Why the latest Sylvan ad bugs me and why it should bug you too!

Before I start – I have absolutely no problem with Sylvan as a learning resource for some children, they do a good job for children who want to get better grades in school. The problem I have is with the ad, you know the one, the one where a girl is trying to get her homework finished, can’t do it, asks her dad for help and then they all go out for a meal and the homework does not get finished. The idea is that by enrolling in Sylvan the girl will learn how to do her homework.

So what’s my problem? Why does this ad bug me?

Because this is not the way to help children with homework. Getting help from an educational tutoring service may help your child get better grades but will not help with the homework issue.

Here are my reasons for saying this;

First, if the student is having problems with homework her teacher should know about it. Why? So that the teacher can give the girl the help she needs. How is the teacher going to know that the homework was too difficult if nobody tells him or her?

Secondly, why are parents doing their child’s homework anyway? You have passed Grade 8 some years ago, it is your child’s turn now!

Thirdly, why is it so hard for both student and parent to understand how to do the homework? Perhaps the instructions are confusing or even absent.

Fourthly, why assume that it is the student’s fault that she cannot do the work,why think that she is too stupid to know what to do.

Fifthly, if parents can’t figure out what needs doing why should the student be expected to?

Sixthly (is there such a word?), homework should be for review, not new learning. If the student can’t do it she may not have been taught well.
O.K., I will stop now, but I think you get the message. Just in case you don’t here it is again.

If your child doesn’t know what to do and you don’t know how to help, TALK TO YOUR CHILD’S TEACHER.

Now, if the teacher says your child needs help from a tutoring service such as Sylvan, that is a whole other matter.

I fell better now, thanks for listening!