Choosing a Tutor for Your Child
Ever since Natalie Hagy was 3-years old, she has struggled with developmental delay issues. So her parents weren’t surprised to find she needed academic help when she started first grade.
“It got to the point where Natalie didn’t want to go to school,” reports her father Doug. “The school work was so hard and we were getting nowhere.”
There are a number of signs that a child needs a tutor. These include difficulty doing homework, poor test grades, unfinished assignments and, of course, frustration, tears and decreased self confidence.
Before finding a tutor, sit down and discuss the need with your child, says Beverly Stewart, president of Back-to-Basics Learning Dynamics. “Make the conversation as positive as possible. You are trying to get the child to buy in—‘You know how reading is kind of hard sometimes? Well, we’re going to meet with someone who can help you.’ Most kids are okay with that because they don’t want to struggle with schoolwork.”
This is what the Hagy’s did. “Natalie loved to pick up books and make up her own stories, but she couldn’t read,” recalls Doug. “We told her, ‘These are people who can help you.’”
Even though the Hagy’s took a positive approach, Natalie was a bit apprehensive. “I think she was concerned it would be like school, which she didn’t like,” Doug continues. Once she got there, she learned about the reward system. “It was a quick lesson for Natalie: ‘If I do my work right, I’ll get some tokens.’”
The Hagy’s chose a tutoring center over a private teacher for Natalie. “When our oldest child was in first grade, we had a bad experience with a private tutor,” he says. “It definitely had its positive points—it was more convenient because the tutor came to our house, and it didn’t cost as much as the center.”
But there were downfalls too. “The big reason private tutoring didn’t work was because of Mackenzie’s attitude. The tutor happened to be a friend of ours, and so Mackenzie saw it as playtime.”
Hagy knew someone from a local tutoring center and switched his daughter to their program. “We were so pleased with the results we used it for our son and now for Natalie.”
“There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to tutoring,” says Stewart. “It depends on the student and the goals. If there’s a lot of remedial work to be done, the child really should work with a professional.”
Once you talk it over with your child, try to get recommendations. Talk with your child’s teacher or principal for referrals, or go online. Other parents are a good resource too. Next check credentials to find the most qualified person and best fit for the job. Look not only at degrees, but the experience and teaching style too.
When the search has been narrowed down to a few names, make an appointment to speak with the tutor. Consider her personality and attitude. Is she upbeat? Does she take the child’s learning style into account? Is she available at a time that works for your child?
While interviewing the tutor, ask who sets the academic goals. “I recommend every player—teacher, parents, child, and tutor,” advises Stewart. “I encourage our tutors to talk with the teacher so they’re on the same page.”
Holter agrees. “We’re in the business and know what the appropriate goals should be. But parents know their child best, so they should be involved in the goal-setting process too.”
“Natalie’s goals were plain and simple as to what she needed to do to be where her peers were,” says Doug. “The first part of the year it would take weeks to get through a section; now she can do a section in a week.”
And progress is what it is all about. “Our center does periodic progress reports,” says Holter. “We check off goals and redefine them. This lets parents know what is happening. They have an investment in this and deserve to know what is being accomplished.”
Measurable change is what the Hagy’s have seen in Natalie. “Before she started tutoring she had such low self-esteem,” recalls Doug. “Now she’s incredibly self-confident. We’re thrilled to give her what she needs to succeed.”