personally.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/283386https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/283386Wed, 27 Oct 2010 08:10:23 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Self tutor or Outsource?? on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 07:21:49 GMT]]>Actually i agreed that, is best not to enrol our kids in any enrichment/tuition because :scratchhead: :scratchhead: :scratchhead:


1) kids will rely so much on tuition and eventually tuition might become a \"need\" for them :wrongmove:

2) nowadays, the feees are very very ex. if we go for the cheaper ones, \"quality\" taught might not be what we are expecting :moneyflies:

3) if twe parents do not revise with them after every tuition session, they might forget once they finish each lessons :slapshead: :slapshead: :slapshead:

4)no one to fetch them for their tuition classes :peekaboo: :peekaboo: :peekaboo:

However, as parents, we want to provide them with everything we think is good for them, thus...

1) other kids have, my kids should have so as not to deprive them the chance of learning more :grphug: :grphug:

2) as FTWM we hardly have time to bond with them, not to talk about coaching them n ended up in scolding or punishing them for not meeting our expectation, thus, a third party's ( tuition ) help is preferred :spank: :spank:

:clubmyself: :clubmyself: :clubmyself:

please help me to solve the above mess, i am confuse n have no direction .....

what is the best for my kids :frustrated: :frustrated: :frustrated:

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/283337https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/283337Wed, 27 Oct 2010 07:21:49 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Self tutor or Outsource?? on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 06:53:59 GMT]]>

snowball:
But what confuse me is, during her weekends, her kids are busy with their tuition homework, and they have hardly time to really enjoy and play, relax...


What i want to ask is, is tuition helpful for her kids? since her kids are so stress with doing homework homework n homework ( her Pr2 girl feedback to my dd of the same year that she has too many tuition homework )

is the above common ?
I don't think so eh. Most of my dd's classmates do not have tuition everyday. At most Chinese enrichment

Although my kids are busy on weekends too. They attend arts, drama & piano over the weekends.

For academic enrichment (if any), the first question I asked is do they assign homework. I usually opt for those with minimum homework because the workload from school is heavy enough, no spare time to do enrichment homework

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/283302https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/283302Wed, 27 Oct 2010 06:53:59 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Self tutor or Outsource?? on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 05:40:56 GMT]]>To provide tuition or not for kids at k2 n pr 2 ?


A friend of mine enrol her son (k2) for maths, english, abacus, piano, chinese ( all 1 to 1 home tuition except abacus n piano )

Her daughter ( Pr2 ), english n chinese ( also 1 to 1 home tuition )

All of the above cost about 1K, but is still affordabe so far at least till end of this year cos she is pregnant with her 3rd dd.

She told me "no choice" as she is FTWM n no one to "supervise or check " on her kids’ homework so have to leave it to the tutors ( so far, all tutors are very resposible as they actually "ransack" their school bags to check on their work at school )

She told me she does zero revision with them on weekdays. On weekends she spent relax time with them.

But what confuse me is, during her weekends, her kids are busy with their tuition homework, and they have hardly time to really enjoy and play, relax…

What i want to ask is, is tuition helpful for her kids? since her kids are so stress with doing homework homework n homework ( her Pr2 girl feedback to my dd of the same year that she has too many tuition homework )

is the above common ?

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/283233https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/283233Wed, 27 Oct 2010 05:40:56 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Self tutor or Outsource?? on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 13:11:26 GMT]]>

Brenda10:
Augmum:

brenda, ave pupil can also do well if she is hardworking

so both mother and child, \"JIA YOU\", nvm...still got 1 year time πŸ˜„

Hi augmum

Thank you.

shi shang wu nan shi, zhi pa you xin ren

We will quan li yi fu.

Cheers

yeh yeah yeah.... 加油! 加油! 加油! :rahrah: :rahrah: :rahrah:
:salute: the parents who DIY!!

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/282023https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/282023Mon, 25 Oct 2010 13:11:26 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Self tutor or Outsource?? on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:51:25 GMT]]>

Trapwithin:

May I add ... parents as in both Dad and Mom.
Many daddies do the ferrying and mummy the monitoring.
Actually, it can be quite fruitful for parents to do this together.

During ferrying/waiting for their classes to end, parents can take the opportunity to spent time together.
For monitoring, it can be quite a wonderful experience to see your children learns and you will discover how unique they are.

I understand sometimes they drive us up the wall when we are monitoring/teaching them ... but weighing that over the pleasure to be involved in their growing up process .. it might be worthwhile.
I agree with you totally \"Trapwithin\".
DH & I have been hanging on to DS1 studying since day one. He's now in P2. As he is playful by nature, we are so worry that he may not get anything out from the tuition centre.

I've to admit that he may drive us crazy everyday but to see him growth and gainning knowledge from us is really satisfying.

He's entering P3 next year, this is the time we both think we should look into outsouce for his creative writing as we're not that creative afterall πŸ˜„

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/282011https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/282011Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:51:25 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Self tutor or Outsource?? on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 03:03:36 GMT]]>

Augmum:
brenda, ave pupil can also do well if she is hardworking

so both mother and child, \"JIA YOU\", nvm...still got 1 year time πŸ˜„
Hi augmum

Thank you.

shi shang wu nan shi, zhi pa you xin ren

We will quan li yi fu.

Cheers

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/274709https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/274709Tue, 12 Oct 2010 03:03:36 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Self tutor or Outsource?? on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 02:49:49 GMT]]>brenda, ave pupil can also do well if she is hardworking

so both mother and child, \"JIA YOU\", nvm...still got 1 year time πŸ˜„

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/274689https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/274689Tue, 12 Oct 2010 02:49:49 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Self tutor or Outsource?? on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 02:40:59 GMT]]>

Augmum:
and brenda, i believe u also can Bao chu yi ge chun tian lai when yr turn comes next year.........

so any sec school, u're tragetting for yr gal??

Hi augmum

Thank you and hope your judgement is correct. :lol:

I wish that she is able to go to one of the IP school but this very much depend on how far she can progress the next year as dd is just a average student.

We will liang li er wei.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/274682https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/274682Tue, 12 Oct 2010 02:40:59 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Self tutor or Outsource?? on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 02:39:10 GMT]]>

jedamum:
hi mummies,

thanks again for sharing.
πŸ™‚
u're welcome !!

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/274680https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/274680Tue, 12 Oct 2010 02:39:10 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Self tutor or Outsource?? on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 02:38:41 GMT]]>

Brenda10:
Augmum:

hi brenda10

haha....thks.....luckily is a chun tian and not tong tian πŸ˜‰

but now not versatile liao.....becos can't help her for geography, history, literature....and esp her HCL.....me not up to standard :lol:

Hi augmum

The 1st 6 years - jiang shi lao de la

and secondary onward - chang jiang hou lang tui qian lang

Your dd will do well. :celebrate:

ya.......u're right, chang jiang hou lang tui qian lang πŸ˜‰ πŸ˜›
her HCL is so much better than me now.....tremendous improvement after she entered DHS.....
so many new words she uses, i need to ask her, \"what's the meaning huh?? :oops:

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/274678https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/274678Tue, 12 Oct 2010 02:38:41 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Self tutor or Outsource?? on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 02:32:47 GMT]]>hi mummies,

thanks again for sharing.

πŸ™‚

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/274671https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/274671Tue, 12 Oct 2010 02:32:47 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Self tutor or Outsource?? on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 02:31:51 GMT]]>

Augmum:
hi brenda10

haha....thks.....luckily is a chun tian and not tong tian πŸ˜‰

but now not versatile liao.....becos can't help her for geography, history, literature....and esp her HCL.....me not up to standard :lol:
Hi augmum

The 1st 6 years - jiang shi lao de la

and secondary onward - chang jiang hou lang tui qian lang

Your dd will do well. :celebrate:

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/274670https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/274670Tue, 12 Oct 2010 02:31:51 GMT