Finding the Right Tutor for Your Child

“I hate school!” Any parent who has heard those words knows how heart wrenching it can be to see their child suffering in school. Tutoring is a way to improve your child’s confidence, raise his grades and develop a love for learning that will last well into adulthood. Even high-achieving students with good grades can benefit from tutoring sessions. So, you may be wondering: How do I find a good tutor? Remember, when deciding upon a tutor, keep in mind your child’s temperament, any learning disabilities, gender and age.

What are my options?

• Private tutors. When it comes to finding a private tutor, word of mouth is one of the most reliable tools at your disposal. Ask your child’s teacher for a recommendation. If you know that one of your child’s friends has used a tutor, ask his or her parents for a referral. You should feel free to respond to advertisements found in grocery-store bulletins and newspapers, however, be sure to check references. Hourly rates may vary by region, subject matter and skill sets of the tutor, and are generally in the range of $20-$70 an hour.

• The National Honor Society. Your local high school most likely has a chapter, in which students offer free tutoring as part of their service to the community. Contact the high school’s administrative office for more information.

• Extra help from teachers. Many teachers have office hours — during lunch, or before or after school — during which they encourage students to take advantage of the additional opportunity to review lesson materials and homework.
• Tutoring centers. Local or national chains such as Sylvan offer reputable tutoring services. The advantage of these larger chains is that they have interactive online study tools, face-to-face sessions, multiple-subject experts and test-preparation programs — all in one place. Tutoring centers price sessions according to an evaluation and agreement of how many hours the child should complete in a particular subject.
• Psychologists specializing in educational testing. There are specialized psychologists who can identify if your child has special learning needs.

About the author: Sharon Fried Buchalter, Ph.D., is a distinguished clinical psychologist, family/marriage therapist, relationship expert, hypnotherapist and best-selling author. Her new book New Parents Are People Too provides relationship advice for couples entering parenthood for the first time. Dr. Sharon is also the author of Children Are People Too. Both of Dr. Sharon's books are winners of the prestigious iParenting media awards. Dr. Sharon’s website is peopletoounlimited.com .You can email Dr. Sharon at askdoctorsharon@yahoo.com.