How Tutors Can Help Improve a Student's Performance
Parents often consider enlisting the help of a tutor when they suspect their son or daughter is struggling with schoolwork. Tutors provide academic assistance and support, which can help anyone who is struggling with a difficult subject. Since tutors often act as academic mentors, there are many ways they can provide help for your child. Here are several ways tutors can assist your child with school.
Improving Grades
Many parents decide to hire a tutor when their children are having difficulties with school, which is often reflected in their homework and test grades. As class sizes continue to increase, it's becoming more common for teachers to ensure that every child is keeping up with the material and receiving the personal attention he or she needs.
A tutor can develop a learning strategy for specific problems the student is facing. The tutor can even develop approaches that use the student's strengths and help the student feel less stressed about the subject. If your child's grades are being affected by their disability, you could find a tutor who specializes in such areas.
Providing Academic Challenges
According to Margery D. Rosen of Scholastic (www.scholastic.com), even gifted students can benefit from the specialized attention of a tutor who challenges and motivates them. You could pick an area of interest, such as literature, art or a foreign language, for your child to study with a tutor. For instance, many high schools don't offer Latin, though Latin could be beneficial if your child is thinking about majoring in foreign language or law. Latin is a challenging language, so it could provide the stimulus your child needs.
Basic Homework Help
Some students do not face major difficulties with school, but need homework help. They may need help writing papers or working through math problems. Some students feel more comfortable working with a tutor than with their parents on these regular assignments. David Kahn, who was interviewed by Rosen for Scholastic, says that students often listen more to tutors because they act as a referee, someone to guide without judgment or emotional baggage. If your child is considering attending a university or a college, consider getting a college student to tutor your child. The tutor may be able to help your child develop basic study habits and homework strategies that he or she can use in their higher educations.
