Saman Hassan lives in Lahore, Pakistan. She has been working as an early childhood educator in a school for over a year and is passionate about educating today’s youth. She has completed online educational courses to support a child academically, emotionally, and socially and strives to bring forth dedication, skill, and the desire to positively impact the lives of children. 

 

Introduction

Tutoring preschoolers is a journey that involves learning, patience, and growth. Reflecting on its importance reveals a rich tapestry of moments where guidance, motivation and encouragement shape skills, curiosity, resilience, and confidence in children. These sessions act as a foundation for their learning and emotional development in impactful and inspiring ways. As you delve into the nuances of tutoring for preschoolers, you'll discover how these early interactions lay the foundation for lifelong learning, nurturing the creators, leaders, pioneers and thinkers of tomorrow.

As a tutor, I’ve had the privilege of engaging with young minds at their most curious and impressionable stages of life. A five-year-old kid named Taimur visits me five days a week. He’s an intelligent one and is quick to grasp new concepts. Taimur has exhibited many different traits and qualities since his very first day. Taimur views the world as a never-ending source of fascination. For me, every lesson is an opportunity to introduce him to new concepts, from counting and colouring to story-telling and problem-solving. As I write about my personal experiences with this early learner, I sometimes look back on when I was a kid and used to look up to my teachers and instructors, and I think of how they used to carry out the teaching practices at that time. I am lucky to have been taught and guided by some inspiring ones. There's no denying that the methodologies have changed since then, but I always aim to follow that old tried and tested method of ‘continuous encouragement’ in my teaching practices. It is what I’ve learned from my teacher-pupil interactions from the past. 
 

The unique joys of tutoring preschoolers

 

a Their endless curiosity

This behaviour is quite common in living beings, humans and animals alike. When they find themselves in an entirely new context, they observe a great deal. Taimur has been a curious kid by nature, trying to look into things and always wanting to learn how things get done. His school teachers mentioned that he is very talkative, participates in class activities, shows interest in group discussions, and asks many questions. Likewise, when he appeared for tutoring lessons after school, he tended to imbibe what was being taught, following every direction. I remember the time when I was teaching him letter formation and writing within the lines, forming the curves for the letters and standing lines for others. He picked up my way of instructing him how to write letter b. He started with some effort, humming the steps like “starting from the dot, make a straight line down and stop at the third line. Then move up and make a round tummy in-between the two lines to get a baby letter “b”. Each time he was introduced to a new letter, he would call out the steps, which led to him learning the correct letter formation in no time.

 

b Unfiltered creativity

Early learners approach problems with creativity and innocence. Whether it’s a drawing activity or crafting a story, they always bring in fresh perspectives. Taimur is more inclined towards artistic pursuits and spends most of his time creating beautiful outdoor scenes with colourful flowers, clear blue skies, mountains, and water bodies. Although I take it as a challenging task for a kid his age, these things come naturally to him, which is quite inspiring. Tutoring him has taught me to think outside the box and appreciate the beauty of simplicity.

 

c Building foundations

One thing I’ve learned about the importance of tutoring preschoolers is that it sets the stage for academic growth and success. There are multiple reasons why early learners need this extra guidance and support. The prime reason is that within the classrooms, children are battling with a strength of 30+ students possessing different intellects, aptitudes, and capabilities. It is nearly impossible for a teacher to ensure that every student gets equal and sufficient attention. Although a good teacher wants to ensure that every child learns at an equal level and takes advantage of the knowledge that the teacher needs to impart, not every student gets to taste it. That is where tuitions come into play.

Introducing routines, structured activities, and one-on-one learning helps fill the gap between home and school learning. The reason why Taimur takes coaching sessions is not that he lacks any special skills that the kids of his age group possess or is lacking in any particular subject and performing poorly in class. Still, the reason is that his carers want him to grasp foundational concepts before moving on to more complex levels. It is fulfilling to know that the time I spend teaching early literacy and social interaction serves as a building block for his future education. Seeing him go from struggling to recognizing letters to reading the first word is my true reward.

 

Challenges that teach patience

 

a Short attention span

Little ones have limited concentration spans and cannot work or engage in any activity at a stretch like adults do. Keeping them engaged in studies demands different tactics and strategies, which is possible if they have extra academic backing, which is a plus point, too! Tutors usually plan lessons spanning a 30 to 35-minute time interval for each subject, such as English, numbers, and any other subject they might be enrolled in. Also, small munching and play breaks do an excellent job for many learners. What I follow during my instructing routines is to make them exercise, which does not mean skipping and running tasks but more involving the hands, like finger stretching and wrist turns, which they find pretty amusing. So when they resume their work, they jump afresh and vigorously. Breaks like these keep such small kids more riveted to the job at hand, and they also find it pleasing that they are being taken care of, which contributes to a strong and healthy connection between the learner and instructor.

 

b Emotional sensitivity

Early learners are still learning to regulate their emotions; minor setbacks and failures can lead to big frustrations. I’ve observed that every student has an entirely different mindset from the other. Some make mistakes, get them corrected and move on to learn the next thing, while some take it personally and react negatively by either giving up on the task or resisting doing it all over again. I’ve learned from my peers at work that children need time to digest as the concepts are new to them, and they are undergoing a learning process that takes time and effort. A tutor’s job is to detect areas where a student lacks and make extra effort to overcome weaknesses. This could be done by searching for ways to teach them through fun-based activities, visual aids, and reward-based techniques. The last one is the most promising, though! What I tried once was through a game called Hangman. My student was weak in spelling, so I found this game the most relevant. Taimur genuinely didn’t want that poor man to get hanged to death, so he tried his best to learn the spellings real fast! 

 

c Individual learning styles

Every human has his manner of doing things. That is what makes us all unique and different. No two preschoolers learn the same way. Some learn quickly, others don’t. One might love doodling; another may excel in hands-on activities. Recognising and adapting to these differences has been my ongoing learning process. Taimur likes to try things on his own. If I tell you, this is a good thing because you never learn unless you do it practically. Observing, understanding, and practising makes you go through the steps of getting something done. You can't learn until you put yourself in the driver’s seat and undergo trials and errors.

 

Lessons I’ve learned as a tutor

 

a Flexibility is the key

Sticking rigidly to a lesson you’ve planned for the day is never a good option. Remember that most of the time, things do not go as planned. Understanding a learner’s current mood and energy level is the most important thing. They might not always be mentally able to study or focus on a specific topic. To tackle this problem, a tutor should know how students feel—whether they’re excited, distracted, restless, or focused—and adapt accordingly. This might mean shortening an activity if the children seem overwhelmed, extending it if they’re highly engaged, or incorporating a calming exercise if the energy level is too high.

 

b Celebrate small wins

Achievements, whether big or small, always boost morale and lift spirits and, thus, should be celebrated and praised. It is not the measure of how significantly you’ve achieved, but the effort and hard work are what truly matters. When children feel appreciated for their hard work, regardless of the results, they become more willing to take risks, persevere in the face of challenges, and stay motivated to continue learning.

 

c The power of connection

Building trust with preschoolers is crucial. Also, this is the most potent yet challenging part of teaching early-stage learners. Developing a strong mental and emotional connection is the key to a tutor-student relationship. Remember that you provide an extra source of academic guidance for the student and a surrounding where they feel safe, cared for, and understood. 

 

Conclusion

For me, tutoring preschoolers has been both a privilege and a challenge. I've learned patience and resilience from every interaction I've had, and my passion for teaching grows every minute. I am grateful for the things I have learnt about education, personal development, and even myself as I reflect on my path.
 

Bibliography

Berk, L. E. (2013). Infants, Children, and Adolescents (7th ed.). Pearson Education.

Copple, C., & Bredekamp, S. (2009). Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8 (3rd ed.). National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Epstein, A. S. (2007). The Intentional Teacher: Choosing the Best Strategies for Young Children's Learning. National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Ginsburg, K. R. (2007). The importance of play in promoting healthy child development and maintaining strong parent-child bonds. Pediatrics, 119(1), 182–191. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2006-2697

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press.
 

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