Questions to Ask When Finding the Right Tutor for Your Child

You’ve made the decision to get your child a tutor but have no idea where or how to start.  As a teacher and president of a tutoring company, Teachers to Go, I completely understand that the whole process of finding the best tutor for your child is daunting. Therefore, I have compiled a few tips, many that we use when finding the best match for our students, to help make this process easier for you:

1. Before moving forward in the process, think about your child’s personality, learning needs, and your family’s schedule.  Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Would your child be more focused at home with you or would they work better outside the home?

• Would they benefit from the personal attention in one-on-one sessions or would a small-group setting work better for your child?

• Consider your child’s positive experiences with past teachers. Has your child worked better with male or female teachers? What qualities did the teacher have that motivated or engaged your child? Were they patient? Did they make the sessions fun? Did they have similar interests as your child?

• Look at your family’s weekly schedule. Can you accommodate driving your child to the sessions or would it be easier to have the tutor come to you?

Thinking ahead, and working backwards, to find a tutor will make everything feel much less overwhelming!

2. Ask other parents about their experiences with tutors/tutoring companies. This information will give you contacts to get your process started. Keep in mind that every student learns differently, including your child, and a tutor that may have worked, or not, for their child doesn’t mean you’ll have the same results. Don’t be afraid to ask the tutor/company any questions you feel are important to finding your child the best tutor possible. The tutor/company may be the professional in education but no one knows your child better than you do!

3. Before committing to any sessions, I highly recommend requesting a consultation with the tutor to give you the opportunity to ask him/her questions. Some questions you may want to ask the tutor may include:

• What are the tutor’s credentials? Do they have any experience/education as a teacher? If your child has specific learning needs, and is perhaps behind/ahead in class, having a teacher who’s been educated in the curriculum and knows HOW to teach different learners may be an asset you want to consider.

• Have they tutored other students in your child’s grade/subject before? If so, do they have references from those parents?

• If your child has an Individual Education Plan, does this tutor have any experience making accommodations or modifications with other students?

 
Throughout the whole process, keep in mind that while a tutor’s credentials and experiences are very important, having a tutor who connects well with your child is crucial. The relationship they build with their tutor will really help your child get on board and perhaps even (gasp!) get excited for the sessions together. Good luck in your search!