7 Benefits of Early Age Extra Lessons

Heike Verhoef - 21 Jan 22

Why You Should Consider Getting Your Primary School Child Started With Extra Lesson. Parents might think that starting extra lessons in grade 3 or earlier might be too soon. Children in grades 1 to 3 do not write exams and so the pressure of studying for exams do not turn a spotlight onto a child and their understanding of the content they have been learning at school. But incorporating extra lessons from an early age holds a lot of benefits for young developing brains. Below we explore 7 benefits of extra lessons for Foundation Phase learners.

1. Improve understanding of content

On any given school day, a child will be introduced to new concepts as the teacher guides them through a prescribed curriculum. This all happens during a set amount of time – during school hours. They will be given activities to exercise and apply what they have learned in class. Continuing this practice after school will help your child master the content. And supplementary lessons can help identify where your child might have missed something in class and give your child the opportunity to improve their understanding of the concepts they learned (or missed) in class. This happens because a teacher needs to focus on a classroom full of children. This brings us to the next benefit of extra lessons…

2. Personalised learning

All children are different and learn in different ways. Extra lessons put the focus on your child alone so that their needs and “ways” are catered to. Online learning platforms like dorKk gives your child the opportunity to pace their own learning. With bite-sized video lessons that cover the whole CAPS curriculum, the power is in the hands of you and your child to work through content and master it bit by bit. So even if you think an in-person tutor might be unnecessary for your seven- or eight-year-old, online resources that work through the content can add that personalised touch to your child’s education that they need.

3. Developing skills necessary for future success

The ability to learn at their own pace is also a valuable addition to a young child’s academic journey as we see trends in education moving toward self-study and remote learning. Most parents today witnessed the turning point of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and had to adapt. And with the move towards online learning that came with the Covid-19 pandemic many school learners and university students had to adapt fast to the new way of learning. Self-study and the self-motivation it requires are teachable skills. Extra lessons that enable your child to learn at their own pace is a big benefit for young children.

4. Learning a second language is easier for children

There is a “window of opportunity” regarding the developing brain of a young child, this is true for children in grades 1 to 3. In this window of opportunity, language acquisition is the easiest. Children can pick up a second or third language easier than adults can. And there are additional benefits to speaking more than one language: bilingual children learn fast and easy, can solve problems easier and speaking multiple languages can improve creative skills. Extra lessons focusing on mastering a language in this regard can be of immense value. dorKk offers Afrikaans and English lessons for grades 1 to 3. But that’s not all…

5. Coding is a language

So, we know children pick up new languages easier than adults. This is also true for coding. Coding is just another language and an important one for success in future STEM careers. Extra coding lessons which enable your child to practice coding at home (there are a lot of fun and free apps that your child can use) can set your child up for future success. dorKk offers the full CAPS coding curriculum for grades 1 to 3 and covers where your child can get free apps to use and how to use them in addition to teaching the language of coding.

6. Identify specific learning styles

Not all children learn the same way. The schooling system, especially when it comes to Foundation Phase learning, does incorporate a variety of elements in a school week that can cater for many of the different learning styles of children. However, as a parent, understanding your child's unique learning style can be instrumental in ensuring your child's future academic success. Extra lessons at home can help in identifying the way in which a child learns best.

There are at least seven different learning styles.

Spatial - The visual learner enjoy the imagery and learn best when they observe things in the world around them
Auditory - The aural learner is aided by sound and music
Linguistic - The verbal learner learns best when speech and words are involved
Kinesthetic - The physical learner is governed by their sense of touch and enjoys physical movement in their learning endeavours
Mathematical - The logical learner responds to reason and numbers
Social - The interpersonal learner flourish when they work in collaboration with others
Solitary - The intrapersonal learner prefers to work on their own and is good at self-study

Most children (and adults) require a combination of these to reach their full learning potential. An online learning platform like dorKk can help you identify your child's special combination of learning styles. dorKk offers a learning opportunity that can be combined with play, self-motivated study and verbal learning. The dorKk format for grades 1 to 3 encourages kinesthetic learning and combines auditory and visual elements that children can engage with, either with friends or on their own - whatever fits their needs.

7. Parent involvement in education

Parents might want to get more involved with their children’s education but do not know where to start or what to focus on. An online learning platform like dorKk that offers extra lessons in video format presented by practising and qualified teachers that covers everything your child learns at school is the perfect way to get involved. Parents can guide the online learning journey and engage with children during extra lessons. This provides parents and children with a valuable and fun opportunity to improve their performance in school and spend quality time together while enriching education at home.

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