BACK TO SCHOOL
By Jan Pierce
Finding the Right Tutor for Your Child
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arents typically hire a tutor when their child is falling a bit behind in one school subject or another. But today, with so many families choosing virtual learning options for their students returning to school this fall, selecting a tutor to provide additional individual instruction takes on even more importance. Whatever the reason, hiring a tutor is a serious venture. You don’t want to risk adding more stress to your child’s life and the additional expense can be a strain on your budget. You definitely want the dollars spent to bring positive results, and help move your child’s education forward. Here are some things to consider when looking for the best tutor for your child: Safety and convenience Your primary concern is for the well-being of your child. You’ll be entrusting your little learner into the hands of another adult. Be sure to get references and check them out. Ask the tutor if masks are required during in-person sessions and if online sessions are available. Make sure you are comfortable with the environment in which your child will be learning. Skills and experience The best tutors are retired or currently not employed teachers. They are certified and have lots of experience with children needing additional support. Sometimes businesses that offer tutoring for children are able to provide encouraging lessons in basic subjects, but just as often their teachers are not certified and have limited experience in teaching a subject with learning styles in mind. They may not be able to present a lesson in a number of different ways to help the child understand. Occasionally a family member may be able to step in and help your child in a certain subject. In that case, work with your child’s 28
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teacher to get proper materials for the lessons. It’s important that the tutoring sessions not confuse your learner by teaching lessons that conflict in any way with the classroom expectations. Be sure that you work with your child’s teachers and the tutor to set specific goals for the time spent in tutoring sessions. One good way to build learning confidence is to see progress over time as certain goals are met. Patience, empathy, and kindness Children who have fallen behind in their classroom work often are very discouraged. They may feel they can’t learn and may have taken a hit to their self-esteem. So anything additional in their schedule can feel like punishment. Avoid that possibility by hiring someone who understands the problem and offers nothing but positive lessons presented in small, bite-sized pieces so that failure is not an option. Good tutors will have games and activities that are both instructional and fun. They may use a reward system that encourages a bit of risk-taking, but also makes your child feel hopeful and accomplished. A good tutor is on task but upbeat and friendly. He or she will be patient but expect the best so that sessions are worthwhile and have specific milestones to achieve. Often charts and stickers work very well for a child who has not been able to earn them in class. Enthusiasm for the subject, positivity Typically children who have experienced a degree of failure are sure that they’re “bad at math” or “bad at reading.” A good tutor can present material in a way so that your child can shine. And enthusiasm for the fun of reading a good book or solving a math problem literally can change your child’s mind about that subject. An enthusiastic tutor who truly loves the subject matter NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2020
