How to Find the Best Tutor for Your Child

Tutors can help students improve grades in general, prepare for important standardized tests, or simply work through issues related to one specific subject. All children learn differently, so it is essential to find a tutor that is a good fit for your child.

How to Find a Tutor

There are many ways to go about locating a qualified tutor. You can call your child's counselor or teacher to ask for recommendations. Some schools offer after-school homework clinics and tutoring from teachers, and others have designed peer tutoring programs so that older children can help younger children with their studies. Even public libraries and community centers often offer such programs. A quick look through your local yellow pages might be helpful as well; there are a number of private tutoring centers in operation, and one may be in your area. A number of communities even have homework help hotlines that allow children to ask licensed teaching professionals questions.

The Internet is another good resource for finding a quality tutor. Some websites offer tutor directories, connecting students with local tutors or teachers specializing in one-on-one academic assistance. For those who are unable to find a tutor near home, or whose schedules make attending sessions difficult, some companies offer one-on-one tutoring online. While some are simply live question and answer sessions, others incorporate audio and visual technology to make communicating easier than ever.

Put Tutors to the Test

Once you have found a prospective tutor, it is important to evaluate whether he or she is truly the best tutor for your child. Do not hesitate to ask questions and request references. Ask what learning styles their methods are best suited for, and how they evaluate your child's current ability level. Some tutors, particularly tutoring centers, give children a complete skills evaluation to identify precisely where they begin to struggle. It might also be a good idea to ask if he or she can be contacted with questions outside of scheduled sessions if your child is having a particularly difficult time with an assignment.

Keep the Lines of Communication Open

Continue to evaluate your child's tutor, even after sessions begin. It is important to ask children if they are comfortable with their new instructors and whether or not they understand the lessons clearly. Be sure to monitor your child's grades as well. If you do not see improvement within a reasonable amount of time, begin the process of selecting a tutor again. A successful tutoring experience can not only improve your child's grades, but also build their self-esteem and establish positive lifelong learning habits as well. Making an effort to find the very best person for the job means you're giving your child the best chance at success.