Tips For Parents: A Step-By-Step Guide To Choosing The Right Tutor For Your Child

More than just academic success, a love for learning is at the heart of the tutoring services and study environments we provide at Synergy Academics. Founded by Jennifer Lopata, a licensed professional with experience in behavioral therapy, child development, and social work, Synergy Academics is committed to helping students excel in the classroom and increase their overall confidence when it comes to schoolwork and exams.

Are you concerned that your student might require tutoring services but still aren’t 100% sure? The following signs are exhibited by K-12 children who are struggling in school:

• No desire to go to school
• Difficulty with homework
• Gaps in understanding schoolwork
• Low scores and test grades
• “Missing” report cards
• Missing assignments
• Slower learning pace
• More incorrect answers on exams/quizzes/homework
• Unfinished school work
• Frustration, even crying
• Overall lower self confidence

If you notice one or more of these signs with your child, you will want to start the process of securing after-school tutoring services to invest in their long-term academic career and future. Here, we’ve compiled multiple factors to consider and steps to follow when choosing the tutor best suited for your student’s needs.

How To Pick The Best Tutor For Your Child

As a parent, you might find the process of finding a quality tutor or tutoring center to be quite difficult. Following these tips while taking one step at a time will prove to be the best approach and ensure smooth sailing for you and your student.

No. 1: Talk To Your Student

Before you even begin the process of searching for a tutor, be sure to have a conversation with your child about after-school tutoring services. Offer encouragement and ask them in which areas or subjects they would like to improve.

No. 2: Consider The Best Approach

Next, you will want to decide what type of tutoring services your student will most benefit from. For every family, cost and convenience are key factors when choosing after-school tutoring services. From individual or group tutoring in tutoring centers to in-home tutoring sessions, you’ll need to consider which type of academic coaching will fit best with your child’s learning style and personality. Online tutoring is also a beneficial option if needed. Keep in mind that more frequent lessons will lead to the best results and that individual sessions will cost you a bit more but may be well worth it! Ultimately, you will need to decide which approach works best for the student within your family’s means.

No. 3: Ask For Recommendations

To find the local tutors and tutoring centers that have the best reputation, ask your student’s teacher, principal, guidance counselor, or other parents for the learning professionals they recommend.

No. 4: Verify Qualifications

Once you find a viable tutor or tutoring center, be sure to ask about the potential instructor’s credentials and tutoring experience. Even if a tutor doesn’t have a credential for your student’s particular grade level, a college degree or enrollment in a graduate program paired with completion of a tutor training program can be more than enough background for instruction strategies, educational theory, and remedial approaches.

No. 5: Ask For Tutor Reviews

To get a better idea of a particular tutor or tutoring center, research reviews and survey results. On top of meeting with the learning professionals, the reviews should confirm the learning style the facility claims to use as well as mention results—giving you a better idea of the success rate.

No. 6: Think About Flexible Scheduling

With extracurricular activities/athletics to take into account on top of their academic studies, today’s students are very busy. It is important to choose a tutor or tutoring center that will be flexible with your schedule and perhaps accommodate their students with periodic later hours and weekends/holidays.

No. 7: Outline Academic Goals

For ultimate academic success, there should be open communication amongst you, the teacher, the tutoring professional, and your student in order to meet short-term and long-term goals as well as discuss learning progress.

No. 8: Clarify Policies

Before signing an agreement with a private tutor or learning center, be sure to inquire about cancellation policies to ensure that you are aware of any potential costs or fees. This is also a perfect opportunity to ask about the typical protocol in the event your tutor cancels due to sickness or emergency.

No. 9: Consistently Give Your Student Support

Your efforts shouldn’t end after you sign your student up with the tutoring services that prove to be the best fit. Continue encouraging your student and staying involved in the learning process. By staying informed about the learning goals before each lesson, you can ensure that your student is prepared so that he or she gets the maximum benefit from the tutoring sessions.

No. 10: Ask For Progress Reports

For the best possible results and highest success rates, you’ll want to stay informed about the progress your student is making in understanding concepts, completing assignments, and passing exams. Be sure to ask the tutor for feedback as well as address the teacher for updates on your student’s performance in the classroom.

Questions To Ask Yourself Before Choosing A Tutor For Your Child

Carefully choosing the right tutor for your student might not be an easy task but it is most definitely worth it. Before meeting with potential tutors or tutoring centers, you will want to determine your student’s problem areas as well as his or her learning style. Once you start meeting with potential tutors, you’ll need to consider many factors in order to determine if they’re the right fit. You’re investing in your student’s academic future and overall confidence, so don’t be afraid to consider the following questions for your student and potential tutor:

• Which subject does your student struggle with the most?
• Are your student’s obstacles organizational or academic?
• Does your student require a tutor who’s trained to work with learning disabilities?
• Does your student mainly struggle with test preparation?
• What are the goals and outcomes for your student undergoing tutoring services?
• What is the tutor’s background?
• What type of learning environment will the tutoring sessions take place in?
• How frequently should tutoring sessions take place?
• How will your student’s progress be tracked?
• Do your tutors have references or reviews?

Choose From Our Qualified Tutors At Synergy Academics

Working with K-12 students throughout the Los Angeles Area, Synergy Academics is proud to have many excellent professional tutors as part of our team. With an emphasis on academic excellence and one-on-one attention, our tutors don’t just specialize in key K-12 learning subjects and test preparation—they also work according to your child’s learning style in order to instill confidence in their own understanding of concepts and academic abilities. This private attention paired with nurturing your individual student with patience and understanding is the key to success and to transforming your student into a lifelong learner. At Synergy Academics, we believe learning should be accessible and affordable for everyone. Contact us today to learn more about our available tutors and pricing for tutoring services and learning resources that will solidify and build your student’s future.