How to find a tutor for your child
Tutors provide an invaluable service to students across the globe. Students at all grade levels utilize tutors, and the results such tutors produce may surprise even the most ardent tutor supporters. A study from researchers at the Chabot College Office of Institutional
Research found that tutored students had higher pass rates on average than non-tutored students in every class examined. Those classes included anatomy, biology, business, and chemistry. In addition, one study published in the American Journal of Physics found that human tutoring can result in classroom test scores that are 35 percent higher than software-driven tutoring.
Such results have understandably made many parents true believers in the power of tutoring. Parents who want their children to work with tutors but don’t know where to find one can try these strategies.
*Contact your child’s school. Many schools offer free tutoring programs, and such programs can provide the one-on-one attention students need to understand their lessons. After-school tutoring programs offered by schools also may provide curriculum-specific tutoring that aligns directly with what students are being taught in the classroom. Schools also may have information about local private tutors and tutoring firms, so parents should not hesitate to contact their children’s school.
*Ask around. Fellow parents can be great resources when looking for tutors. Other parents can share their own experiences working with certain tutors, and may be able to point you in the direction of tutors who specialize in certain areas, such as mathematics or the sciences.
*Contact local community organizations. Local community organizations such as the YMCA also may offer free or low-cost tutoring programs to members or even non-members. Parents are urged to consider these programs, as they may be staffed by local college students, including undergraduates and postgraduates. When speaking with local organizations, ask how they choose their tutors and inquire about the educational backgrounds of those tutors.
*Consider online tutoring services. Online tutoring services are another option, particularly during the pandemic, and one that can be especially valuable for families that live in remote or rural areas where in-person access to tutors may be hard to find. Search the internet for online tutoring services, making sure to read reviews and even request testimonials from past clients before signing up.