Now I have received this question before when people find out what I do.
This is a post I made over a year ago on my business website.
I am posting it here for anyone who has questions about reading tutoring.
Also feel free to contact me if you have other questions.
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Who would have thought your child’s school system would be where it is today?
I know that this would never have crossed my mind.
Now here we are and as parents we have to make the best decisions that we can with what we have available.
There are many options to schooling such as private, charter, hybrid, distance learning, or homeschooling.
You may have noticed your child’s reading progress prior to shutdowns, maybe you were in the process of getting the help your child needed, or you feel overwhelmed with the responsibility to make sure they are reading on their current grade level.
As a mom, I totally get you. I have 3 children: two in elementary and one in middle school.
I am a reader at heart but my children have a varying interest in reading. Trying to balance reading aloud, their reading instruction, and my own personal reading goals while working from home is both exhausting and rewarding at times.
If I may be frank with you it’s more overwhelming most days.
Reading is part of my children’s education and key to unlocking other subjects.
However, I work with parents around the world in reading and English.
I wanted to share with you some information on what to look for if you decide to invest your time and money into a reading tutor.
However, this information can be applied to other subjects like writing or math.
What is a tutor?
A tutor specializes in a subject and helps to improve skills related in their targeted area.
A tutor helps a student develop study and time management skills.
A tutor helps with homework but this should not be the main focus.
A tutor helps to build self confidence in their student.
What qualities make a good tutor?
A good tutor will…
…asses the student for all parts of reading and create a customized plan for your child. This plan should have realistic goals.
…be aware of the student’s personality, learning style, and attitude towards reading. This helps to keep the student engaged with the lessons. Engaged students are students who will learn.
…use a multi-sensory approach when possible. Learning is best when all senses are being used. Online sessions can still accomplish this with interactive classroom-like tools.
… encourages oral expression in an enjoyable way. This does not only come in the form of formal academic conversations. Informal discussions help to increase background knowledge (this is important to comprehension strategies and boost your child’s self confidence).
… teach at your child’s level. This is not connected to your child’s actual reading level in school. For instance, I test 3 reading levels for both fiction and non-fiction. I consider 3 levels for each of my students. I want to know what is easy, instructional, and frustrating for them. Activities at the easy level helps to boost the student’s self-confidence. A student will learn appropriately at the instructional level. The frustration level is where students feel defeated and may give up.
…answers your questions and addresses your concerns promptly. A tutor should provide contact information and how he or she will stay in consistent communication. This applies to assessment results, goal plans, reviews, or any questions that come up.
…affirm your child’s success along the way. Often children who struggle with reading have negative feelings towards reading and themselves. Children will think they are stupid because they cannot read like their classmates or even siblings. This mindset is detrimental to your child’s ability to be successful. This is as important if not more to address by the tutor.
Is tutoring better than teaching?
- A tutor provides one-on-one attention. In the classroom, the teacher is responsible for the learning of 25-35 students. It is impossible for the teacher to give enough one-on-one attention to all the students. During this time, many schools are going online. This makes it very hard if not impossible to get individualized attention.
- The tutor will focus on building the appropriate reading skills your child actually needs.
- A tutor builds a positive relationship with your child. It can be easy to forget the emotional and mental part of reading. This part is just as important as the actual reading skills. A child needs to have self-confidence and self-esteem to grow.
- The tutor will help the student gradually become more responsible for their own learning. The ultimate goal for tutoring is for the child to be able to increase their reading skills by gaining skills that he or she will have for the long run.
Reading is an important lifelong skill that is needed regardless of future occupation.
How do I find a good tutor?
- Ask your child’s teacher or the school. Oftentimes there is a list at the school or district office for tutors.
- Ask your friends or family if they know of any tutors. Word-of-mouth can be great referrals.
- Search online with companies like Care.com or itutor.com which allow you to contact individuals for private tutoring
- Contact your local library. Libraries are a wealth of resources usually untapped by most people. They may have tutors during certain hours but most of the time it is free.
- Contact your local colleges and the education department. In college I remember a bulletin board for part-time jobs off campus and tutoring jobs were always on the board.
- Contact local or national tutoring centers.
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If your family is currently experiencing homelessness do not hesitate to check out
This organization helps children in tutoring in areas besides reading.
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How can I find a reading tutor online?
This is similar to above considering the time of when I am writing this post. Also consider tutors who live outside your area and even time zone. You can do a google search for reading tutors near you. I have had parents find me on FB and IG. These can be helpful as well.
What should I do after I find a tutor or tutors?
After you find a tutor, ask for a consultation. I find good tutors allow you as the parent and child to see if working together would be the best fit. This is very important. I have seen children who do not click with their tutor and there is no growth because the connection was not there. Not every child will click with each teacher and it’s understandable for it to apply to tutors.
I provide an online reading assessment free for children who need tutoring. This allows me to get to know the child, see what areas need support in, and show you how I can help the child. Often my assessment is just affirmation to what parents are already seeing.
Don’t forget to ask a potential tutor if they offer something like this.
Here’s an article to the different types of tutoring available:
https://www.readingrockets.org/article/guide-finding-tutor
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https://www.elementaryonlinereadingtutor.com/
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