Wondering About a Tutor for Your Child? Here are Some Questions to Consider.

If you are thinking about hiring a tutor for your child, there are some key questions you need to ask.

First, you should ask yourself - why am I looking for a tutor for my child?  Are they struggling with a particular concept or an entire subject.  If it is a particular concept, perhaps spending extra time at school is needed.  Talk with the teacher to find out what can be done at home to support your child.  Are there any resources the teacher can provide for extra help?  Is this an ongoing struggle?  If your child is really struggling in a subject or more than one subject, then maybe it is time to consider an experienced tutor.

Now you need to find the right tutor.  There are a number of ways to find tutors - through print and online classifieds, business cards on community bulletin boards, phone directories and print and billboard advertising.  Obviously the key is choosing the right tutor.  Some questions you should ask any potential tutor is about their experience.  What is their background and have they tutored students in circumstances similar to what your child is facing?  If they are an experienced tutor, don't be afraid to ask for references.  Also, what are their qualifications?  Do they have or are they working on post-secondary degrees or certificates?  How is the tutor going to approach tutoring sessions and what resources will be used? 

Lastly, what are everyone's expectations?  Are you expecting your child to reach the next grade level by the next report card or by the end of the year.  What if the grade does not increase but your child feels more confident in themselves.  Would that be considered a success?  What are the tutor's expectations?  Really, a good tutor should help develop habits in your child that will help them achieve success on their own.  That might not happen during a report card cycle or even at the end of the year, but that should definitely be one of the tutor's expectation.

Choosing a tutor may not be easy.  You may have to interview more than one person before getting the right feel and choosing the right person.  Even after choosing a tutor, don't forget to ask your child how they feel about the tutor.  Is there a connection between the tutor and your child?  Are the tutoring sessions working?  If not, don't be afraid to stop the tutoring sessions and begin another search for the right tutor.  Those tutors are out there.