DOES YOUR CHILD NEED A TUTOR ?

“I just don’t get this math!”

“They give us way too much home work!”

“I’m tired of school!”

“I wish I were as smart as John.”

Do any these sound familiar? Or maybe you’ve noticed a lack of interest in school or extra frustration over homework. They could be possible warning signs that your child is needing some extra help with school?

If you notice any signs, it is time to take Action.

Better to be proactive than reactive. Many parents overlook subtle clues and are a bit surprised at report card time. The following are some things that might mean you should consider tutoring for your child.

Bad Study Habits / Disorganized
Study habits and organization skills can play a large part in how well children do in school, but they also plays a large part in their effectiveness all throughout their life. A tutor who is familiar with helping children to learn good study habits / organizational skills as well as goal setting could help your child a great deal. Not all tutors offer this so make sure you check.

Does Not Complete Homework
This is sometimes a real good indication your child is struggling with a particular subject. If so, the right tutor should be able to help him get over those tough spots. But if he understands the material and is just not doing the homework consistently, that needs to be addressed.

Struggling With Specific Subjects
A good tutor that specializes in the area that your child is struggling in will could be what your child needs to get on the right track. An experienced tutor can help in getting them up to speed on new topics.

Lack Of Motivation
A lack of motivation could possibly mean your child has run into difficulties with school. Communication is definitely key here. Having an open line of communication with your child will help you to get to the bottom of whatever changes in behavior you observe.

Working Hard But Grades Don’t Show It
You probably want to consider getting a tutor in this case. Apparently you have instilled a good work ethic in your child. And frustration will probably occur if the grades are not very good. An experienced tutor could pinpoint some weaknesses she may have in certain areas as well as assist in completing homework assignments. This should have a positive affect on her self-esteem as well.

Getting In Trouble At School
A call from the teacher or principal’s office I’m sure does not give you a warm fuzzy feeling all over. Little Johnny may have too much time on his hands at school. Sometimes this is an indication he is having some difficulty with school work. A way to cope with this for some children is to act out in the classroom.

Performs Decent On Homework, But Poorly On Tests
Some children as well as adults don’t perform as well under the pressure of tests. Even though they may have a grasp of the material, for whatever reason, they may have developed some test anxiety. Some tutors are experienced at coaching your child with test-taking techniques.

Enrichment
Maybe your child is getting very good grades. And maybe it is not requiring all of his waking hours studying. Well, it might be a good idea for you to think about subject specific tutors who can give your child some advanced studies. Maybe she has an interest in becoming an engineer. A knowledgeable tutor will be able to prepare her for math she will need say the following year. Or maybe even begin to prepare her for standardized tests she will be required to take.

Tips On Choosing The Right Tutor For Your Child

Are you thinking about getting a little extra help for your child in math? Well, you’re in good company. Nowadays, parents seem to be using private tutors more and more to help their kids perform their best in school.

There are a lot of tutors out there, and choosing the right tutor is important to make sure your child has the most rewarding experience possible.

Here’s a partial list of some ways you might find a tutor:

• Get referrals from friends
  
• Public libraries
  
• Teachers
  
• Community organizations such as church organizations or home school groups
  
• Internet
• Yellow pages

Once you’ve got names of a few tutors in your area, there are several things you can do to help get a good tutor for your child.

1) Talk with their teacher. Believe it or not, many parents skip this very important step. Get as much insight as you can into your child‘s situation by asking their teacher some key questions. This will help quite a bit when making a decision as to the best tutor for the job.

Questions to Ask your child’s teacher:

• What does my child need to focus on specifically?
• Does my child need specific skills they didn't master in previous years?
• If so what are they?

2) Interview the tutor. You can find out a lot about the tutor over the phone. Questions to ask over the phone should include:

• How long have they been tutoring / teaching?
  
• What grade levels are they most comfortable tutoring?
  
• Are they certified to teach in their subject areas?
  

Teachers who are not certified may still be very good tutors. There are many teachers who have years of experience teaching math on a college level and hold a degree, but are not certified to teach elementary, middle, or high school.

Usually a real good indicator of a quality tutor is years of experience. You may feel more comfortable with a tutor that has at least five years experience working with students at your child’s grade level.

What’s probably most important is a tutor that is passionate about their subject who really enjoys working with kids and seeing them learn. Usually when you have that combination, you’ve found a tutor that will be very beneficial for your child‘s education.

3) Check References. Most tutors if they have been tutoring for even a short amount of time will have a track record. Experienced tutors expect to provide references when taking on new students. And great tutors are more than happy to provide them.

Usually parents are pretty honest when it comes to a recommendation about a person that has dealt with their child. You should ask the parent specific questions:

• Did the tutor show up in timely manner?
  
• What was your overall view of the tutoring experience for your child?
  
• Do you feel like your child benefited by the tutoring?
  
• Are you still using the tutor?
  
• If not still using the tutor, would you hire the same tutor again?
  
• How many days a week did the tutor work with your child?
  

4) Observe the tutor and your child working together. You don’t necessarily have to be sitting at the same table with your child and the tutor. This would be a little bit uncomfortable for the tutor, and maybe for your child. That being said:

• You do want to be at a reasonable distance away even in the same room so you can get a feel of the tutor’s teaching style and teaching skills.
• You also want to try to get a general sense of how the tutor is interacting with your child.

As a parent you will definitely need to feel comfortable with this particular tutor working one-on-one with your child.

5) Ask your Child's Opinion. Of course you will make the ultimate decision, but it will help you if you get an idea of what your child thinks of the tutor. You have to of course take into consideration your child’s age. Normally it will take more than the first meeting for your child to feel comfortable with a tutor. But you want to have a tutor that your child likes.

Your child may give you some of the best advice about this prospective tutor. After they have had about an hour of doing some tutoring and becoming acquainted, they may have a pretty good feel of the tutor.



Coming: “How To Get The Most Out Of Tutoring