6 Signs It’s Time to Get Your Child a Tutor
byElizabeth Preston
4 min to read
Sometimes, students need a little outside help with their schoolwork. Extra tutoring can provide valuable academic support to students and give them organizational and learning strategies to aid them in overcoming challenges.
There’s absolutely no shame in bringing a tutor into your student’s education. Some of the brightest minds in history had tutors.
But how do you know when your student needs a tutor? Also, how do you find a tutor for your child?
Six Signs Your Student May Need Extra Tutoring
In general, there are six signs that could help you identify if your student may need a tutor.
1. Your student consistently underperforms.
When grades are not matching up with your student’s potential, then they may be struggling in school and could use extra tutoring. This can be particularly apparent if the student’s grades are slipping in a few subjects or one subject in particular. Outliers like this can make it easier to identify knowledge gaps and the need for additional academic support.
2. Your student has difficulty starting schoolwork.
When something is difficult and not pleasant, what do we typically do? We procrastinate. Students often feel the same way about schoolwork when it is difficult and unpleasant for them.
So, it may not be a lack of motivation that is keeping your student from sitting down and getting their work done. They might be frustrated. They may know they can do better but just don’t know how. They may feel academically overwhelmed. Some extra tutoring can be the academic support the student needs.
3. Your student is disorganized.
Being consistently disorganized with their schoolwork may indicate that your student is experiencing academic difficulties.
The disorganization could also be caused by procrastination, which is something that your student and tutor can work on together. Tutors are great for providing students with general organizational and learning strategies for schoolwork.
Constant disorganization may also be symptomatic of a learning disability or executive functioning disorder. If so, then tutoring may be appropriate for helping a student understand these difficulties and for finding ways to work with a student’s challenges.
4. Your student has low self-esteem.
Students can experience low self-esteem if they feel they are “bad” at a subject. Yet it’s important for students not to feel that they are doomed to be “bad” at a specific subject, or at school in general, so that they do not become disheartened.
A tutor can help students understand the concepts they are being taught, give them individual attention and time, and help students develop confidence to tackle their schoolwork. It’s amazing how quickly you can see a turnaround, not only in grades, but in how your student feels about themselves.
5. Your student has lost interest in school.
Sometimes, when a student isn’t fully grasping the concepts that they are being taught, it’s easier for them to give up than to redouble their efforts. Your student may need a tutor to help them get refocused. Further, tutors can work at your student’s pace to ensure that they understand and absorb material.
6. Your student needs more academic help than usual.
As a Learning Coach, you make every effort to be there for your student. But, sometimes, you may need a tutor to give your child some additional support. Using a tutor to take on some of your load as a Learning Coach can provide your student with necessary academic support, especially when you don’t have the academic skills yourself.
How to Find a Tutor for Your Child
Finding tutors for elementary students, tutors for middle school students, or tutors for high school students can be challenging, especially finding the right tutor who can meet your student’s needs.
Here are some things to consider when looking to hire a tutor.
How much experience does the tutor have?
While in-depth subject knowledge in the subject your student is struggling in is great, you should also consider how much experience the tutor has in teaching. Do they know how to implement effective study strategies to address your student’s learning needs? The more experience the tutor has, the more likely they will be able to identify and adapt to your student’s learning preference.
How quickly do they respond to messages?
Communication is key if you are going to have a successful student-tutor relationship. Make sure that your chosen tutor is responsive. Also, ask what their policy is on student questions outside of scheduled appointments. Make sure that you are comfortable with a tutor’s policy before you commit.
What does your student think of the tutor?
This is a one-on-one relationship. If your child isn’t onboard with the tutor’s teaching style or personality, then it may be a doomed relationship.
Where to Look for a Tutor
To find a tutor, explore your local resources like on-demand tutoring services, recommendations from your student’s teachers, classmates, and friends, check out online reviews of tutoring websites, or reach out to local colleges for students who tutor.
Your child won’t always tell you when they need help in school. But paying attention to their behaviors can help you get a better understanding of when they are struggling at school and may need a tutor.
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