Choose the first Geography focus by finding where marks are lost, then start with the skill that feeds the most topics. This page compares four possible focuses so you can choose before the trial.
What are the four focuses?
Online one-to-one Geography tuition can start from any of these.
| Focus | What a lesson does | Suits a student who |
|---|---|---|
| Map and graph skills | Practises scale, direction, contours and graph reading | Loses marks on source-based questions |
| Explaining patterns | Builds answers with pattern, figure and reason | Describes but never explains |
| Topic knowledge | Rebuilds one chapter with clear links | Has gaps in a specific topic |
| Vocabulary and terms | Sorts similar terms with examples | Mixes up terms such as weathering and erosion |
The focus is a starting point. The teacher will still reach into the others if they block progress.
How do I decide?
Look at the last two returned tests and sort each lost mark by question type. If most were on maps and data, choose map skills. If most were on “explain” questions, choose explaining patterns.
If the marks are scattered, the gap may sit in a basic skill. The prerequisite gap finder can show whether it does.
What does a first lesson on each focus look like?
A map lesson might give the student one original contour map and ask them to describe a slope in three sentences. An explaining lesson takes one table of figures and works out a pattern, a figure and a reason.
A topic lesson draws the chapter as one connected chain of causes and effects. A terms lesson takes six confusable words and asks the student to use each in an original sentence.
Is there a cheaper way to find out?
Yes. You can try the map and graph reading practice alone first. If the student scores well, map skills are not the gap and the lesson can start elsewhere.
Next steps
Read whether one-to-one teaching is suitable if you are still weighing the options. When you are ready, ask about the one-hour trial class (from RM50) and tell us the topic you chose.