Matching Your Child To A Tutoring Service

When you are looking for a tutoring service, it is important to make sure it is tailored to your child's needs. They often have their own teaching methods. Here are some important points to consider when choosing a tutoring agency.

Step One: Custom tailoring to your child's needs

What kind of program does it follow?

They may have their own curriculum. They can also follow the official program of the Quebec or French education system. If your child simply needs additional exercises, an unofficial program could be applied to help her progress toward her goal.

However, if your child needs help with specific topics taught at school, it is important that you hire an agency that follows the corresponding school curriculum. A good tutor must be familiar with the content of the curriculum in order to better respond to your child's problems.

Do you have the option of having a private or group service?

Many agencies offer their sessions in different formats. Some offer private tutoring as well as group sessions, while others choose to focus on one format only.

If your child seems less likely to succeed in a group, choose an agency with which to work in private with your tutor. Personalized sessions tailored to their learning pace will help maximize your child's performance and development.

Group sessions can also help with the learning of certain subjects. They can encourage participation and interaction among students. If your child is more shy, intimate group sessions could give her a space to acquire social skills and improve her self-confidence.

Does it provide home-based services?

Agencies sometimes send tutors to your home, which can be very convenient. Tutors generally use the student's books and handbooks to follow the course outline and provide books and basic school materials as needed. This option may be favorable if parents have a busy schedule.

Homework sessions (eg, a public library with private rooms) offer the advantage of having additional resources and allow students to study in an environment specially designed for productivity and concentration, which could benefit your child if he is easily distracted.

Step Two: Frequency and ideal length of tutoring sessions

This is one of the most frequently asked questions. See tutoring as a sport. Rather than practicing just before a competition, it is recommended to train at least twice a week to maintain skills, acquire new techniques and develop strength and endurance.

Academic support is most effective when done on a sustained and regular basis. Often, parents only want to start at the end of a session, when the final exams and projects are due and the mid-term reports have been received - and often it is too late. Tutors may be able to help your child improve their grades temporarily, but the opportunity to make significant progress in the course may be lost.

Why? If a child considers tutoring as a last-minute solution or a solution in response to poor results on his part, he will be stressed and anxious and will not be effective in his study. In addition, the tutors will be placed in a position where they will be forced to cover a very large amount of material in a short period of time. The student will generally not remember the homework done earlier in the year, which will limit the tutor's ability to provide a comprehensive overview of the subject.

What do we recommend at Child Tutoring Services?

We suggest that your child meet a tutor 2 times a week, preferably once at the beginning and once in the week. This will allow the tutor to work on the material methodically with the student, in order to develop a good self-confidence in the student. In this way, the child will be able to ask all his questions as he goes. The tutor will be able to identify potential problems and adjust the sessions - before the student is faced with a big exam or a bad grade.

What is the ideal length of a session?

We believe that a one-and-a-half-hour session is ideal: the student will likely be able to maintain concentration throughout the session and there will be enough time to review the material.

If you have any questions about your child's special circumstances, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Step Three: Private tutoring at home or in a work room outside the home? What is better?

Depending on your child's schedule, homework assistance and exam preparation can take place at home or in a work space outside the home such as a library. There are several factors that can help you determine the best option for your child. There is not one good solution in this case because each student is different. Here are some factors to consider when choosing location of sessions for your child.

Schedule

If your child is already participating in a lot of extracurricular activities, having sessions in a place outside your home could be a logistical challenge. On the other hand, if you prefer extracurricular activities to take place outside the home, and the home remains a relaxing space, having sessions in an outside work room may be the best option.

Transport

Depending on your situation, it may be simpler for tutors to come to work with your child, especially if the child is too young to travel alone or drive a car. However, if your child can take public transportation or is big enough to drive a car, an appointment in a workspace like a public library can be a good idea.

Energy Level

Every day of the week can be tiring, both for a working person and for a student. When planning your sessions, consider your daily and your child's energy level. If it is more efficient to organize Homework sessions at home, choose this option. However, if the school is not far from your home, you can ask the tutor to work with your child in the school library.

It is important to keep your child's needs and abilities in mind when planning a private homework assistance service. A good tutor should be flexible and punctual, in addition to being an excellent educator.

Step Four: What is the best time to take a private tutor?

Your child's brain is always evolving and developing as it grows. Sometimes, the way schools and teachers transmit the material is not adapted to the child's learning ability. Throughout your school career, concerns and challenges will arise for your child. Here are some of the educational concerns that may indicate that he needs a private tutor.

The teacher can not answer the students' questions in class

Teaching can be demanding work. Sometimes some students may feel left out by the teacher when the teacher does not have time to answer their questions and explain the course in detail.

This is an ideal opportunity to hire a tutor. Part of the work of a tutor is to answer the student's specific questions and to clearly explain the course material by ensuring that the student master it. Indeed, often your child's teacher does not have enough time to do so, unlike a tutor, whose entire time is spent ensuring that his / her pupil understands the course.

My child's grade has dropped since he started high school

Secondary helps students prepare for further education, and therefore can be more demanding than primary school. Transition can be difficult for many students. Once a student's grades begin to decline, it can be very difficult to get them up, especially in a new environment such as high school. A tutor can help facilitate the transition from elementary school to high school and improve your child's grades. Tutoring can stop the fall of notes before it gets too serious, or help the student avoid failure.

My child is not intellectually stimulated in his class - he says it's too easy

Everyone has their own learning pace, which can sometimes be slower or faster than others. If your child is not interested in a course that he finds too easy, a tutor can help him in his intellectual stimulation by teaching him the same subject but at a more advanced level. It will also ensure that your child continues to do his / her homework according to the course outline, while being ready for his or her exams.