WORDS: Carla Caruso
I always thought I’d never be one of those mums, rushing from one school sport activity to another.
And yet, here I am. From basketball to footy, my seven-year-old twin sons like to put up their hand for everything under the sun.
Unfortunately, this has meant sometimes homework has been shunted to the side — by the kids and me.
Personalised school tutoring
Enter Cluey Learning, which provides online, face-to-face schoolwork support for those in years 2 to 12.
Forget dashing from school to a tutoring centre or frantically tidying up your abode before a tutor arrives. All the learning happens online via an interactive platform in the comfort of your own home. Yay.
Online face-to-face schoolwork support
There’s still a real tutor talking with your kiddo ‘live’, in real-time; it’s just done via video, audio, and a collaborative whiteboard. All your child needs to attend is a laptop or desktop computer with a mic and camera. (Each one-hour session is recorded too, so it can be reviewed at any time.)
Recently, I had a parent-teacher interview, which revealed one son, Alessio, could improve in a particular area: his sentence structure. So, I nominated him for a few tutoring sessions. It was easy-peasy, providing his available times via the online hub. Then, he was matched with a tutor. (Most students tutor weekly.)
Mapped to the national curriculum
For Years 2-6, the tutoring programs are in Maths and English (as well as Chemistry for senior students), mapped to the national curriculum (catering for state-by-state variations), and are tailored to your littlie’s specific goals.
For the first session, I looked over Alessio’s shoulder throughout, although this is unnecessary. Cluey’s education team regularly reviews the sessions to continuously improve your child’s learning experience. Which means you can use the time instead to finish that conference call, attend to your inbox, or whatever else needs doing!
Building on classwork
Unlike with Zoom calls, the video on Cluey isn’t too distracting as the student and tutor appear in little boxes at the top of the screen. The rest is taken up by ever-changing, colourful illustrations and text. The students use computer tools to write onscreen, circle words, and more — no pen or paper required.
Alessio’s tutor, Amanda, was super-friendly and patient, and nicely, we could book her each time to help build their relationship. Under her guidance, Alessio did everything from read books out loud to use adjectives to describe a nature scene.
Progress reports
At the end of each session, a progress report is provided. For Alessio’s first one, the tutor’s feedback read:
“Today Alessio demonstrated excellent reading ability, in both decoding (reading aloud) and comprehension. There were occasions where he needed to refer back to a text to find an answer, however, at his level, this is okay.
His writing is also good, although he does need to remember to use punctuation and capitals correctly. I would also like to see him writing a full piece, which was not an option in today’s activity. (Today he had to write sentences about a picture.)
His knowledge of grammar and language conventions is also exceptional, although we will work on his identification of different text types. Well done, Alessio, on a great first session!”
For Alessio’s own feedback, he hit the “fun!” emoji. He also told me: “I liked the comprehension, reading, everything! It was better than school because we got to go on the computer and type. It was great. And the tools are cool to use.”
Catch up, keep up or excel – from the comfort of your own home
As a parent, I found the sessions great for seeing where Alessio’s learning is at. Extracting information from my kids about what they’re learning at school can be hard-going, so this was a good way to see him put into practice what he knows.
Not being a teacher myself, I was also more than happy to have his studies steered by a professional. There’s a reason they say it takes a village to raise a child. And, if it gives your kiddo an extra edge at school, and boosts their confidence, even better!
What I love about Cluey:
- Cluey offer tutoring in both one-to-one and small group formats with up to 5 students.
- Tutors are vetted and must hold a valid WWC certificate.
- Tutors can help kids catch up, keep up or excel from the comfort of their own home.
- Most students do tutoring sessions weekly, so it’s not a huge commitment.
- It’s perfect for time-poor parents, who need an extra hand for their child’s schoolwork support.
- The virtual learning platform is eye-catching, colourful, and engaging.
- Cluey uses a personalised approach, allowing your kiddo to learn at their own speed. Small groups can also be catered for.
- Managing your enrolment is a cinch via the online hub, whether you want to move or skip a session, permanently change your schedule, or provide feedback.
- It’s still face-to-face learning, just using video, audio, and an interactive virtual whiteboard.
- At the start of each session, the tutors and students set learning goals.
- You can stay updated on your kiddo’s learning as Cluey provides regular progress reports. No need to look over their shoulder throughout!
- Cluey caters to schoolkids in years 2 to 12.
Get started with 20% off when you sign up for Cluey Learning
If this all sounds great to you (of course it does!) and you have a kiddo who you think could benefit from some extra help from a tutor, Cluey Learning are offering a 20% discount to KIDDO readers who sign up.
To sign up with your exclusive KIDDO discount:
clueylearning.com.au/en/lp/offer/
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