Find a primary science tutor

Begin with something your child finds difficult to explain. A correct answer to a familiar quiz can hide uncertainty about the idea behind it. Equally, a child who hesitates over a written answer may understand more than they can put into words. Use a recent piece of schoolwork or a short conversation to choose a starting goal.

England’s primary science programme includes plants, animals, habitats and materials. At KS2, topics also include forces, electricity, light, sound, and Earth and space. Choose from the topics your child is studying; covering a longer list is not itself a useful lesson goal.

Scientific enquiry develops alongside this knowledge. Younger children observe and sort. Lower KS2 introduces fair tests and simple conclusions; upper KS2 adds more independent decisions about variables, repeated measurements and justified conclusions. A variable is something that can change in an investigation. The examples below illustrate two different starting points.

Imagine showing a child a wooden spoon and a metal spoon. Asked what each is made from, the child answers “spoon”. They have named the object, but have not yet separated it from the material.

Separate the questions: “What is it?” and “What is it made from?” Both objects are spoons. One is made from wood and the other from metal. A clearer answer is: “This is a spoon. It is made from wood.”

Then add a metal cup. Ask the child to put together the objects made from the same material. The cup belongs with the metal spoon even though they are different objects. Explaining that choice shows more than repeating the first answer.

This is an illustrative teaching task based on the object/material distinction in England’s early primary curriculum. A child can start by pointing and sorting, then practise saying the full explanation.

Agree one initial goal and a point to review it. Choose lesson length and frequency with the tutor around your child’s attention, schoolwork and family schedule. There is no fixed timetable that suits every primary science learner.

Latimer offers one-to-one tuition online. Microsoft Teams is the default lesson platform, and you can agree another meeting method with the tutor. Before the first lesson, check that your child can hear the tutor and show a drawing or piece of work clearly.

A proposed science session might use a labelled picture, a shared results table or a tutor demonstration. The toy-car example can be discussed from its data without setting up an experiment at home. If practical work is planned, agree the materials and any adult help beforehand, including what is suitable for your child and your space.

Use the introductory meeting to discuss how your child will take part: talking, drawing, sorting objects or writing short explanations. Agree when a parent should help and when to let the child answer independently.

Explain any reading, language, sensory or practical-access needs when choosing a tutor. A child learning English as an additional language may understand the science before they can explain it fluently in English. Slow writing alone is also an incomplete picture of understanding.

For the materials task, a child could first point to or group the objects, then say “made from wood” before writing a sentence. Discuss whether pictures, spoken answers, extra thinking time or smaller instructions would help your child attempt the same idea. Keep the scientific challenge appropriate while making the task accessible.

Ask the individual tutor about relevant experience and the adaptations they can offer. Share approaches that already work at school, so tuition starts from what is familiar and useful.

Latimer’s tutor-matching request is free. Tutors also offer a free introductory meeting to discuss goals, teaching approach and arrangements before paid lessons. This is normally a conversation rather than a full teaching lesson.