Tutors are very popular in the United States, and for good reason: children learn much better with one-on-one teaching and guidance than they do in a crowded classroom environment. Tutors can be a way to help struggling children, and they can even encourage those who are not struggling to excel. But if you’re not sure when to get your child a tutor, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Most parents struggle with when to get their child a tutor; they fear that if they get one too early, they’ll be showing a lack of confidence in their kid, but if they get one too late they’ll miss the opportunity to actually help the child. In reality, knowing when to get your child a tutor is relatively easy. Here are a few tips for knowing when to pick up the phone and call a tutor:
Poor grades
Don’t just hire a tutor any time your child gets a bad grade. First off, look for trends. If your child is a straight-A student but has a semester where she struggles in all subjects, there’s probably something else going on. Perhaps your kid has an unproductive friend group, or has started a relationship, or had some personal issue to work out. But if your child consistently gets A’s in most subjects, but B’s or C’s in another, it’s time to get a tutor.
Communication is essential here. Sometimes, bad grades can be the result of mistakes that your kids don’t want to admit to: forgetting to do a project, accidentally filling out a test wrong, or skipping school. Give your child a chance to explain her struggles, and if it’s clear that she’s simply sinking academically or intellectually, get a tutor right away.
Waning enthusiasm
Even though kids like to complain about school and homework, they’re actually pretty interested in it, and they’re certainly not lazy. But if they struggle or don’t understand things, bad habits start to form. Kids will neglect their homework if they’re scared or frustrated. They’ll stop trying, and cease being engaged if they feel like they don’t understand the material or feel like failures.
You can identify this behavior in your kid in various ways. You can assess her enthusiasm and engagement based on how she handles homework, but you can also check the teacher comments on her report card. Best of all, you can talk to your child’s teachers, to learn more about your kid’s attitude in the classroom. If the teacher is worried about engagement, effort, and attitude, that’s a sign to call a tutor.
What’s important to remember is that kids with A’s can get bored and lose enthusiasm if the material is too simple. Be aware of this, too, because you should get your child a tutor so she can be challenged and academically stimulated.
When your help isn’t enough
A lot of times kids hit rough patches academically, and you can help them through it. If your daughter is struggling with math for the first time in her life, it may not be that she’s lost interest or ability, it may just be that geometry doesn’t line up with her brain the way algebra did. In these cases, you can try and help your kid with your own teaching. But when you find that they’re past your level, or you’re not getting through, it’s time to find a tutor.
Follow this advice and you’ll know exactly when to get your child academic help.
This article was written by Sheldon Armstrong, a regular contributor here at INFOtainment News. He writes this on behalf of the Launch Education Group, your number one choice when looking for an ISEE practice test for your child. Check out their website today and see how they can help your child succeed!
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