Reasons to Hire a Tutor Self-confidence in the classroom and, in later years, the workplace, was one of the reasons one Southern California mother sent her son to a tutor. Her child was having a tough time in third grade and was falling behind -- and losing confidence. She wanted him to get more individualized treatment than hed receive in summer school so she hired a tutor. They helped bring up his self-esteem by making him feel accomplished and showing him how hard hes working, she says. It can be expensive, but for how he feels about himself, especially after a rough year and now getting ready to return to school, it truly is worth the money. Hiring a tutor happens as often for a struggling child as for an advanced one, says Mokris. The parents may [recognize] that a child is brilliant and needs some extra stimulation or has a particular interest in math, she says. Tutoring is also used for kids who may have always received As, but may not have the study skills required to navigate a new level. [A]dvanced students have too much work to organize and master themselves, explains Becker. They get overwhelmed and start to fall behind. I have had many tutors for the girls, says one Los Angeles-area university professor and mother of four. When they were young, they needed extra help, for reading, writing, just learning to think critically. It was very helpful. When they were older, we had tutors for specific subjects: physics, math, English. This was in prep for SATs, she says. How to Shop for a Tutor A tutor should be patient, structured and know how to add fun to the session, says Becker. In addition, she recommends that parents look for someone who has good content knowledge and whose personality matches with the childs. The tutor should also be willing to try various teaching methods in order to figure out the childs particular learning style. Once they hit upon that [parents] should expect the childs confidence level to rise within a month, says Becker. At Kumon, instructors are expected to be cheerleaders for the student, says Mokris.[T]hey need to work with the student and the family to try and ensure that the student is working at the just right level. Good communication between the tutor, the teacher at school, the family and the child is also critical, she says. And tutors should be in it for the long haul. It takes someone who sees the big picture.
Posted on: Thu, 14 Nov 2013 02:08:24 +0000
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