Health & Fitness
Tutoring - Yes or No?
With after-school tutoring centers mushrooming all over the place, and students in record numbers signing up for after school Math and Reading "enrichment" classes, parents are a confused lot . As if all the other post-school activities weren't enough, and homework wasn't a mammoth task already!
However, if you feel that your child (or you) will benefit from extra tutoring in certain subjects, here are some things to consider:
- does the tutoring center offer one on one truly "private" lessons, or are students taught in groups of three or more?
- Is the tutoring place able and willing to help your child by giving her extra guidance and practice in her problem areas, or is there a set syllabus that every student has to through?
- If the place has a "one size fits all" approach and teachers are unable to respond to your child's specific requirements, would you be better off hiring a private tutor for your student?
- Will you and your child be able to devote the extra time and effort required to complete homework packets handed out each week by these learning centers?
If you are able to spend the time teaching your child on your own, even if it means poring over textbooks and refreshing long-forgotten concepts, nothing like it.
However, we are all extremely busy, and there are only twenty-four hours in a day, so if your child's grades are suffering, and if you feel that extra attention will help, go for tutoring - whether one on one, or in a group, is a carefully considered choice you have to make.
One on one tutoring may not necessarily be unaffordable. There are several extremely good private tutors who, you will be surprised, charge no more than one of the after-school tutoring centers. And, unlike these centers, they give your child one-on-one attention, and address their specific needs.
So, the first step would be deciding what works best for your child, for every student has a different learning style. Maybe your child prefers to learn in a group setting, and would be bored in a one on one setting. But for some students, a private class may be the only good way, as they would feel embarrassed discussing their weak points in front of their peers.
Once you have that figured out, don't be afraid to try out a few options, schedule some trial lessons, and then make your final choice.
The author works as a teacher at an after-school learning center and as a private tutor.
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