There are so many options when you look for a high school tutor. Where do you begin to look for a tutor that can help your child with their specific needs?
One-on-one tutoring can have great benefits for a students’ education.
The personalized attention they receive can help pinpoint the root causes of struggle that a teacher may have missed in the classroom.
In this guide, we will talk about how tutoring benefits high school students and what to look for in a quality tutor.
How Does Tutoring Help High School Students?
High school tutoring programs have three main benefits for students. These include:
- Building critical learning skills
- Strengthening subject comprehension; and
- Boosting confidence
The U.S. Department of Education found that well-designed tutoring programs showed significant gains in students reading skills compared to students who did not receive tutoring from a quality program.
This report found that a well-designed tutoring program that incorporates research-based elements can lead to improvements in:
- Self-confidence about reading
- Motivation for reading; and
- Behavior among the tutors and peers
Emergent Education believes in using the whole-child approach.
A whole-child approach ensures that each student is:
- Safe
- Healthy
- Supported
- Engaged; and
- Challenged
It also sets the standard for comprehensive, sustainable school improvement and provides for long-term student success.
So, what does a whole-child approach do? It looks at a student beyond the surface level.
For example, your child may struggle in reading.
Beyond reading and writing more effectively, reading is also a way to connect. By demonstrating to the student how many ways a skill can be used beyond the classroom, motivation to learn and practice that skill will grow.
Building this motivation also comes from developing a growth mindset. A quality tutoring program for high school students knows that fostering a growth mindset is key to helping students succeed.
Keep reading to learn how a growth mindset can turn even the most unmotivated student into one who works hard to achieve their goals.
What Does Online Tutoring for High School Students Look Like?
With today’s technology, tutoring online can look very similar to tutoring in person. Students receive one-on-one attention from the tutor online and real-time help with solving problems or getting feedback.
Depending on the tutor or the tutoring company, sessions could take place on:
- Zoom
- Google Hangouts
- TutorCruncher’s video chat feature
- Whereby
An important part of any tutoring session is collaborating with the student and interacting with their work. Some programs this might take place on are:
- Google Docs: view and edit documents, powerpoints, and spreadsheets in real-time
- Zoom Whiteboard: real-time document annotation
- Bramble: screen recording, online whiteboard during video chat, collaborative space for editing together with the student
Is online tutoring worth it?
One study found that students who received online tutoring and completed an accompanying math game significantly improved their math scores.
There are some options for free online tutoring for high school students through non-profit organizations.
Free online tutoring programs may be a good option for students who need one-time help.
If there’s a single problem they can’t solve, they may just need to view a problem from a different angle and get some further direction.
7 Things That Make a Quality Tutoring Program for High School Students
#1: Regular Monitoring and Reinforcement of Progress
High-quality tutoring services for high school students constantly monitor the progress of their students.
Beyond being able to better curate a program for your child, being able to show the student how far they’ve come can be powerful.
Think about a time you worked hard on something, and someone pointed out to you how much you’ve learned. That can be motivation to keep going.
Many subjects taught in school, particularly math, are built with foundational knowledge. Being able to track where your student has been can better help determine where the tutoring needs to go from there.
#2: Employ Well Trained Tutors
Ongoing, thorough training throughout employment helps guarantee tutors get the professional development needed to best assist your child.
This helps to ensure that your child’s tutors are receiving the most up-to-date information about teaching practices.
#3: Use Research-Based Methods
Research in the …
- Journal of Education Psychology
- American Education Research Journal; and
- Elementary School Journal
… highlight the importance of a tutoring program using research-based methods. New methods of teaching are appearing in the research every year.
Quality tutoring programs will keep up to date on the newest research on …
- Teaching methods
- Interventions, and
- Content knowledge
… that the student needs to succeed.
#4: A Close Connection Between Classroom Curriculum and Tutoring Services
Between the different school systems and even between buildings, class content can vary greatly. For example, an algebra 2 in one school may look very different from algebra 2 in another.
Incorrectly evaluating where a student is in their current content knowledge and what exactly they need help with would be a waste of the student’s time.
One of the first things a tutoring program should do is evaluate your student.
This also gives the tutor time to find their strengths and growth points to better track their progress.
And even more importantly, a tutor can accurately match the student’s knowledge to class names. This way, the student’s content knowledge is categorized correctly, making it easier to identify the necessary foundation knowledge and map out where tutoring should be focused.
A quality tutor may also be in close contact with your child’s teacher to better meet the needs of the student.
#5: Embraces the Growth Mindset
A growth mindset is a way of thinking that leads to success.
Pioneered by Carol S. Dweck, a growth mindset embraces problems as an opportunity to learn. On the opposite side, a fixed mindset avoids problems and has a high fear of failure.
The good news is a growth mindset can be developed.
“If parents want to give their children a gift, the best thing they can do is to teach their children to:
- Love challenges
- Be intrigued by mistakes
- Enjoy effort: and
- Keep on learning
That way, their children don’t have to be slaves of praise. They will have a lifelong way to build and repair their own confidence.” – Carol Dweck
A tutor or teacher can continuously frame problems and successes in a way that praises effort and the process of arriving at solutions — instead of just the outcomes.
A good tutor also cultivates a growth mindset in themselves.
A tutor with a growth mindset:
- Has positive and high expectations of their students.
- Takes responsibility for improving their teaching methods.
- Uses growth mindset language when teaching and with themselves.
- Sees setbacks and feedback as an opportunity to grow their skills and to learn.
- Actively seeks learning opportunities and new challenges.
#6: Improve the Student’s Study Skills
A great tutor prepares their students well enough that they no longer need tutoring.
Skills such as …
- Task initiation
- Organization
- Time management, and
- Focus
… are essential to learning well.
At some point, a student may need help to learn these skills.
One-on-one tutoring with an empathic tutor can make a difference in a child’s learning. They know that learning how to learn is just as important as learning the content.
#7: Is Adaptable
There is no predetermined formula for tutoring.
A tutor must adapt their methods for each student and re-evaluate during and after sessions.
A quality tutor looks at the whole child from different contexts:
- Academic situation
- Home life
- Environment at school
- Etc.
Looking at a child systemically can make a big difference in how that tutor may approach their session that day.
What Is the Average Cost for a High School Tutor?
The going rate for tutoring high school students can range from $15 to $100 per hour.
This can vary depending on the qualifications of the tutor.
Private tutors who are also certified teachers, for example, may cost more than someone without professional teaching experience.
Sometimes parents may qualify for free tutoring for high school students under the No Child Left Behind Act. This provides free tutoring for low-income families that attend a Title 1 school.
Consider your budget, but don’t wait.
Waiting too long to get tutoring for your child can mean they may miss one crucial concept that will put them behind for the rest of the year.
How Long Is an Average High School Tutoring Session?
The length of an average high school tutoring session varies depending on the needs and the progress of the student. However, frequent and regular tutoring sessions result in greater gains.
Sessions of between 10 and 60 minutes daily can have great benefits for the student.
What Are Potential Tutoring Activities for High School Students?
Subject Support
Though specific class names vary, subjects that tutors often help high schoolers with are:
- Math subjects such as pre-algebra, calculus, probability, and statistics
- Science subjects such as chemistry, physics, and biology
- English, reading and writing, literature, and creative writing
- Foreign languages such as Spanish, German, and French
- English as a Second Language (ESL) services
- Specific humanities, history and social studies courses such as U.S. history, government, economics, psychology, and their AP equivalents
College Testing and Admissions Support
Tutoring for standardized tests can be a great way to not only master the material, but also create personalized strategies to prepare for tests taken in high school.
Some tests that a tutor can help with include the:
- PSAT / SAT
- GED
- ACT
- TOEFL
- GRE
- GMAT
SAT Prep
High school tutors often help students prep for the SAT Essay and the SAT Subject Tests.
A tutor can help you:
- Learn what to expect on test day
- Go through full-length practice tests
- Work out a plan to study for the subject material
- Go over study skills and strategies needed to prepare for the test
Homeschool Support
Tutoring is not just for traditional in-school programs. Sometimes homeschool teachers need some help, too.
A tutor can help you and your child:
- Discover new resources
- Navigate the curriculum
- Develop a student as an independent learner
- Prepare for standardized tests such as the ACT and the SAT
Looking for the Best Tutoring for High School Students? Schedule a Complimentary Tutoring Session With Emergent Education
Emergent Education is a small team of experienced educators that value:
- Developing a growth mindset
- Individualized education for each student, and
- Monitoring progress and helping students learn from mistakes
Schedule a complimentary tutoring session today to see how Emergent Education can help your child leap over barriers and reach their goals.
