How do I find the right tutor for my child?
Finding the right tutor is not easy! The most important part of choosing a tutor is to find one who will build a relationship with your child. An experienced tutor skilled in working with children is a waste of time and money, if your child doesn’t connect with the tutor. Your child needs to feel safe to take risks and even look forward to tutoring.
The next critical factor in choosing a tutor is that the tutor is highly trained in multi-sensory techniques and specialized instruction for your child’s area of need. You may find a favorite elementary school teacher willing to tutor your child but if your child has dyslexia or dysgraphia, he/she needs someone specifically trained to work with students with these learning disabilities. Tutors should be willing to share information on training and provide references from families of children who have similar learning issues. Don’t be afraid to check a tutor’s credentials, even if everyone in your school uses the tutor or if it is a teacher from your student’s school.
Ask the tutor questions to make sure he/she is the right fit for your child, family and budget. How do you motivate students? What is your cancellation policy? How long does it typically take to remediate a particular issue? How do you measure success and track progress?
Be sure the tutor is flexible and fun. Kids are tired after a long day of school. They need to be engaged and motivated to get the most out of tutoring. Multi-sensory games to reinforce skills, hands on activities to teach new concepts and multiple options to teach the same skill are critical during tutoring. Remember, these skills have often been taught in school already and your child did not learn them the traditional way, so a tutor needs many tools in her toolbox to teach these skills. Patience, understanding, empathy and experience are all very important when choosing the right tutor.