Summer Tutoring Could Change Your Child's Life for the Better

This article could change a child's life. No matter what age a student is, if he or she is struggling in school in some way, then parents should attempt to find a summer tutor.

Keep in mind that tutors are not just for low ability students. Bright and even gifted students get bored and have trouble in school, and sometimes tutoring is a wonderful cure, as I can guarantee from my own personal experience. My son was able to do third grade math as a kindergartner. By the time he hit fourth grade, he was bored and hated math because he had been made to use the same skills over and over. During the summer, I hired a creative math teacher to tutor him in math games to help him see that math can be fun. The teacher loved it and so did my son. It was a win-win situation, and it resulted in a new interest in math for a burned out student.

Don't forget high school students who may need tutoring to get ready for the ACT test or the PSAT. Hiring a tutor the summer before the test could have much better results than simply having students attend a workshop where the information comes at them so fast that they don't have time to absorb it. Good ACT or PSAT prep books can be found at any Barnes and Noble or on Amazon.com., and parents should try to hire a teacher in the student's weakest subject.

Most parents do not consider summer tutoring an option because they do not know who to call or they are worried that a tutor is too expensive. There are solutions to both of these problems.

First, let's deal with the problem of who to call. Often there are no advertisements or handy lists of teachers that tutor, or perhaps there are a few, but the parents would prefer to have someone that they know is good at it. I have been a teacher for thirty years, and I do not advertise as a tutor. However, each time that parents have called me with a request to tutor in the summer, I have always said yes. So the first step for parents is to ask around and find out which teachers have a reputation as a good elementary or secondary teacher or which have a good reputation in the particular area of study in which the student needs help. Word gets around, and finding the best teachers is not that hard with a little research via a few phone calls to former students or to parents of former students.

Once you locate a teacher that sounds like a good fit, simply call and make your request clear. Ask for a meeting if the teacher would prefer to meet the student first. Explain how often you would like for the student to meet with the teacher. Say up front that you are willing to negotiate. Sometimes the schedule suggested by the teacher is even more practical than the one you had in mind. I have worked with students as often as on a daily basis and also as little as once per week. What has made my summer tutoring work well is for both parties to remember to BE FLEXIBLE! It's summertime! Tutoring sessions should be convenient for the parents, student, and the teacher so be sure to choose a schedule that suits everyone.

Explain what you can afford to pay and to avoid frustration, offer to pay per student visit. That way there are no hard feelings if either party has to cancel, and it eliminates bookkeeping. Mentioning a pay per session plan will often convince the teacher to charge less for the sessions. Most tutors charge upwards of $15 per hour, but I have always charged either $15 or even $10 during the summer if the parent is desperate. As long as it is on a pay per session plan and the schedule is flexible, it does not become an inconvenience and both parties are satisfied.

Usually a one hour or 90 minute session is an appropriate length for the student and teacher to work together, depending on how often per week they are meeting. Send a drink and a snack along for the student to make the session more enjoyable. One parent even sent something homemade each time for us to share. I have to say that I looked forward to that students' sessions the most! Most teachers are much more informal and relaxed during summer tutoring so this is a rare opportunity for some students to see that learning does not have to be uncomfortable or stressful.

Tutoring can be done at the student's home, the tutor's home, or a location such as a public library. If you really want to convince a teacher that you have contacted to agree to tutoring, offer to have the student come to the tutor's house. This is much more convenient for the teacher and makes it more likely that a teacher who had not advertised to tutor will agree to help your child. In this day and age, however, some parents are reluctant for their children to be at an unknown adult's house. If you don't personally know the tutor, explain that you wish sit within sight or at least hearing distance of the tutoring and that you will not interfere with the lessons. I would have no problem with this request, and no teacher should as long as the parent isn't sitting right there at the table. I would object to that because the student might feel pressure from the parent and not be able to concentrate. I used to do my summer tutoring on our screened-in porch, and parents who wished to stay were welcome to sit on the shady patio outside near the porch while they waited for the session to end. Some parents chose not to attend the whole session, but would come back early or during the session and wait quietly. That worked out quite well.

As parents, you should ask that a folder of work be kept so that you can see the student's progress. Even pre and post tests can be given, and parents should ask to see them. You are paying for the tutoring so these are reasonable requests. If parents use a pay per session plan, they could stop the tutoring at any time if it doesn't seem to be working out for some reason, with a courtesy notice to the teacher in advance, of course.

Parents, if you don't find the perfect fit in a summer tutor the first time, don't be afraid to try another teacher. A summer tutoring experience could change your child's life for the better in many ways.