What Primary Students Need Help With

Primary school is the foundation of everything. The skills a child learns in Years 1 to 6 — reading, writing, maths, and confidence — determine their success in secondary school and beyond. Yet many children in Bali's international schools struggle in primary because of curriculum transitions, language barriers, or gaps in early learning.

The most common challenges we see are:

Phonics gaps: Children who have missed foundational phonics instruction struggle to decode words and spell accurately. This is especially common for children who have moved between schools or curricula.
Reading comprehension: Children who can read the words but do not understand the meaning. They may read fluently but cannot answer questions about the text or make inferences.
Maths anxiety: Children who believe they are "bad at maths" and avoid maths tasks. This is often caused by gaps in early number sense or negative experiences in the classroom.
Writing difficulties: Children who have good ideas but cannot get them on paper. Their writing may be disorganised, poorly punctuated, or lacking detail.
Curriculum transition: Children who have moved from the Indonesian national curriculum, Australian Curriculum, or another system and need to catch up to the expectations of their new school.
EAL/ESL struggles: Children who are learning in English but speak another language at home. They may be fluent in spoken English but struggle with academic reading and writing.
School entrance preparation: Children who need to prepare for entrance assessments to international schools such as Green School, Canggu Community School, or Bali Island School.
Confidence and motivation: Children who have lost confidence in their academic ability and need patient, encouraging support to rebuild their self-esteem.

Age Groups and Year Levels

Early Years (Ages 4-5, Reception/Kindergarten): We focus on emergent literacy, phonics, number recognition, and early numeracy. We use songs, games, and hands-on activities to build a love of learning. We also prepare children for the transition to formal schooling.

Key Stage 1 (Ages 5-7, Years 1-2): We focus on phonics, reading fluency, comprehension, writing, and maths. We teach the UK National Curriculum for Years 1 and 2, including the phonics screening check and SATs preparation if needed.

Key Stage 2 (Ages 7-11, Years 3-6): We focus on reading comprehension, writing for different purposes, maths (including fractions, decimals, and percentages), and science. We prepare students for the transition to secondary school and for entrance assessments to selective schools.

Australian Curriculum (Foundation to Year 6): We cover all Australian Curriculum content descriptors for English, maths, science, and HASS. We can also prepare students for NAPLAN.

US Common Core (Kindergarten to Grade 5): We cover all Common Core standards for English language arts and maths. We focus on critical thinking, problem-solving, and academic writing.

Indonesian National Curriculum (Kurikulum Merdeka): We provide support for children attending Indonesian national schools, with a focus on Bahasa Indonesia, maths, and science.

Subjects and Skills

Phonics and Reading: We use systematic, synthetic phonics to teach children to read. We cover letter sounds, blending, segmenting, and tricky words. We use decodable books that match the child's phonics level. For older children, we focus on reading comprehension, inference, and critical thinking.

Writing: We teach writing for different purposes: narratives, persuasive texts, informative texts, and poetry. We focus on planning, drafting, revising, and editing. We use graphic organisers and writing frameworks to help children structure their ideas.

Maths: We teach number sense, place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, percentages, geometry, and statistics. We use manipulatives and visual models to build understanding. We focus on fluency, reasoning, and problem-solving.

Science: We teach biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science through hands-on experiments and inquiry-based learning. We focus on observation, questioning, and investigation.

Study Skills: We teach organisation, time management, note-taking, and revision strategies. These are especially important for Year 6 students preparing for secondary school.

How We Assess the Student

Every primary tutoring journey starts with an informal assessment:

What we assess:

Reading level and phonics knowledge
Spelling accuracy and strategies
Writing ability (structure, vocabulary, grammar, creativity)
Maths understanding (number sense, calculation, problem-solving)
Attitude and confidence towards learning

How we assess:

Informal reading and conversation (10-15 minutes)
A short phonics check or spelling test (5-10 minutes)
A short maths task (10-15 minutes)
A short writing task (10-15 minutes)
Discussion with the parent about the child's school experience, teacher feedback, and any concerns

What happens after the assessment:

We write a brief assessment report identifying strengths, gaps, and priorities
We propose a tutoring plan with specific goals and a timeline
We agree on session frequency, length, and focus with the parent
We set a review date (usually four weeks later) to assess progress

Lesson Structure

A typical primary tutoring session follows this structure:

Warm-up (5-10 minutes): A short game, song, or review activity to engage the child and build enthusiasm.

Main topic (30-40 minutes): The tutor introduces the topic, models a skill, guides the child through practice, and provides feedback. The topic might be: phonics, reading comprehension, writing, maths, or science.

Independent practice (5-10 minutes): The child works independently on a task while the tutor observes and provides support. This builds independence and resilience.

Review and homework (5 minutes): The tutor summarises the session, highlights key takeaways, and sets homework if appropriate. Homework is usually short (5-10 minutes) and focused on consolidation.

Progress Plan and Tracking

We use a structured progress plan for every primary student:

Short-term goals (2-4 weeks): Specific skills to master. For example: "Read CVC words with 90% accuracy" or "Write a five-sentence paragraph with correct punctuation."

Medium-term goals (1-3 months): Broader objectives. For example: "Improve reading age by 6 months" or "Master times tables up to 12x12."

Long-term goals (3-6 months): Big-picture outcomes. For example: "Be ready for Year 7 maths" or "Pass the phonics screening check."

We track progress using:

Weekly tutor notes
Monthly progress reports
Reading level assessments
Spelling assessments
Maths assessments
Writing sample reviews
Parent feedback and school report review

Parent Reporting

After every session, the tutor sends a brief WhatsApp message. Every four weeks, we send a formal progress report with a summary of topics covered, assessment of progress, and recommendations.

School Entrance Preparation

We prepare children for entrance assessments to Bali's international schools, including:

Green School Bali: We prepare children for the Green School entrance assessment, which focuses on literacy, numeracy, and creative thinking.
Canggu Community School: We prepare children for the CCS entrance assessment, which covers English, maths, and general knowledge.
Bali Island School: We prepare children for the BIS entrance assessment, which focuses on English and maths.
Dyatmika School: We prepare children for the Dyatmika entrance assessment, which covers English, maths, and Indonesian.
Sanur Independent School: We prepare children for the SIS entrance assessment, which covers English and maths.
Other schools: We can prepare children for any school's entrance assessment. Message us with the school's name and we will design a preparation plan.

Our entrance preparation includes: practice tests, interview preparation, and confidence-building. We do not guarantee admission — that depends on the child's ability and the school's criteria. But we do prepare children to perform at their best.

Related Subjects and Services

Primary tutoring is often combined with:

ADHD tutoring: For children who need help with focus and behaviour in the classroom. See /adhd-support-bali.
Dyslexia support: For children who struggle with reading and spelling. See /dyslexia-support-bali.
Homeschool tutoring: For families who have chosen to homeschool their primary-age children. See /homeschool-teachers-bali.
English tutoring: For children who need intensive English language support. See /english-tutoring-bali.
Maths tutoring: For children who need specialist maths support. See /maths-tutoring-bali.

FAQ

How do you assess my child's level?

We start with an informal diagnostic conversation and a few short tasks: reading, phonics, spelling, maths, and writing. This takes 30-45 minutes and identifies strengths, gaps, and priorities. We then write a brief assessment report and propose a tutoring plan.

Which curriculum do you follow?

We support all major primary curricula: UK National Curriculum, Australian Curriculum, US Common Core, IB PYP, and Indonesian national curriculum. We match the tutoring to your child's school curriculum.

Can you prepare my child for school entrance assessments?

Yes. We prepare children for entrance assessments to all major international schools in Bali. We provide practice tests, interview preparation, and confidence-building. We do not guarantee admission but we prepare children to perform at their best.

How long are primary tutoring sessions?

Most primary sessions are 60 minutes. For younger children (ages 4-6), we sometimes do 45-minute sessions. For older children (ages 10-11), we sometimes do 75-minute sessions. We adapt the length to the child's attention span and needs.

Do you set homework?

We set short, focused homework (5-10 minutes) to consolidate what was learned in the session. Homework is usually reading, a short writing task, or maths practice. Homework is optional for younger children.

What materials do you use?

Our tutors bring their own materials, including phonics programmes, reading books, maths manipulatives, writing frameworks, and past papers. We also use online resources such as BBC Bitesize, Oxford Owl, and White Rose Maths.

Can you support children with learning differences?

Yes. We have tutors trained in ADHD, dyslexia, autism, and other learning differences. We can adapt our teaching approach to match your child's needs.

How do you build confidence?

We start with success, praise effort and strategy, teach growth mindset, celebrate progress, and create a calm, low-stress learning environment. We also use games, songs, and hands-on activities to make learning fun.

Primary School Tutor in Bali