When to Hire a Tutor
There is nothing like having a one-on-one learning situation with lessons customized for the individual student. It goes at exactly the right pace, with enough practice for the student to conquer a new skill. If the tutor is experienced, at the end of the session, she will evaluate whether the student has acquired a basic understanding of the material. Over the next several sessions, she will intentionally revisit each skill from time to time to ensure that none of it is forgotten, while building upon a firm foundation. It all works very nicely when it is done well. But private tutoring costs money, so knowing when it is necessary is essential. Here are some circumstances which warrant hiring a tutor:
1. Homework has become so frustrating that your child starts to shut down every night. Sometimes parents can intervene and fill that role as tutor. But many times that just leads to screaming matches. As one parent I know admitted, “it’s enough just to get them to do their chores and brush their teeth.”
2. His grades are slipping. Every grade level becomes more advanced and builds upon the skills from the year before. So maybe your child has not been able to tackle the more advanced material…yet. It may require someone knowledgeable to break down this new material into comprehensible bits that can be easily digested.
3. Your child has never really performed at grade level. This may indicate he has some type of processing issue that makes learning more challenging than it is for most students. One example of this is dyslexia (difficulty reading). Studies have shown that up to 20% of the population has some level of dyslexia. It has nothing to do with intelligence. But their brains are not quite as efficient at recognizing words. An experienced reading tutor understands that these students have to be explicitly taught each grapheme of the English language. These graphemes are taught in a logical order and practiced each session. Over many months, these students progress and can become quite proficient readers.
4. Your child has been thrust into a new, more demanding situation. Perhaps the family moved and the new school has higher standards, or your child’s new teacher has unrealistic expectations. Whatever the cause, there is a disconnect between your child’s present abilities and those expected of him. Only by assessing where the break downs are occurring and focusing on “filling in the holes” can a tutor help the child to meet these new standards.
5. Your child has no experience with a new subject being taught. For some students, the advanced terminology of biology can be offsetting. For others, the difficulty of “untangling” pre-algebra problems is frustrating. Venturing into new academic areas can be challenging, and it can feel overwhelming. An experienced tutor can explain things in a simple manner and relate the new material to something he already understands. If you notice that your child is having any of the above scholastic difficulties, don’t be discouraged. Almost all children, when given the proper support, can conquer new material. It just may require an experienced tutor to guide them through the process until they are proficient at tackling their school work all by themselves.