education web

Parents are realizing that providing early educational assistance can go a long way towards insuring their child performs better in the classroom. Why wait until a child is failing and frustrated in order to get them help?

Early intervention is the key, so parents need to take part in checking homework and knowing what’s going on in class. If there is a hint of a problem parents need to speak to the teacher to find out if a new topic is giving their child trouble or if they are lacking some fundamental skills. Parents need to ask if there is any help available at school, either with the teacher through after-school hours or through No Child Left Behind.

If you can’t find help at school, you may need an outside tutor. In the last year the demand for tutors has increased 15% compared to small single digit increases in previous years. As a result there are more tutors to choose from.

Remember that the purpose of a tutor is to hasten the learning so that a child catches up to the classroom level and receives all their instruction from their regular teacher.

How do you know your child needs help?

1. They have missed a considerable time of school and won’t be able to catch up on their own.

2. They tell you regularly, “I don’t understand the work” or “I forget the material”.

3. They are anxious before tests.

4. They lose interest in learning.

5. Your child’s performance level in a particular class is consistently dropping on tests, projects and quizzes.

How to find the right tutor

The first question should be about experience. It’s helpful to ask how many years they have been teaching the subject matter that the child needs help in, and if there is a learning disability, whether they have experience in working with it as well as identifying it. Credentials are also a plus, however, it matters in what expertise they’re accredited for.

1. Ask your school or friends for recommendations of a tutor.

2. Look at a tutor’s qualifications. Children all learn differently, so ask if the tutor understands about the different learning styles a child may have.

3. What do you want from a tutor? The tutor needs to know what your objectives are.

4. Ask for an assessment of your child in order to know their abilities and help set objectives.

5. Ask tutors how they will go about teaching your child the skills that are needed.

Remember that children learn many of their attitudes from parents, so it’s important that parents take part in checking homework, knowing what’s being taught at school, and creating a quiet environment with adequate supplies. Even if parents are using a tutor they must follow-up with the learning that’s taking place – making sure work from the tutor as well as school work is being completed. Review goes a long way toward mastery.