Does Your Child Really Need a Tutor?

Parents often ask me how they can get a tutor for their child.  This is a good second question – the first question should be ‘Does my child need a tutor?’

There is nothing wrong with tutoring, as long as what the tutor offers matches what your child needs.  Tutoring can be very beneficial when you are sure that it is what your child needs.

How can you be sure?

These are the only 5 situations I can think of when a child will truly benefit from tutoring.

Children need tutoring when they …

*  Are struggling to learn one specific school subject - such as Math or Spelling or History or ……

Note that I said ONE subject.  If your child is struggling with more than one subject tutoring will probably not work because it will not address the causes of your child’s learning issues.

* Have missed some schooling

Tutors are really good at helping children catch up when they have missed lessons due to illness or vacations. Children who miss lessons find it very difficult to catch up.

* Have changed schools

Schools follow different curricula.  When your child moves to a new school he or she may have to catch up with the work that other children have already done.

* Need to cram for an exam

Cramming is not the best way to prepare for an exam but , if your child has a short time frame to prepare this might be the best way to go.

* Have trouble with a school textbook

Tutors can help students make sense of the books they are expected to use.  Some textbooks are written in ways that can be very difficult to understand and to organize.   Tutors can help with this.

Before you start looking for the right tutor and before you start paying for his or her service you need to be sure that your child really, really, needs a tutor. If your child is involved in any of the above situations then tutoring could be the answer.

BUT

If none of these situations apply to your child, you are probably wasting your time and money by hiring a tutor.  What is even worse, you could be stopping your child getting the help he or she really needs to become a good learner and do well in school.

Tutors are excellent at helping children in any of the situations I have described. What they are not so good at is understanding the causes of your child’s problems and getting to the root of your child’s learning issues.

So, does your child REALLY need a tutor, or should you be looking at some other ways of providing the support your child needs?