The Clara James Approach to learning
When it comes to learning we are all individuals.
The past 20+ years have taught me that no matter our learning style if the child is engaged and relaxed they are more likely to learn.
If we just keep giving them the same resources, varied over and over again, all we are doing is giving them one place in their brains to find the information. However, by giving them a variety of resources we can make it more interesting, more relevant, and help them to create multiple memories so that when they need to recall the information, they have more places they can go to in order to find it.
If we can boost their confidence as well as their knowledge we will make their life and ours easier.
For 20 years now I've been fascinated by different learning styles: ASD, Dyslexia, ADHD. The purpose of this podcast is to share my findings with you, so that maybe what I've learned will be of help to you too.
Episodes
40 episodes
Will I confuse my child if I explain things differently to how their teacher explained it?
One of the most common fears I have heard from parents over the past 13+ years, is that if they explain something differently to how their child has learned it at school it will confuse them. But actually, sometimes a different explanation.&nbs...
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8:30
What is the best way to become a tutor: employed, self-employed or franchise?
If you are mulling over the idea of becoming a tutor you might be trying to decide which is the best route to go down: self-employed, franchise, employed?In this article I will try to explain the pros and cons of each approach from what ...
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17:07
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Supporting Your Child’s Reading—Even When You’re Not a Confident Reader
Welcome back to The Clara James Approach Podcast—I’m Dawn, your host. In today’s episode, we’ll explore how parents who don’t feel like confident readers themselves can still create a supportive, fun, and effective reading environment at...
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19:12
How do I choose my niche as a tutor?
Starting out as a tutor can feel overwhelming — should you work with younger children, teenagers, or exam students? Do you stick to your favourite subject, or go where the demand is? In this video, Dawn shares her own journey of starting with p...
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15:34
How do I teach my child their times tables (without the tears and frustration)
Struggling to get your child confident with their times tables? In this video, I share fun, practical, and stress-free ways to help them remember their multiplication facts. From games and songs to real-life practice, these ideas will make time...
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23:21
Should I pay for resources to educate my child
In today’s world, we’re lucky to have a wealth of free educational resources at our fingertips. A quick Google search or a scroll through Pinterest can reveal thousands of activities, printables, and ideas. So, on the surface, it seems like the...
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7:37
My child has little confidence in learning
Is your child struggling with low confidence in their learning? You’re not alone and there are gentle, effective ways to help them rebuild self-belief.In this video, Dawn from Clara James Tutoring shares calming, heart-led strategies to...
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17:57
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Is tutoring easy money? The considerations people don't want to talk about
In this episode, I dive into a common but loaded question: “Is tutoring easy money?” I will try to be honest yet warmth, and with over a decade of lived experience, I will unpack the hidden hours, emotional investment, and ...
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25:08
Supporting Children Who Learn Differently: What to Ask When Considering a Tutor
In this episode, we talk about what to look for in a tutor when your child doesn’t learn in the traditional way. Whether your child has a formal diagnosis or you simply know that school hasn’t worked for them, this is for you. We'll cover how t...
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19:08
Do I need to be a qualified teacher to become a tutor? 🤔
The short answer? No — you don’t need to be a qualified teacher to make a real difference as a tutor. At Clara James Tutoring, we believe what matters most is your passion, your ability to explain things clearly, and your desire to support chil...
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16:55
Multiplying by 9
I love the 9x table because there are so many hints to help you to solve the questions. Things like when you hold your hands out in front of you, put the finger related to the number you are multiplying by down, and your answer is there in fron...
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4:03
Keep taking small steps forward - even when you think no one else is listening
In this week’s episode, I’m sharing something a little more personal. After recording several weekly episodes and seeing very few listens, I found myself wondering if anyone’s actually out there — and whether it’s worth continuing.If you...
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3:58
Why Confidence Is Just as Important as Knowing the Answer
In this episode, we explore the idea that confidence is just as important as knowing the answer. So often, children feel like they’re “bad at maths” or “not good at English” simply because they lack belief in themselves. But when...
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5:56
This week in Clara James Tutoring
I had intended chatting about something different, but my editing software wouldn't work and I was creating this as well, so I thought why not...This week has been a great week with the proof copy "Become a Tutor" dropping through the do...
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4:46
Prime Numbers
Prime numbers are numbers with only two factors. This basically means numbers which you will only find in the 1 times table of their own times table. For example, 5 is prime because it is only in the 5- and 1-times table, where are 10 is in the...
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4:50
Tales from Tutoring: The good, the bad and the unforgettable...
The Realities of Tutoring — Triumphs, Challenges & Unexpected LessonsIn this episode, I’m sharing a deeply personal collection of stories from my years as a tutor — the lessons learned, the battles fought, and the beautiful br...
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13:33
Trying to remove the dread of reading out loud...
I was talking about reading the other day with a mum. Very often the challenge isn’t just in finding something that they are willing to read, but in the actual act of reading itself. A lot of children struggle with read...
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6:06
3 stupid things I did when I first started tutoring
When I started Clara James Tutoring back in 2012, my background was education not business and I was incredibly susceptible to mistakes and being led on a wild goose chase... So, from trying to keep the business quiet to nearly bein...
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14:28
The importance of play into learning and boosting confidence
There's a few things that I'm opinionated on and the importance of making learning fun and relevant comes very high up on that list.When I started studying supporting different learning styles over 25 years ago, one of the things I learn...
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8:44
How I Started My Tutoring Business with No Confidence and Built It Anyway
"you're not as clever as your brother", "I don't think you have what it takes to work in a school", "who are you to teach me?!"Confidence is not a strong point of mind, I have this huge sense of inadequacy. But when a friend suggested I ...
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10:06
Supporting a primary school child with comprehension
I was asked the other day about supporting a 10 year old with comprehension. My initial response was to brain dump everything then use that as a guide to pull it all together..However, here is my actual advice. I hope it helps. ...
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5:33
Our hope is to give you even better support
Not everyone has a printer...So, we have introduced a premium level to the Clara James Approach so that we can send you a printed copy of the resources each month with a few other extra bonuses.You would also have access to a 1-to-1 mon...
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6:38
Building confidence in maths with your child at home
I think many of us have a fear of maths which we then unintentionally pass on to our children.However, there are things we can do which will help avoid that fear. A big part of that is to make it creative, fun, quality time that you can sha...
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8:28
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Effective Revision Techniques for your GCSE exams
In this episode, we dive into revision strategies for English, tackling both general revision tips and specific advice for English subjects. Whether you’re just starting your revision journey or looking for ways to boost your effectiveness, thi...
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13:13
Interview with Claire: A GCSE English Teacher and Examiner
Claire is amazing, with 10 years of experience under her belt there's not a huge amount she doesn't seem to know and she's also happy to share her knowledge which I am truly thankful for.In this episode she share some of her insights in...
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40:35
