A Comprehensive Guide to Getting Your Child a Tutor - Will Tutoring Help My Child
Seeing your child become a student can be a bittersweet experience. On the one hand, it’s heartwarming to know that they’ve come so far and that they are ready to start a formal education in the classroom and get the help and support they need. On the other hand, it may be sad to see them leave as a student—it only seems like a little while ago when you were pregnant with them!
This is also a meaningful moment for your child as well. School in the US isn’t just about preparation for academic concepts, skills, and theories through subjects in early childhood. It’s also the opportunity to socialize with other students and children and interact with teachers who’ll be helping train them to succeed as students in the classroom.
Since they are still focused on learning the building blocks of education at this point, a child’s confusion at an idea or certain skills can be compounded when they start going into more advanced concepts. For example, kids struggling with basic English concepts like nouns and pronouns may have problems with writing essays in high school and college. In this scenario, the support of childhood tutors in English can be incredibly helpful for early childhood education and study. Tutoring will help assist in the ease of learning in the future.
Would Tutoring Help My Child?
If your child is struggling to adapt to traditional schooling as a student, tutoring can be a great way to bridge that divide. The role of a tutor is to personally oversee your kid’s work and progress in a closed environment, making sure they are producing output that is going in the right direction with other students.
Tutoring in the US is definitely worth considering for children of all ages. These professionals are helping provide valuable and objective insight into how your child can learn their strengths or advance despite their weaknesses.
Study times with a tutor can be life-changing for students. Even older children can benefit from the extra push. For example, social studies tutors can focus on building a foundation of sociological concepts in the US for students.
Does My Child Really Need Tutors?
Understandably, you may still have some doubts about whether or not it’s worth the investment for your student. After all, tutoring in the US is an additional cost you need to budget for—and you may be worried about whether or not the tutor will be a good fit for your child. In any case, your first priority should be to find a reliable team of professionals who you can openly collaborate with regarding your child’s needs.
According to Laura Goldblatt, a licensed teacher in the continuing education program at Marlboro College in Marlboro, Vermont, the one-on-one attention of a tutor “can do wonders for even a typical learner."(1)
But how do parents know it’s time to get their students a tutor in the US? As parents, it’s natural to only want the best for your child. At this age, educational development may not always be linear for these students, especially when they have difficulties understanding a certain concept when they study. Tutors will be capable of providing the structure they need to learn effectively.
Here are a few signs your child needs tutoring:
- Poor Time Management
Have you noticed your child putting off assignments and school projects? This may be a way of telling you that they are having difficulty keeping up with the increased workload as a student. Occasional delays are normal but watch out for consistent procrastination, especially if your student is ignoring your reminders to get work done and start studying.
- Low Grades at School
It’s report card day and you’ve noticed that your student’s grades have declined. If this has happened to you, try and learn how they are like at school with their teacher. This is important because they can point out which concepts and skills your child is a problem with. They can also tell you if your child’s individual attention has been drifting, which could be an indication that they have not yet mastered a topic or are having trouble focusing.
- Low Confidence and Self-Esteem
Learning new concepts can be intimidating, especially to children—and especially when they feel like they’re not smart enough to fully understand it. If you have noticed a sudden drop in your child’s enthusiasm to go to school, it is possible that they are starting to doubt themselves.
- Decreased Parental Supervision
There are plenty of factors that can contribute to a change in parental supervision. This can include a new job, another baby, or a big move to another place in the US. These additional commitments can affect the amount of attention you can give your child and their homework. In addition, their academic workload as students is bound to increase as they grow older and they may start requiring large blocks of study time that are too large to fit into the family schedule. Your child may also be struggling because they feel like they have suddenly been left out.
- Developmental Difficulties or Learning Disabilities
If your child has been diagnosed with developmental difficulties, then your beloved student needs specialized education to maintain the same academic and skills progress as their peers. Thankfully, there are tutors who specialize in teaching children with learning disorders. They’ll be capable of presenting alternative teaching methods that make the information easier for your kid to understand(2). As a result, education becomes less fatiguing and more fun!
Frequently Asked Questions on Hiring a Tutor:
How long should learning sessions be?
While the length of tutoring sessions vary from one child to another, it usually falls between 30 minutes to two hours. Beyond this point, it may be difficult to get your child to continue focusing on school and work on their skills as a student.
How often should my student see a tutor?
Twice a week is enough for the pair to catch up and improve schoolwork and skills, without the extra study time becoming too burdensome for your beloved student. Remember, tutoring is only a supplement to your child’s education. An important part of your child’s development is the time and space to play and engage in leisure activities throughout the week as well.
Can I hire a private tutor to homeschool my child?
Hiring a private tutor for homeschooling in the US is possible. In fact, plenty of families choose this type of tutoring because it’s convenient and they feel more secure knowing that their child is at home, compared to leaving them at a tutoring center with other students that they are unfamiliar with.
However, due to the pandemic, others have opted to go for online tutoring sessions instead. Don’t worry; the teaching methods and materials used by tutors have also evolved to help accommodate this new learning platform.
Is my child too young for a tutor?
If your child has a specific learning disability, or delayed speech, reading, and number skills, we recommend tutoring in the US as early as preschool or kindergarten age. Your state is bound to offer an early intervention (EI) program that can assess the needs of your loved one and advise you on this matter.
Since children are constantly learning, there is no such thing as “too young.” Some parents already have tutors for months-old babies, to speed up the mastery of developmental skills. Every child is different and it’s best to handle this on a case by case basis. No matter what year they are in, tutoring can always be a good supplement to their studies.
Does tutoring improve student’s school grades?
Successful tutoring goes beyond improved grades! Aside from a healthier report card, your child can feel more confident about work and participation in school. When they have a good grasp of the concepts they are learning and they can master it, they feel better empowered to pursue activities that spark curiosity. They can begin to like going to school in the first place, which is good motivation—we all know how tough it is to get our little ones up in the morning!
Conclusion
Now, does my child really need a tutor just to study?
The benefits of private tutoring are sometimes understated. A tutor can give them the opportunity to practice learning new concepts like math and foreign languages in a safe study environment, where the student is closely monitored and all the attention is focused on them(3). Successful tutoring can restore confidence and lead to increased participation in the classroom.
There is no shame in getting your child a tutor. Learning how to study can be difficult, especially when they do not know how to focus yet. With so many resources online, it can be difficult to figure out how to get your child started in the right direction. That’s why it’s so important that you get in touch with a team of professionals who are just as passionate about your child’s growth as you are.
Find out more about Tutoring NYC here!
References:
- Mali Anderson, 6 Signs Your Child Needs A Tutor, https://www.parents.com/kids/education/homework/6-signs-your-child-needs-a-tutor/
- Halina Goetz, What Tutoring Is and What Tutoring Is Not, https://blogs.chapman.edu/scst/2016/02/09/what-tutoring-is-and-what-tutoring-is-not/
- Surani Joshua, 5 Things to Consider Before You Hire a Tutor for Your Child, https://theconversation.com/5-things-to-consider-before-you-hire-a-tutor-for-your-child-113323