What may be simple for one child can be incomprehensible to another. While there are many new and clever solutions and resources for making sure kids get the academic help they need right now, the basics for finding the right tutor or tutor programs are still the same.
If you’re trying to find the best tutor for your family’s needs, look into some tutor programs with these five tips for finding the right tutor.
1. Get Recommendations
The best place to start is with the people who know your child best, your child’s teachers. Teachers are always the best source of determining what it is your child needs and they can provide you with the best guidance for a good match.
Some school districts have a list of different tutors and tutor programs in the area and are can also give you their recommendations. If you need to find a local tutor, you can also check your local parenting Facebook groups ( other parents are a great resource!).
2. Check Credentials
When you are finding a local tutor or checking out tutor programs, be sure to first find out if the tutor has adequate experience teaching the subject your child needs help with.
Checking their credentials ensures the tutor understands educational theory, remedial approaches, and instructional strategies. Graduate students with strong content knowledge are an excellent option for tutors, for example, an algebra tutor with a mathematics degree or a passion for math.
Equally important to a tutor’s experience is their teaching style. Ask the tutor questions such as have they ever taught children of similar age or with a similar learning style as your child.
3. Collaborate on Goals
When formulating and coming up with tutoring goals for your child, get everyone on board. This includes the child’s teacher, tutor, parent and even the child. Parents know their child best and should be involved in the goal-setting process even though teachers and tutors are usually aware of what the tutoring goals should be.
Ideally, the teacher and the tutor work toward a common goal and communicate regularly to fortify each other’s techniques.
4. Request Progress Reports
Most tutors offer periodic reports on each child’s progress and will check off goals or redefine them, if necessary. You’re more than welcome to ask if you can go over the progress reports to see if they are helpful and clear.
You can also check with different tutor programs and inquire how often reports will be given.
5. Show Support
It is important to remember that parents play a vital role in the entire learning process. Be sure to look for different ways you can support your child’s academic journey.
At the end of each tutoring session, take the time to find out what your child is expected to do before the next session, whether it’s completing all of his classroom assignments or memorizing his weekly vocabulary words. Do your best to support those learning efforts at home as well.
Finding the Right Tutor Programs
While there are many new and clever solutions and resources for making sure kids get the academic help they need right now, the basics for finding the right tutor or tutor programs are still the same.
If you’re trying to find the best tutor for your family’s needs, we hope you found these five tips for finding the right tutor programs and tutor helpful. For more posts like this one, check out more from our blog!