Your child is struggling in the classroom.
You know they need a little extra help, but maybe you don’t have the time or feel comfortable with the subject matter. After all, algebra (or whatever the subject) was a few (or more) years ago.
You may be thinking, “I need a private tutor for my child.”
A tutor is a fantastic solution.
But, how do you find a good tutor for your child? More importantly, how do you find the right tutor for your child?
This guide takes the guesswork out of it. You’ll be equipped to move forward with the best tutor specifically for your child’s needs, goals, and learning style with these six steps to tutoring success.
Table of Contents
- Should I Find a Tutor for My Child?
- What Should I Look for When Hiring a Tutor?
- How Do I Choose a Tutor for My Child?
- 6 Steps to Finding a Good Tutor for Your Child
- 6 Considerations When Choosing a Tutor for Your Child
- What You Can Do as a Parent to Ensure a Successful Tutoring Experience
- Emergent Education: Tailored Tutoring Solutions for Every Subject and Every Child
Should I Find a Tutor for My Child?
If you’re asking yourself that question, you likely already know the answer.
If you’re reading this article, odds are your child is struggling academically. Maybe they’re having difficulty with reading. Or perhaps they aren’t a strong test-taker and need extra help before taking a big standardized test like the SAT.
Whatever the case for your child, tutors can help. Tutors provide individualized or small-group academic instruction and support.
Dozens of studies find tutoring to be “remarkably effective at helping students learn.”
If tutoring seems like the right avenue for you and your child, the next question you might ask yourself is:
How do I find a good tutor for my child?
This guide is designed to help you do just that. Read on for tips to find a great fit––both for your child and for you.
What Should I Look for When Hiring a Tutor?
When it comes to hiring a tutor for your child, you’ll likely want to see potential candidates’ resumes. Expertise and experience are important qualifications when choosing a tutor.
However, keep in mind that finding a tutor who can communicate and connect with your child is the key to a successful experience.
How Do I Choose a Tutor for My Child?
To choose a tutor for your child, you may look to friends or family for personal recommendations. Another possible avenue––using Google or another search engine to find a tutor near you with positive reviews.
Or, you could turn to a tutoring agency or company, like Emergent Education, to do the heavy lifting, matching you with the best tutor for your child.
Regardless of how you select your tutor, from setting goals and reasonable expectations to knowing your child’s learning style, there are some essential things to keep in mind.
6 Steps to Finding a Good Tutor for Your Child
You may be thinking, “I’m looking for a tutor for my child. What do I need to do first?”
Don’t worry. Follow these six steps to help ensure you make the best possible choice:
- Identify the learning struggle
- Understand how your child learns
- Set your goals
- Know your options
- Set reasonable expectations
- Test some options
#1: Identify the Learning Struggle
Before bringing a tutor on board, it’s essential to identify the issue. Specifically, how is it that your child is struggling within the learning environment? This will assist the tutor in creating a learning plan, setting up your child for success.
Possible learning struggles may include:
- Skill or subject matter gaps
- Differences in learning style, and;
- Lack of motivation
#2: Understanding How Your Child Learns
Not all children learn in the same way. Think about how your child responds to daily instructions. Do they use a chore chart to understand what’s expected of them each day? Do they prefer hearing about instructions or plans for the day?
Learning styles include:
- Auditory: These learners learn best by listening to instructions and discussions.
- Visual: Visual learners learn by seeing. They learn best with graphs, charts, picture aids, PowerPoints, and lesson outlines.
- Reading/Writing: These learners learn best via reading books and texts and taking notes.
- Kinesthetic: Kinesthetic learners learn by doing. They are tactile learners who prefer to touch, feel, and be hands-on. They perform best when they can move and interact with their learning environment.
It’s important to match your child with a tutor who can adapt to the child’s specific learning style and instruct accordingly.
#3: Set Your Goals
Before hiring a tutor, you should know what your goals are.
Is the goal for your child to do well on a test? Is the goal to improve their understanding of a specific subject area?
At Emergent Education, our tutors start by clearly identifying the learner’s individual goals. When everyone understands what the goals are, plans can be put into place to achieve them.
#4: Know Your Options
When it comes to tutoring — you should know going into it that you have options.
For example:
- One-on-one tutoring: which provides targeted, individual support
OR
- Small group tutoring: which some children may find beneficial and motivating due to interaction with their peers
Another option might be:
- In-person tutoring
VS
- Online tutoring
And even tutoring sessions taking place:
- In the comfort of your own home
OR
- At a tutoring center
Think about these options and which will best set your child up for success.
#5: Set Reasonable Expectations
It’s important to understand your child may not pick up the material or be ready to knock the SAT out of the park after just a session or two.
Understanding and learning take time, even with the very best tutors. That’s why it’s essential to set reasonable expectations.
That being said, there are some great benefits to tutoring, and in most cases, you should expect to see measurable progress within a few months.
#6: Test Some Options
Some private tutors or tutoring companies may want you to commit as soon as you sign up. They want to lock in your business by having you book 5, 10, even 20 sessions without ever meeting your tutor.
What if that tutor doesn’t connect with your child? What if you realize that a small group setting might be an ideal situation for your child?
Emergent Education understands the importance of finding the right fit. Try us out risk-free. Your first session is on us.
At Emergent Education, our team of tutors have a unique range of styles and skills but share the same approach to education and core values in terms of education. Our tutors are focused on developing a growth mindset.
6 Considerations When Choosing a Tutor for Your Child
When selecting a tutor for your child, it’s important to consider the following 6 things:
- Communication
- Connection
- Passion and Empathy
- Qualifications
- Experience and Expertise
- Pricing and Accessibility
#1: Communication
You’ve likely heard the phrase “communication is key.” This is especially important when choosing a tutor.
First and foremost, tutors need to practice effective communication with their pupils.
Not only that, tutors should practice strong communication skills with the parents of their students. Parents should clearly understand what is expected during sessions, in between sessions, and what the overall instructional plan is.
#2: Connection
Connection may be the most essential ingredient in a successful tutoring experience.
A strong connection can result in increased student engagement in the content, leading to enhanced learning.
#3: Passion and Empathy
Results are undoubtedly important when it comes to tutoring, but what about the process?
The learning process can be frustrating, stressful, and difficult for students. That’s why tutors need a passion for teaching AND empathy as their students experience the peaks and valleys along the way.
#4: Qualifications
You’ll want to review a potential tutor’s qualifications and credentials. Do they have a high school degree? What about a college degree? Did they study education? These are all positives when selecting a tutor.
At the same time, don’t get completely caught up in qualifications. Focusing too much on credentials can get in the way of finding a good personal fit.
#5: Experience and Expertise
When selecting a tutor to help your child in calculus, you’ll want to find someone who has experience in that subject matter, however…
- Communication
- Empathy; and the
- Ability to connect
… are far more important than subject expertise.
#6: Pricing and Accessibility
For many people, pricing and accessibility are essential factors when selecting a tutor.
So, what is a good hourly rate for tutoring?
That’s tough to answer. That’s because the hourly rate for tutors varies widely, depending on:
- Location
- Subject
- Credential
- Experience
- And more
In the U.S., on average, tutors charge just over $25/hour.
What You Can Do as a Parent to Ensure a Successful Tutoring Experience
Between …
- Time
AND
- Money
… tutoring is an investment. If you’re making that investment in your child’s education, you want to ensure the best possible experience.
As a parent, you can help make this happen by being involved in the tutoring process while still allowing the tutor to take the lead in developing an educational plan.
You should also check in with your child, their tutor, and their teachers, requesting periodic progress reports to ensure goals are being met.
Emergent Education: Tailored Tutoring Solutions for Every Subject and Every Child
Finding a quality tutor can be difficult. But it doesn’t have to be.
Give Emergent Education a call. Our team will happily take the time to discuss your child’s needs and what type of tutoring can be offered and will be most effective.
Emergent Education is exactly what you and your child need. We believe in tailored tutoring solutions.
That means pairing your child with a tutor who:
- Is proficient in the subject matter in which your child needs extra help
- Instructs with your child’s ideal learning style in mind
- Has experience tutoring children their age or grade level
The tutors you’ll work with at Emergent Education are:
- Well-qualified
- Experienced
- Empathetic
- Strong communicators, and
- Organized
Our tutors have diverse educational backgrounds and teaching styles. Our team will match you with the tutor best suited to meet your child’s unique learning needs.
If you’re reading this, you and your child are likely experiencing frustration. It’s time to end the struggle and get on the road to academic success.
With Emergent Education, there’s zero risk. Get started today by scheduling your FREE first session.
We’re confident that once your child feels the sense of connection our tutors bring to the instruction table, they’ll want to continue with Emergent Education.
