Primary school tutors for reading, writing and maths

In England’s primary English curriculum, reading words and understanding what is read are distinct skills. A child who still needs help sounding out words needs practice with those foundations; a fluent reader may need help explaining an answer using clues from the text.

For a simple comprehension example, read: “Rain tapped against the classroom window. Maya pulled her hood up before stepping outside.” Why did Maya put her hood up? “Because she went outside” identifies the action but misses the weather clue. One reasonable fuller answer is: “She wanted to keep her head dry because it was raining.” The child connects the rain with Maya’s action, rather than guessing an unrelated reason.

To turn that spoken idea into writing, try the unpunctuated sentence “maya put her hood up because it was raining”. Say it aloud, then write “Maya put her hood up because it was raining.” Check the capital letter and full stop. Choose the reading or writing task according to the child’s current need; these are illustrations, not a test every primary child should take.

A child might say “1/4 is bigger than 1/3 because 4 is bigger than 3.” For an illustrative example of the unit-fraction comparisons taught in Year 3 in England, start with two paper strips of exactly the same size. Divide one into three equal parts and the other into four equal parts. Shade one part on each strip.

The quarter is smaller: the same whole has been divided into more equal pieces. The bottom number, called the denominator, tells us how many equal parts make the whole. The top number is 1 because we are comparing one part. So 1/3 is greater than 1/4. Keeping the original strips the same size matters.

For a follow-up, compare 1/4 and 1/5 using equal-sized strips. A useful sign of understanding is an explanation such as “A quarter is larger because the same whole is shared into four equal parts instead of five.” This checks whether the child can use the idea on a new question.

Primary science also needs careful explanation. For an illustrative investigation, ask: “Does a toy car travel farther on a smooth surface or carpet?” Use the same car, ramp and release height each time, changing the surface it rolls onto. Release it without a push and measure from the end of the ramp to where it stops. Repeat the comparison.

If the car repeatedly travels farther on the smooth surface, a supported conclusion is “In our test, the car travelled farther on the smooth surface.” “The car was faster” goes beyond the measurements: we measured distance, not time. This gives a tutor a concrete way to work on fair comparisons, measurements and conclusions within England’s primary science approach.

The teaching examples above use England’s primary curriculum. School stages and assessments differ across the UK, so give the tutor your child’s nation, school year and current class topics.

In England, the Year 1 phonics screening check, Year 4 multiplication tables check and Year 6 KS2 assessments address different skills. Year 6 national tests cover reading, grammar, punctuation and spelling, and maths; writing and science use teacher assessment. KS1 tests are optional. A lesson plan can address the relevant skill without making every session a practice paper. Your school can confirm which assessments apply to your child.