Education Short List

I’ve been working in education for over seven years; three of those years have been as a professional tutor. And something that I’ve noticed is that families, and parents, may be a little confused with completely knowing when is the best time to get a tutor – either for themselves or a child. I say this because I have received tutoring request for: better fine motor skills, handwriting, and passing a test in two weeks.

This post is my attempt in being able to provide some clarity on the situations. Here are the Top 6 Things to consider when you want to get a tutor.

1. Don’t star too soon. If your child is under the age of eight, they are too young. They haven’t been alive, or in school, long enough to be able to really show you where their learning difficulties lie (ex. Having a four year old learn how to cut paper better). Also, if school (or class, or semester) just started less than two months ago, give it a few weeks.

2. Don’t wait too long. By April or May, there isn’t much a tutor is going to be able to do to help a student for the end of the school year, unless they meet hourly ever day (but who can afford to do that?). I have actually received inquiries for support like this too. Also, you don’t wait to wait until your child is failing a subject; or until they need help in multiple subject areas. This will become too stressful of a situation for everyone involved.

3. Look at the Signs. Is your child doing poorly on graded work? Is it happening consistently? Are they getting frustrated? Do you not understand the topics being taught? Maybe your child has stopped doing their assignments all together? All of these signs are indicators that your learner might be in need of additional help.

4. Give it time. When you do start to notice some of the aforementioned signs, first have a chat with your child (or yourself, if you are the student) and then watch for about six weeks. If you constantly see a slow withdrawal from their studies, then it is time for tutoring support. Also, try making some changes, or adjustments, at home first. When you create a better learning environment at home, it might be all that was needed to help.

5. Talk with your child. Take the time to ask them what’s going on with their classes and school in general. Is there a new concept being taught that seems tricky? Are they having issues with a professor? Are the classes moving too quickly? Is the terminology strange? Or is there something happening in their personal life that is taking its toll on their life? Also talk to them about their feelings about tutoring. Very little can ever be accomplished in tutoring when a student isn’t ready to learn.

6. Ask their teacher. If you as the parent are really struggling to decide whether tutoring is the right option, ask your child’s teacher(s) for their impression of the situation. If the teachers believe that tutoring would be beneficial then it’s time to move forward. Yet, if they are on the fence about it, start with some of the earlier mentioned tips first before going to tutoring.

I truly hope that these insights can provide families and students with some direction in better knowing when the right time is for you to get a tutor.