By Rebecca Tucker and Irene Daria
The Reasons to Consider a Tutor
1. Your
kid is falling behind in class. In private schools and competitive public
schools, the academics are often accelerated so naturally there are children
who have a tough time keeping up in certain subjects. A good tutor should be
able to give you an informed sense of how your child is doing, whether he can
rebound on his own, or could use some help, and also if the school seems to be falling short in some way. A child may be struggling because she has a learning
issue, she’s rebelling, she has a poor teacher, or poor learning habits. Often
a child won’t swallow help from the people she’s unhappy with, which is why an
objective third party who is not a teacher or a parent can be a good idea.
2. Your
kid is applying to a competitive school. At almost every level from nursery
school to college, there are common tests used to help judge a prospective
applicant. Specialized tutors typically can
help boost your kid’s score.
3. You
want enrichment for your kid. Parents (and students) can be so focused on
performance and admissions issues that they never stop to consider a tutor for
pure educational interest. A child may want to nurture his or her interest in a
particular subject, feel more challenged or get more individualized attention
than they’re getting at school.
The Reasons to Question It
1. The work may be too advanced. Some schools
and some parents too expect r children to perform at academic levels for which they
are not ready. We want children to know more and more at earlier ages, but
knowing more doesn’t make them smarter. Cramming a kid’s head too full of information and not taking
age-appropriate development into account could push him too far too fast and
potentially turn him off to learning.
2. You
could be inviting burn out. Even if there seems to be a good reason to get
a tutor, a child still has to have enough downtime to do the things he finds
fun—like sports, video games or playing with his friends.
3. A
child’s homework performance can be misleading. Trouble in one school
subject might only be a piece of an underlying learning difficulty. Before
going the tutoring route, parents should chat with teachers about a child’s
performance. A teacher may recommend testing for a child to see if there is
underlying learning issue; if that turns out to be the case, then you can hire
a tutor specially trained to address that particular problem. But if your
child’s teacher says your child is doing fine in most areas, then look for a
tutor in the specific trouble subject.
How do I find the right tutor?
1. Ask
around for recommendations. They should come from other parents, your
child’s school or volunteer organizations like the Parents League of New York. Interview
a prospective tutor. Don’t be afraid of being thorough. A tutor should be able to summarize his or her
background, experience and successes. You might want to meet the tutor before
introducing him to your child, but make sure your kid is there before sealing
the deal, so he feels like he has taken part in the decision.
2. Confirm
the tutor’s expertise. Why do you want the tutor? Homework help for an
elementary schooler might only require a college student. A high schooler who needs
to catch up in a specific subject or a child prepping for a test might need
someone who has either taught or tutored that subject or test for a few years.
In the case of test help, you will want someone who is familiar with recent
changes, such as the longer writing sample in the SAT. But lining up a biochemist to teach your child
seventh grade science is not necessary. While a tutor should have a strong academic background in the subject in
which the child is having trouble, the ultimate question is whether they can
teach it, not whether they have a doctorate.
3. Know
the plan. Prior to selecting a tutor or learning center, a parent should
speak with his or her child and come to a shared understanding of the goals
they would like to achieve and then be prepared to discuss them in detail with
the tutor. The efficacy of tutoring is significantly higher when parents and
students are on the same page with regard to expectations.
4. Observe
a mini-lesson before signing on for a set of lessons. You want a person who
connects with your child. Check if the tutor is professional, patient and gives
your child enough time to digest material. Also, if they’re meeting at your
home or any other location that’s not the tutoring center, there needs to be an
adult present.
5. Discuss
the whole price. You should get a detailed pricing plan that includes the
number of sessions, the cost per session and miscellaneous fees for testing and
materials.
6. Ask
the tutor whether she can guarantee your kid’s improvement. If she says yes,
don’t hire her, because she doesn’t know what she’s talking about, says Sandi
Ayaz of the National Tutoring Association. A tutor can guarantee that she will
set forth a reasonable plan and work to achieve your goals, but “nobody can
guarantee you can raise scores.”
7. Trust your gut. If something doesn’t
feel right, look for somebody else. A strong child-tutor connection is
essential to making the relationship work. Having that good rapport can really
help take the learning where it needs to go.
