Choosing the Right Tutor Can be as Easy as ABC

According to the Education Industry Association, the demand for tutoring has increased 15-18% in the past year, compared to single-digit growth previously. As a result, the number of tutors has also increased dramatically. Before entrusting your child’s academic future to someone, it is important to ensure that person is the best qualified and will personalize the tutoring to fit the child’s individual needs.

Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of tutoring to students of all ages and skill levels, offers easy tips for parents to use when choosing a tutor.

1. Make sure the instructor is licensed or certified. Teachers will need the proper qualifications to assess, diagnose and tutor to a child’s weakness.
2. Look for an instructor with experience teaching children the same age as your child.
3. Request an assessment. An individualized analysis of a student’s strengths and weaknesses can determine a child’s unique needs and help set goals. Also, insist on progress updates as a child passes through each step of the learning program.
4. Define your goals. Are you trying to keep your child from failing? Are you looking to challenge a child who is already doing well in school? Be sure your child’s instructor understands your objective and is skilled enough to meet it.
5. Find an instructor with specific expertise in the subject of your choosing. Just because someone is a math genius, it doesn’t mean he is qualified to teach other subjects.
6. Make a personality match. Determine what kind of teacher the student has excelled with previously.
7. Ask teachers how they will help your child master a specific skill. A good instructor will require that a child learn a specific skill before advancing to the next academic level. Find a teacher who will work with parents and teachers to create an individual program.
8. Obtain recommendations for instructors from family and friends.
9. Ask prospective instructors for references from previous employers and students, or hire a respected supplemental education company, such as Sylvan Learning, that has a proven record of academic success.