If this is your first experience with a tutor, you probably have some questions. Here are four questions parents ask most frequently about tutoring programs.
- How long do tutoring programs usually last? The most effective school-based tutoring programs last between five and eighteen weeks—though this depends both on the student’s needs and the intensity and teaching methods of the tutor. Based on your child's goals, your tutor should suggest the number of sessions the tutor expects your child to need for noticeable improvement. For basic skills like reading, writing, math, or learning a foreign language, it's fair to expect twenty or more sessions before improvements translate into better grades.
- How many times a week should my child meet with a tutor? Sessions that occur twice or even three times a week typically produce faster results. Meeting more frequently helps keep students moving ahead.
- Which subjects respond best to tutoring? Math skills usually improve more quickly than reading skills. Struggling readers may need more than a year of tutoring to get up to grade level.
- What are the most successful tutoring techniques? Though techniques vary depending on the subject being taught, the following generally yield the best results:
a. Developing a student's independent problem-solving skills
b. Timely feedback to confirm good choices and correct mistakes
c. Quickly recognizing which techniques work best and structuring the tutoring plan
around those methods
Sources:
Cohen, P.A., Kulik, J.A., Kulik, C.C. (1982) Educational outcomes of tutoring: A meta-analysis of findings. American Educational Research Journal. 19:2. pp.237-248.
Juel, C. (1996) What makes literacy tutoring effective? Reading Research Quarterly. 31:3 pp.268-269.
Merrill, D.C, Reiser, B.J., Merrill, S.K. & Landes, S. (1995) Tutoring: Guided learning by doing. Cognition and Instruction. 13:3. pp.315-372.