Should I Hire a Tutor?
A prospective client considers whether to hire a tutor.
There are a lot of reasons to consider a tutor for your student, from falling grades to test prep or academic enrichment, but before making the commitment, it’s important to define your student’s needs and goals.
Tutoring is an investment of both time and money. With the exception of things like test prep or high school and college admissions tutoring, it can be a long time before you see consistent student improvement. Tutoring can boost confidence, build knowledge, and provide useful strategies for studying and test-taking, but it is not a substitute for the classroom.
Here are some common reasons parents hire tutors and some key considerations for each.
Falling Grades
It’s very common for students excel in some subjects and struggle with others. Science and math are frequent challenges and writing skills or reading comprehension may be impacting performance in multiple areas.
If your student has started a new grade, a new school, or even just a new unit in one of their classes, their grades might take a dip. Always talk to your student about their grades to make sure the problem is academic and not personal.
When to get a tutor: If a student has shown consistently poor performance in a subject area, a subject-specific tutor can be helpful to provide clarity and further explanation on topics learned in school. If they are struggling across areas, executive functioning and homework help tutors are probably the best options.
When not to get a tutor: If a grade suddenly drops, it may be due to a change in what the class is studying. A single bad test is not an indication that your son or daughter needs academic support. Talk to them about why they are struggling. If your child is feeling anxious about starting a new school or other life change, there will be an adjustment period. A tutor probably won’t be able to help much with non-academic concerns.
Standardized Test Prep
Test prep tutoring is very common; it’s usually short-term, lasting only two to three months. In fact, I recommend no more than three months study time for a standardized test. Most of the content should be familiar, so spending too much time prepping can mean forgetting what you learned earlier.
Most standardized tests are more about strategy than subject-area knowledge, so tutoring (combined with student practice) can be very effective to increase test scores.
Students should take at least one, but ideally two or more practice tests before committing to a tutor. A diagnostic test will help you get the most from a test prep tutor.
When to get a tutor: If practice test scores are a lot lower than you are hoping, or your student has test anxiety, a tutor can help to familiarize them with the test and provide strategic guidance.
When not to get a tutor: If you have a motivated student who is performing slightly below where they want to be, try out a Kaplan or Princeton Review test prep book. The easiest way to improve scores on standardized tests is to practice!
Academic Enrichment
For high-achieving students, an academic or skill coach may be the best option. In New York City, there’s no shortage of tutors and coaches with specialized skills. In the virtual era, learning new skills is even more accessible. Private tutors are a good choice if you or your student is interested in niche areas, like languages not taught in school, acting, chess, advanced sciences, creative writing, visual art, musical instruments, or sports. Tutors are also best for non-intuitive skills, anything that could result in injury, or highly technical things. Something like creative writing is easier to learn by observation than how to play a violin, for example.
When to get a tutor: If your student has a consistent, demonstrated interest in a specialized skill, and you can afford it, a tutor is an excellent option to provide expert knowledge and correct technique you won’t be able to get from YouTube videos or learning apps. This can also be a good option if your student is preparing for something akin to a test, like an audition or tournament.
When not to get a tutor: There are a plethora of free and inexpensive resources available to learn skills. YouTube is full of tutorials and playlists for everything from learning piano to cake decorating. There are also books, apps, video games, and friends who might be able to help. I’d suggest having your student spend at least a month trying to learn a skill on their own and if they show a sustained interest, it might be worth considering a tutor. Students may also improve significantly on their own and realize they don’t need a tutor.
Ultimately, the decision to hire a tutor is a personal one that should include a discussion with your student. If you decide to try tutoring, make to find the best tutor for your needs and remember that it takes time to see progress. As long as you have patience, working with a tutor can foster long-lasting positive change.
