5 On Your Side: Finding the right tutor for your child
Pandemic learning loss has created a huge demand for tutors, but they can be expensive. How do you know who to trust?
Posted — UpdatedPandemic learning loss has created a huge demand for tutors, but they can be expensive. How do you know who to trust?
Pretty much anyone can call themselves a tutor. There’s no licensing board or certification that qualifies someone as a tutor, so the questions you ask before hiring someone become even more critical.
Emma and Madeline Adams are thriving with the help of their tutor.
"She is just amazing," said mom, Misty Adams. "She just connects with both of them, they both love her."
But finding the perfect fit was tough since there’s no database, official rating system or licensure needed to be a tutor.
"Oh my gosh, so many people do tutoring out there," Adams told us about her search.
Hiring a tutor is also expensive.
"It was one of the things we had to talk a lot about, and we had to make room in our budget," Adams said.
The Adams’ chose a virtual option, which is what more and more families are doing.
Online tutoring services took in more than $6.5 billion worldwide last year, according to Grand View Research. They expect sales to jump more than 17% in 2022.
Local districts see the need, too. Wake County Public Schools is partnering with the YMCA and half a dozen other groups to offer more tutoring opportunities this school year.
"For a lot of kids, tutoring gives them confidence," said Amy Morin, a licensed psychotherapist and editor-in-chief of Verywell Mind. She discussed what parents should be asking to help them find the right tutor for their child.
"Is this person enthusiastic about what they’re teaching? Do they have any reviews? Ask if you can speak to other families who have worked with a tutor to see what they have to say about it — you want somebody who’s patient, somebody who’s empathetic, because in reality, if your kid does not like the person they’re working with, there’s a good chance it’s not going to work out very well anyway," said Morin.
You’ll also want to know how often and how long tutoring sessions are and if the tutor’s schedule works well with the way your child learns. For example, can your student call their tutor with questions between sessions?
Most importantly, is the tutor flexible?
"They can teach the same skills, maybe in several different ways. Because if you’re hiring a tutor, it’s probably because your kid doesn’t learn the exact same way as the other kids in the classroom. So you want a tutor who not just knows the information and can teach it, but can be flexible," explained Morin.
As for cost, it’s a huge range. You might pay $15 an hour for a college student’s help or upwards of $100 per hour for a professional tutor.
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